Books to Check Out: August 2020 Reads

I’m a huge reader, and for some time I’ve been thinking about monthly book recommendations for everything I’m getting into. Thanks to the power of audiobooks, I’ve been getting through a lot of great stuff. So I’ve decided to put together 2-3 books I’ve read during the month and talking a little bit about what makes them appealing. I have a TBR ("to be read", for my mom who will read this) list of about 700 books right now, so I have no shortage of things to read, and of course recommend. I love reading, and I always make an effort to pass along books to people if I genuinely think they’ll like it. So, without further ado, I’ve got three good ones lined up from the month of August.

Midnight Sun by Stephanie Meyer

I’ll start with the basic one, because I’ve already written a review about it and said all I have to say there. However, I can’t stress enough how much I enjoyed reading this book. Coming back to Twilight was a joy I didn’t expect to have this year. It brings you right back into the world of sparkly vampires in all the angsty glory you remember. This has been a huge book release, so I’m sure many people have already read this one. However, if you’re a former Twihard who has somehow resisted this book so far, give in. Just give in and read all about Edward’s dark, angst-ridden thoughts.

The Evolution of Beauty by Richard Prum

This one was something I saw at a used book sale and downloaded the audiobook for free from my local library. Oh yes, pro tip: If your library is connected with something like Libby, the reading app, you can totally get a ridiculous amount of audiobooks for free. I have about 200 audiobooks saved for later on the app, and I’m going to knock them all out…eventually.

Talking about this book, it’s worth mentioning I read almost every kind of thing under the sun. This is a science/nature book about how beauty in the animal world has evolved over the years, and how beauty and aesthetics are actually more present in animals than we would think. This was a fascinating book. It focuses mainly on birds and how they use aesthetics for choosing mates rather than just going by the “survival of the fittest” method. It was a fascinating take on how the beautiful aesthetics of animals have evolved, and it makes you realize that animals are even more similar to us than you'd think. I let like I learned a lot from this book, and got different perspectives I’ve never heard of before.

Another thing to mention, since this one I listened to via audiobook, is that the narration is excellent. It’s narrated by Daniel Woren, (who voices Hanneman in Fire Emblem: Three Houses, for any gaming fans), and he has a really wonderful voice. It’s very soothing and pleasant to listen to, and I enjoyed listening. I was sad when it ended, because I wanted to know more. If you have any curiosities about nature, give this one a go and see if you like it.

Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan

The only other book I’ve read by Jennifer Egan is The Keep, and I’m glad I had some bit of context for how she writes. Egan is an incredible writer not just for her stories, but for her formatting as well. I intend to get my hands on a copy of this one to see how it’s told in print, but the audiobook was also well done in emulating her style. Egan likes to play with form, probably most famously putting a section of her book A Visit from the Goon Squad (which is also in my TBR), in PowerPoint format. The Keep, for example, had some different elements of mystery and twists in it, as it read like a horror novel. Basically, Egan doesn’t write a simple beginning to end story. She puts a lot of uncommon storytelling techniques to work and it always makes for an exciting read.

For Manhattan Beach, Egan has three different narrators weaving throughout the story. I’m sure it’s formatted easily to tell the difference, and there are a couple scenes that intersect so closely, I’m not sure how she makes it work flawlessly. The narration switches perspective in the middle of conversations at certain points, and I love how it marks an important moment happening in the text.

The audiobook shows this by using three different narrators that read their own parts. When it comes time for the quick perspective shifts, they jump in and it really feels like you get both sides of the conversation. A lot of stories use multiple narrators, but this one gave such a distinct feel for each, I adored it.

To give a brief summary of the novel, it’s about Anna, and how she lives her life during World War 2 after the disappearance of her father during her childhood. She’s headstrong and opinionated, and I loved her character. She’s really the main out of the three, the other two being her father, and a club owner named Dexter. I don’t want to say more than that, because I walked into it blind and was blown away. The plot was great, the characters were well-developed, and it felt totally authentic to the times. This was easily my favorite book I’ve read this month, or maybe even the last few months.

Each of these three books is very different from the next, and I’m honestly glad I got to read three great books in a row. Hopefully they sound good, and if so, check them out!