Hi everyone, welcome to my Books of August 2025 reviews. I only read 10 books this month, but I think you are going to really enjoy some of them, as I certainly did. I read 5 books in print and the other 5 on my Kindle. More than half of these books were 4 stars and above for me, and many are FREE on Kindle Unlimited.
I discovered a “new to me” author who blew me away. Her name is Dorothy Whipple, a British writer who wrote in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s. Although she was enormously talented, she has been largely overlooked and was not particularly popular with critics at the time she was writing. (I have a theory about why). I came upon this Reddit thread about her writing and recommend that you hit the link and read about her. Her books are character studies and not particularly plot-driven, but her way of describing things is so on point that the characters come to life on the page and in your mind.
Someone at a Distance by Dorothy Whipple was the first book I read by this author. I admit I bought it because of the beautiful cover. It was published by Persephone, a British company that republishes books from the past that have been forgotten and deserve attention. I wrote a longer, more in-depth review of this book on Goodreads, which you can check out. I also discussed it with Sara on our Reeding Between the Lines podcast. Briefly, this book is a domestic study about the destruction of a happy family when the husband loses his mind in a moment of midlife bad decision-making. Check out the links I’ve provided to learn more, and then read this book. Promise me you will read this book. Amazon has a Kindle deal where you can get three of Whipple’s books in one, which is FREE on Kindle Unlimited. Or, buy the pricey, but gorgeous paperback like I did! 5 stars
They Were Sisters by Dorothy Whipple was the next book by this author that I dived into. It did not disappoint either. Basically, this book is the story of three sisters and their very different marriages. It was an intense read at times, but completely gripping from beginning to end. The book was published in 1944 and, similar to the previous book I reviewed by this author, it is a domestic drama. At the time it was written, readers were more drawn to books with happier themes, with more action and less introspection. I think that is why her books were not well-received by critics and the public. Our taste has changed tremendously over the decades, and Whipple’s work now resonates much better. She is not afraid to tackle subjects previously avoided in past decades, such as domestic abuse, infidelity, and dysfunctional families. Another hidden gem. So many of you will love this book. 5 stars
The Other Side of Now by Paige Harbison is a new release that I loved. Meg Bryan is a popular TV star who goes by the stage name Lana Lord. She seems to have it all in her glamorous life, but still feels as though something is missing. On her 30th birthday, after a minor meltdown, she impulsively books a flight to Ireland, to the small college town she and her friend Aimee once dreamed of going to. Once she arrives in Avalon, where she has never been, she finds that the locals greet her like a friend, and her reflection in the mirror no longer shows her glammed-up Hollywood persona: her real hair, unaltered nose, and an extra 10 pounds stare back at her. And what is up with the hot bartender at the local pub who seems awfully familiar? Slowly, it dawns on her that she has entered an alternate reality: the life she could have had if she and Aimee had followed through with their youthful plan.
