August 2021: Even Match
Ugh, I wish I could read *Billy Summers* again for the first time—even though it’s a super slow burn, the gradual build is worth the payoff. A “retired hitman gets a shot at redemption with one last job” tale, it might be one of my top five favorite Stephen King books ever.
*A Kim John-Il Production* and *Empire of Pain* were both exceptional nonfiction standouts, with honorable mention to *A Moveable Feast.*
"You expected to be sad in the fall. Part of you died each year when the leaves fell from the trees and their branches were bare against the wind and the cold, wintery light. But you knew there would always be the spring, as you knew the river would flow again after it was frozen. When the cold rains kept on and killed the spring, it was as though a young person died for no reason."
— Ernest Hemingway, *A Moveable Feast*
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*Billy Summers* by Stephen King (F) // [Thriller; horror: Maybe one of my top five favorite Stephen King books, ever—even though it’s a slow burn and not very “horror.”]
*A Kim Jong-Il Production: Kidnap. Torture. Murder… Making Movies North Korean-Style* by Paul Fischer (NF) // [History; biography: Jaw-dropping bananas, this book is wild and I highly recommend if you have any interest at all in North Korea.]
*Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty* by Patrick Radden Keefe (NF) // [History; biography: Mind boggling and riveting account of the family responsible for making and marketing OxyContin, the catalyst for the opioid crisis.]
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*Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art* by James Nestor (NF) // [Science; health: You think you know how, but you don't. Pretty, pretty cool.]
*Open* by Andre Agassi (NF) // [Memoir; sports: Engrossing even though I’m not a tennis or a sports fan at all. “What you feel doesn’t matter in the end; it’s what you do that makes you brave.”]
*The Anthropocene Reviewed* by John Green (NF) // [Essays; social science: My first John Green book, this was surprising, informative, and often lyrically beautiful. “We all know how loving ends. But I want to fall in love with the world anyway, to let it crack me open. I want to feel what there is to feel while I am here.”]
*Kill Shot: A Shadow Industry, a Deadly Disease* by Jason Dearen (NF) // [Science; true crime: Another crazy, maddening and disgusting account on what an absolute cluster medical corporations are—a real life nightmare.]
*Good Morning, Monster: A Therapist Shares Five Heroic Stories of Emotional Recovery* by Catherine Gildiner (NF) // [Psychology; mental health: Inspiring, insightful and powerful, these stories really put minor hardships into perspective.]
*A Moveable Feast* by Ernest Hemingway (NF) // [Classics; memoir: Extremely quotable and atmospheric, this definitely brought back memories and made me want to visit Paris again.]
*A Clean Kill in Tokyo (John Rain #1)* by Barry Eisler (F) // [Thriller; international: Eisler’s *Livia Lone* series might be one of my favorite series ever and John Rain showed up in book #3—inspiring me to give these a shot.]
*False Witness* by Karin Slaughter (F) // [Thriller; mystery: As a relative newbie to the Slaughterverse (I’ve only read 4.5), I am still impressed by her nonstop action and grisly violence.]
*For Your Own Good* by Samantha Downing (F) // [Thriller; mystery: So much fun, love Samantha Downing—just as good as *My Lovely Wife.*]
*Malibu Rising* by Taylor Jenkins Reid (F) // [Literary saga: The perfect charming and atmospheric summer read set in Mailibu, 1983 and centered around the family of a legendary singer and their various interpersonal relationships. A slow, yet engaging, burn.]
*Falling* by T.J. Newman (F) // [Thriller; suspense: A gripping debut novel by a former flight attendant about an airplane hijacking and a mother faced with tough choices.]
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*Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber* by Mike Isaac (NF) // [Business; company history: Interesting insight into the rise and fall of Travis Kalanick, the ex-CEO of Uber who sounds like a super douche.]
*Milk Fed* by Melissa Broder (F) // [LGBTQ+/Jewish Lit: Wow. I don't know what I expected, but wow. Kind of hot, kind of weird, and totally awkward. “Maybe that’s all that prayer was anyway—a cosmic google. In that case, any iPhone could be a synagogue.”]
*The Return* by Rachel Harrison (F) // [Horror; thriller: Quite bizarre, supernatural girl’s trip.]
*His & Hers* by Alice Feeney (F) // [Thriller; mystery: *Sometimes I Lie* was fantastic, this was just okay.]
