All About Books discussion

What books are you hoping to read in August? Share your plans here.

On Track:
Intervention
Cure
Broken Soul
Dark Heir

New Releases:
Dragonmark
Dark Carousel

Read-a-Longs:
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
The Invisible Man

Time Permitting:
The Arctic Event

I do have some plans, but I don't know if I'll stick to them. Anyway, I'd like to read:

The Light Fantastic
The Cuckoo's Calling
A Storm of Swords
Treasure Hunt
Angelica's Smile

As you see, they are all light reads, but that's exactly what I need for the coming month. I've been working like crazy for the past two months and I need something relaxing.

First I have to finish off the books I didn't have time for last month:
1.The Silver Dark Sea 4 stars
2.The Architect's Apprentice 4 stars read
3.Thunder At Twilight: Vienna 1913/1914 2 stars

Then I will continue with :
4. The Dust That Falls from Dreams 3 stars read
5.The Return: Fathers, Sons, and the Land in Between 4 stars
6. Charles Dickens 4 stars read
7. The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman 1 star read
8. The Sound and the Fury 3 stars read
9.The Great Fortune and the rest of the series if I like this. Started, but completed in September!
10. Under the Sea Wind 4 stars read

ETA:
11. My Family and Other Animals 4 stars read
(Offered as a daily deal at Audible.uk on Aug 11th.

Books 3, 5, 6, 10 and 11 are non-fiction.

My tentative plans:

Group Reads:

A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells
Age of Myth by Michael J. Sullivan

AAB Poetry

Selected Poems of Gabriela Mistral by Gabriela Mistral

Leftover From Last Month:

Five Plays: Antigone, Eurydice, The Ermine, The Rehearsal, Romeo and Jeannette by Jean Anouilh (finish)
Amoris Laetitia-- The Joy of Love: On Love in the Family by Pope Francis (finish)

Free Reads

The Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West
Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs

My tentative plan for August:-

Antigone by Jean Anouilh (I've ordered from the library both the French and the English versions)
The Confessions of Catherine de Medici by C.W. Gortner
In the Company of the Courtesan by Sarah Dunant

I have small plans for August -

The Mysteries of Udolpho 3 stars
The Invention of Nature: Alexander von Humboldt's New World (AAB Nature theme) 3 stars
The Odyssey (other classics group read) 5 stars
The Golden Notebook (buddy read) still reading into September...

Anything else will be a spur of the moment decision.

My August is for reading off my actual shelf and not doing too much else.

Personal Challenge; 1966
In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cashby Jean Shepherd
A Place on Earth by Wendell Berry


Off My TBR sitting too long:
Confessions by Augustine of Hippo
The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis

A new Release:
My Name Is Leon by Kit de Waal

Translation on Bingo Challenge - A Non-Fiction:
Secondhand Time: The Last of the Soviets bySvetlana Alexievich

Something to Read with My Daughter:
Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate

Group Read if have Time:
The Humans by Matt Haig

Pink wrote: "I have small plans for August -

The Mysteries of Udolpho (to continue)
The Invention of Nature: Alexander von Humboldt's New World (AAB Nature theme)
[book:The Odyssey..."
Small plans, the Odyssey?!

Guy wrote: "My August is for reading off my actual shelf and not doing too much else.

Personal Challenge; 1966
In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cashby Jean Shepherd

Off My TBR sitt..."

Guy wrote: "My August is for reading off my actual shelf and not doing too much else.

Personal Challenge; 1966
In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cashby Jean Shepherd

Off My TBR sitt..."

Some good ones Guy! I hadn't heard of that one by Shepherd before, but it looks fun. Curious to hear what you think of Confessions - I have a copy of that around somewhere in my house waiting to be read.

Greg wrote: "Guy wrote: "My August is for reading off my actual shelf and not doing too much else.

Personal Challenge; 1966
In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cashby Jean Shepherd

Off..."

Greg, If you have seen or heard of the movie the "A Christmas Story" - a favorite of mine - you know the book. Jean Shepherd actually is the narrator in the movie. I have about 12 books that were published in my birth year as a challenge - This was one of them. I think it will be a fun read. I love the movie.

