August was a fun month of reading! I read 3 thrillers, all of which are 4.5 stars or higher. I listened to a good nonfiction book on audio when driving home from Asheville. And I finished the month out with a spicy rom-com. I very much enjoyed The Return of Ellie Black and I get the hype around The God of the Woods. Keep scrolling to read the recaps of the 5 Books I Read in August 2024.
See my favorite reads from 2022 here, 2023 here, and check out what I’ve read here. You can see the 5 books I read in January here, everything I read in February & March here, what I read in April here, and the 4 books I read in May. Here are 3 books I read in June and 5 books I read in July.
5 Books I Read in August 2024
The Return of Ellie Black – Emiko Jean
It’s been twenty years since Detective Chelsey Calhoun’s sister vanished when they were teenagers, and ever since she’s been searching: for signs, for closure, for other missing girls. But happy endings are rare in Chelsey’s line of work.
Then a glimmer: local teenager Ellie Black, who disappeared without a trace two years earlier, has been found alive in the woods of Washington State.
But something is not right with Ellie. She won’t say where she’s been, or who she’s protecting, and it’s up to Chelsey to find the answers. She needs to get to the bottom of what happened to Ellie: for herself, and for the memory of her sister, but mostly for the next girl who could be taken–and who, unlike Ellie, might never return.
Meghan’s Thoughts & Rating
- I read this book in one sitting! It is one of the best thrillers I have read. The ending was completely unexpected for me on all accounts. The last 50 pages are *something* so be prepared to eliminate distractions to finish.
- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Midnight Feast – Lucy Foley
Synopsis
It’s the opening night of The Manor, the newest and hottest luxury resort, and no expense, small or large, has been spared. The infinity pool sparkles; the “Manor Mule” cocktail (grapefruit, ginger, vodka, and a dash of CBD oil) is being poured with a heavy hand. Everyone is wearing linen.
But under the burning midsummer sun, darkness stirs. Old friends and enemies circulate among the guests. Just outside the Manor’s immaculately kept grounds, an ancient forest bristles with secrets. And it’s not too long before the local police are called. Turns out the past has crashed the party, with deadly results.
Meghan’s Thoughts & Rating
- Lucy Foley is one of my favorite authors for a good thriller (The Guest List is still my favorite). After having some disappointment from other favorite authors with their much-anticipated books earlier this year, I tried to go in with low expectations. This book was so good — I stayed up late to finish it because I flew through the ending. It has a 9 Perfect Strangers meets the Birds feel for me. The ending is incredibly satisfying and I gasped at the last sentence. 4.75 Stars from me!
- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
The Age of Magical Overthinking – Amanda Montell (Audio)
Synopsis
“Magical thinking” can be broadly defined as the belief that one’s internal thoughts can affect unrelated events in the external world: think of the conviction that one can manifest their way out of poverty, stave off cancer with positive vibes, thwart the apocalypse by learning to can their own peaches, or transform an unhealthy relationship to a glorious one with loyalty alone. In all its forms, magical thinking works to restore agency amid chaos. Still, in The Age of Magical Overthinking, Montell argues that in the modern information age, our brain’s coping mechanisms have been overloaded, and our irrationality turned up to an eleven.
In a series of razor-sharp, deeply funny chapters, Montell delves into a cornucopia of the cognitive biases that run rampant in our brains, from how the “halo effect” cultivates worship (and hatred) of larger-than-life celebrities, to how the “sunk cost fallacy” can keep us in detrimental relationships long after we’ve realized they’re not serving us. As she illuminates these concepts with her signature brilliance and wit, Montell’s prevailing message is one of hope, empathy, and ultimately forgiveness for our anxiety-addled human selves.
If you have all but lost faith in our ability to reason, Montell aims to make some sense of the senseless. To crack open a window in our minds, and let a warm breeze in. To help quiet the cacophony for a while, or even hear a melody in it.
Meghan’s Thoughts & Rating
- This is a series of short essays on various topics like confirmation bias and the Ikea effect. I really enjoyed it, despite a few cringy moments here and there. It would be an incredible book club pick!
- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The God of the Woods – Liz Moore
Synopsis
When a teenager vanishes from her Adirondack summer camp, two worlds collide.
Early morning, August 1975: a camp counselor discovers an empty bunk. Its occupant, Barbara Van Laar, has gone missing. Barbara isn’t just any thirteen-year-old: she’s the daughter of the family that owns the summer camp and employs most of the region’s residents. And this isn’t the first time a Van Laar child has disappeared. Barbara’s older brother similarly vanished fourteen years ago, never to be found.
As a panicked search begins, a thrilling drama unfolds. Chasing down the layered secrets of the Van Laar family and the blue-collar community working in its shadow, Moore’s multi-threaded story invites readers into a rich and gripping dynasty of secrets and second chances. It is Liz Moore’s most ambitious and wide-reaching novel yet.
Meghan’s Thoughts & Rating
- This book is outstanding! No wonder it’s been all over social media as a must-read. It’s a slow burn and a non-linear timeline. I couldn’t put it down for the last 150 pages. The ending is so satisfying and not your typical thriller mystery.
- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Pairing – Casey McQuiston
Synopsis
Theo and Kit have been a lot of things: childhood best friends, crushes, in love, and now estranged exes. After a brutal breakup on the transatlantic flight to their dream European food and wine tour, they exited each other’s lives once and for all.
Time apart has done them good. Theo has found confidence as a hustling bartender by night and aspiring sommelier by day, with a long roster of casual lovers. Kit, who never returned to America, graduated as the reigning sex god of his pastry school class and now bakes at one of the finest restaurants in Paris. Sure, nothing really compares to what they had, and life stretches out long and lonely ahead of them, but–yeah. It’s in the past.
All that remains is the unused voucher for the European tour that never happened, good for 48 months after its original date and about to expire. Four years later, it seems like a great idea to finally take the trip. Solo. Separately.
It’s not until they board the tour bus that they discover they’ve both accidentally had the exact same idea, and now they’re trapped with each other for three weeks of stunning views, luscious flavors, and the most romantic cities of France, Spain, and Italy. It’s fine. There’s nothing left between them. So much nothing that, when Theo suggests a friendly wager to see who can sleep with their hot Italian tour guide first, Kit is totally game. And why stop there? Why not a full-on European hookup competition?
But sometimes a taste of everything only makes you crave what you can’t have.
Meghan’s Thoughts & Rating
- I became a Casey McQuiston fan after reading RWRB and have been really excited to read this one. It is from 2 characters’ perspectives after becoming estranged from a trip to experience food and wine across Europe. The descriptions of the food, wine, architecture, landscapes, and art (especially Renaissance art) had me ready to book a similar trip for myself. It’s also really spicy!
- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
5 Books I Read in August 2024
