Welcome back to another month! We’re getting closer to those long, cold winter nights, cozied up with coffee and a book or two. Below is my reading list for August. I won’t have as many on the list as I did in July, which was my busiest reading month to date. Nonetheless, here’s what I read. Please let me know in the comments if you have read any of these and your thoughts on them.
The Drawing of the Three by Stephen King
I am continuing my journey with the Dark Tower series. As I noted in July, this is my 1st read-through of the series, and The Drawing of the Three was a fantastic book. Stephen King has a way with words, as we all know, so I don’t need to go into too much detail about the writing style.
The 1st book was extremely short. The Drawing of the Three had me on the edge of my seat for most of it. Numerous plot devices seemed to take the story in unexpected directions, leaving the reader unprepared. Overall, I enjoyed this title and am excited to continue the series.
At the time of writing, I am on book 3 of the Dark Tower series, and I will soon be on book 4. I recommend this series if you haven’t read it before, as Stephen King introduces a lot of his characters that he uses in other works in the Dark Tower series. 4/5 stars for me! ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Edge of Eternity by Ken Follett
Edge of Eternity is the 3rd and final book of Ken Follett’s Century Trilogy. This one follows the events of the early Cold War, the Berlin Wall, and the fall of the Soviet Union towards the end of the century. I think the book generally wraps up the stories of the families that we’ve been following since World War I, but I’ve got to be honest, this was my least favorite book of the series. But perhaps that’s partially due to knowing that it was almost over. Occasionally when a long series is wrapping up, the reader is just ready for it to conclude so they can move on. Maybe that is just me!
This book could have been a lot shorter, but Follett is known for his longer writing style, so I can’t harp on him too much about that. Towards the end, I found myself getting antsy to just be done with the book.
I think this book will be a great read for those who grew up in the late 20th century and can relate to the cultural references. That’s not to say that younger readers will enjoy this book, and overall, I’m glad I read it. It was my least favorite of the trilogy. Fall of Giants was just too good! 3/5 stars for me. ⭐⭐⭐
The Waste Lands by Stephen King
The third installment of the Dark Tower series was a hit for me. The talking train was the cherry on top for me. So far in the series, this is my favorite! At the time of writing this, I am on Wizard and Glass, and I will have that review out next month.
We’re starting to get a solid understanding of Roland’s world, but there are still so many unanswered questions, and I love the suspense that King is building as we go along in this story. It is challenging to go into much more detail, as I would rather not spoil the book, or series, for those that have not read through it.
If you’ve made it this far in the series, keep going! And keep an eye out for my review of the next book in next month’s review page.
5/5 stars for me. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Aurora by Kim Stanley Robinson
This one was… rough. I read a bit about Aurora before diving into the book, and the online reviews seemed mixed—but mostly positive. It should be noted that Kim Stanley Robinson is a well-known science fiction author and has been around the block for quite some time. I should also note that this is the first book by Robinson that I have read.
I didn’t like this book… at all. Furthermore, I know your mileage will vary, but this one just didn’t do it for me. I was expecting pages upon pages of world-building; instead, we got maybe 20 pages of the new world before the major plot point shifted (I have to be vague here so as not to spoil it).
Instead of a fantastic world of science fiction, discovery, and terraforming another planet, the second half of the book is a philosopher’s paradise. The characters were…dull. The science wasn’t too bad, but it was disappointing for someone who has been in the writing scene for so long.
As I try to convey on this blog, this is just my opinion. The opinion of some person on the internet that likes to read. Do I think Aurora is worth the read? Possibly. The book is short, and I think readers can quickly tell whether they will want to continue or not. The book’s ending is quite rough—again, the philosophical approach to what should be a remarkable science fiction novel was not doing it for me. Perhaps if I went into this title with the idea that I would be getting more of a lesson on society and humanity versus the colonization of an Earth-like planet, I would have been better off. Putting Aurora down after reading it was the best part of the book for me. I’m sorry. 2/5 stars ⭐⭐ and, so far, the lowest rating I’ve given to a novel on this blog.
Thanks for stopping by! Please let me know in the comments of this post your thoughts on these titles if you have read them. I look forward to seeing you back here for September. Be sure to sign up for my mailing list to never miss a post.
