August 2024 Wrap-Up!

Posted On August 30, 2024

Hi Readers! How do you feel about being in the last four months of 2024? Insane, isn’t it? August, for me, was eventful. A lot of erratic reading, erratic work schedule and erratic living. I read SIX BOOKS across 1461 PAGES in AUGUST!

~~BOOKS READ~~

~~THE HOUSEMAID SERIES by FRIEDA MCFADDEN~~

I read the three books one after the other, The Housemaid, The Housemaid’s Secret & The Housemaid is Watching by Frieda McFadden. To say that I didn’t like these much and yet read them all pretty quickly seems like a feat to me at this point. I will review them soon and share my thoughts in detail. I suppose if you read a lot of thrillers and mystery novels, you won’t find this series as amazing as it is claimed to be on social media. But, if you are not a reader, then this might be the perfect series to read on the beach or on a long flight or over a long weekend.

~~BOOKS READ FOR WOMEN IN TRANSLATION MONTH~~

I love translated literature, and even more if it is by women authors and translators. August is Women in Translation month. So even with my mood reading, I always try to read at least a few books dedicated for the month. This year I had 5 books in my TBR for this, of which I read 1 and I read 2 others which were nowhere near the top of my TBR. Haha.

~~WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR IS IN THE LIBRARY by MICHIKO AOYAMA, TRANSLATED by ALISON WATTS~~

I had this book on my shelf for the longest time. I have been reading too many cutesy bookish wholesome books lately. Maybe that’s why I didn’t appreciate this one entirely. I did love it. It is especially so fulfilling to read for a corporate girlie like me. But, I felt that there was something missing. The review for this one will also be up soon. I am still trying to place that missing something and convert my thoughts into words on this one.

I have rated What You Are Looking For is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama, translated By Alison Watts at 4/5 stars!

~~A WOMAN’S STORY by ANNIE ERNAUX, TRANSLATED by TANYA LESLIE~~

My original plan was to read Annie Ernaux’s The Years. But, because of time constraints, I picked the 90-some-page A Woman’s Story. With Annie Ernaux’s books, I never know what to expect. Some books are just beyond my understanding while being autobiographical. Other have truly wonderful writing. Some are complete misses. A Woman’s Story has very routine writing, and yet it strikes a chord with the themes of grief and mortality.

I have rated A Woman’s Story by Annie Ernaux, translated by Tanya Leslie at 4/5 stars!

~~COCKFIGHT by MARÍA FERNANDA AMPUERO, TRANSLATED by FRANCES RIDDLE~~

I picked this book most randomly from one of the blogs for unique and short book recommendations for WiT Month. This was a super weird, gross, grotesque and at times uncomfortable in the worst way possible. And yet, if you get over the disgust, you might actually enjoy a few of the stories. I still would not recommend reading this without reading the trigger warnings.

I have rated Cockfight by María Fernanda Ampuero, translated by Frances Riddle at 3/5 stars!

~~STATS & MORE~~

~~LIFE LATELY~~

I went to Pune for the long weekend with my parents. Pune isn’t vibing anymore the way it used to. The only amazing thing was that I read two books, did a little writing and had a good dinner one time and met a few relatives. I also organized my dad’s bookshelf. The thing was so chaotic with no breathing space and was not set in any order whatsoever. Organizing it along with dad was a very nice Saturday morning. 😁

I met Suruchi and after many months we finally went for brunch at a restaurant with amazing aesthetics and unsatisfactory food. LOL. 🤭

My boss is going on a long leave, so I am leading a team now. This transition has been ongoing for months but it still seems overwhelming. So, there was an extra slice of stress on top of everything else, which will possibly be continued till the foreseeable future. 🥲 That’s okay, though. Life isn’t all happy laughs and drinking coffee at central perk every day.

Until next time,