Guy wrote: "Greg wrote: "Guy wrote: "My August is for reading off my actual shelf and not doing too much else.

Personal Challenge; 1966
In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cashby [author:Jean Shephe..."

Ah, of course!! I hadn't put the book & movie together - yes, the movie is great, hilarious!

Haha Gill, well at least the total number of books is a small :)

Pink wrote: "Haha Gill, well at least the total number of books is a small :)"

Pink & Gill, I found Odyssey to be a much easier read than I had imagined. I hope you'll enjoy it, Pink.

Here is what I hope to read in August but as always, plans are subject to change!

A Thousand Acres
Selected Poems of Gabriela Mistral
The Lion and the Jewel
Smallbone Deceased
Disgrace
The Invisible Man

Some other possibilities:
The Shrimp and the Anemone
The Great Impersonation
The African Queen

And rereadiing The Odyssey is tempting!

Wow - The Odyssey as a re-read says a lot, I have yet (if ever?) to get to the first go round.
August reading plans:

Two If by Sea
A Man Called Ove
Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood
Lake Wobegone Days
Beautiful Ruins

I make plans but they never seem to work out!

I will finish Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

Catch-up on:
And the Mountains Echoed
Horus Rising
The Murder on the Links

Get a head start on:
Burial Rites

In the unlikely event of me having spare time:
Lightless
Life After Life

Colleen wrote: "Wow - The Odyssey as a re-read says a lot, I have yet (if ever?) to get to the first go round.
August reading plans:

Two If by Sea
A Man Called Ove
[book:Forever in..."

Lake Wobegone Days is a book I liked a lot, Colleen. Hope you do also!

Right, now that I've seen Greg's list, how could I forget that I'm also planning to read The Invisible Man?

Esther wrote: "I make plans but they never seem to work out!

I will finish Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

Catch-up on:
And the Mountains Echoed
Horus Rising
[book:The M..."
Burial Rites was a five start book for me. I find it hard to believe that an Australian so perfectly captures the Scandinavian mood. Dark, but fantastic.

Marina wrote: "Right, now that I've seen Greg's list, how could I forget that I'm also planning to read The Invisible Man?"

:)

My reading has slowed down a bit, but I am aiming to read

The Forgotten Garden
A Thousand Acres
The Sunrise

But we'll see how it goes!!

So many wonderful books planned!

Shirley, The Forgotten Garden got me hooked on Kate Morton
Esther, I loved Burial Rites so much I bought another copy for a friend - she loved it too
Colleen, Lake Woebegone Days, perfect summer read
Guy, I hope your copy of The Screwtape Letters has the illustrations!

My plans for August are Baggage, A Long Way Down, If Wishes Were Horses, Lake News and Freedom and Necessity, all of which are part of my books I own challenge.
If time permits, I will also read 101 Letters to a Prime Minister: The Complete Letters to Stephen Harper, letters Yann Martel wrote about book recommendations, and mailed to the PM every other week, with the recommended book, for 4 years.

I will continue with The Betrothed. And when I complete it I may read Yoko Ogawa's Hotel Iris.

Plans for August thus far:

finish Breakfast of Champions

Welcome to Deadland
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil: A Savannah Story
Sweetbitter

Evelyn wrote: "So many wonderful books planned!

Shirley, The Forgotten Garden got me hooked on Kate Morton
Esther, I loved Burial Rites so much I bought another copy for a friend - she loved it too
Colleen, Lake..."

Yes, enjoying it, very much, Evelyn!

Shirley wrote: "My reading has slowed down a bit, but I am aiming to read

The Forgotten Garden
A Thousand Acres
The Sunrise

But we'll see how it goes!!"

Hi Shirley, I am reading A Thousand Acres and The Forgotten Garden as well - in fact, I thought I would get a head start last week and started A Thousand Acres and got so involved with it, I finished on Sunday night, July 31st! It is an awesome book, the storyline is not that unusual, but it really stands out from others of the same genre of families and farmlife.

