8 Books Worth My Time—and 1 That Wasn’t
August 2025 Book Recommendations
“A writer only begins a book. A reader finishes it.”
– Samuel Johnson
Here are 6 nonfiction books and 2 novels that I recommend from my recent reads, plus 1 novel that I DON’T recommend.
[See previously recommended books here]
NONFICTION
1. The Myth of Closure
Ambiguous Loss in a Time of Pandemic and Change
by Pauline Boss
I love learning about this topic, as I live with ambiguous loss myself, as do many of us. Not every (any?) loss we experience is cleanly resolved. We don’t always get closure like we think we must have. So can we grieve and heal when closure is impossible? Pauline Boss says yes. She says it’s a myth that we must have closure. She offers strategies to live with ambiguity and develop resilience even when we don’t get answers.
2. Algospeak
How Social Media Is Transforming the Future of Language
by Adam Aleksic
I am fascinated by this book. Linguist and social media influencer Aleksic shows how powerful the algorithm really is. And how it is reshaping how we communicate with each other. If you’re a word nerd like me (and even if you’re not), you might find this book enlightening and entertaining, too.
[Read my full review here: What the Algorithm Did to Our Words—and Why It Matters]
3. Big Feelings
How to Be Okay When Things Are Not Okay
by Liz Fosslien and Mollie West Duffy
I’m in three active book clubs right now, which is marvelous! My weekly in-person group just finished this one—a personal and educational guide to navigating hard emotions like burnout, envy, and anxiety. The authors share a lot of research as well as many stories from their own lives. We had lots of great conversations about each chapter.
And the illustrations are fantastic. You can see a lot of the simple yet very helpful cartoon drawings, like this one, at their Instagram account here, @LizandMollie.
4. The Sports Gene *
Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance
by David Epstein
This book is more than 10 years old, but it still feels incredibly relevant—no wonder Daniel Pink included it on his list of 21 favorite reads*. (I’m marking off two books from the list this month!). Epstein writes in this book about the nature vs. nurture debate around athletic success, which is complicated, as you might guess. He challenges some assumptions I had about talent, training, and the infamous 10,000-hour rule.
5. Choose Your Self
How to Embrace Being Single, Heal Core Wounds, and Build a Life You Love
by Megan Sherer
Ignore the subtitle—I love being married! But I still find a lot of wisdom in this book, which I read with my monthly online book club. It gives lots of practical advice on real self-care—less about candles, more about healing patterns, regulating your nervous system, and building a strong relationship with yourself. It made a great book club book.
6. Thinking in Bets *
Making Smarter Decisions When You Don’t Have All the Facts
by Annie Duke
This is another pick from Daniel Pink’s favorites list*—and also a Nonfiction November recommendation. I’m really glad I followed up on it. It’s by poker pro turned decision strategist Annie Duke. But it’s not about playing poker. It’s about getting more comfortable with uncertainty in life and making smarter choices. Duke does use examples from poker, but the real-life applications involve learning to better assess risk and probability about what you do know and don’t know. Very interesting!
FICTION
7. Dream State: A Novel
by Eric Puchner
This novel begins as young adult Cece arrives at her future in-laws’ Montana lake house to plan her wedding to Charlie—but things get complicated when Garrett, Charlie’s best friend, shows up to officiate. The plot kept me reading more to know what would happen next. Even though this book is a little long at 448 pages, and the scary climate change thread hit a little too close to home, it is worth the time I spent reading it!
8. Adrift
by Lisa Brideau
This book has an even larger climate storyline. In this one, Sarah wakes up alone in a boat with no memory of who she is. It’s set in 2038 when the world has deteriorated physically and culturally due to weather. It took me a few chapters to get fully invested in the plot, but once I did, I had to know why and what was going on. Part survival story and part mystery, I highly recommend it.
I DON’T RECOMMEND
I don’t usually post about books I DON’T recommend—but I’m making an exception for this one. Can someone can help me understand what I missed? Was the 1971 movie any better (I haven’t seen it)?
A Clockwork Orange
by Anthony Burgess
I read A Clockwork Orange for the monthly book club at my local bookstore. First published in 1962, it’s considered a dystopian classic, but the violence was disturbing and I really disliked the main character. I could barely get through the invented teenage slang—it made the book exhausting to read. I found nothing redeeming in it.
However, I did enjoy the discussion we had about it yesterday at the meeting. Some people actually found important philosophical thoughts in it. But most of us agreed that we didn’t like it (and everybody that had seen the movie recommended NOT watching it).
I guess even so-called “brilliant” books aren’t for everyone, right? And that’s okay.
