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This month I finished four books, bringing my YTD to 32. I’m a bit behind still on my yearly goal of 50, but I’m glad July’s reading slump didn’t bleed into August.
What I Read
The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook (DCC #3) by Matt Dinniman
544 pages |Science Fiction | 5 stars
Buy: Bookshop.org
I loved this book! I know people don’t really like the third book in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series too much, but I loved the idea of having the dungeon be a massive transit hub with different types of trains on different lines and having to fight the monsters on the trains.
I think each book in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series keeps getting better and better, so I’m looking forward to reading the fourth book. However, there are other books I need to read first for this blog, so I’m taking a break between the books. Otherwise, I could see binge-reading this whole series, but not getting to any of the other books on my list.
You can listen to my thoughts on the DCC series so far on the podcast
Goodnight Monsters by Suzanne Junered
304 pages |Horror | 4 stars
Buy: Bookshop.org
I enjoyed this book’s descent into horror during the Lia’s pregnancy. The farther along she got, the more her monsters came out to play, until it finally came to a head at the end. I also did appreciate that the consequences she faced felt realistic. It wasn’t like she got away with everything.
Read my full review (spoilers)
The Burn Line by Jonathan Sims
384 pages |Horror|4 stars
Buy: Bookshop.org
I thought this was a unique take on the horror theme. Five strangers experience something horrifying that they can’t quite remember, and they have to come together to go in the Underground to face the thing, only to realize the problem is much bigger and more ancient than they ever thought possible.
Read my full review (spoilers)
The Good Parts by Evann Normandin
352 pages |Contemporary Fiction | 3 stars
Buy: Bookshop.org
This was one of my anticipated reads for the year, but I was a bit disappointed by it. It’s mostly been marketed as a romance from what I’ve seen, but it is most definitely not a romance. Landon and Rose fell in love the moment they met in college, but then something happens when they’re adults that is too much for them to heal from, so Rose takes a forgetting pill to move on, but Landon cannot forget so he goes in search of the new Rose to win her back and only remember the good parts together.
I mostly thought Landon and Rose were toxic in the present timeline, and Landon does some questionable things to have Rose fall back in love with him. I really liked the side characters more and wished they were there more.
Full review coming soon
Favorite Book of the Month
My favorite book this month was The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook by Matt Dinniman. I’m excited to see how the rest of the series goes!
Catch Up on Past 2026 Monthly Wrap-Ups
What was your favorite book you read in August?
I’d love to hear what you’ve been reading so far this year, so leave them in the comments!
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