August was a fine month for reading. I managed to finish 8 books, mostly thrillers and fantasy.

Best books for the month

• Frieda McFadden’s The Housemaid – Best book of the month by a wide margin. The novelty of reading something very different from my usual picks hit me hard, and I loved it. ★★★★★
• The Sword of Kaigen – although I rated this overly dramatic epic fantasy with 4/5, it seems to age well and my memories about it are improving over time. ★★★★☆
• Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter? Nicci French got a 4/5 and could’ve been a 5 without the slow first half of the book. It features a new and promising detective Maud O’Connor. ★★★★☆
• Never Lie by Frieda McFadden – Another claustrophobic thriller, ★★★★★ in the moment, but it slips to fourth place because other reads feel more significant.
• The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa got a 4/5 review and a blog post. I have a signed copy, the print is high-quality and sits well on the shelves. I also read the continuation, which gave a bit of entertainment and a bit of eye rolls. ★★★★☆

Worst books for the month

• Nightshade by Michael Connelly – surprisingly weak from Connelly. A disappointing ★★☆☆☆.
• I also read the book Traitors in Space – My first sci-fi about a parasite that spreads by touching people’s foreheads. Above average for a Choose Your Own Adventure book, so ★★★★☆. Sure, the hand-to-forehead infection method feels questionable, but I’ve also read two vampire stories this month where they survive on a few drops of blood a day without breathing. Who am I to judge?