Books I Read in August (And Whether or Not You Should Read Them).

Educated by Tara Westover

Plot: “An unforgettable memoir about a young girl who, kept out of school, leaves her survivalist family and goes on to earn a PhD from Cambridge University

Born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, Tara Westover was seventeen the first time she set foot in a classroom. Her family was so isolated from mainstream society that there was no one to ensure the children received an education, and no one to intervene when one of Tara’s older brothers became violent. When another brother got himself into college, Tara decided to try a new kind of life. Her quest for knowledge transformed her, taking her over oceans and across continents, to Harvard and to Cambridge University. Only then would she wonder if she’d traveled too far, if there was still a way home.”

Favorite quote: “My life was narrated for me by others. Their voices were forceful, emphatic, absolute. It had never occurred to me that my voice might be as strong as theirs.”

My thoughts: This memoir was incredible. I had to keep reminding myself  that the girl I was reading this story about was the author, because she was so well-spoken with such a clear voice. It was hard to read at parts, but an incredible story of motivation and determination.

Should you read it? Yes!

Those Other Women by Nicola Moriarty

Plot: “Overwhelmed at the office and reeling from betrayals involving the people she loves, Poppy feels as if her world has tipped sideways. Maybe her colleague, Annalise, is right—Poppy needs to let loose and blow off some steam. What better way to vent than social media?

With Annalise, she creates an invitation-only Facebook group that quickly takes off. Suddenly, Poppy feels like she’s back in control—until someone begins leaking the group’s private posts and stirring up a nasty backlash, shattering her confidence.

Feeling judged by disapproving female colleagues and her own disappointed children, Frankie, too, is careening towards the breaking point. She also knows something shocking about her boss—sensitive knowledge that is tearing her apart.

As things begin to slide disastrously, dangerously out of control, carefully concealed secrets and lies are exposed with devastating consequences—forcing these women to face painful truths about their lives and the things they do to survive.”

My thoughts: Okay, I have something embarrassing to admit. I thought this was Liane Moriarty, who I love, so really I was setting myself up to be disappointed. And I was. This book was kind of just weird. It had way too much going on and it was a little hard to keep up with. And overall, I just didn’t like it. I hate saying that about a book, but there you have it.

Should you read it? No.

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

Plot: “Alicia Berenson’s life is seemingly perfect. A famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer, she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of London’s most desirable areas. One evening her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot, and Alicia shoots him five times in the face, and then never speaks another word.

Alicia’s refusal to talk, or give any kind of explanation, turns a domestic tragedy into something far grander, a mystery that captures the public imagination and casts Alicia into notoriety. The price of her art skyrockets, and she, the silent patient, is hidden away from the tabloids and spotlight at the Grove, a secure forensic unit in North London.

Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who has waited a long time for the opportunity to work with Alicia. His determination to get her to talk and unravel the mystery of why she shot her husband takes him down a twisting path into his own motivations―a search for the truth that threatens to consume him.”

Favorite quote: “You become increasingly comfortable with madness – and not just the madness of others, but your own. We’re all crazy, I believe, just in different ways.”

My thoughts: Everyone on my instagram was going crazy for this book and the twist. And the twist did shake me to my core. I just hated that it happened at the very end of the book. It was a lot of book for five pages of a twist at the end. It was a crazy unique story and I loved it, but to me it was more of a slightly-creepy novel that turned to a thriller at the end, and I was expecting a thriller through and through, does that make sense?

Should you read it? Yes! But go into it knowing it’s not a book full of twists and turns.

What have you read lately, and do I need to read it?!