Terry wrote: "Shirley wrote: "My reading has slowed down a bit, but I am aiming to read

The Forgotten Garden
A Thousand Acres
The Sunrise

But we'll see how it goes!!..."

That sounds great, Terry! I am now well into The Forgotten Garden and really enjoying it, so am now looking forward to A Thousand Acres too!

Evelyn wrote: "letters Yann Martel wrote about book recommendations, and mailed to the PM every other week, with the recommended book, for 4 years."

Martel sounds like one inspirational character!

Colleen wrote: "Wow - The Odyssey as a re-read says a lot, I have yet (if ever?) to get to the first go round.
August reading plans:

Two If by Sea
A Man Called Ove
[book:Forever in..."

would love to know how Lake Woebegone days is...

Cathie wrote: "Plans for August thus far:

finish Breakfast of Champions
New Grub Street
Far from the Madding Crowd"

Breakfast of Champions was a favorite of mine when I read it years back.

So I have just mucked up all my plans by ordering the new Harry Potter which I will read as soon as it arrives.

Cathie wrote: "Plans for August thus far:

finish Breakfast of Champions
New Grub Street
Far from the Madding Crowd"

A great selection Cathie!

Evelyn wrote: "So many wonderful books planned!

Shirley, The Forgotten Garden got me hooked on Kate Morton
Esther, I loved Burial Rites so much I bought another copy for a friend - she loved it too
Colleen, Lake..."

Evelyn - I just got your note regarding Screw tape Letters - Funny - I was thinking Illustrations? I'll have to check... ;)

Less than a week left of August and I still have a few books that I'd like to get through -

Daphnis and Chloe which I've just started and shouldn't take long 4 stars
Romeo and Juliet likewise should be quick, but I want to watch another adaptation first
The Golden Notebook which I still haven't started and probably won't have time for until next month I've started! Love it, will continue in September.

I really haven't been reading much at all this month, I think it's a combination of the heat, watching the Olympics and not being able to settle into hardly anything that I pick up. I hope everyone else is getting along better.

Dhanaraj wrote: "I will continue with The Betrothed. And when I complete it I may read Yoko Ogawa's Hotel Iris."

My son just bought me The Betrothed for my birthday. I'd never heard of it, but it's a lovely edition, although it looks rather long. I hope it's good.

Pink wrote: "My son just bought me The Betrothed for my birthday. I'd never heard of it, but it's a lovely edition, although it looks rather long. I hope it's good."

It's an Italian classic and during highschool it's a mandatory book. I hope you will like it.

Thanks dely, I hope so too. I don't plan to start it yet, but it does look very interesting, I just need some more time to devote to it.

Pink wrote: "Thanks dely, I hope so too. I don't plan to start it yet, but it does look very interesting, I just need some more time to devote to it."

Yes, it's a demanding book, there's a lot inside. We usually study it during a whole school year so take your time.

@Pink: THE BETROTHED is a lovely feel-good story. Recently read and loved it.

Dhanaraj wrote: "@Pink: THE BETROTHED is a lovely feel-good story. Recently read and loved it."

That's good to hear, thanks :)

Pink, I am still working on my August books too. I think there will be two The Great Fortune and The Dust That Falls from Dreams which I will have to read next month! I am quite pleased with this. The Great Fortune is the first of the Balkan Trilogy and tI want to read with the other two of the trilogy if I find I like it.

So you have been diverted by the Olympics huh!?

Chrissie, yes I spent 2 weeks watching all the Olympic events whenever I had a chance, so done little reading during that time, but I loved it!

What is important its that you are enjoying yourself, Pink.

Pink, I just have to ask you. I saw you gave Silent Spring only three stars. Did you react to her lyrical writing? If it is the other elements that dissuades you from more stars, I think you should still consider Under the Sea Wind. There you get the lyrical in nature writing.

Chrissie, you're right that I liked the writing in Silent Spring, but there were other elements holding me back from rating it higher. I'll take a look at Under the Sea Wind and see what else my library has by her, thanks.

Pink, you are welcome.