Welcome to Quick Lit: August 2025 Edition, where I share books I chose for my own reading enjoyment in a mini-review format. These are not books I received for review, but books I’ve wanted to read or that have caught my attention. Most of them have been talked about ad nauseam or have been on my to-read list for a long time, so they don’t really need a full review. But I’d still like to give them some space here on the blog, so instead, I’m offering mini-reviews of the books that won’t get full-page space here.
I’ll be sharing with Modern Mrs. Darcy and her monthly Quick Lit post. Be sure to head over to see others share their Quick Lit posts in her comments.
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Did you know I also regularly review children’s books? Check them out HERE. I’m also sharing my Summer Read-to-Learn series again. The posts are full of great children’s books to keep kids reading and learning all summer long.
I’m currently reading LOON COVE SUMMER, a middle-grade novel for review. I’m listening to I DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU KNOW ME FROM. On my Kindle, I’m reading DEAR MISS LAKE for review.
I recently reviewed GITEL’S FREEDOM, a historical fiction novel set in Chicago about a Jewish immigrant family, and SPECTACULAR THINGS, a definite favorite of the year about sisters, women’s soccer, and family.
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On our recent family vacation, we watched Happy Gilmore 2 together. It wasn’t as good as the first, but we enjoyed it, especially all the cameo appearances. Otherwise, I haven’t watched much TV except for an Indiana Fever game once in a while.
THE ROSE CODE
By: Kate Quinn
Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
Published: March 9, 2021
Publisher: William Morrow
Historical Fiction
Format: Audiobook through Libby and eBook purchase
This was our book club choice for last month. With all of our vacations, we had a couple of extra weeks to read it, which I was glad for since it has over 600 pages. But I quickly became invested in the story of the three women codebreakers, and I flew through it, reading and listening whenever I could.
Set in 1940 England, three women are recruited to become top-secret code breakers at the infamous Bletchley Park. The novel begins in 1947, with some sort of betrayal, and one of the three women is locked in an asylum. The story flashes back and forth from 1940 to 1947, telling the story of how the three women became code breakers and how their friendship bloomed and eventually crashed. The story is set during WWII, and of course, there are heartbreaking losses and near misses. I was deeply interested in learning about the Enigma machine and how they used it to break codes coming from Russia and other governments. I also did a lot of googling during and after the book to learn more.
The three women characters are based on real women code breakers, and I just really loved their relationships with each other and how they kept their code-breaking a secret from everyone they knew and loved. I’m not sure I could have done that. This was my first Kate Quinn novel (I know, I know), but there will be more in my future.
Saskia also narrated THE BERLIN LETTERS and WHEN WE HAD WINGS, which were both great listens.
THE ANXIOUS GENERATION
How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness
By: Jonathan Haidt
Narrated by: Sean Pratt
Published: March 26, 2024
Publisher: Penguin Press
Non-Fiction
Format: Audiobook through Libby and Hardcover through the Library
Even though I listened to this on audio, it’s helpful to also have a physical copy, as the author has numerous graphs and research that are referred to.
As the mom of children born in 2000, 2001, and 2005, this book hit hard. I raised kids in the very beginnings of cell phones and iPads, which he discusses in the book. Many times, I found myself chastising myself for the mistakes I made as a parent and then telling myself, “I didn’t know what I didn’t know.” We didn’t know that giving our teens a smartphone would be detrimental to their relationships, their attention spans, and their brains. Now we are trying to rewire and rework what we know about cell phones.
As a substitute teacher, I’ve seen the harm that cell phones do in school, especially when they are allowed in the classroom. As a sub, I don’t have a lot of control over the cell phone use if the teacher doesn’t have specific rules about it. But one rule I always have is that if I am teaching or giving directions, eyes must be on me and not on their phones. Seems pretty easy, right? Nope. Our school is finally, thanks to a state law in Iowa, not allowing cell phones in the classroom. Students have to place them in a holder at the beginning of class. Unfortunately, they do get them during passing time and during lunch. This makes me sad because there will be even less socialization and communication with friends, because they will be checking all their notifications and TikToks during passing and lunch rather than having conversations. But it is a start. My daughter-in-law’s school doesn’t allow phones at all during the whole school day. What a difference it makes in students’ learning, attention spans, and communication.
I found this book extremely interesting and believe it should be read by every parent, grandparent, and educator.
Sean Pratt also narrated HIDDEN VALLEY ROAD.
CUE THE SUN!
The Invention of Reality TV
By: Emily Nussbaum
Narrated by: Gabra Zackman
Published: June 25, 2024
Publisher: Random House
Non-Fiction
Format: Audiobook through Libby
In my 20s during the 1990s, I was a huge fan of The Real World. This was my first reality TV show, and I loved tuning in to MTV every week to see what would happen between Puck and Pedro. Then, more reality TV shows slowly started taking hold, some still on TV today, and others lasting only a season. My favorite is, of course, Survivor. Chapters are dedicated to the creation and rise of Survivor. Nussbaum gives readers a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes of these shows, the cast, crew, the creators and producers, and the juicy gossip (some true and some not) surrounding the shows.
Many of the most shocking reality TV moments were actually edited versions of producers prodding cast members to cry about a different situation entirely, or someone getting upset about something unrelated that was then edited into a situation that had less emotional impact. It’s just a reminder that even reality TV isn’t necessarily “real”. Will that make me stop watching? No, but I am going into it with a different perspective that what I’m watching may not be exactly how it played out. A shocked Survivor cast member’s reaction to something could have been cut in from a different scene to make the audience feel more angry or sympathetic towards someone when, in reality, it didn’t actually happen in that way.
Bachelor/Bachelorette, The Apprentice, Big Brother, Project Runway, The Real Housewives, Kardashians, and The Osbornes are a few of the more recent shows mentioned in the book. The title, “Cue the Sun,” is a nod to one of our family’s favorite movies, a movie about a reality TV show, The Truman Show. This was a fun listen and also pretty interesting. It held my attention, and I enjoyed reliving certain episodes of some of my favorite reality shows.
Gabra Zackman is one of the many narrators in one of my top books from this year, NO TWO PERSONS.