Hello, long (ish) time no see. Today I have a look inside my book mail from August for you. Again, this is just the highlights but if their synopses and advance praise are anything to go by, they will not disappoint...

Little Black Book* by Otegha Uwagba: After hearing Liv and Anna raving about this book, when the opportunity arose to be sent my own copy c/o Harper Collins, I could not say no. It is all the more fitting given I've recently started a new job. Side note, I say recently, it was actually five weeks ago now which is crazy to me. Anyway, Little Black Book or LBB that is actually peach, is a mini guide to being a successful worker in the creative realm. Whether it be as a full time gig or juggling it amongst other things, this sounds like quite the useful book to have in one's possession. 

Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen: A bit of an impulsive buy on my part, I'm not going to lie but it is actually a book and film I've always wanted to see. Angelina Jolie and Winona Ryder? Yes please. It follows a young girl who gets admitted to a psych ward, the same which has also played home to Sylvia Plath among others and her experiences and encounters across the next two years. It sounds haunting yet alluring all at once. 

Sour Heart* by Jenny Zhang: If you follow me on Instagram you will already know this is one of my most anticipated reads of the year. Admittedly, I go through phases of reading short story collections. They never seem to take my fancy quite as much as novels but if the advanced praise of this book is anything to go by, it will be brilliant. It's the first title published under the new Lenny imprint x Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner so if this is a sign of what is to come I am excited. 

The Ninth Hour* by Alice McDermott: So this is actually an ARC, aka an uncorrected proof copy. I do get these from time to time and I try to not feature them until closer to publication date but I have a feeling this book is released very soon. Update, it is released next month so it should not be too far away. The Ninth Hour is the story of three generations of an Irish immigrant family in 1940's to 1950's Brooklyn who are faced with tragedy. That being loss, suicide and coming to terms with life in an entirely new part of the world. I've not read anything by Alice McDermott before and while it seems trite to say I am looking forward to reading this given its subject matter, I am curious and find novels that delve into the psyche of characters, like it sounds like this one is going to, deeply fascinating. 

Play It As It Lays by Joan Didion: Didion, one of a trio of writers whose work I want to busy myself with reading in its entirety. I feel like I've mentioned that fact before but the other two are Nick Hornby, although maybe not his YA because I haven't heard favourable things, and Ali Smith. Play It As It Lays chronicles life in 1960's Los Angeles and Hollywood. One of my favourite decades, nostalgia-wise, albeit secondhand and a city that never ceases to fascinate me. While I imagine sixties LA is vastly different to 2017 in many regards, I am still curious to see if any patterns emerge of what was to come in terms of where the world was headed. Moreover I am just intrigued to read and experience Didion's perspective on it. 

Conversations With Friends* by Sally Rooney: One of my school friends and literary enthusiasts, Laura gave this a glowing review here and I've prioritised this to read next month. The title is self explanatory, this book examines and centres around conversation. One of my favourite things, I do love a good natter. It follows the protagonist through high school, university and new adulthood. Like Sour Heart, this is another of my highly anticipated fiction releases of 2017 so if I love it as much as I suspect I am going to, this will not be the last time you hear of it. 

The Gender Games* by Juno Dawson: Not pictured but for reference, here is the cover in all its glory. I actually received this at the end of July, I think but it made its way to my current reads list fairly quickly and so far I am finding it brilliant. Like my fellow book buff Emma, I find books that look at gender and how it shapes society incredibly interesting. This book is perhaps more so than any other because Dawson has lived through the male and female lens. It is well worth the read and out of the albeit limited selection of books I've read in August, this is up there with my favourites. 

-Have you acquired any new books in August? What were they?

*Review Copy