Team Owlcrate Books Of The Month: What We Read In August 2024

The definition of haunting and atmospheric, this book was set in 1797 on the tiny island of Eynhallow (off the mainland of Scotland). This was an incredible horror book that felt like a quiet, dreamy folklore. 

Beautiful prose and introspection, and I could see every single scene so clearly in my head. The last 70% or so was absolutely horrific and so dark, but it was an incredible companion to all that came before.

This would be the absolutely best book to read in one sitting on Halloween night. I’d recommend going in without reading any of the synopsis!!! Highly recommend, but make sure to check those trigger warnings!

I started this on a total whim and devoured it in a day. I haven’t read any of the author’s work before, but this certainly won’t be my last. This was atmospheric, cinematic, and scary as hell! 

It had everything—an old farmhouse, the creepiest basement of all time, priests, old journal entries, history, and even a badass dog. And it takes place in the 90s! This is the perfect book to read this fall (or now, if you’re like me and can’t wait!)

This was my first cozy read, and I know I’ll be reaching for more witch books this fall. The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches was wholesome, and I loved every character in this book. I myself live in Brighton, so when I heard the main character Mika lived here too, I was excited.

When she moved to Norwich and became the tutor for the three young witches, it was especially interesting to see how their relationship dynamics changed throughout the book. I also enjoyed the Grumpy x Sunshine trope, and I wasn’t expecting the secrets that were revealed at the end!

I have seen It Ends With Us being hyped up on BookTok for years, and with the movie release, I decided to check it out. I read the book before seeing the movie and enjoyed both.

The book follows Lily, who meets a neurosurgeon called Ryle, and they begin a relationship. At first things are perfect, and she’s head over heels for him, but soon he reveals his true side, and a cycle of abuse begins. Lily knows that she has to break the pattern before the pattern breaks her.

The book covered some heavy topics and had a lot of trigger warnings, but as someone who loves books that shine a light on real life experiences, this book was right up my alley. The book showed real-life struggle and strength, and I couldn’t help but fall in love with Atlas.

Sade is a new student at the prestigious Alfred Nobel Academy boarding school, and after her very first night on campus, her roommate goes missing. 

Finding herself embroiled in the mystery, Sade soon discovers herself taken in by the school's "Unholy Trinity" of students, and the more Sade discovers about the school and the secrets of her own past, the more it becomes evident that something isn't right with these rich kids.

I read Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé when it came out a few years ago and loved it, and can I say this book was even better? I'm a dark academia girly, and this is one of the best books in this genre that I've read in quite some time.

I stumbled across Fledgling at a thrift store and bought it immediately. How have I gone through my whole life not knowing that Octavia E. Butler had a vampire novel?!

In Fledgling, we follow a young girl who wakes up knowing nothing of her past but soon discovers she's a special type of genetically modified vampire who can walk in the daylight. And although she appears childlike, she is in fact 53 years old. 

In typical Butler fashion, this is an incredible story examining identity and otherness while remaining a new and gripping take on vampire lore.

The Wayward Children is one of my favorite series ever. I reread it every year and never get tired of it. This book starts off a bit darker than the rest. It really hit close to home for me and had my heart. 

I wanted to be Antsy's protector and shield her from all the things that were happening to her. I very much wanted her to keep her childhood a bit longer. Losing that part of you is so heartbreaking. I thought the author did a very good job of writing about these hard subjects.

Kalynn is always an auto-grab and auto-buy author for me. I have loved everything she has ever written, so of course I was obsessed with this book. 

I love fairytale retellings, and this one did not disappoint, and I especially loved the mixture of retellings in this story. I got so immersed in the story I never wanted it to end. 

The characters were so well written, and I wanted to fight for Eve and her family. I just loved this book so much.