The August Edit
Three summer reads, a quiet luxury granola recipe, secret swimming holes, and using AI.
August was slower, the lazier part of summer, not quite boring. It was perfect.
Just like the Italians vacate the cities for the month of August, I decided to vacate my social media accounts for the second act of summer. This august break situation will likely be an annual affair, I am nostalgic at heart and the freedom from scrolling felt really good. I’m already putting an article together for September to share about my offline experience in more depth; let you know my before/after screen time stats, how my fingers held muscle-memory of the app placements, and my plans for returning (in a way that suits me better).
I read three books this month, which may seem like a small feat for some, but I’ve been out of the reading game for a while and this felt victorious. They were all easy and light summer reads - a pleasant way to spend an afternoon in august.
Yellowface - This one kept me hooked till the very last page, and I enjoyed the writing, but I wasn’t left totally satisfied. "This contemporary psychological thriller follows Juniper Song, a bestselling author who is not who she’s pretending to be. She didn’t write the book she claims she penned, and she is not Asian American.”
Tom Lake - What an absolute delight, I was completely mesmerized and already want to go back and read it all over again. I highly recommend for a feel-good escape. "This comforting read has it all - summer theatre, a gorgeous cherry farm, young love, and deep mother-daughter relationships."
The Maid - I thoroughly enjoyed every minute with this quirky and brilliant story. There is a sequel coming out in November and I’ve already put my name down at the library to borrow it. “A Clue-like mystery and a heartwarming journey of the spirit.”
Apart from reading, I played some leisurely tennis with Scott, went on lots of walks, and had a few great evenings with friends. We also took a weekend trip up island to visit family. It started with my brother taking us bouldering at the local climbing gym, continued with swimming in secret lakes on Quadra Island with our Aunt, and finished up with an epic thunder/lightening storm. The days were sprinkled with delicious food and islander traffic in our car that has no A/C. It was a classic summer adventure to say the least!
Lauren’s List Vol. 3
