From a novel about 12th century nuns to a thriller that deconstructs the ‘Final Girl’ horror movie trope, here are the best books we read in August 2021!
Mark Harding – Head of Branding & Communication
Billy Summers by Stephen King
Why I loved it: Unsurprisingly, the latest novel from Stephen King is a gripping and engaging tale that doesn’t let go until the very end. The central premise of a hitman blending into a community while he prepares for a major job, is another example of King’s recent exploration of crime fiction, and it comes with some major twists and turns. All delivered masterfully from one of the great modern American storytellers.
Buy it here
Olivia Fricot – Senior Content Producer & Editor of The Booktopian
Matrix by Lauren Groff
Why I loved it: Is it too early to declare this book my favourite of the year? Whatever, I’m calling it now. Matrix is stunning. Astonishing. Completely and utterly captivating. In a mere 270 pages, Lauren Groff breathes life into the story of a young woman named Marie de France. A descendant of magnificent warrior women deemed too awkward for courtly life, Marie is sent by her beloved Queen to an impoverished English abbey to become its Abbess. It’s an event that proves to be the making of her. Over the course of her lifetime, Marie transforms the abbey into a haven of strength, beauty, fierce spirituality and sensuality, attracting both admirers and enemies who would see the place torn down. Matrix is historical fiction at its very best, on par with books such as Hamnet and Wolf Hall.
Buy it here
Amelia Morgano – Social Media Specialist
Unnatural Order, edited by Lyss Wickramasinghe and Alis Franklin
Why I loved it: I love reading fiction that keeps me intrigued, and this anthology made up of 14 short stories tells us what it’s like for monsters. That’s right, we get to see life from the point of view of various non-human others. I liked that this collection got me to question how the literary canon has pitched scary dragons, the kraken and other monstrosities to date. My favourite stories included: ‘Truth Be Told’ by Louise Pieper, ‘Bruises Black and Blue’ by Leife Shallcross, ‘Eat Prey, Love’ by Freya Marske, and ‘The Scent of Olives’ by Rob Porteous.
Buy it here
Ben Hunter – Fiction Category Manager
Wild Abandon by Emily Bitto
Why I loved it: Will, an Aussie country boy trying to recreate himself in the wake of a break-up inspired quarter-life crisis, hurls himself at North America — first at the stifling excesses of New York and later becoming embedded in a Tiger King style ranch overpopulated with “exotics” and closed to the public. Told in immaculate, vivid prose, the novel offers a frightening glimpse into the unravelling minds of men, young and old, bounding through our damaged world, high on their own desperation (among other things.) It truly is wild.
Buy it here
Shanulisa Prasad – Lifestyle Category Manager
The Housemate by Sarah Bailey
Why I loved it: I was gripped from start to finish, and so invested in the main character, journalist Oli Groves and her complicated personal and work life (an excellent subplot about the rise of podcasts in journalism). I was happy to be swept along with the story and let the crime unfold at the pace Sarah Bailey wanted to reveal it, rather than guess and try to race ahead as I tend to do.
Buy it here
Robert O’Hearn – Academic & Professional Category Manager
Masters of Scale by Reid Hoffman
Why I loved it: Reid is a successful podcaster and entrepreneur. Oh, and he co-founded Linkedin and PayPal. He knows some very influential business people, and he is obsessed with how they made it all happen. Collecting the best stories and wisdom from over 100 of his interviews with CEOs and innovators, Reid has arranged them into 10 powerful lessons: on leadership, growing and scaling your business, nurturing ideas, communicating, and much more. This punchy book is a fast, surprising and very entertaining read; full of great secrets, solid practical advice and juicy anecdotes (especially on the Silicon Valley tech giants). It’s the best popular business book I’ve read in a long while, truly inspirational.
Buy it here
Hannah Armstrong – Assistant Category Manager for Fiction
The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix
Why I loved it: I love horror movies and ‘80s nostalgia, but I particularly love stories about women kicking ass and taking names. This book about six ‘Final Girls’ in a decades-long recovery support group had me hooked from the first page and held my attention to the very end. It both pays tribute to and deconstructs the slasher flicks of the ‘80s and ‘90s, celebrating the concept of the final girl while also challenging our fascination with them. Our protagonist Lynette gave me strong Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween vibes, ready and waiting for the day that she would reunite with her own personal monster for their last, epic showdown. Cinematic and thrilling, full of twists and turns galore, this is a must-read for lovers of the horror genre.
Buy it here
Amy Evans – Assistant Category Manager for Lifestyle Books
Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson
Why I loved it: Good Girl, Bad Blood is the perfect YA crime/thriller novel! The sequel to the already fantastic A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, this brings more drama, more crazy theories and more heartracing stakeouts from our teen detective Pip Fitz-Amobi. With a new missing person’s case, this story takes a much darker path not only with its motives and events but in how far Pip is willing to go to find answers and what that means about who she is. Holly Jackson’s characters are so incredibly likeable that I genuinely didn’t have a clue who the bad guy was until the big reveal kicked off! Perfect for lovers of One Of Us Is Lying by Karen M McManus and Sadie by Courtney Summers.
Buy it here
Karen Robinson – Territory Relationship Manager
The End of Men by Christina Sweeney-Baird
Why I loved it: A debut novel set around a global pandemic that was written before Covid, this book is terrifyingly accurate in its premise. The only thing different to our current lives is that this virus only kills men, with just 10% immune from death within days of infection. Sweeney-Bird explores the impact of losing nearly half the world’s population and while it of course looks at that from a gender point of view and does explore what would happen if women ruled the world, it’s in no way an anti-man book. It was fascinating, disturbing and enlightening, and frankly if Covid-19 only affected men, I’d be terrified to think what the years ahead would hold for us all if this novel is anything to go by. A fantastic page-turning intelligent thriller.
Buy it here
Isabella Noyes – CRM Assistant
The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker
Why I loved it: With The Silence of the Girls‘ sequel, The Women of Troy coming out August 31st, I knew I had to prioritise Pat Barker’s award-winning novel in my TBR pile. I’m a certified sucker for anything Greek Mythology related and after reading Madeline Miller’s Circe, I’ve been hungry for more feminist retellings of classical stories. Told from the oft-forgotten character of Briseis, Achilles’ war bride, we are guided not through the ‘glory’ of the Trojan War but its darkness, exploring female slavery and objectification. I was in awe of Briseis’ compelling and gritty narration the whole way through. I appreciated the way it addressed The Iliad from a unique point-of-view and forgot nothing. Despite knowing Homer’s work inside-out, I was constantly kept on my toes with this novel. History buffs, consider this a must-read.
Buy it here
What’s the best book you read in August 2021?
Tell us below in the comments!
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