6 fascinating Books I read recently in August 2023

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Eight months through and we’re into the last quarter of 2023 already.  I can say I’ve had a good reading year so far with 48 books read. I am only four books away from my Goodreads reading challenge goal of 52. I am sure to complete many more books by the end of the year.

August was special in terms of reading some translated books by women authors since it is celebrated as Women in Translation Month. I also touched some romance novels since I haven’t read them for quite a long time now. Romance novels are quick to get through as they have a fun factor to them and so I managed to read a total of 6 books this month. And I will be carrying one unfinished book into September. So without further ado let’s jump into the books and their ratings.

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Recent Reads August 2023

Galatea by Madeline Miller

Galatea is the name of the woman who was sculpted by a sculptor and whom the goddess blessed and made alive. Now the sculptor her birth giver wants Galatea to stay locked up living only to wait for his arrival and please him. But Galatea has a mind of her own and she desires to be free for the sake of her daughter.

Galatea by Madeline Miller is a beautiful Greek myth retelling highlighting feminine empowerment.

The Bullet Train by Kotaro Isaka

A bunch of thugs are on board the Shinkansen, each with a job that somehow gets all related in the end. The common link - becomes a fourteen-year-old schoolboy famously called The Prince. He loves to put people into trouble and manipulate them just for the fun of it. A lot of twists and turns, a lot of solid action happening aboard the train, plenty of murders and surprises, and the book promises to be an entertaining ride.

The Vegetarian by Han Kang, Translated by Deborah Smith

Another Korean-translated book that was weird AF. A woman, married and going on about her routine, all of a sudden, has a gory dream about blood and flesh and decides to become a vegetarian.

But her vegetarianism takes on a different level when she starts eating lesser and lesser and begins to think she is a tree. Meanwhile, her family - husband, parents, sister, and brother-in-law react to her vegetarianism in ways that leave her in mental and physical disarray and make the story stranger.

I wonder if it is me or if everyone else also feels that Korean/Japanese literature has a touch of uncanny to its stories. Earthlings, Kitchen, Kim Ji Young all of them felt a little weird. Nevertheless, that same strangeness kept me turning pages, and I was hoping to conclude the tale with a happily ever after, but all stories are not fairy tales, and The Vegetarian is not one.

Boat Number Five by Monika Kompanikova Translated by Janet Livingstone

Boat Number Five by Monika Kompanikova is a brilliant novel set in Slovakia. This is the story of twelve-year-old Jarka who wants to find genuine human relationships that mean something and that will fill her loneliness. Her mother is an unchaste mother who is very neglectful towards her. Her grandmother another ill-natured woman wants Jarka to take care of her. The little girl passes her time roaming the streets, the only place she loves to be in is a small garden, she inherited from her grandfather.

But one day at the station she finds abandoned twins and her life changes forever. She decides to keep them as her own because she wants a family of her own. To drive away her loneliness. But a twelve-year –old can only manage so much.

A heart-wrenching story that will tug at your heart. I kept hoping against hope that the end turns out to be a sweet one, but my expectations were irrational.  My heart went out to Jarka and I hope to god that girls like Jarka stay only in fiction and in real life they get all the love and respect they truly deserve. A fascinating story.

It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey

Piper Bellinger is a party girl with lots of stepdad's money and influence. But after a breakup, a rooftop party turns south, and Piper ends up in jail. To teach her a lesson, her stepdad decides to send her to manage her late father's abandoned dive bar in Westport, Washington.

Piper meets handsome and tall Brendan, who is the captain of a fishing ship in Westport, and their mutual dislike is apparent. But slowly and surely, as they get to know each other more, they begin to like each other.

I thoroughly enjoyed this rom-com more for the fact that both the protagonists seemed very realistic in the way that they discussed problems openly and did not have lengthy dialogues in their own heads, unlike other rom-coms I've read. Their conversations made sense, and I could relate to the characters and their thoughts about relationships. Nothing seemed over the top, and I enjoy books that are as close to reality as can be.

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

Simsion's novel is a delightful and heartwarming story that had me hooked from the very first page. "The Rosie Project" follows the journey of Don Tillman, a socially awkward professor of genetics who embarks on a quest to find the perfect wife. Don's unconventional approach to dating leads him to create "The Wife Project," a scientific questionnaire designed to weed out incompatible partners. But everything changes when Rosie Jarman enters Don's life. Rosie is everything that Don is not looking for in a wife – she's impulsive, unpredictable, and doesn't fit into Don's carefully structured life. However, as Don and Rosie embark on a series of adventures together, they discover that love doesn't always follow a logical path.

What I loved most about "The Rosie Project" is Simsion's ability to create such relatable and endearing characters. Don's unique perspective on the world and his struggles with social interactions make him a memorable protagonist. I found myself rooting for him and his quest to find love, even when his methods were unconventional. Simsion's writing style is also highly engaging and filled with wit and humor.

The pacing of the story is perfect, keeping me eagerly turning the pages to find out what would happen next. "The Rosie Project" is a refreshing and heartwarming novel that explores themes of love, acceptance, and self-discovery. Graeme Simsion has crafted a truly captivating story that will stay with readers long after they finish the last page. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone looking for a delightful and uplifting read.