August readings went well

Now that I've made a comitment to read at least 50 pages a day, I'm doing much better getting a good amount of books read each month. This month, it was 6 books at 2,288 pages. So let's get to it.

Escape by Carolyn Jessop (413 pages). Another polygamy book. Yes, I get it. I have a slight obsession. It's fine, it's fine. There's a 12 step program, right?!  Anyway, Carolyn Blackmore is 18 when she becomes 50 year old Merrill Jessop's fourth wife. More wives follow. And she goes on to have 8 children with Merrill. But life in the FLDS compound is intolerable to her. When finally given an opportunity to escape, she takes it. And takes all 8 of her children with her. This autobiography focused a lot more of Carolyn's miserable existence in her husband's home and the abuses she faced. Upon her escape, she managed to create a new life with her children. And finally find love. Y'all know I love a polygamy book. I finished it in 7 days.

When All the World Was Young by Barbara Holland (310 pages). So August is shaping up to be autobiography month.  Barbara grew up in the 40's and 50's in DC. Her stepfather was distant, her mother was an atypical one, and her siblings were friends and enemies. Because it was D.C., her life was a little different than others. She never really fit in at school. But finally found her footing when she became an author of modest success. It was an easy read.  I finished it in 6 days.

Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty (517 pages). This is my fourth Moriarty novel. And of course, I loved it. She's a genius. Erika and Clementine have been friends since elementary school, although it has never been a good friendship. One afternoon, Erika and her husband invite Clementine, her husband and their two daughters for tea. A last minute invitation to next door neighbors Vid and Tiffany's for a barbecue takes their afternoon down a different path. One moment, on an ordinary day, changes everything. The book bounces back and forth between the day of the barbecue and two months later. I couldn't put it down. Every time I'd hit my 50 pages, I'd think "one more chapter. Oh, that was a short one. How about one more?"  I finished it in 5 days.

Lucky Girls by Nell Freudenberger (225 pages). This was 5 stories, none of which were connected. Some took place in India, others in Thailand. Literally, the fact that the stories all took place in Asia was their only connection. One was about a widow who couldn't leave India after his death, despite the fact that her husband's family did not like her. Another was about a couple on the edge of divorce who were visiting their daughter while she was working at an AIDS orphanage. One was about a girl who returned home to visit her father, who was suffering from Alzheimer's. Another about an SAT tutor who falls for a student. The final one was a girl's essay for a college application and the truths it revealed. I did not like it at all. But I always feel the need to finish a book. So I did. I finished it in 3 days. It's called powering through, people

The Last Summer (of You and Me) by Ann Brashares (306 pages). The novel actually spans a year, from one summer to another. Growing up, sisters Riley and Alice were best friends with Paul, the boy next door. As they grew up, they always stayed close. And younger sister Alice and Paul finally realized that they loved each other. But a family emergency forced them apart. Could their longtime love for each other and Riley help them find their way back to each other or force them apart forever?   I finished it in 3 days.

The Russian Concubine by Kate Furnivall (517 pages). The story takes place in Juncow, China, in 1928. Young Russian immigrant Lydia Ivanovo and her mother Valentina are struggling to make ends meet in the International Settlement. When the Bolsheviks took over Russia, Valentina manages to escape with her daughter, leaving her husband behind. Once they make it to China, Lydia quickly learns how to pickpocket. One day, outside the safety of the walls of the International Settlement, she meets Chinese Communist Chang An Lo. The fire between them quickly grows as forces in China threaten everything. It wasn't my favorite book of the month. But it was pretty interesting. Especially when the opium peddling Chinese triad gangs got involved. I still have absolutely no idea why the novel was titled The Russian Concubine. No one involved was a Russian Concubine. There were Russians. And there were concubines. But no one who was both. I hate it when titles have no connection to the book and are in fact somewhat misleading.  I finished it in 9 days and conveniently on the last day of the month.

I've decided to add a new twist each month and will pick my favorite read. This month's was Truly Madly Guilty.