Welcome to my August 2026 Favorite Books post! This monthly post is where I share the 5 star books I’ve read so far each month. You can see the first half of my August reading here and I will share the rest of my August reads next week, on Thursday for the Share Your Shelf link up. There is still time this month, so if I read any further 5 star books, I will include those next week as well. The Amazon links to the books I’ve read are affiliate links and if you use them and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission.
Title: Caller Unknown
Author: Gillian McAllister
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: William Morrow, 5/5/26
Source: Purchased
Why I Read It: TBR
My Rating: 5 Stars
I really enjoy Gillian McAllister’s books because they are thrillers but also about family and the things a mother would do to protect her children. Caller Unknown is about Simone, whose daughter Lucy is kidnapped and ransomed, but not for money. Simone has to do something herself in order to free Lucy.
“There is nothing that Simone won’t do for her daughter, Lucy. The two have always been close, and with Lucy about to leave home for university, they depart the UK for a vacation to Texas to spend some quality time together. But when Simone awakens on their first morning in the desert, Lucy is gone, missing from their rental cabin. In her place is a cell phone, and a voice on the other line issues a shocking ransom demand. Don’t tell the police. Come to this location. And be prepared to do a deal…Though Simone’s husband urges her to bring in the authorities for help, she knows she can’t take any chances. The kidnappers might kill Lucy if she tells anyone. No mother would take that risk. Instead, that night, she drives to the isolated meet-up. What she finds there changes everything. The mysterious kidnapper doesn’t want money. They want Simone to do something. The unthinkable. A catastrophic chain of events is set in motion, with chilling consequences that extend beyond Simone and her family. What follows is a heart-pounding journey through the small towns and punishing deserts of remote Texas, in which Simone’s courage—and morality—is pushed to the brink as she discovers what it truly means to be a mother.”
The events that follow may be unbelievable, but the idea that a mother will do what she is told to help her daughter is not surprising. There was a twist in this one that made me say “what!?” out loud, and that is something I love about thrillers!
Title: Tech Week (Cast vs Crew 2)
Author: Lindsay Champion
Genre: Middle Grade Contemporary
Publisher: Pixel + Ink, 6/30/26
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 5 Stars
Cast vs Crew: Tech Week by Lindsay Champion is the second book in the Cast vs Crew middle grade series. I really like this series! It is about the crew members of a production about Marie Curie and their rivalry with the cast members. It is told by multiple characters including Levi, Ella, Sebastian, and Willow.
“In this sequel to Setting the Stage, there’s one week left until opening night of Curie: The Musical, and nothing is going right backstage. The set has collapsed, the crew’s headsets don’t work, and Ella, the stage manager, just quit in a fury. The cast and crew are playing pranks on each other, and Willow, the soundboard operator, is working on a scheme that will turn the feud into all-out war! Levi, the tech lead, and Rosa, the star of the show, are caught in the middle. Can they unite the cast and crew in time to actually rehearse? Or will the chaos force them to take sides and destroy their showmance? The teachers call it ‘tech week.’ The kids call it ‘hell week.’ Whatever you call it, this is the week that the drama of drama club gets real.”
This one picks up where the previous book left off. It’s tech week and the cast and crew are still playing pranks on each other, some that cause actual injuries. Meanwhile, Levi is sort of dating the show’s star, Rosa, and that means he is crossing the crew vs cast lines. This book is fun and I’m hoping the third in the series leads to the cast and crew becoming one single team!
Title: The Angel of Rome
Author: Jess Walter
Genre: Contemporary Short Stories
Publisher: Harper, 6/28/22
Source: Swap – Print, Library – Audio
Why I Read It: Backlist
My Rating: 5 Stars
Next up on my 26 in ’26 list, I listened to The Angel of Rome (and other stories) by Jess Walter. I loved this book of short stories about relationships, getting older, famous people, teenagers, and more. This book’s description said it was funny, and I did laugh while listening!
