Here is what I read in August.
Here is a short synopsis I liked about the book. Min Jin Lee’s Free Food for Millionaires follows Casey Han, the ambitious daughter of Korean immigrants, as she graduates from Princeton and tries to build a successful life in New York City. Torn between her family’s traditional expectations and her own desire for independence, Casey struggles with career setbacks, relationships, financial pressures, and the lure of wealth and social status. Set in late-1990s Manhattan, the novel explores themes of identity, immigration, class, family, ambition, and belonging. Rather than focusing on a single dramatic plot, it is a rich character-driven story that examines the sacrifices and compromises people make while searching for success and home.
Natalie Heller Mills is a wildly successful social-media “tradwife” influencer who presents an idyllic life as a wife, mother, and homemaker on a beautiful ranch. But much of her perfect image is carefully staged. One morning, Natalie suddenly wakes up in what appears to be 1855, where she must actually live the harsh, labor-intensive life she has been romanticizing online. As she struggles to understand whether she has traveled through time, been placed in a reality show, or is experiencing something even more sinister, she is forced to confront faith, motherhood, marriage, feminism, fame, and the difference between performing a life and actually living it. This was an intense, thought provoking read and I can’t say I’d recommend it to everyone, but it did have an element of thriller which kept suspense until the end.
I really loved this novel. Here is a short synopsis from Chat:
When Crickets Cry by Charles Martin is a heartfelt story about loss, grief, redemption, and the healing power of love.
The novel follows Reece, a reclusive heart surgeon who has withdrawn from life after a devastating loss, and Annie, a young girl with a serious heart condition who desperately needs his help. Their unlikely relationship slowly brings Reece back into the world and forces him to confront his painful past.
In short: It’s an emotional, faith-filled story about how caring for another person can help us find hope and healing ourselves.
It’s a feminist retelling of the Greek myth of Medusa. The story reimagines Medusa as a young woman whose life is transformed by betrayal and tragedy. Rather than portraying her simply as a monster, the novel explores her perspective, her pain, her resilience, and her struggle to reclaim her identity and power. It’s ultimately a story about survival, injustice, and finding strength after being wronged. It was reminiscent to me of the character Elphaba in “Wicked.” I Thoroughly enjoyed this perspective on the character of Medusa!
