August 2026 Reads
Keeping this intro short, but August was a busy month. The highlight though was definitely my solo trip to Acadia National Park/Bar Harbor, ME!
Highly recommend it if you’ve been wanting to go. See the photos below and don’t hesitate to reach out if you’re starting to plan a trip there!
Featured: Ocean Path Trail, warm lobster roll, view from Bee Hive Trail, view from Jordan Pond Trail, boats in the harbor.
Now let’s get into everything I read in August!
*All summaries are taken or paraphrased from Goodreads
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
Rating: 5/5 stars
Summary: "I wonder how the book got to Guernsey? Perhaps there is some sort of secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers." January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she's never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb… As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends—and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society—born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island—boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all. Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the society's members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever.
My Thoughts: Ugh I was absolutely heartbroken when my time on this island of charmingly misfit characters came to an end. 😭 This story is mainly conveyed through written correspondence between Juliet Ashton, a writer, and a group of delightfully eccentric people from the island of Guernsey who dodged being detained by the Nazis for gathering during the war by saying they were a book club. She recently discovered The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society when someone on the island found her name written in a book. As Juliet begins to learn more about the people in this makeshift book club and their neighbors on the island, it inspires her to write about them for her next project. The only thing she needs to do is go to the island herself. Listen, if you loved The Correspondent by Virginia Evans, you will absolutely adore this. Every character is so perfectly quirky and endearing, and it’s hard not to develop a soft spot for each one of them as Juliet starts falling more in love with this island community. The author even manages to incorporate an “off-the-page” character who becomes the heart of the story without even meeting her. The format is cleverly told between exchanged letters, various telegraphs, and more, and I definitely recommend giving it a read!
Missing Sam by Thrity Umrigar
MISSING SAM by Thrity Umrigar
Rating: 2.75/5 stars
Summary: When Aliya and Samantha have a fight one night, Samantha goes for a run early the next morning—and doesn’t come back. Aliya reports her wife Samantha as missing, but as a gay and Muslim daughter of immigrants, she’s immediately suspected by her neighbors in Samantha's disappearance. Scared and furious and feeling isolated as everyone around her doubts her innocence, Aliya makes one wrong choice after another. All the while, Samantha is being held captive, strategizing how to escape before things escalate even more. Meanwhile, Aliya must fight to prove her innocence in the public eye and save her wife. But is safety ever truly possible for these women even after Samantha is rescued?
My Thoughts: I read Thrity Umrigar’s Honor last year (review here) and was absolutely FLOORED by how beautiful and gripping the writing was. So, I was excited to hear she was publishing another novel soon because I loved the last book so much. Although this novel definitely has beautiful elements and her storytelling was still very powerful, I couldn’t help but feel a little disconnected from the story and a few of the characters. For one, it felt like the plot was trying to do too much, which made the experience feel extremely disjointed. A lot happens in this book as it follows married couple Sam and Ali, gay women who are both estranged from their families. After Sam is abducted while out on a run, Ali is shoved into the spotlight as the police try to figure out where Sam went and what might’ve happened to her. As a lesbian and daughter of Indian immigrants, Ali faces every type of intersectional bigotry imaginable while trying to keep her emotions together under intense public scrutiny. However, the abduction plotline mostly wraps up maybe halfway through the book and then it’s kind of like… okay, what now? The remainder of the book felt like a literary tour through every prejudice the LGBTQ+ and immigrant communities could possibly experience in the US, which I think is why things just started to feel a bit scattered. It just felt like I couldn’t cling to a clear message from the book because there were so many being thrown at me. Not to mention, Sam and Ali weren’t necessarily the most likable characters which made sticking with this story a little tough. Overall, although I think what the author was trying to do here is honorable, I don’t think I’d recommend this book.
Legend by Marie Lu
LEGEND by Marie Lu (Legend #1)
Rating: 4/5 stars
Summary: What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem. From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.