WHAT I’M READING NOW
- Biased *
Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think, and Do
by Jennifer L. Eberhardt - The Art of Gathering *
How We Meet and Why It Matters
by Priya Parker - Praying with Jane Eyre
Reflections on Reading as a Sacred Practice
by Vanessa Zoltan - The Notebook
A History of Thinking on Paper
by Roland Allen - Rise Above
Overcome a Victim Mindset, Empower Yourself, and Realize Your Full Potential
by Scott Barry Kaufman - Joyspan
The Art and Science of Thriving in Life’s Second Half
by Kerry Burnight
* Asterisked books are ones I’m reading from Daniel Pink’s Favorite Books list; you can find it here.
What good book have you read lately? Please share in the comments.
The Myth about Closure sounds interesting. I recently watched a video by Dr. Henry Cloud regarding that same topic.
Yes, The Myth of Closure is so interesting. I had already read her earlier book about the topic–Ambiguous Loss–published in 1999, so it was interesting to hear how she’d updated her thoughts over the next two decades (and experienced more losses too, unfortunately).
I’m glad you enjoyed Thinking in Bets. One of my favorites from last year.
I have you to thank for Thinking in Bets, Harry – I wrote down your suggestion during Nonfiction November last year. 🙂 I understand why it was one of your favorites. I’m still thinking about this section:
“We can train ourselves to view the world through the lens of “Wanna bet?” Once we start doing that, we are more likely to recognize that there is always a degree of uncertainty, that we are generally less sure than we thought we were, that practically nothing is black and white, 0% or 100%. And that’s a pretty good philosophy for living.”
I appreciate you telling us what not to waste our time in reading, Lisa. Feel free to do so any time. Thanks for all the other recommendations!
Thanks, Martha. I always appreciate when other people tell me what books they do NOT like; I don’t know why I’m so hesitant to do it myself! ha.
I’m not sure I would enjoy “Thinking in Bets”. While on vacation with friends I learned a card game that required betting on how many hands you thought you would win … I didn’t like that at all! I suppose I really don’t like uncertainty, which is why I might need to read the book after all.
I KNOW I would not like A Clockwork Orange and I’ve never felt any desire to read it nor to watch the movie. But then I’ve never gravitated to dystopia. Pitch-dark imaginations don’t attract me.
I’ve been letting myself do a lot of light reading this summer. I enjoyed a bunch of mysteries – Magpie Murders, A Case of Mice and Murder, and The Zig-Zag Girls – Storybook Ending, a somewhat unconventional romance; and Piglettes, YA from France. A bit more substantial was a reread of Emma, but Jane Austen is comfort reading too (no uncertainty there).
ha. Thinking in Bets is definitely about learning to get more comfortable with uncertainty–I don’t really like that either, Lory. ha. But yeah, that’s probably why the book felt like a good message for me. 🙂
I’m not a big fan of dystopia either. It’s so depressing. I do occasionally read them, and sometimes enjoy things in the book (I did like The Hunger Games), but they also make me sad. I like your list of mysteries! And a reread of Emma sounds delightful. I reread Jane Eyre last year and loved it so much.
Hi, Lisa- First off, I am delighted that you enjoyed reading ‘Adrift’. Much of that book is set in our local area, so that was an additional highlight of the book to me. And, like you, once I began reading, I really wanted to know what happened.
I am delighted that you also listed a book that you would not recommend and why you wouldn’t. For reviews to be helpful, readers/reviewers need to be honest about sharing their thoughts on alll of the books that they read, not just the good ones. Otherwise, the good reviews become less meaningful.
Many years ago, (when I was younger and braver…and an English major), I read A Clockwork Orange. Sadly, I don’t remember many details about it, other than discussions that it provoked on free will, good/evil, and the dangers of unchecked state power. That being said, I would not want to reread it now. The violence would be too much for me.
You remembered the themes quite well of A Clockwork Orange, Donna. I’m impressed! 🙂 I did enjoy discussing those themes in our book club, but the actual book–not at all. Someone pointed out that the invented language may have been one way to buffer the reader from direct hits of the violence, but it wasn’t enough for me. I’d rather skip hearing about it altogether when I’m trying to read for pleasure.
I definitely remember the core message of that book, even after reading it years (and years) ago. But ask me what I had for breakfast this morning, or where my house keys are right not — truly, no idea!
I have never heard of The Clockwork Orange before. BUT I did spent lots of time on nature/nurture in college; it’s one of my favorite psychology debates particularly where it pertained to Howard Gardner and his theory of multiple intelligence. I’m thinking I’d really enjoy The Sports Gene.
