Here are the titles I gave five stars in August 2026. A list of all the titles I read this month is at the end of this post. 

In August 2026, I read 37 books, 13 of those were picture books and 9 were audiobooks. The top genre I read was a tie between cozy mystery and nonfiction. The longest book I read was The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough at 692 pages, and the shortest book was Sharing the Dream by Shelia P. Moses at 32 pages.

Favorite Reads of August 2026: 

Dolly All The Time by Annabel Monaghan – All of the hype is real and so well deserved. I smiled so much while reading this book. It is such a wonderful story. Excellent on audio! 

All Aboard for Murder by Ellen Byron – Oh I love Ellen’s writing and this series! This latest entry was a great addition that had me turning the pages and enjoying some laughs along the way. If you’re ready to say goodbye to the hot summer temperatures, All Aboard for Murder is set during the Halloween season and will transport you to fall. Or save this for the first book of your fall TBR – either way, you won’t be disappointed.

A Murderer’s Guide to Mardi Gras by Ellen Byron – What a lucky reader am I to have two new books by Ellen Byron this summer (see: All Aboard for Murder (A Golden Motel Mystery) by Ellen Byron)! And dare I say this latest entry into the Vintage Cookbook Mysteries is my favorite yet?!? I grabbed this one on audio and narrator Amy Melissa Bentley does a wonderful job bringing the story to life from the page. In addition to a fast-paced mystery with twists and turns, this latest entry has a strong sense of place, which is something I love in my reading.

Beyond the Kingdoms by Chris Colfer – The Land of Stories Book 4! Such a great series and so creative. Excellent on audio. If you are looking for your next family read aloud, look not further than this series. 

Susan Branch’s Memoirs Series (1.The Fairy Tale Girl, 2. Martha’s Vineyard, Isle of Dreams, 3. A Fine Romance) – I feel so lucky that I stumbled upon Susan Branch’s memoirs this summer while browsing the library nonfiction shelves. All three books were five star reads. These are the perfect escape. Such lovely drawings paired with descriptive text. Wherever Susan went, I felt like I was there too. So many hearts.

Summer Reading 2026 Wrap-Up

While it’s still warm outside, my season of summer reading has wrapped. Between May 23, 2026 and August 17, 2026, I read 76 books (middle grade and up). I also read 47 picture books during that time. I read two “big” books – Lonesome Dove and The Lincoln Highway. My favorite discoveries this summer included the Mrs Tim series and Susan Branch’s memoirs. Here’s to a wonderful fall reading season coming up! 

All the Books Read in August 2026:

• Sharing the Dream Shelia P. Moses
• Story Rug Sophie Blackall
• Stalactite & Stalagmite Drew Beckmeyer
• Tenacious Won’t Give Up Pam Vaughan
• This Is Not A Sleepy Bear Book Brian Gehrlein
• This Book Is Dangerous! Ben Clanton
• Whales in the City Nancy F. Castaldo
• Piccolo Dan Yaccarino
• Pedal Pusher Mary Boone
• The Book of Rules Brian Gehrlein
• Scarecited on the First Day of School Alliah L. Agostini
• The Book That Almost Rhymed Omar Abed
• Warm and Fuzzy Scott Rothman
• So Tortoise Dug Emmy Kastner
• Dime Store: A Writer’s Life Lee Smith
• They Call Me No Sam Drew Daywalt
• The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency Alexander McCall Smith
• A Murderer’s Guide to Mardi Gras Ellen Byron
• Troubled Water Kassandra Lamb
• Your Fully Charged Life Meaghan B. Murphy
• A Fine Romance Susan Branch
• Dear Writer Maggie Smith
• All Shell Breaks Loose Molly MacRae
• French Pastry Murder Leslie Meier
• All Aboard for Murder Ellen Byron
• Bookish: How Reading Shapes Our Lives Lucy Mangan
• Savvy Summers and the Po’boy Perils Sandra Jackson-Opoku
• The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians James Patterson
• The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective Jo Nichols
• Dolly All The Time Annabel Monaghan
• Martha’s Vineyard, Isle of Dreams Susan Branch
• The Book Club for Troublesome Women Marie Bostwick
• Coffeeshop in an Alternate Universe CB Lee
• Colton Gentry’s Third Act Jeff Zentner
• Beyond the Kingdoms Chris Colfer
• Dungeon Crawler Carl Matt Dinniman
• The Thorn Birds Colleen McCullough