My Thoughts: Y’all know I’ve been on a dystopian kick this year, and this book was the perfect scratch to that itch. June has lived a pretty cushy life as the daughter of an elite family in the Republic and has created quite a reputation as a child prodigy after excelling her way through the Republic’s top military school at just the age of 15. Day comes from the slums and is also extremely well-known but not for his academic accolades. After years of anti-government offenses, he has become one of the Republic’s most-wanted criminals. When June’s brother Metias is found murdered in the streets, Day’s name is floated as the most likely culprit. A grieving June decides to go under cover to discover just who this nefarious enigma is. However, neither of them expect the intense connection they feel once they finally cross paths. Listen, did I fully buy into the instant attraction between June and Day? No lol. It was definitely the complicated dynamics between them, in addition to the corrupt politics of the Republic, and the mystery of who really murdered Metias and why, that kept me so engaged. That said, I also appreciated that the author kept those elements of the story prominent and didn’t just turn the whole experience into a YA romance. This book ends on a cliffhanger that had me immediately jumping into the next book. So needless to say, this was a yes for me lol.
And Now, Back To You by B.K. Borison
AND NOW, BACK TO YOU by B.K. Borison (Heartstrings #2)
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Summary: Jackson Clark and Delilah Stewart have had their fair share of run-ins over the years, often ending in disaster. While Jackson thrives on routine and organization from the comfort of his radio booth, Delilah loves the spontaneity and adventure out in the field. When they’re partnered against their will to cover the snowstorm of the century, they find themselves scrambling to figure out how to work together. Eager to be taken seriously as a journalist, Delilah offers Jackson a deal. If he can help her ace this assignment, she’ll help him rediscover his long-lost fun side. With an undiscovered chemistry burning beneath their clashes, the unlikely partnership quickly tumbles into an easy and surprising friendship. But when other feelings start to enter the equation, can Jackson and Delilah withstand the storm? Or does what happens in the mountains, stay in the mountains?
My Thoughts: I read the first book in this series, First-Time Caller, last year (review here) and absolutely LOVED it. So when I heard she was coming out with another installment in this same world of characters, I could not wait to get my hands on it. This book was super duper cute. It was pretty predictable, which is kind of ironic because Jackson and Delilah are both meteorologists lol, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. A huge winter storm of epic proportions is headed towards Baltimore, and as the local TV and radio station’s weather people, Jackson and Delilah are forced to do a collaborative broadcast covering the blizzard. Cue all the greatest tropes: grumpy-sunshine, forced proximity, enemies-to-lovers, one-bed, and more. Listen, I loved the back stories to both of these characters, which added just enough complexity to the story without pushing them into a third-act break-up. They had cute banter, quirky yet endearing interactions, and plenty of spicy moments to keep ya warm through the blizzard lol. Was it a groundbreaking romance? No. Would it be more fun to read during the winter? Probably. Would I still recommend it anyway? Sure!
Every Summer After by Carley Fortune
EVERY SUMMER AFTER by Carley Fortune (REREAD)
Rating: 4/5 stars
Summary: They say you can never go home again, and for Persephone Fraser, ever since she made the biggest mistake of her life a decade ago, that has felt too true. Instead of glittering summers on the lakeshore of her childhood, she spends them in a stylish apartment in the city, going out with friends, and keeping everyone a safe distance from her heart. Until she receives the call that sends her racing back to Barry’s Bay and into the orbit of Sam Florek—the man she never thought she’d have to live without. For six summers, through hazy afternoons on the water and warm summer nights working in his family’s restaurant and curling up together with books—medical textbooks for him and work-in-progress horror short stories for her—Percy and Sam had been inseparable. Eventually that friendship turned into something breathtakingly more, before it fell spectacularly apart. When Percy returns to the lake for Sam’s mother’s funeral, their connection is as undeniable as it had always been. But until Percy can confront the decisions she made and the years she’s spent punishing herself for them, they’ll never know whether their love might be bigger than the biggest mistakes of their past.
