Ah, August. The time for back-to-school, the time of transitioning from Summer to Fall, the time to dive into a really good book . . .
August is a funny month for me because even though it’s the end of Summer it’s not officially Fall yet. So while my heart longs for the cool, crisp days of autumn, I’m learning that one of the best ways I can romanticize the month of August is by jumping into a really good book, which is why I wanted to write this post.
In today’s post I’m giving you 6 books that are perfect to read in August. Honestly, you could read any of these books any time of the year, but I choose them for August because they don’t give you too many Fall feels or spooky vibes for Halloween. They’re some of the perfect Summer-to-Fall transition books to pick up in the seasonal limbo that is August.
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If you want to read a book that’ll pick you up and transport you into a completely different world of excitement and adventure then you’ve got to read Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman. Really, any Neil Gaiman book is perfect to read in August, but Neverwhere is extra special to me because it’s one of the first audio books I ever listened to. It’s about a Scottish guy named Richard who’s living in London and who’s kind of in a rut with his life. He’s engaged to a normal girl, he has a normal office job, and normal friends, but everything changes for him when he helps a mysterious girl named Door who appears out of a solid brick wall. On the run from two goons, Richard follows Door into a world known as London Below and suddenly realizes that there’s so much more to his normal life than he ever dreamed.
This book is perfect for music lovers but be aware – it does contain some more sad themes than the other books on this list. It follows a boy named Sammy who loves music. His grandfather was a jazz musician, so you could say music is in his blood. When he and his indie-rock band enter a Battle of the Bands competition, everything starts to fall apart – the band keeps fighting, his best friend wants to become his girlfriend, his grandfather gets sick and keeps getting worse, and his mom is too busy to try to help. This is a coming-of-age story you’ll really enjoy.
Honestly, the next book on this list is one that will keep you thinking about it long after you’ve finished it. It’s a classic for a reason. Rebecca is the haunting tale of the second Mrs. Maxim de Winter. After she gets married, she moves into her husband’s manor home in the English countryside, where she discovers more about the first Mrs. de Winter, Rebecca. Everything in the house is exactly as Rebecca left it – kept in place by the creepy housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers, who’s still loyal to Rebecca and is determined to make Maxim’s second wife’s life miserable by constantly comparing her to Rebecca. But the more the second Mrs. de Winter learns about Rebecca, the more she realizes that there’s so much she doesn’t know about her husband or even herself.
Under the Lights & Losing the Field by Abbi Glines
Because it’s back-to-school time the next two books on this list are perfect to read in August. Abbi Glines is the queen of writing about high school. Her characters are believable and relatable. Both of these books follow several high school students as they deal with relationships, family, and getting ready for Friday night football. Since football season kicks off in August, this is the best month to pick them up.
Shadows of Swanford Abbey by Julie Klassen
The last book on the list is for fans of Agatha Christie and Jane Austen and the perfect book to read in August because Julie Klassen’s writing will transport you to the beautiful world of Regency England. This book is about a woman named Rebecca Lane who stays at a medieval monastery that turned into a hotel that may or may not be haunted. While there, strange things start happening to Rebecca, like seeing a hooded figure gliding through the corridors and running into an old flame, Sir Frederick, who broke her heart years ago. When a famous author is found murdered in the abbey, its up to Sir Frederick and Rebecca to figure out who done it and to figure out if there’s a future for them.
What are some books you like to read in August? Do you have any go-to authors that you turn to at this time of the year? Let me know in the comments.
Verse of the Day: And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. – Colossians 3:15