Yes, I imagine you would enjoy The Sports Gene if the nature/nurture debate is of interest to you, Joanne! As I was reading it, I kinda wondered if there have been any updates on the topic since the book was published 11 years ago. I know we continue to learn more and more about it.
Yes, I wouldn’t read A Clockwork Orange! What a challenging book for a book group! I really want to read Algospeak.
I told the leader of our book club that I would never have finished A Clockwork Orange if it hadn’t been this month’s book club choice (every book this year is a banned or restricted book). I know it’s never required that we read the books. But the forever-student in me must finish all homework assignments. ha. Algospeak was a much easier and more pleasant book to read – although it has some scary themes as well about the power of the algorithm. I’m hoping that knowledge is power though, at least a little.
Wow, Lisa. Sometimes a picture IS worth a thousand words. Like that illustration on really hard feelings. I’ve found that to be true . . .
I’m glad the drawing resonates with you, too, Linda. I find it to be SO powerful. When I’m in the thick of a problem, it feels like it’s the only thing that exists. But over time, I realize life is always bigger. If I could only convince myself of that at the beginning! ha.
Algospeak definitely seems like an interesting one. I do love nonfiction.
Nonfiction is my favorite too, although I do like to keep a novel going amidst my nonfiction books. I can only read one novel at a time though, whereas nonfiction lends itself to multiple books at once. 🙂
Pinned this post because there are several books that sound interesting and want to keep your list for future reference. I usually read non-fiction so thanks for sharing at Share Your Shelf #16. Please look for me there too. Warm regards, Nancy Andres @ Colors 4 Health.
Glad to meet another nonfiction reader, Nancy! I love the great variety that nonfiction brings (well, fiction does the same though). 🙂 I just visited your blog too.
I used to never DNF books but in recent times (e.g. the past 1-2 years) have started to since my TBR is so long!
I feel like The Myth of Closure + Big Feelings are both going to be great reads for me. Looking forward to reading Dream State + Adrift too!
I’m like you, Farrah – I used to always finish every book I started. But I’ve finally learned that if it’s not worth my time, I need to set it aside and move on to books that I know I will enjoy! Good for us. 🙂
Big Feelings looks really good. I am going to look for it at our library!!
I remember reading Clockwork Orange in college and it was pretty disturbing. It was not my favorite read!
My library had Big Feelings in all the formats: hardback, ebook, and audiobook. I tend to switch back and forth when I have that option. 🙂 I’m with you on a Clockwork Orange. Somehow I was never assigned it in school, maybe now I know why? lol
I never saw the movie A Clockwork Orange or read the book, but I guessed it is like what you describe. It sounds like one I won’t miss.
Yes, I think you’re safe to pass on both the book and the movie version of this one. 🙂
I’m in awe that you’re in three book clubs! I’m not into non-fiction books, but I like the sound of Dream State.
I read a A Clockwork Orange as a teenager (I’m 51 now!) and enjoyed it. My dad warned me it was full of made-up language, but it’s not. It’s actually Russian. I’d just done Russian GCSE so I had no problem understanding it.
Popping over from Book Worms Monthly.
It’s so interesting that you mention this because one of the women in our book club also learned Russian in college, and she didn’t struggle much either with the made-up language! She enlightened us on some of the invented words that made much more sense once she explained what the Russian equivalent was. At one point in the book I started referring to an online glossary of words from the book, but I eventually stopped because (1) it was taking too long! ha, and (2) the author didn’t include a glossary himself, so he must have wanted the reader to get through the book without one. Glad to hear that you liked the book tho. Obviously a lot of people have since it’s considered a classic. 🙂
Thanks for the tips – added several to my To Be Read list!
You’re welcome, Ann. I’m always happy to share book recommendations! 🙂
I have never seen nor read A Clockwork Orange, but back in the day, it was rated X. (Remember those days)
Yes, I remember those days too, Patti. Interesting that it was rated X – I’m guessing for the violence. I heard it was brutal to watch. Definitely not anything I want to put in my brain, whatever the rating!
I’m definitely going to look into a few of those!
Great reads Lisa. I’m glad you did include the one you didn’t like and why. It helps me when browsing what I want to read. I stopped reading several books recently within the 1st chapter because of the “f” word and sexy scenes right of the bat. so I appreciate your being candid about why you didn’t like something.
Visiting today from Share Your Shelf
I agree with you on A Clockwork Orange, it has far too much violence in it. I do like your pick of books to read though, I too suffer from ambiguous loss and I am single and finding it hard to love myself. I will look out for these books.