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August 2025 Reads—Non-fiction, Thriller and Some Romance

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There was a time when we had seven to nine cats in our home. Now we have just three. All males. Yumleima, our last female cat, passed away on Aug 10th. 

Rex, the rottweiler, is also gone. So unexpectedly.

August is also the month we cut down all our bamboo. New things are coming up. Our home used to be surrounded by bamboo on two, almost three, sides. Most of it was cleared. But for a long time, we had a small bamboo grove in one corner. Now it's also gone. No more bamboo shades. Hotter now. Sad. I like having plants, trees, and bamboo around the house. Lots of them.

Anyway, I read/listened to these books in August.

Five are books I got from an Instagram bookstore giveaway. One is an audiobook.

The No‑Show by Beth O’Leary
Genre: Romance
Three very different women discover they’ve all been ghosted by the same man and uncover unexpected emotional truths. 
I liked the twist towards the end. Fun read.

The Roughest Draft by Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund‑Broka 
Genre: Romance
Former writing partners turned estranged friends reunite to craft one final novel and confront lingering personal hurt, jealousy, and love. 
Boring, sorry.

Saint Death by Mark Dawson 
Genre: Action-thriller / crime
Ex‑British assassin John Milton surfaces in Ciudad Juárez to smuggle a targeted journalist into Texas while battling narco‑gangs and deadly assassins. 
I'm not into thrillers.

Best of Friends by Kamila Shamsie
Genre: Literary fiction/friendship drama
Spanning over three decades from 1980s Karachi to modern London, this novel explores the endurance and strain of Zahra and Maryam’s lifelong friendship amid class divides, political clashes, and past secrets. 
Interesting read.

The Wife’s Tale: A Personal History by Aida Edemariam
Genre: Nonfiction memoir/biography
Through her grandmother Yetemegnu’s life, Edemariam paints a sweeping portrait of Ethiopia’s turbulent 20th century from feudal monarchy through revolution and exile. 
Hard to read. Some parts felt like reading my mother's story.

84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff. 
Epistolary memoir
Letters from the twenty-year correspondence between the author and Frank Doel, chief buyer for Marks & Co antiquarian booksellers, located at the eponymous address in London.
Was in the mood for some kind, caring, well-intentioned words, stuff like that. This was exactly what I was looking for. I listened to the audiobook. Perfect comfort. 😊

That's all for now.

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