August Wrap-Up and September TBR

I've discovered audiobooks!  Gotta be honest - audiobooks saved my backside in August or I would be falling behind on my Goodreads goal.

August Wrap-Up:

Cavewomen Don't Get Fat by Esther Blum
Completed 8/10/16
Fulfills 2016 Popsugar Reading Challenge #13: A self-improvement book
Rating: 3.75 out of 5

I dabbled in Paleo a little bit last year and dropped 12 pounds without even trying (about 8 of which I've kept off). This summer I've been feeling drained and eating poorly, so I picked up this book to get some motivation to get my health back on track.

I really enjoyed this book (which is half recipes) until I reached the chapter on supplements. If you took every supplement she lists, you would literally be popping pills all day long! I just can't believe that's actually beneficial to your health. I'll stick with my simple multi-vitamin each morning, thank you very much.

Some of the tips and recipes are helpful, though, and I like that she is flexible and realistic enough to understand that everyone won't eat perfectly all the time.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Completed 8/24/16 (audiobook)
Fulfills 2016 Popsugar Reading Challenge #4: A book you haven't read since high school
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

I decided to listen to the audiobook version of this classic. This was my first experience with audiobooks and, while I still prefer the visual experience of reading, I did enjoy the listening experience.

I chose this book because I didn't have a strong impression of it from when I read it in high school. I can't even remember which teacher/class I read it for (and normally I always remember that). 

I feel I appreciated it much more this time around with a little more real world experience. Also, I think Sissy Spacek really nailed the voice of Scout in her reading. 

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz 
Completed 8/31/16 (audiobook)
Fulfills 2016 Popsugar Reading Challenge #12: A book recommended by someone you just met
Rating: 5 out of 5

I have to admit that I cheated a little bit with this prompt. No one recommended this book to me specifically, but several of the Booktube channels that I've seen have had this book as a recommendation. I figured that was the closest I would get since random people don't come up to me and recommend books.

The hype for this book was justified. It really surprised me how much I enjoyed it. It was both simple and complex at the same time and made me want to read more books with male narrators (I usually gravitate towards female-driven books). It also made me realize that boys don't necessarily have an easier time growing up than girls. 

September TBR: Hoping for 2 Physical Books, 2 E-Books, and 2 Audiobooks

1.  I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai - I want to love this book, but I'm still just slogging through it after over a month!  Hoping to have it finished this weekend.
2. One Plus One by Jojo Moyes - I was planning to read this last month for the Popsugar "road trip" prompt but hit a slump.
3. The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware - I am so taking this cruise ship murder mystery on my Royal Caribbean cruise this month.
4. Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova - The ARC of this YA witchy novel has been sitting on my Kindle unread for way too long.
5. Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee - Since I listened to the audiobook version of To Kill a Mockingbird, it's only right that I follow it up with Go Set a Watchman.  And it's read by Reese Witherspoon!
6. Housebroken: Admissions of an Untidy Life by Laurie Notaro - If I manage to squeeze in a second audiobook, it's gotta be this one.