How goes it Book Friends?
We are jumping straight into this month! Schools are starting back up soon – yay traffic, Barbie and Oppenheimer double feature is a crazy experience, the weather is still insane, NASA is losing their stuff, my reading list feels like it has grown like crazy in the past few weeks, Aliens are back out in the news spot light – thanks whistleblowers, and I am falling way behind on my Goodreads Reading Challenge. That hefty 115 I’m aiming for is way out pacing my current speed of reading so far. Yikes. But Hey, as long as I am still having fun, that is the ultimate goal!
Sorry, I had to include the NASA bit. Space both terrifies me and fascinates me at the same time so I tend to keep up with some of the crazy cool stuff they find out there in the void. But losing the Voyager 2 because of a wrong prompt being sent back and forth means a rough day for someone at that command center. Reminds me of the Big Bang Theory episode where Howard crashed the Mars Rover. Ha!
In other news, I am super ready to be able to go back outside and not die in the obscene heat wave we’ve been having here in the South. Have any of you been dealing with the heat too? I know I was just saying done with the rain and into the heat, but a nice balance of weather wouldn’t hurt now and again! Oh well, gotta love Georgia, am I right? You just have to lean with the punches and run for cover in the shade and AC. I got a chance to go out to an outside concert this past weekend – first of all freaking amazing show! – and damn it was hot. Thank goodness for giant cups of frozen strawberry daiquiris to keep me nice a cool while enjoying the music đ đč! These are now my current drink of choice!
I think that kind of catches us all up for the interesting things that have sprung up in the past few weeks! It is never dull in this adventure we call life you guys. There is always going to be something outlandish that just catches our attention. Well, during those brief moments our attention isn’t glued to our pages, that is. All I know is, I see more of those delicious daiquiris in my future of reading sessions and I am going to happily stay in my fictional worlds for the next little bit. I’ll touch back in when things settle down.
Have a great August you guys! Don’t forget to check out this month’s reading theme!
Thanks Everyone!
Reading Theme: The Great August Caper
I love a great heist story! No matter the iteration you’ve got my attention. From Leverage (the T.V. show), Ocean’s Eleven (the movie), or even Mistborn (A Brandon Sanderson series), the medium doesn’t matter too much to me at all. So I wanted to share the experience with you all and pick out some thieving stories that I have enjoyed reading and some that I’ve wanted to read. I’m checking out the crimes that steal our breath and treading carefully through the tricks of the trade these artists deal in daily. This month is going to be a ton of fun! (Also, if you are interested in any heist movies, I’ve got a good list of suggestions I can provide you with a few titles from!)
Happy Reading Everyone!
My Reading List for August 2023:
The Lies of Locke Lamora By Scott Lynch
An orphanâs life is harshâand often shortâin the mysterious island city of Camorr. But young Locke Lamora dodges death and slavery, becoming a thief under the tutelage of a gifted con artist. As leader of the band of light-fingered brothers known as the Gentleman Bastards, Locke is soon infamous, fooling even the underworldâs most feared ruler. But in the shadows lurks someone still more ambitious and deadly. Faced with a bloody coup that threatens to destroy everyone and everything that holds meaning in his mercenary life, Locke vows to beat the enemy at his own brutal gameâor die trying.
Six of Crows By Leigh Bardugo
A convict with a thirst for revenge.
A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager.
A runaway with a privileged past.
A spy known as the Wraith.
A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.
A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.
Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destructionâif they don’t kill each other first.
The Gilded Wolves By Roshani Chokshi
Paris, 1889: The world is on the cusp of industry and power, and the Exposition Universelle has breathed new life into the streets and dredged up ancient secrets. In this city, no one keeps tabs on secrets better than treasure-hunter and wealthy hotelier, SĂ©verin Montagnet-Alarie. But when the all-powerful society, the Order of Babel, seeks him out for help, SĂ©verin is offered a treasure that he never imagined: his true inheritance.
To find the ancient artifact the Order seeks, SĂ©verin will need help from a band of experts: An engineer with a debt to pay. A historian who can’t yet go home. A dancer with a sinister past. And a brother in all but blood, who might care too much.
Together, they’ll have to use their wits and knowledge to hunt the artifact through the dark and glittering heart of Paris. What they find might change the world, but only if they can stay alive.
Dance of Thieves By Mary E. Pearson
When the patriarch of the Ballenger empire dies, his son, Jase, becomes its new leader. Even nearby kingdoms bow to the strength of this outlaw family, who have always governed by their own rules. But a new era looms on the horizon, set in motion by a young queen, which makes her the target of the dynasty’s resentment and anger.
At the same time, Kazi, a legendary former street thief, is sent by the queen to investigate transgressions against the new settlements. When Kazi arrives in the forbidding land of the Ballengers, she learns that there is more to Jase than she thought. As unexpected events spiral out of their control, bringing them intimately together, they continue to play a cat and mouse game of false moves and motives in order to fulfill their own secret missions.
Daughter of The Pirate King By Tricia Levenseller
There will be plenty of time for me to beat him soundly once I’ve gotten what I came for.
Sent on a mission to retrieve an ancient hidden mapâthe key to a legendary treasure troveâseventeen-year-old pirate captain Alosa deliberately allows herself to be captured by her enemies, giving her the perfect opportunity to search their ship.
More than a match for the ruthless pirate crew, Alosa has only one thing standing between her and the her captor, the unexpectedly clever and unfairly attractive first mate Riden. But not to worry, for Alosa has a few tricks up her sleeve, and no lone pirate can stop the Daughter of the Pirate King.
