August wrap-up
All the things I read and loved in August.
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I spend a lot of time on Substack critiquing things, so I thought I would change it up at least once a month and send out a monthly newsletter that celebrates all the things I read and watched, what I want to read, and any of my assorted favorites from the past month.
So, welcome to the monthly wrap-up🎉
August was a weird one for me. It was a big balance of taking care of my health while also trying to fill all the good times with things and people I love. As a result though, my reading and writing kind of fell to the wayside. I was definitely in my comfort read era though and I gravitated towards books that gave me a lot of comfort as a kid and young adult: witty mysteries and fantasies.
For my non-fiction this month, I focused on healing, both within one’s self and within community.
Even though I didn’t read lot, and even though all the books weren’t masterpieces, I still had a great time. At the end of the day, that’s what reading is all about.
Favorite book: “A Perilous Undertaking” by Deanna Raybourn
Synopsis: London, 1887. At the Curiosity Club, a ladies-only establishment for daring and intrepid women, Victorian adventuress Veronica Speedwell meets the mysterious Lady Sundridge, who begs her to take on an impossible task--saving society art patron Miles Ramsforth from execution. Ramsforth, accused of the brutal murder of his mistress, Artemisia, will face the hangman's noose in a week's time if the real killer is not found.
But Lady Sundridge is not all that she seems, and unmasking her true identity is only the first of many secrets Veronica must uncover. Together with her natural-historian colleague, Stoker, Veronica races against time to find the true murderer. From a Bohemian artists' colony to a royal palace to a subterranean grotto with a decadent history, the investigation proves to be a very perilous undertaking indeed....
Review: I have a confession to make about this book—it took me waaaay too long (150 pages) to realize I was reading the second book in the series, so don’t make the same mistake I did. Start by reading “A Curious Beginning” (you know, the book very clearly labeled as the first).
That being said, the fact that I read the second book first did not ruin the reading experience. As I said earlier, I reverted back to some comfort genres this month and in high school I read Deanna Raybourn’s Lady Julia Grey series, another mystery series set in 1800s London. I was absolutely obsessed with it and still think it’s criminally under-read. BUT, this series? I’m almost done with book three now and I’m equally obsessed.
This book is filled with witty banter that feels natural, loveable characters, a will they/won’t they romance (these two characters and their relationship have my whole heart), and an interesting mystery to top it all off. If you like any of those things, you need to read this. Is this book a literary masterpiece that will win awards? No. Will you have the time of your life reading it? Absolutely.
Quick reads and watches
“The Black voters vs. Palestine debate is a trap. Don’t fall for it” by Hanna Phifer
“Maybe madness & illness are the only way to remain human under capitalism” by Ayesha Khan, P.H.D
“The Silent ‘Forest’” by Ingrid Fadness, a look at forced eucalyptus plantations in Brazil and its consequences on local habitat.
This stunning cinematic vlog of a journey through Greenland by boat. The photographs in here are stunnnnning.
And finally something cozy to match my comfort theme this month: I find oliviareadsalatte’s reading vlogs so calming for some reason.
What I’ve added to my TBR (to-be-read)
“Second Tide’s the Charm” by Chandra Blumberg: Two shark scientists who are trapped on a boat together and also happen to be exes. Need I say more?
“One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This” by Omar El Akkad: A reckoning of what it means to live in the west during times of genocide that come at the hands of the few countries truly in power.
“The Home I Worked to Make: Voices from the New Syrian Diaspora” by Wendy Pearlman: A new work from an incredible journalist documenting the stories of those forced to flee their home of Syria.
“Matchmaker” by Aisha Saeed: A matchmaker and her childhood best friend/fake fiance have to team up to solve a mystery.
“The Lamb” by Lucy Rose: A contemporary folktale about a mother and daughter to eat strangers that knock on their cottage door.
Families I’m supporting
Mahmoud, Tamer, and Tala who lost their mother and wife earlier this year. Tamer has Autism and navigating this cruel world is especially hard for him.
The Tareq family including Amani who is suffering from multiple medical conditions and needs urgent care
Mohammed’s family including his wife and three kids as they struggle to survive in Khan Younis
Rozana’s family including her husband and three-year-old son (Ziad) who used to live in Gaza City and now have no home or clean food and water which is making Ziad’s health deteriorate.
In case you missed it
Here’s a look back at all of my Substack posts from this month:
See you next month,
