Today’s post covers the second half of the books I read in August 2023. I shared what I read in the first half of the month here. I shared my five star reads here. The Amazon links to the books I’ve read are affiliate links and if you use them and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. If you’ve read any of these books or are interested in them, I’d love to hear about it in the comments!
Title: Break The Fall
Author: Jennifer Iacopelli
Genre: YA Contemporary
Publisher: Dreamscape Media, 2/18/20
Source: Library Audio / Print from TLC Book Tours
Why I Read It: Waiting on my shelf
My Rating: 4 Stars
It was quite awhile ago when I received and featured Break the Fall by Jennifer Iacopelli for TLC Book Tours. Gabbie read it awhile ago and I finally listened to the audio for it this month. Break The Fall is a story about the 2020 Olympics, published before those Olympics didn’t happen. Featuring the U.S. Gymnastics team, it felt a lot like other gymnastics themed stories I’ve read before. It is about Audrey, a Korean American gymnast whose world is shaken when her coach is accused of abusing the girls. There is also a love story between Audrey and her new coach’s son Leo.
“Audrey Lee is going to the Olympics. A year ago, she could barely do a push up as she recovered from a spine surgery, one that could have paralyzed her. And now? She’s made the United States gymnastics team with her best friend, Emma, just like they both dreamed about since they were kids. She’s on top of the world. The pressure for perfection is higher than ever when horrifying news rips the team apart. Audrey is desperate to advocate for her teammate who has been hurt by the one person they trusted most–but not all the gymnasts are as supportive. With the team on the verge of collapse, the one bright spot in training is Leo, her new coach’s ridiculously cute son. And while Audrey probably (okay, definitely) shouldn’t date him until after the games, would it really be the end of the world? Balancing the tenuous relationship between her teammates with unparalleled expectations, Audrey doesn’t need any more distractions. No matter what it takes, she’s not going to let anyone bring them down. But with painful revelations, incredible odds, and the very real possibility of falling at every turn, will Audrey’s determination be enough?”
I liked the Olympics story and the friendships described between the girls as they went through the competition together.
Title: The Hundred Loves of Juliet
Author: Evelyn Skye
Genre: Romance / Historical / Magical Realism
Publisher: Del Rey Books, 8/1/23
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
This book is a continuation of Romeo and Juliet, in which Romeo doesn’t die – and in fact, is cursed to live forever – while he repeatedly falls for and loses multiple Juliets. Helene is a writer who has written many vignettes featuring a man who she believed she made up, but when she flees her marriage to Alaska, she meets Sebastien, who is the man she thought she invented. Past versions of Juliet had no recollection of any version of Romeo, so the two think the curse might be breaking.
“It’s a frosty fairytale of an evening in small-town Alaska when Helene and Sebastien meet for the first time. Except it isn’t the first time. You already know that story, though it didn’t happen quite as Shakespeare told it. To Helene, Sebastien is the flesh-and-blood hero of the love stories she’s spent her life writing. But Sebastien knows better—Helene is his Juliet, and their story has always been the same. He is doomed to find brief happiness with her over and over, before she dies, and he is left to mourn. Albrecht and Brigitta. Matteo and Amélie. Jack and Rachel. Marius and Cosmina. By any name, no matter where and when in time, the two of them are drawn together, and it always ends in tragedy. This time, Helene is determined that things will be different. But can these star-cross’d lovers forge a new ending to the greatest love story of all time?”
I enjoyed this story for the most part. I did think the ending resolution was a bit abrupt, although sweet. I might have enjoyed even more references to the original story and the lives Romeo and Juliet lived throughout time. It was hard to classify this book into a genre!
Title: You, With A View
Author: Jessica Joyce
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: Berkley, 7/11/23
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
I enjoyed this story about Noelle’s journey to learn more about her grandmother, who recently passed away. She discovered that her grandmother dated someone in her past that she had never mentioned to Noelle. As it turns out, the mystery man is Paul, and his grandson Theo is Noelle’s high school nemesis. The three set off on a road trip to revisit the past while also allowing Noelle to reconnect with photography and of course fall for Theo.
“Noelle Shepard is unemployed, living with her parents, and grieving the loss of her beloved grandmother when she discovers decades-old photos of Gram and a smitten man, tucked alongside a love letter. She creates a TikTok to search for the mystery man, which goes viral, and she’s shocked when his grandson responds—a man who happens to be her high school nemesis, Theo Spencer. Noelle refuses to let Theo’s annoying accomplishments in adulthood—or his sexy smirk—stand in the way of meeting his grandfather and unlocking the secrets he knew about her gram as a young woman. When she learns that their plans to elope were thwarted, Noelle decides to take the honeymoon road trip they planned but never got to carry out. There’s a catch, though: Paul, Theo’s grandfather, asks to come with her, and he insists that Theo join them. It’ll be a miracle if they make it through the trip without Noelle throwing Theo out of the moving car—or the bed they end up sharing. As the miles tick by, the tension simmers hotter between them…until she discovers that Theo’s hiding a secret that could cause their tenuous relationship to end before it can restart.”
I liked this one but not as much as I’d hoped that I would based on reviews! I also found myself wishing for more scenery descriptions since they were driving through some beautiful areas!
Title: Dust
Author: Dusti Bowling
Genre: Middle Grade Contemporary
Publisher: Hachette Audio, 8/15/23
Source: Publisher Audio
Why I Read It: Liked a previous book by her
My Rating: 4 Stars
This Middle Grade story is about Avalyn, who has asthma and is struggling when dust storms begin occurring near where she lives. They seem to follow the moods of new student Adam, who Avalyn tries to befriend.