My Thoughts: I honestly reread this book because I didn’t realize a TV series adaptation had come out for it and it had been a few years since I finished this book (OG review here). So I wanted to get a quick refresher before diving into the show lol. Per my first review, this truly is the perfect beach read. Told in dual timelines, Percy and Sam grow from friends who lived next door to each other every summer to something a little bit more by the time they leave for college. What we don’t know in the present, as Percy returns to town for Sam’s mom’s funeral, is what happened between them over a decade ago that ended such an undeniable love story. The author does a fantastic job of giving you “throat-throbbing” moments as Percy and Sam navigate falling in love with each other as teens and finding each other again as adults. The one thing that holds true from my first experience with this book is that I wish it was dual POV. Everything is told from Percy’s perspective, and I wish we would’ve gotten some inner dialogue from Sam, specifically in the past, as well. I still think he’s such a unique character for a male protagonist in a romance novel because he’s incredibly sweet and understated. There’s just something really endearing about him that I love. Now, does the show compare? I will say, although the show DOES follow the book pretty closely, it definitely diverges from the book’s storyline in some ways. I think part of that is to set up the show for the next season, while also giving us more of a visual explanation of what’s happening that we only got via Percy’s internal dialogue in the book. I definitely think it’s worth watching if you liked the book and/or liked other recent show adaptations like The Summer I Turned Pretty (it’s wayyyyyyy less cringey than that though lol) or Off Campus (just not as spicy as that show).
The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Vol. 2 by Beth Brower
THE UNSELECTED JOURNALS OF EMMA M. LION: Vol 2 by Beth Brower
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Summary: The Year is 1883 and Emma M. Lion has returned to her London neighbourhood of St. Crispian’s. But Emma’s plans for a charmed and studious life are sabotaged by her eccentric Cousin Archibald, her formidable Aunt Eugenia, and the slightly odd denizens of St. Crispian’s.
My Thoughts: Yet again I am thoroughly entertained by this series! This book was filled with shenanigans involving a variety of the eclectic characters in Emma’s life. She herself is so lovable and witty, yet still has plenty of depth. I’m very much enjoying getting to know The Tenant and cannot wait to see how their dynamics continue to unfold. I was lowkey obsessed with the group of alumnae from the Preparatory School for Girls, a.k.a the Jane Eyres, who reunited once again to scheme how to get the copies of their beloved book back from the grouchy head mistress. 😂 These books are such low-stakes chaos and I’m loving every moment of them!
Prodigy by Marie Lu
PRODIGY by Marie Lu (Legend #2)
Rating: 4/5 stars
Summary: It has been seven days since June and Day barely escaped Los Angeles and the Republic with their lives. Believed dead‚ Day lost his brother to an execution squad who thought they were assassinating him. June is now the Republic’s most wanted traitor. Desperate for help, they turn to the Patriots — a vigilante rebel group. But can they trust them? Or have they unwittingly become pawns in the most terrifying of political games?
My Thoughts: I dove head first into this book on my flight to Maine, and though I wasn’t sure where the author was going to go with it based on the ending of Legend, I was delightfully surprised. Now that June and Day are on the run, they’re turning to the biggest anti-Republic group they know: The Patriots. Little do they know that making a deal with the current leader of The Patriots would mean entering an assassination plan targeting the Republic’s new Elector Primo, Anden Stavropoulos. I appreciated that the author basically had June and Day pursuing their own quests in this one instead of keeping them together the whole time. June is still coming to terms with the fact that the government she grew up believing and following, the Republic, is extremely corrupt and cannot be trusted. Yet as she gets closer to Anden, she can’t help but see the good in him and the change he wants to make within this tainted country. Day is still getting used to working WITH other people after years of being on his own. His own doubts and distrust of the Republic make him question whether he can truly trust June or if she’s still loyal to her old life. The book is full of action-packed scenes, dynamic characters, and plot twists I did not see coming. Needless to say, I’m loving this series so far and can’t wait to get into the next book. Which I might listen to instead of reading on my Kindle, but I’ll report back.
The Housewife by Natalie Barelli
THE HOUSEWIFE by Natalie Barelli
Rating: 3/5 stars
Summary: Jodie always dreamed of being a housewife. And after a whirlwind romance, she marries renowned psychologist Dr. Roy Davies and moves into his perfect Beverly Hills home. But the fairy tale fades fast. Roy is distant, his friends view her as a gold-digger, and the house still reveres his late wife, Deborah, whose presence still looms over everyone and everything. When Jodie learns Deborah became a recluse before death, she begins to suspect Roy was behind it. And the deeper she digs, the darker Roy's past appears―obsessive, controlling, unfaithful. Increasingly convinced he had something to do with Deborah's death, Jodie knows she should go to the police, but that would require revealing her own secret. A secret that could destroy her. But Jodie won't be silenced. Because the truth about Roy is worse than she imagined―and now, trapped in a house built on lies, she must find a way out before she becomes the next perfect wife to vanish.