“We all live like we’re famous now, curating our social media presences, performing our identities, withholding those parts of ourselves we don’t want others to see. In this riveting collection of stories from acclaimed author Jess Walter, a teenage girl tries to live up to the image of her beautiful, missing mother. An elderly couple confronts the fiction writer eavesdropping on their conversation. A son must repeatedly come out to his senile father while looking for a place to care for the old man. A famous actor in recovery has a one-night stand with the world’s most surprising film critic. And in the romantic title story, a shy twenty-one-year-old studying Latin in Rome during ‘the year of my reinvention’ finds himself face-to-face with the Italian actress of his adolescent dreams.”
It’s hard to sum up a book with settings ranging from Rome to NYC to Mississippi to the Pacific Northwest with its variety of characters and stories. I will just say I really enjoyed all of the stories in this book!
Title: Good At Being Alive
Author: Elizabeth O’Roark
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: Dell, 6/16/26
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 5 Stars
Good At Being Alive was my second book by Elizabeth O’Roark and I’m happy to say I loved this one as I did that one! This one is about Bex and Theo. Bex is about to join her family to film a reality TV show to help boost their family travel business when her family is killed in an accident. Theo is her dad’s business partner and the two agree to turn the show into one about them – posing as newlyweds. The show is supposed to show their marriage not working out, but instead they fall for each other.
“Rebecca ‘Bex’ Daniels has just lost her entire family in a freak train accident, leaving her completely alone in the world and responsible for their travel agency. Only a few months after the tragedy, her father’s UK partner, the straitlaced Theo Porter, reveals that the business is about to go under. Their only hope? A reality TV deal brokered before her father’s death . . . with a rebrand: Bex and Theo are to pose as newlyweds, exploring the world on an extended honeymoon. Bex and Theo couldn’t be more different—but though they initially clash, Bex soon discovers he’s amusing, protective, and kind, the sort of man she’d want to be married to in real life, if she thought for a second she deserved him. As for Theo, he can’t help but be swept up into the brilliant whirlwind that is Bex, but ever since his brother died, a real relationship is the last thing he wants. As Bex and Theo flit across Europe, from Capri to Paris, exploring sun-drenched villas and remote fjords, they can’t help but notice their walls coming down, and their arguments begin to feel a lot more like foreplay than fighting. But they each carry around more than enough emotional baggage, and they’ll have to contend with public scandals and crushing grief before they can decide if they’re ready to ride off into the sunset once the cameras stop rolling.”
I really enjoyed Bex and Theo’s relationship and how he accepted her for her who she is. Bex was basically abused by her step mother and she didn’t even realize it, always making sure that she did what was needed to support her step sister. Her journey with Theo helps her figure out the things she didn’t realize about her past, as well as finding love and happiness for the future.
Title: Abby Offsides
Author: Anna McCallie
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: Dell, 6/23/26
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 5 Stars
I loved Abby Offsides by Anna McCallie, a book about Abby, who moves to Liverpool after a bad breakup, gets a job with a soccer (football) team, and meets player Lachlan. They form a close friendship which is a forbidden love because he is married, although there are obviously issues there, and due to Abby’s job.
“Seeking a fresh start after leaving her cheating fiancé, Abby McIntyre makes a series of spontaneous decisions: She quits her job. She books a one-way flight to the UK. She even gets bangs! Newly arrived in Liverpool, she lands a job with the Mersey Football Club and meets Lachlan Ramsay, the recently recruited Scottish star midfielder. Both lonely in a new city, the pair bond quickly, and Abby finds it nearly impossible to deny their chemistry—despite the nagging guilt she feels about Lachlan’s mysterious wife who didn’t relocate with her husband. When Abby’s housing falls through, Lachlan insists she move into his massive penthouse. As they spend almost every waking moment together, Abby wonders if it’s possible that the world-famous footballer could be falling for her, too. But with her job and his marriage dependent on them staying firmly in the friend zone, can Abby risk being caught offside?”
Abby and Lachlan had amazing banter and this book made me laugh. There was also a lot of chemistry between them. The team and the friendships in the book were great. I will say Abby and Lachlan avoided communicating for a bit too long, but overall I loved this one.
