August Wrap-up: What I read, watched, and listened to in August 2022

Hello

Okay, before I get into everything, I want to quickly clarify how my "monthly" wrap-ups work. Some months I read/listen/watch a lot. In other months, I spend more time doing other things. So, for the months I'm not doing much, I don't see the point of making a wrap-up post. It doesn't mean that I haven't read anything or watched any movies. There were just too few to talk about or too many uninteresting ones that I would rather forget (lol). So if you were wondering why I haven't done one of these since April...now you know. 

Books

August was a surprisingly good month for reading. I read a total of 12 books, which puts me at 61 for the year. This is the most I have read in a month in a very, very long time.

I started August by reading 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl by Mona Awad. This was my second time reading one of Awad's books, the first being Bunny. I enjoyed 13 Ways much more than Bunny, even though it had moments that hit a little too close to home. It left me feeling very seen. ★★★★★ 5/5

I followed that up with my first one-sitting read; My Evil Mother by Margaret Atwood. It is a short story about a girl growing up with her mother, who may be a witch. I really liked it. ★★★★★ 5/5

My Daddy Is a Hero: How Chris Watts Went from Family Man to Family Killer by Lena Derhally was hard to read. I expected this when I decided to read it, but that doesn't change how horrendous the details of the murders are. The second half of the book is more dedicated to the psychology behind killers like Chris Watts, and I found that extremely interesting. ★★★★☆ 4/5

I started reading Exile (Keeper of the Lost Cities #2) by Shannon Messenger a few months ago after borrowing it from my local library (and waiting months for it to be available). Sadly, I found myself in a bit of a reading rut shortly after borrowing it, so I had to return it and then reborrow it from Libby a couple of times before I was able to finish it. It had nothing to do with the book, though. Exile was fantastic. I didn't like it as much as the first, but the Keeper of the Lost Cities series is a long one, so I expect that a few of the books are just not going to be as much fun as others. ★★★★☆ 4/5

I posted a review of Her Forbidden Amish Child (Secret Amish Babies #2) by Leigh Bale, so if you want my full thoughts on this super problematic book, feel free to check it out. (I also reviewed the first book in the Secret Amish Babies series, The Midwife's Christmas Wish). ★★☆☆☆ 2/5

No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai (translated by Donald Keene) was my first surprise of the month. I had heard so many good things about it and it is highly rated (even considered a classic in Japanese lit). I don't know if I just read it too fast or at the wrong time in my life, but I found it boring. I was happy when I finished it, but I never felt the need to DNF it. ★★★☆☆ 3/5

NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity by Steve Silberman spends most of its pages going over the history of the discovery and developments of how autistic individuals have been viewed and treated over time. I learned a lot from this book. ★★★★★ 5/5

The next book I read was an almost all-in-one-siting read. The Chain by Adrian McKinty is a book I had been meaning to get to for well over a year now, and I am so happy I finally had time for it. ★★★★☆ 4/5

I organized my bookshelves in August (well, mostly) and this led to me being reminded of several books that I haven't read yet. The Girl with the Silver Eyes by Willo Davis Roberts was one of those books. This was great as it was sandwiched in after I got in the mood for some darker stories. I try not to read too many dark books back to back as it can sometimes intensify my poor mental health. The Girl with the Silver Eyes is a fun quick read that is perfect for fans of Matilda by Roald Dahl. ★★★★☆ 4/5

I found out about Any Man by Amber Tamblyn thanks to one of the many reading groups on Facebook I am in. I read it in one sitting.  Easily my favorite of the month. ★★★★★ 5/5

The Dirt Diary by Anna Staniszewski was another pick that came as a result of my tackling my bookshelves. It helped lighten the mood after Any Man, but I'm unsure if I will ever get around to reading the other books in the series. ★★★☆☆ 3/5

The final book that I finished in August was It Feels Good to Be Yourself: A Book About Gender Identity by Theresa Thorn and illustrated by Noah Grigni. I love the idea of this book. Some of the ways things are worded could be confusing for little ones. ★★★★☆ 4/5

As the month came to an end, I began reading Nowhere Girls by Amy Reed. I have yet to finish it, but I'm enjoying it so far. 

Movies

I somehow also managed to watch 7 movies in August. Now, normally I wouldn't list off most of these movies as they fall into one of my favorite bad movie categories, "Lifetime." So, we will just do this in rapid-fire mode... okay?

A Killer in My Home (2020) ★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆ 2/10

Taken in Broad Daylight (2009) ★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆ 5.5/10 - I think this was a rewatch...it felt very familiar.

A Son's Promise (1990)  ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ 6/10 - Decent story, decent acting, bad accents.

Abducted: The Carlina White Story (2012) ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ 6/10 - Good acting, interesting story based on real life, got boring in the second half.

The Simpsons: When Billie Met Lisa (2020) ★★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆ 4/10 - Cute idea that quickly bombs.

Son in Law (1993) ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ 6.5/10 - Childhood favorite. I had a conversation in which I couldn't recall the name of this movie, and so when I remembered, I obviously had to watch it.

Drop Dead Fred (1991) ★★★★★★★★☆☆ 8/10 - One of my all-time favorite films. This hits differently each time I watch it. 

For the hell of it, since I have gone over movies and books so far, let's do music.

Music

The overall mood was...moody and dark. TBM is almost always my top artist, so no surprise there. Jackson Wang had a comeback that I literally had on repeat. Every now and then you just have to listen to one of your all-time favorite albums from beginning to end (M83's Hurry Up We're Dreaming).

Top 10 Artists of August 2022:

1. The Birthday Massacre
2. Then Comes Silence
3. Jackson Wang
4. The Cure
5. M83
6. Aly & AJ
7. Twin Tribes
8. Bat For Lashes
9. Switchblade Symphony
10. Rosegarden Funeral Party

Top 10 Songs of August 2022:

1. Cruel by Jackson Wang
2. Titanic (feat. Rich Brian) by Jackson Wang
3. Once in a While by Rosegarden Funeral Party
4. Pretty Creatures by Then Comes Silence
5. Jaded by Betcha
6. So Beautiful by DPR IAN
7. The Tipping Point by Tears for Fears
8. All My Friends Are Turning Blue by Løren
9. Clown by Switchblade Symphony
10. Strangers by Then Comes Silence

How did your August go? What did you enjoy reading/watching/listening to the most?