My Thoughts: Okieee we love an unhinged girly who marries her dead sister’s husband in an attempt to figure out how said sister really died. After being released from jail and learning her beloved sister Deborah was shot in the face just a couple of months ago, Jodie is in disbelief. There’s no way the sweet, ray-of-sunshine Deb would’ve killed herself unless something nefarious was going on in her newer marriage to a wealthy psychologist, and Jodie is determined to figure out what he did to her. So like any morally-gray character, Jodie seduces Dr. Roy Davies, fakes a pregnancy, and lands a rushed marriage to the man. It’s unbeknownst to him, of course, that she’s his late wife’s sister, but that’s just a minor detail. As she starts poking around this beautiful Beverly Hills home and interacting with the people who were closest in Deb’s circle, Jodie starts to realize this doctor may not be who he says he is and that someone else was involved in what resulted in her sister’s murder. Listen, this book wasn’t anything mind blowing but I did appreciate the few twists and turns it took. As I mentioned, Jodie is completely unhinged lol, but in the best way because she’s not just committing to the bit of the housewife who loves to cook and clean. She genuinely DOES love those things. She just also happens to be willing to hurt anyone who had anything to do with her sister’s death. I think that’s called ✨balance.✨Anyway, if you’re into Freida McFadden type of mystery/thriller writing, specifically her recent release, Dear Debbie, then I think you’d enjoy this book too!
Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman
DUNGEON CRAWLER CARL by Matt Dinniman (Dungeon Crawler Carl #1)
Rating: 3.75/5 stars
Summary: You know what’s worse than breaking up with your girlfriend? Being stuck with her prize-winning show cat. And you know what’s worse than that? An alien invasion, the destruction of all man-made structures on Earth, and the systematic exploitation of all the survivors for a sadistic intergalactic game show. That’s what. Join Coast Guard vet Carl and his ex-girlfriend’s cat, Princess Donut, as they try to survive the end of the world—or just get to the next level—in a video game–like, trap-filled fantasy dungeon. A dungeon that’s actually the set of a reality television show with countless viewers across the galaxy. Exploding goblins. Magical potions. Deadly, drug-dealing llamas. This ain’t your ordinary game show. Welcome, Crawler. Welcome to the Dungeon. Survival is optional. Keeping the viewers entertained is not.
My Thoughts: Y’ALL. The Dungeon Crawler Carl series is having a ✨moment✨ right now to say the least, so you know I had to see what all the hype is about. This book is basically like if a VR video game and an intense campaign of Dungeons & Dragons had a baby, but make it real life. One moment, Carl is just trying to get his girlfriend’s cat, Princess Donut, out of a tree in the middle of a freezing snow storm, and then the next moment they find themselves being forced to compete on an intergalactic survivalist game show as aliens take over Earth. As the first book in this series, there’s a TON of leg work the author has to do. Not only does he have to establish some hella world building, but he also has to start explaining the rules of this fight-to-the-death competition in a way that makes the plot feel dynamic, but also doesn’t over complicate things and loses your interest. In the complete unseriousness of it all, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with this book and I think that says a lot because I eyeball-read it. The banter between Carl and Donut is top notch, their characters are exactly what you’d assume they’d be while still leaving room for growth, and the plot tapered off perfectly as it leads you into the second book. I don’t think this is going to be everybody’s cup of tea. My brother said it reminded him too much of Ready Player One, but since I haven’t read that nor seen the movie, I don’t really have the comparison reference. Nonetheless, I immediately purchased the second book, so take that as you will!
That’s all I’ve got for August! I’ve been reading pretty slowly so far this month, so we’ll see how quickly I can write my September reviews lol.
Also, if you’ve started reading the Dungeon Crawler Carl series, LET’S CHAT. 😸
2026 Book Count: 80
And if you haven’t already… add me on Goodreads or StoryGraph.