Title: Wild Goose Chase
Author: Sarah Adler
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: Berkley, 7/28/26
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 5 Stars
Wild Goose Chase by Sarah Adler was such a fun and quirky book about Cam, an antique store owner, and Annie, who comes to help out at the store when her uncle heads overseas. Cam is in a bit of a pickle because his ex asked him for help taking care of an illegal stuffed goose and then the goose goes missing. So Cam and Annie go on an actual wild goose chase while falling for each other.
“Antique store owner Callahan Leitner has an illegal taxidermy goose in his living room. Why? It’s…complicated. But it may end his career unless he finds a legitimate way to dispose of the bird ASAP. Except, there’s an unexpected wrench in his plans—the frustrating, effervescent Annie O’Neill. Annie is happy to fill in for her uncle at his antique store; it’s the perfect opportunity to gain more experience before opening a shop of her own, plus she’ll finally meet his handsome young business partner. Unfortunately, Cal is nothing like the charming man she expected. She’s tempted to take his apparent dislike personally, until she stumbles upon the source of his moodiness: the contraband waterfowl hidden upstairs. When the goose goes missing, both of their professional reputations are on the line. As Cal and Annie attempt to track down the bird before it can be traced back to the store, their tentative alliance turns into something much deeper. Will the hunt for their felonious fowl lead to true love, or end in ruin?”
I found this book to be so funny. Cam and Annie did fall for each other pretty quickly, but I think they took the time to figure out their own selves before getting too involved, which was good. I also enjoyed the historical story of an ornithologist Ora, who has a bit of a goose chase herself. The author’s note was also interesting and worth reading!
Title: Nine Lives
Author: Catherine Steadman
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Bantam, 6/23/26
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 5 Stars
Even though I didn’t love the first book I read by Catherine Steadman, I loved the second, and I’m happy to say I loved Nine Lives as well. I also have one more waiting on my backlist to read soon! Nine Lives is about Frankie, who moves into an affluent neighborhood with her cat. Her cat wanders off and comes back with a note on his collar reading “help me.” Frankie attaches a camera to the collar and begins to make some startling discoveries about her new neighbors.
“Reeling from a very recent divorce, Frankie has moved into a glamorous London neighborhood. This is a new chapter in her life. She’s decided to put down roots with Blue, the beautiful Persian cat she left her marriage with. But little doubts about her perfect new life start to grow, and when Blue returns one night from slipping into places he shouldn’t, Frankie’s concerns solidify. Two words are roughly scratched into his collar: help me. Unsettled and unwilling to ignore the incident, Frankie roots out an old unused ‘cat cam’ collar. What slowly begins as a voyeuristic fascination with her neighbors and the secrets they’re hiding soon turns into a perilous quest for the truth that threatens to bring untold terrors to her doorstep.”
I loved the various neighbors and finding out their stories. I also loved the way things worked out with said neighbors. The thriller part of the book was somewhat gory, but it definitely kept me reading and guessing!
Title: Really Rubie
Author: Maddie Frost
Genre: Middle Grade Contemporary
Publisher: Aladdin, 6/2/26
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 5 Stars
Really Rubie by Maddie Frost was really cute! I loved the adorable illustrations that were included in this diary story book about Rubie, who has big plans to go to summer camp with her best friend Riley, but when Riley breaks her ankle, Rubie has to head off on her own.
“Hello, summer! Eleven-year-old Rubie Fox can’t wait to go to sleepaway camp for the very first time. She and her best friend Riley Swisher will go away for an entire month TOGETHER, and they’ll even be able to spy on Riley’s crush Owen, who will be across from Camp Pineview, over at the boys’ camp, Moose-Ridge. But when Riley drops a bomb—she can’t go to camp because she broke her ankle—Rubie has to go by herself. Which sort of makes her feel RAGE…how can she go to camp without Riley?! But her mom has already paid for it, so she’s stuck with her plushie chicken Jim the Duck and a cabin full of girls she doesn’t know. But Rubie just might make another BFF, break out of her shell, and even meet a boy…all without Riley. Camp might be more eventful than Rubie ever thought it could be—with more drama than she ever imagined!”
This book is about typical middle school aged things like friends, boys, and finding your place. I really liked the way the story was told and how Rubie adapted to her new situation!
Come back next week for the rest of my August reads and the Share Your Shelf link up!
Do you have a favorite book you’ve read this month?
