Read in August 2024
Almost the end of October and I still have to tell you about the books I read in August. Tsksk! Contrary to my usual practice, there weren’t that many.
In August I read a total of 5 books, good for 2034 pages. The average August book comes to 407 pages/book.
In August I did find a new favorite book and the other books I read were also good to fantastic! This brings the average book of the month to 3.6 stars.
In terms of target group, I didn’t vary and only read 5 adult books.
In terms of reading style, I did vary, with 1 e-book, 2 audiobooks and 2 physically owned books.
For the genres I switched between 4 genres, namely romance (1), mystery (1) and fantasy (3).
For the language I stuck with English again and didn’t read a single book in my native language Dutch.
Below is the list of the books I read in August and my rating in stars.
Click on the link to jump to the blurb and my review! As always, be aware that both blurb and review may contain spoilers, especially if it concerns sequels in a series! Sometimes I will also hide spoilers behind a fold-out text!
- Foley, Lucy – The Midnight Feast 🎧 ★★★★
- Bennett, Robert Jackson – The Tainted Cup (Shadow of the Leviathan #1) ★★★★★
- Poston, Ashley – The Seven Year Slip ★★★★
- Klune, T.J. – Under the Whispering Door ★★
- Abercrombie, Joe – The Wisdom of Crowds (First Law World #10) 🎧 ★★★
🎧 Foley, Lucy – The Midnight Feast ★★★★
Genre: Mysterie
It’s the opening night of The Manor, and no expense, small or large, has been spared. The infinity pool sparkles; crystal pouches for guests’ healing have been placed in the Seaside Cottages and Woodland Hutches; 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 the Sunday morning of opening weekend, the local police are called. Something’s not right with the guests. There’s been a fire. A body’s been discovered.
THE FOUNDER * THE HUSBAND * THE MYSTERY GUEST * THE KITCHEN HELP
It all began with a secret, fifteen years ago. Now the past has crashed the party. And it’ll end in murder at… The Midnight Feast.
With the The Midnight Feast Lucy Foley has probably delivered my favourite book of hers to date! The novel is brilliantly constructed through multiple points of view, flashbacks, and diary entries. These narrative elements intertwine seamlessly, building a coherent and compelling whole that had me hooked from the start.
One of the book’s great strengths lies in its masterful use of red herrings. Foley continually kept me guessing, adding layers of complexity that heightened the mystery. This, combined with the lush, menacing atmosphere—filled with the mysterious birds and hints of pagan ritual—created a sense of folkloric horror that felt both decadent and foreboding.
By the second half, the novel became impossible to put down. The pacing sharpened, transforming the book into a true page-turner with an intensity that had me on the edge of my seat. The final sentence is particularly quirky, a delightful touch that left me smiling, despite the dark road that had led me there.
I read the book through audiobook, which I highly recommend. The voice acting is superb, enhancing the immersive experience with perfectly delivered performances. The narrators truly bring the story to life, making it an even more gripping listen.
The Midnight Feast is the perfect creepy, atmospheric read for a summer night—filled with tension, mystery, and an underlying sense of danger.
Bennett, Robert Jackson – The Tainted Cup (Shadow of the Leviathan #1) ★★★★★
Genre: Fantasy/Mysterie
Assigned to investigate is Ana Dolabra, a detective whose reputation for brilliance is matched only by her eccentricities. Rumor has it that she wears a blindfold at all times, and that she can solve impossible cases without even stepping outside the walls of her home.
At her side is her new assistant, Dinios Kol, magically altered in ways that make him the perfect aide to Ana’s brilliance. Din is at turns scandalized, perplexed, and utterly infuriated by his new superior—but as the case unfolds and he watches Ana’s mind leap from one startling deduction to the next, he must admit that she is, indeed, the Empire’s greatest detective.
As the two close in on a mastermind and uncover a scheme that threatens the Empire itself, Din realizes he’s barely begun to assemble the puzzle that is Ana Dolabra—and wonders how long he’ll be able to keep his own secrets safe from her piercing intellect.
I’ve put The Tainted Cup on my monthly TBRs since it came out, and though I was excited to read it, I procrastinated. The book has been receiving almost unanimous praise, which made me hesitant, as I often find myself going against popular opinion. The premise sounded absolutely amazing, and while it amped up my expectations, it also raised my fear of disappointment. Thankfully, I had nothing to worry about—this book exceeded my hopes on every level.