“After Avalyn nearly died from an asthma attack, her parents moved her to the clear, dry air of Clear Canyon City, Arizona. And for the last ten years, she’s been able to breathe. That is, until Adam showed up. Quiet and unkempt, Adam is an instant target for the bullies who have plagued Avalyn and her friends. As Avalyn gets to know him, she begins to suspect that the sudden, strange increase in dust storms around town are somehow connected to his emotions. She thinks his problems may be even worse at home, especially when massive black walls of dust start rolling in after the school day. Will she find a way to stand up for her new friend? Her life may just depend on it.”
Avalyn can sense people’s emotions and she discovers that Adam is being assaulted at home. Avalyn and her friends were also bullied at school and the teachers didn’t seem to help at all. This one felt like a lot for young readers, but with an adult, it would be a great read.
Title: Barely Floating
Author: Lilliam Rivera
Genre: Middle Grade Contemporary
Publisher: Kokila, 8/29/23
Source: Storygram Book Tours
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
This book was a fun look at how doing a sport can improve your life. Nat often deals with being quick to anger and getting into fights. When she discovers synchronized swimming (or artistic swimming), she desperately wants to join the team even though her parents don’t approve. Nat joins anyway and finds herself better able to control her temper and keep herself on target when school starts.
“Natalia De La Cruz Rivera y Santiago, also known as Nat, was swimming neighborhood kids out of their money at the local Inglewood pool when her life changed. The LA Mermaids performed, emerging out of the water with matching sequined swimsuits, and it was then that synchronized swimming stole her heart. The problem? Her activist mom and professor dad think it’s a sport with too much emphasis on looks–on being thin and white. Nat grew up the youngest in a house full of boys, so she knows how to fight for what she wants, often using her anger to fuel her. People often underestimate her swimming skills when they see her stomach rolls, but she knows better than to worry about what people think. Still, she feels more like a submarine than a mermaid, but she wonders if she might be both.”
This book deals with body positivity, being BIPOC, gender roles, and homophobia and does well at encouraging inclusivity.
Title: Impossible Escape
Author: Steve Sheinkin
Genre: Middle Grade Non Fiction
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press, 8/29/23
Source: Storygram Book Tours
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
When I started this book, I didn’t realize it was going to be non fiction as opposed to historical fiction. I enjoyed learning about a Jewish teenager who managed to escape from Auschwitz in order to warn the world what was happening there. I read this book in a day.
“It is 1944. A teenager named Rudolf (Rudi) Vrba has made up his mind. After barely surviving nearly two years in the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland, he knows he must escape. Even if death is more likely. Rudi has learned the terrible secret hidden behind the heavily guarded fences of concentration camps across Nazi-occupied Europe: the methodical mass killing of Jewish prisoners. As trains full of people arrive daily, Rudi knows that the murders won’t stop until he reveals the truth to the world―and that each day that passes means more lives are lost. Lives like Rudi’s schoolmate Gerta Sidonová. Gerta’s family fled from Slovakia to Hungary, where they live under assumed names to hide their Jewish identity. But Hungary is beginning to cave under pressure from German Nazis. Her chances of survival become slimmer by the day. The clock is ticking. As Gerta inches closer to capture, Rudi and his friend Alfred Wetzler begin their crucial steps towards an impossible escape. This is the true story of one of the most famous whistleblowers in the world, and how his death-defying escape helped save over 100,000 lives.”
By escaping Auschwitz, Rudi Vrba likely helped save over 100,000 people, because the world finally realized the extent of what was happening to Jewish people in the camps. What an amazing person to learn about!
Title: Middle School Superpowers
Author: Phyllis L. Fagell
Genre: Non Fiction
Publisher: Hachette Audio, 8/1/23
Source: Publisher Audio
Why I Read It: Sounded helpful
My Rating: 4 Stars
With my youngest son in 8th grade, I thought this would be an appropriate book for me to learn techniques for dealing with disappointment, emotions, and more. It’s a difficult time for many kids! I felt it was also applicable to my older kids as well.
“Middle school can be one of the toughest times in a kid’s life—for them and for their parents and educators. It’s filled with transitions, upheaval, and brand new experiences that can be overwhelming and intimidating. But licensed clinical professional counselor Phyllis Fagell has put together a practical, evidence-based, and compassionate guide for parents and educators to help their tweens through most challenging situations.Middle School Superpowers teaches middle schoolers how to activate the 12 superpowers they need to discover their strengths and navigate tough decisions and disappointment:
Flexibility * Belonging * Sight * Bounce * Agency * Forcefield *
Security * Healing * Vulnerability * Daring * Optimism * Balance
Whether they lose a friend, get cut from a team, make a mistake on social media, bomb a test, struggle with negative body image or identity-related issues, or feel weighed down by societal problems, these ‘superpowers’ will help them find their place and thrive. Middle School Superpowers is the key to raising confident, self-aware, independent, and resilient kids who can recover from any setback—now and in the future.”
I enjoyed the examples of things kids said as well as the parent ideas and ways to address kids. It also includes ideas for teachers of this grade level. It addresses the impact of Covid on these kids as well.
There you have it, the rest of my August reading! This post included 7 of the books I read in August. Of these books, 5 were print and 2 were audio books. Genres included contemporary, romance, rom com, and non-fiction. 3 were adult books, 1 was YA, and 3 were Middle Grade.
Have you read any of these books or do you want to? What have you been reading lately?