August was a slow reading month for me — just three books, and honestly no real stand-outs. Still, it was a rollercoaster: from twisty thrillers to splatterpunk nightmares. Some reads kept me hooked for the chaos alone, others felt like messy trainwrecks I couldn’t look away from. Here’s what I finished.
📊 Reading Stats
Books Read: 3
Genres:
Fiction (3): Horror (1) ◦ Thriller (2)
Nonfiction (0)
Formats: Paperback (0) ◦ eBook (3)
Sources: Kindle Unlimited (3)
Average Rating: 3.5 stars
Average Time to Finish: 9 days
Yearly Reading Goal Progress: 42 / 100 books (42%)
📖 Book Reviews
📘 The Atonement
Author: Kiersten Modglin
Genre: Fiction ◦ Thriller
Publication: 2022
Format & Source : eBook ◦ Kindle Unlimited
Dates Read: July 31 – August 7, 2025
Rating: ★★★★☆
The Atonement is the final installment in Kiersten Modglin’s Arrangement series, and it closes things out with a bang. The series as a whole is pretty wild — messy, twisty, and over-the-top in the best way — which is exactly what makes it such fun to read. This one may have been the most ludicrous yet, but that only added to the entertainment value.
I found it stronger than the second book, with tension and fear threaded throughout. At its core, the story plays out like a cat-and-mouse game between a couple with dark secrets, and the suspense really takes off when one of them decides it’s finally time to run.
Overall, this was a thrilling and satisfying conclusion to a delightfully unhinged series. I enjoyed the ride, and I like how it all wrapped up.
⚡Quick Take: A wild, over-the-top finale that delivers tension, chaos, and a fitting end to Modglin’s twisty series.
📘 Missing in Flight
Author: Audrey J. Cole
Genre: Fiction ◦ Thriller
Publication: 2025
Format & Source: eBook ◦ Kindle Unlimited
Dates Read: August 7 – August 22, 2025
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Oh, this book was wild! The story follows Makayla, a young new mom, when the unthinkable happens: she takes a quick bathroom break on a plane, and returns to find her infant son missing from his bassinet. You might wonder how an author could spin a 200+ page thriller out of such a confined setting — but Audrey Cole pulls it off.
What begins as a simple nightmare quickly spirals into a complex web of possibilities: was her baby kidnapped? Why can’t anyone find him anywhere on the plane? Is Makayla losing her memory like her mother did, or is her family being targeted because of her husband’s high-powered job? The story unfolds through multiple points of view, both in the air and on the ground, keeping the reader guessing at every turn. The FBI gets involved, secrets pile up, and you never quite know who to trust.
All in all, this was an entertaining, twist-filled ride, and while not perfect, it left me curious to pick up more from this author.
⚡Quick Take: A tense, twist-packed thriller that keeps you guessing, even if some parts stretch believability.
📘 Lovesick
Author: Jon Athan
Genre: Fiction ◦ Horror
Publication:
Format & Source: eBook ◦ Kindle Unlimited
Dates Read: August 24 – August 28, 2025
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Lovesick is splatterpunk at its absolute grossest. The story follows Mark and his plan for revenge after discovering his girlfriend is cheating on him. Without spoiling too much, his idea of retribution involves kidnapping her and making her suffer in vile, twisted ways that are hard to stomach.
Unfortunately, the writing itself left a lot to be desired. The dialogue, especially Mark’s inner monologues, felt stilted and completely unbelievable. And yet, despite the rough prose, I couldn’t stop reading. It was a trainwreck I couldn’t look away from — the nastiest book I’ve ever read, equal parts cringe-inducing and page-turning.
All in all, I wouldn’t recommend this one unless you’re already a die-hard splatterpunk fan with a very strong stomach. Personally, I could handle it because I love horror and it usually doesn’t get under my skin — but even so, this one tested my limits. I’ll probably pick up more of Jon Athan’s work, though I’ll need some breathing room between books because his stories are nothing if not intense.
⚡Quick Take: Brutal, vile, and compulsively readable — splatterpunk at its most stomach-churning.
🎖️ Favorite Book of the Month
The Atonement by Kiersten Modglin
That’s a wrap on this month’s reads — here’s to another great chapter! 📚
No comments