What I Read — August 2022
Well August was a blur. We (okay, mostly me) did a ton of traveling in August, trying to eke out every last bit of value of our 9-Euro-Ticket. The 9-Euro-Ticket was a promotion Deutsche Bahn (the train system for Germany) did during the months of June, July and August to cut down on gas consumption. Once you purchased the 9-Euro-Ticket, you were able to take unlimited trains and buses within the country as long as it wasn’t an express train (ICE train). This helped us go on a hike through the vineyards north of Stuttgart for a summer wine event, cool off at Lake Constance in the south of Baden-Württemberg and do a quick girls trip to the Mosel wine region.
Additionally, I road tripped to Poland for their annual polish pottery festival (I may be obsessed), and we spent a long weekend in Brussels for a beer fest. Needless to say, all this hopping around definitely didn’t help me finish a lot of books this month, but I did read what I think will probably be a favorite for the year.
In 2019, I inadvertently completed the 52 books in 52 weeks challenge and have decided to attempt the same challenge from here on out… mainly because my to-read list is out of control! Normally, I’ll have a physical book and audiobook going at the same time, so for review clarity, I will put either duration or pages for the stats based on how I completed the book.
Here’s everything I enjoyed this August:
The Measure
Nikki Erlick
Stats: Fiction, 386 pages
Quick summary
One day everyone over the age of 22 all over the world receives a box wherever they are living. The box contains a bit of string stating it is the measure of your life. Quickly people begin to decipher the different lengths and the world is divided into two groups: the short stringers and the long stringers. The Measure follows eight people with both short and long strings and how they navigate this new world in regards to work, love and life.
What I thought:
Book of the year! Full disclosure: I’m not typically someone who cries at movies and never while reading a book. This book made me cry. There are so many profound insights on how you place worth on life. Honestly, I could gush about it for hours, but you should probably just read it.
Who should read it:
Literally everyone. Stop what you’re doing and read it right now.
Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis
J.D. Vance
Stats: Memoir, 6 hours and 49 minutes
Quick summary
Through memoir, Vance gives a voice and insight into the culture of white working-class Americans in the Appalachian South. Using stories of his own family life, he shows the struggle of upward mobility through small town poverty.
What I thought:
This was recommended by my brother and I found it fascinating to learn about life from a different perspective. Vance’s world is so different from my own that it seemed impossible that half the stories he told are even real; but Vance’s life is the reality for so many. The more we work to understand someone else’s story, the more we grow in empathy and move toward policy that actually unites us.
Who should read it:
People hoping to gain a perspective on the Southern Appalachian mindset.
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow
Gabrielle Zevin
Stats: Fiction, 416 pages
Quick summary
Sadie and Sam bond as children in the hospital over a shared love of video games. After a falling out, they reconnect in college and decide to design a video game together. From that moment, their lives are intertwined, for better or worse, as they navigate fame, deceit, friendship and love.
What I thought:
After loving the The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, I saw the author had a new book dropping in July. The story was okay; it just wasn’t as good as Fikry and was about 100 pages too long, plus the “plot twist” came considerably late.
Who should read it:
Read The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry instead.
To Shake The Sleeping Self
Jedidiah Jenkins
Stats: Memoir, 12 hours and 14 minutes
Quick summary
After turning 30, Jenkins feels like he needs to shake the monotony of adult life and find the wonder most lose in childhood. He decides to quit his job and trek from Oregon to Patagonia via bicycle.
What I thought:
One of my dear friends was reading this when he visited us in Alabama (shout out to the only non-family member to visit us during that weird, yearlong stint), and I finally got around to reading it. I wish I loved it more than I did. I think the hard part for me was that the book awkwardly straddled self-discovery memoir and adventure story. The author glossed over a lot of the actual journey, which I’m sure there were many stories with trials, tribulations and discoveries, and focused more on his mental turmoil. This would have been fine, but it seemed like he was only willing to scratch the surface of his conflicts with religion and sexual orientation.
Who should read it:
Still a good book for those curious about long journeys.
Lapvona
Ottessa Moshfegh
Stats: Horror (?), 313 pages
Quick summary
This story follows shepards Marek and his father Jude in the medieval fiefdom of Lapvona, a cruel and unforgiving land. The village’s king is Villiam, a distant relative to Jude, who often doesn’t have the people’s better interests at heart.
What I thought:
Wow. This one was a lot. This is probably the grossest, most messed up books that I’ve ever read… and yet, I couldn’t walk away. It reminds me of when my friend told me about Gutter Oil (search it only if you never want to eat street food again). Was I grossed out watching the video? Extremely. Did I keep watching it? Yep.
Who should read it:
I don’t know who this one is for honestly. I guess if you want a shock out of a rut and don’t mind vivid descriptions of the human body with medieval hygiene. Also, trigger warning: murder, child abuse and rape.