If you love books about the path not taken, alternate reality, and a touch of magical realism, you will eat this book up. I found it hugely entertaining and am so glad I picked it up. Unbelievably, it is a new release, but free on Kindle Unlimited right now. 5 stars
The Paris Widow by Kimberley Belle surprised me. This underrated thriller was another book I picked up on Kindle Unlimited! Stella and her antiques dealer husband Adam, are on a European vacation that is part business trip for Adam. After a lunch at an outside Parisian cafe, he suddenly tells Stella he needs to go back to the cafe for a forgotten pair of sunglasses. Minutes later, there is a huge explosion that rocks the area, and Adam’s phone goes to voicemail, and he is nowhere to be found. In the following investigation of the explosion, the police reveal that Adam may not just be a victim of the bombing, but the actual target. It turns out he is under investigation as a dealer of rare and stolen antiquities with a long list of criminal clients. Wanting to prove Adam’s innocence, Stella refuses to leave Paris until she gets answers. It soon becomes clear that she is being followed and may even be a target herself. This book is a real cat-and-mouse page-turner, so if you start it, be prepared to settle in and not move until you get to the end! This is the type of thriller I really enjoy, and I think you will too. Kindle Unlimited is hitting it out of the park lately. This is another FREE book if you get it there. 4.5 stars
When the Cranes Fly South by Lisa Rizden is a book in translation by a Swedish author. Get out the tissues when you read this impactful novel. Bo is in his late 70s and is homebound, his company primarily his home care visitors and his beloved dog Sixten. His son is threatening to find Sixten another home because he fears Bo is unable to care for him properly. (He isn’t totally wrong about this.) The threat of losing his beloved companion forces Bo to reexamine his life, relationships, and the mistakes he may have made with the people he has loved. This book is short, but beautifully poignant. It is well worth your time to read it. 4.5 stars
All Her Fault by Andrea Mara. This author is hugely popular in Ireland, where she lives and writes. Her themes are mostly domestic thrillers that take place in the greater Dublin area. This book starts out with every parent’s worst nightmare. Our main character, Marissa Irvine, arrives at an address to pick up her son Milo from his first playdate with a classmate. Only when the door is answered, Marissa is greeted by a woman who is not the child’s mother, who knows nothing about any playdate or the whereabouts of little Milo. The pace of the book is breakneck, and nobody is what they seem. You will power through this book, which, incredibly, is only 99 cents on Kindle. 4 stars
Culpability by Bruce Holsinger is a new release that is being buzzed about currently. It is one of Oprah’s book club selections. The theme is AI and moral responsibility. The book begins with a family traveling in an AI-powered (self-driving car). The 17-year-old son is driving, his dad next to him, his mom and sisters in the back seat. Something happens, the car veers off the road, and there are injuries, and the people in another car are killed. We find this out in the first few paragraphs. Post-accident, the family retreats to Chesapeake Bay to recover. While there, things unravel to reveal that each family member, in their own way, was culpable for the accident. The book raises some good ethical and moral questions about our reliance on AI, and was thought-provoking. I thought the book was overly complicated, and at times I wasn’t sure where it was going. The characters were also quite unlikeable. 3.75 stars
Tilt by Emma Pattee has an intriguing premise. The book is set over the course of one day and is quite a page turner. Our main character, Annie, is nine months pregnant and shopping at her local Ikea for a baby crib. While she is there, a massive earthquake hits Portland, Oregon, where she is shopping. The place is demolished, but she manages to get out of the rubble, but without her purse or phone, or anything else. All she can think of doing is to try to walk home. As she walks, she contemplates the state of her life: her lack of goals, her lackluster relationship with her husband, her worries about becoming a mother. Along the way, she meets all sorts of people, some scary and others helpful. As Annie walks, she vows to change her ways and escape the life of mediocrity she is living. The ending was a letdown, with nothing fully resolved. 3 stars
Mean Moms by Emma Rosenblum was ultimately not very memorable. As I write this, I am going back to Goodreads to refresh my memory as to what the heck this book was about. The description says the book is about a clique of ultra-wealthy Manhattan private school moms who ultimately get just what they deserve. Lots of drama and rich people behaving badly. Some are comparing it to Real Housewives meets Big Little Lies. I read it, but kind of wish I’d skipped it. Free on Kindle Unlimited 2.5 stars
Happy Wife by Meredith Lavender was kind of similar to the previous book I mentioned, Mean Moms. Set in an ultra-rich community in Winter Park, Florida, our main character Nora, is just scraping by working at the country club. She meets Will, a wealthy high high-powered attorney, and they fall in love and get married. All the other wives look down at Nora and think she’s a gold-digger. Then her husband Will disappears and guess who is the main suspect? It was just ok for me, and I bet I will have forgotten it by next week. 2.5 stars
Hope you will read some of these books! If you try Dorothy Whipple, please let me know if you enjoyed her work. I am so happy to have discovered her.