“Miniature mai-trees had been altered to grow down from the ceiling, acting as chandeliers—something I’d never seen before—their fruits full to bursting with the glowing little mai-worms, which cast a flickering blue light about us.”
For the past five years, Fantasy and Mystery have consistently been my top two read genres. A novel that promises to combine both is an automatic attention-grabber for me, and this book delivered spectacularly! I went in expecting a murder mystery set in a fantastical world, but what I didn’t expect was just how immersive and detailed that world would be. The fantasy elements were original and expansive, yet they never overshadowed the central mystery, which in itself carried a fantastical touch. The balance between the two genres was expertly handled.
“The corpse hung suspended in the center of the bedchamber, speared by the many slender trees, but as Otirios had said it was initially difficult to identify it as a body at all. A bit of torso was visible in the thicket, and some of the left leg. What I could see of them suggested a middle-aged man wearing the purple colors of the Imperial Engineering Iyalet. The right arm was totally lost, and the right leg had been devoured by the swarm of roots pouring out from the trunks of the little trees and eating into the stonewood floor of the chamber.”
The world Bennett introduces is vast and intricately developed, with a bizarre and captivating magic system based on organic life and body modifications. This strange, eerie backdrop beautifully enhances the central murder mystery, making the whole experience feel richer and more atmospheric.
Against this lush setting, a brilliantly crafted murder mystery unfolds, packed with twists, red herrings, and clever clues. It kept me guessing while embracing beloved detective tropes. The dynamic between the eccentric detective Ana and her sidekick Din was especially compelling. Their relationship has shades of the Sherlock Holmes–Dr. Watson pairing but with unique twists and added intrigue—Din, the narrator, tries to hide a concerning flaw in his augmentations, while Ana’s mysterious exile heightens her intrigue.
“What the hell else do you know how to do?”
I handed her the cup. “I do seem to be developing a talent for tolerating verbal abuse and mad questions, ma’am.”
Bennett’s writing was as enjoyable as his world-building. I’m used to the more formal, reverent tone often found in fantasy novels, so Ana’s bluntness and frequent crude language came as a surprise—often shocking me into laughter. The way Bennett seamlessly blended this type of humor with intellectual suspense was a real treat.
“Erupting from within due to a sudden vegetal growth is, I concede, pretty fucking unusual,” Ana said acidly.”
While the central mystery is satisfyingly resolved, the world Bennett created leaves ample room for more stories. The amount of content packed into this book was impressive, yet every reveal left me wanting more. I’m thrilled this isn’t a standalone, as I’m eager to dive deeper into Ana and Din’s adventures, learn more about the Leviathans, the Empire, and explore this unique magic system further.
“Oh, people love the Legion, with their swords and their walls and their bombards. But though they receive no worship, it’s the maintenance folk who keep the Empire going. Someone, after all, must do the undignified labor to keep the grand works of our era from tumbling down.”
The Tainted Cup has launched Robert Jackson Bennett straight to the top of my reading list. From its well-drawn characters and immersive world-building to the intricate mystery at its heart, this book delivered everything I hoped for and more. It’s a near-perfect fusion of fantasy and mystery, and I can’t wait to see where Ana and Din’s story goes next.
Poston, Ashley – The Seven Year Slip ★★★★
Genre: Romantiek (hedendaags)
So Clementine forms a plan to keep her heart safe: work hard, find someone decent to love, and try to remember to chase the moon. The last one is silly and obviously metaphorical, but her aunt always told her that you needed at least one big dream to keep going. And for the last year, that plan has gone off without a hitch. Mostly. The love part is hard because she doesn’t want to get too close to anyone—she isn’t sure her heart can take it.
And then she finds a strange man standing in the kitchen of her late aunt’s apartment. A man with kind eyes and a Southern drawl and a taste for lemon pies. The kind of man that, before it all, she would’ve fallen head-over-heels for. And she might again.
Except, he exists in the past. Seven years ago, to be exact. And she, quite literally, lives seven years in his future.
Her aunt always said the apartment was a pinch in time, a place where moments blended together like watercolors. And Clementine knows that if she lets her heart fall, she’ll be doomed.
After all, love is never a matter of time—but a matter of timing.
“Sometimes the people you loved left you halfway through a story. Sometimes they left you without a goodbye. And, sometimes, they stayed around in little ways.”
After reading Ashely Poston’s “The Dead Romantics”, I knew not to expect just a fluffy romantic story with this “The Seven Year Slip” and I’m glad I could manage my expectations more with this one, because I feel like I enjoyed it a lot more because of it.
