august 2025 reads
So here's the thing. I feel like a kind of jinxed myself by saying that July was kind of a crazy month at the beginning of my reading log for last month because shortly after posting that (quite late in August), I got COVID and spent the latter half of August as a useless mush laying in my bed. As with my previous two infections, the neurological toll was steep (and remains a challenge) and doing anything with my brain has basically been impossible—though I have been listening to a lot of Dear Hank and John while I attempt to rest.
Between the start of the month being extremely busy ,and the second half of the month being full of COVID headaches, pushed deadlines, and misery, I basically didn't read this month. Nonetheless, I'm still going to post the very short list of things that I did manage to read before I was taken out, and feel sorry about the arcs that are going to be reviewed later than planned because I simply haven't been able to read them yet.
Now on to the list!
Novels, Collections, & Nonfiction
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
This book was absolutely incredible and I can't believe I've been sleeping on it for years. Yet I continue to be horrified by the fact that apparently some people think that this book is a campy school fantasy? Like people. This book is about genocide and the most harrowing events in the book are based on things that really happened. Please look this up if you're unaware. The basics are right there on the Wikipedia page.
東京ハイダウェイ by 古内一絵 (Kazue Furuuchi)
This book is a interconnected short story cozy fiction situation and it's probably the best of its type that I've ever read. It has the same comforting cathartic essence of other books in the so-called cozy fiction space, but each story also goes extremely hard when it comes to systematic issues in society today and the overarching plot that connects all six stories and characters is doing the same. Like the author calls out politicians and people in power to get their shit together. It's awesome. I really hope this book gets picked up by an English publisher someday because the author nailed it.
Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green
I listened to this audiobook while laying half-conscious in my bed with COVID. Perhaps a morbid is choice, but I find John Green's voice and his way of speaking really relaxing and each chapter was extremely short, so it was easy to put on to help myself fall asleep when I was feeling anxious about my situation. If you follow him on social media, you've probably heard most of the stuff he talks about in the book, but still definitely recommend picking it up if you want to learn more about tuberculosis and how it continues to affect millions of people every year.
Manga & Other Comics
Yeah, this didn't happen this month. I had the next book in Witch Hat Atelier, but my illness just really made it impossible and it was returned to the library unread. Currently on hold again, so I might get to read it sometime next month.
And that's it! Three whole books! I haven't read this little in a month probably since the last time I got COVID. Highly recommend avoiding getting this if possible, friends. I'm healthy enough even with my other health challenges that the "cold" symptom part is not such a worry, but the neurological stuff is always a huge concern and the recovery time is a huge burden.
Take care of yourself, and happy reading.
Updated 18 hours, 52 minutes ago