August Info
Updated: Nov 7, 2020
In the August Info, you will find all the fun bookish info, but also some exciting things coming to the blog!
Announcements
This month I am excited to say that I will be trying something new on the blog. This month I am trying to theme the month's posts. This will mean many of the book recommendations, the quiz, and the nature post will fit the theme. (This may change as I figure out if it works and if you like it.) But this month the quiz, nature post, and many but not all of the posts will fit the theme. So, enough talk, this month's theme is Survival & Adventure! Please feel free to leave your thoughts on this new update in the comments. I definitely want your feedback on this change so please don't hesitate to share.
In addition, for people who don't want an email every time I post, I will be sending out a monthly newsletter with a list of blog posts, updates and more. This will allow you to stay informed about what is happening on the blog but not get as many emails. If you do want the updates you can of course just subscribe on the website. If you want to sign up for the newsletter, just send me an email at riversofbooksblog@gmail.com. Make sure to subject it "Monthly Newsletter Sign Up" and include your email.
Finally, the blog Instagram (@riversofbooksblog) has even more content for those of you who want more from the blog. The blog's Instagram has extra mini reviews, some updates and more. It also has an ongoing story highlight, which can be found on the blog's profile page, called Book Snapshots or Book Snaps. These highlights help you find new reads through short, quick synopses of a variety of books, sorted by age (kids, YA, adult). I will be adding to the highlights each month, so make sure to keep an eye on the profile page.
TBR
This month I am playing Jeopardy in my book club so I don't have a set TBR. However, I will share a list of books that I would like to get to if I can.
The book that absolutely will happen this month is The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett. You can expect a review of it this month since it got postponed from last month. The story follows twin black sisters as they grow up. Once they are adults, one decides to pass as white and the other decides to embrace her black identity. The story also talks about how this decision impacts their daughters' lives.
Here is a list of books that I would like to get to but it all depends on my Jeopardy prompts.
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
A story that is pitched to have these three things:
An isolated mansion
A chillingly charismatic aristocrat
And a brave socialite drawn to expose their treacherous secrets. . . .
He Started It by Samantha Downing
This thriller has
A road trip
A missing person
Money (an inheritance)
Siblings
Revenge
(This book also has a Book Snapshot with a more complete synopsis)
Beach Read by Emily Henry
This enemies-to-lovers romance is about two authors who are both in writer's slumps and decide to write each other's books. They will then compete to see who can publish their book first. Then they will definitely NOT fall in love (wink wink. )
Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal
This is a new book on my shelf. I bought it because it looked nice and it revolved around food. The entire aesthetic of the book just screamed beach read or chill foodie story and I though that would be a good change of pace in comparison to all my thrillers.
This book is totally out of my comfort zone for a variety of reasons. It is big (400 pages) and it's a fantasy (which I hardly read.) So this will really be a step (or a leap) outside my typical reading bubble. I have just heard some really go0d stuff about it and wanted to try it. Plus the cover is really cool. From a reviewer I follow, Beautifully Bookish Bethany: "it combines magical realism, portal fantasy, Latinx werewolf mythology, and a decidedly progressive vision of the world into a smart, engrossing tale that you won't want to put down."
Book of the Month
Book of the Month is a book subscription where the club picks 5 new release titles and you can pick one to get sent to you. If you aren't into any of the picks, you can skip with no penalty. If you want to try it for yourself you can use my referral code. (This post is not sponsored in any way. The code is just from having a BOTM account.)
This month I chose the book The Night Swim by Megan Goldin.
I have read Megan Goldin's other book, The Escape Room, and quite enjoyed it so I was eager to read her next novel. This book is small town crime thriller with a podcast element. Since I go into thrillers pretty blind, this is all I know about the book but if you want a fuller synopsis, click the book title.
Readathons
I will not be participating in any readathons this month, due to my book club's Jeopardy game, but also since I did last month. But I do want to let you know of one readathon happening this month. It is the Read-eh-thon! It is a readathon focused on all thing Canadian. This year, the hosts are are Kayla (Booksandlala), Njeri (Onyx Pages), Paige (Minimal Bookie), Jill (The Book Bully), Natasha (My Reading is Odd), Jananie (This Story Ain’t Over), Zoe (Zoe’s All Booked), and Rue (Rue’s Reading Corner). Together they will be hosting reading sprints and discussions on Twitter. There is also a fun bingo board to try to complete. For a picture of the bingo board, more information about the readathon, and resources to help you find Canadian books click here.
Books on my Radar
Some new books being released this month and are all coincidently being released on the 4th:
Lobizona by Romina Garber (August 4th)
Midnight Sun by Stephanie Meyers (August 4th)
The Night Swim by Megan Goldin. (August 4th)
Blog Posts Coming Soon
The one post you can fully expect this month is the full review for the Vanishing Half. However since I am trying to theme the month and I am telling you the theme, I don't want to give too much away early in the month. I think next month I may just announce the review for that month in this section.