“ Universal truths in butter. Secrets folded into the dough. Poetry in the spices. Romance in a chocolate. Love in a lemon pie.”
Where I felt that “The Dead Romantics” handled the heavier subjects with a lot of grace and insight, but did not quite balance it right with the romance marketing the book got, “The Seven Year Slip” delivered on all fronts for me.
“I loved how a book, a story, a set of words in a sentence organized in the exact right order, made you miss places you’ve never visited, and people you’ve never met.”
It was insightful, eloquent and melancholic, but also fluffy, cozy and magical.
I got so invested in these characters that I simply could not put this book down and read it in one sitting. It’s been a long time since I stayed up to finish a book and this one was totally worth it.
Klune, T.J. – Under the Whispering Door ★★
Genre: Fantasy
Instead of leading him directly to the afterlife, the reaper takes him to a small village. On the outskirts, off the path through the woods, tucked between mountains, is a particular tea shop, run by a man named Hugo. Hugo is the tea shop’s owner to locals and the ferryman to souls who need to cross over.
But Wallace isn’t ready to abandon the life he barely lived. With Hugo’s help he finally starts to learn about all the things he missed in life.
When the Manager, a curious and powerful being, arrives at the tea shop and gives Wallace one week to cross over, Wallace sets about living a lifetime in seven days.
By turns heartwarming and heartbreaking, this absorbing tale of grief and hope is told with TJ Klune’s signature warmth, humor, and extraordinary empathy.
To this day I can still remember the warm and fuzzy feelings I got while reading The House in the Cerulean Sea. Since then, I’ve been hoarding T.J. Klune’s later releases for when I need a pick-me-up. So, no one is more devastated than I am to find that Under the Whispering Door doesn’t live up to that magic and in fact turned out to be a rather lackluster read.
“The first time you share tea, you are a stranger. The second time you share tea, you are an honored guest. The third time you share tea, you become family.”
Given the premise, I expected the book to be emotionally heavy, tackling difficult themes like death, regret, and finding meaning at the end of one’s life. Following a main character, Wallace, who dies and realizes how unloved and insignificant he was in life, I was prepared for an introspective journey, one that would explore profound emotional depths. But despite those themes, the story never fully delivered the emotional weight it promised.
“It’s never enough, is it? Time. We always think we have so much of it, but when it really counts, we don’t have enough at all.”
Unfortunately, I found the book to be superficial. It often skimmed over the deeper emotions of Wallace’s journey, settling instead for repetitive, clichéd scenes that didn’t move the narrative forward. At times, it felt as though I was reading the same scenes dressed up in slightly different words, stretching the book far too long for what it ultimately contained.
The love story also felt completely out of place. The buildup was lacking, and it seemed hastily inserted, as if to keep readers engaged rather than enhancing the emotional stakes. Without a solid foundation, the romance lacked the warmth and natural development that made Klune’s previous works so memorable.
“It helps to laight, even when you don’t feel like laughing. You can’t be saf when you’re laughing. Mostly.”
That being said, I can see how some readers might find comfort in Klune’s soft touch with heavier topics and his hopeful take on what happens after death. However, for me, it never reached the level of charm or emotional resonance that The House in the Cerulean Sea did.
In the end, Under the Whispering Door may appeal to those who enjoy a contemplative, slow-burn story about life’s meaning and death’s acceptance, but I left it feeling unfulfilled and disappointed.
🎧 Abercrombie, Joe – The Wisdom of Crowds (First Law World #10) ★★★
Genre: Fantasy (grimdark)
The Great Change is upon us…
Some say that to change the world you must first burn it down. Now that belief will be tested in the crucible of revolution: the Breakers and Burners have seized the levers of power, the smoke of riots has replaced the smog of industry, and all must submit to the wisdom of crowds.
With nothing left to lose, Citizen Brock is determined to become a new hero for the new age, while Citizeness Savine must turn her talents from profit to survival before she can claw her way to redemption. Orso will find that when the world is turned upside down, no one is lower than a monarch. And in the bloody North, Rikke and her fragile Protectorate are running out of allies… while Black Calder gathers his forces and plots his vengeance.
The banks have fallen, the sun of the Union has been torn down, and in the darkness behind the scenes, the threads of the Weaver’s ruthless plan are slowly being drawn together…
You could already read my review for this book here.
