Today’s post covers the second half of the books I read in August 2026. I shared what I read in the first half of the month here. I shared my five star reads here. I read a few more 5 star books after that post, so they are included here! It’s also time for the Share Your Shelf Link Up! I hope you will join Joanne and I to share what you read this month. 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. If you’ve read any of these books or are interested in them, I’d love to hear about it in the comments!
Title: Play It Again
Author: Georgia Clark
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: Dial Press, 6/16/26
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
Play It Again by Georgia Clark is about four reunited friends who were in a play together as teens and are now back to their small town for a reboot of their production. In the past, Annie and Lola were a couple and so were Vicky and Dylan, so there are two second chance romances in this story.
“As teens, Annie, Lola, Vicky, and Dylan stole the show in a legendary gender-swapped version of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. Two couples, one unforgettable summer—until the closing-night party tore them apart, and not all of them knew why. Now, with lives that look nothing like they imagined, the foursome is called home by their beloved director for a one-night-only revival to save the theater and the town. Returning to Rhodes means facing everything they left behind: long-buried secrets, undeniable chemistry, and the chance to write a brand-new ending—together.”
I enjoyed the growth that was apparent in these characters as when they were previously living in town, they were a lot younger. I also enjoyed that their families grew. There was a theme of queer acceptance and it was nice to read.
Title: Don’t Cry For Me
Author: Daniel Black
Genre: Literary
Publisher: Harlequin Audio, 2/1/22
Source: Swap – Print, Library – Audio
Why I Read It: Backlist
My Rating: 4 Stars
From my 26 in ’26 list, I listened to Don’t Cry For Me by Daniel Black, which is narrated by the author. This book is told by Jacob, as he expresses his thoughts to his son Isaac as he is dying. Jacob and Isaac are estranged due to Isaac being gay and his father not approving.
“As Jacob lies dying, he begins to write a letter to his only son, Isaac. They have not met or spoken in many years, and there are things that Isaac must know. Stories about his ancestral legacy in rural Arkansas that extend back to slavery. Secrets from Jacob’s tumultuous relationship with Isaac’s mother and the shame he carries from the dissolution of their family. Tragedies that informed Jacob’s role as a father and his reaction to Isaac’s being gay. But most of all, Jacob must share with Isaac the unspoken truths that reside in his heart. He must give voice to the trauma that Isaac has inherited. And he must create a space for the two to find peace.”
Jacob tells his life story, explaining why he came to believe the things he did and to treat his son the way he did. It felt like he was justifying his homophobia, although he was trying to apologize. The book is what the author imagines his own father might say to him, and it was sad to listen to.
Title: Apeirogon
Author: Colum McCann
Genre: Literary
Publisher: Random House Audio, 2/25/20
Source: Swap – Print, Library – Audio
Why I Read It: Backlist
My Rating: 3 Stars
From my 26 in ’26 list in the bonus category of Literary Fiction, I listened to Apeirogon by Colum McCann. This is an interesting one to review. It is about real people, Bassam and Rami, who both lost daughters due to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. Bassam’s daughter Abir was killed by an Israeli soldier who fired a rubber bullet and Rami’s daughter Smadar was killed by a Palestinian suicide bomber. The book contains their actual stories as they themselves present them.
“Bassam Aramin is Palestinian. Rami Elhanan is Israeli. They inhabit a world of conflict that colors every aspect of their lives, from the roads they are allowed to drive on to the schools their children attend to the checkpoints, both physical and emotional, they must negotiate. But their lives, however circumscribed, are upended one after the other: first, Rami’s thirteen-year-old daughter, Smadar, becomes the victim of suicide bombers; a decade later, Bassam’s ten-year-old daughter, Abir, is killed by a rubber bullet. Rami and Bassam had been raised to hate one another. And yet, when they learn of each other’s stories, they recognize the loss that connects them. Together they attempt to use their grief as a weapon for peace—and with their one small act, start to permeate what has for generations seemed an impermeable conflict.”
As I’ve experienced in other books like this, when an Israeli and a Palestinian unite to tell their stories, it seems that everyone must blame Israel. No one will hold a suicide bomber responsible – he must have had no other options than to kill people (this is called racism of low expectations). What actually makes me laugh is that the first 1 star review you will see for this book on Goodreads is written by Susan Abulhawa, the deeply antisemitic Palestinian writer, who does not accept that there is more than one side to the conflict, or that “white settlers” are the same as the “indigenous resistors” who must have the right to throw grenades at soldiers like Bassam, who spent 7 years in prison after doing so. And another 1 star review by “Adina” says that the author only includes the details that he sees fit to his own narrative, agreeing with Susan that the story is not balanced, but stressing that Israel is the one always seen as bad. The text itself is written in a strange, disjointed format, with paragraph long chapters counting up from 1 to 500 and then from 500 back to 1. Finally, the author narrates the audio book and he does not pronounce Hebrew correctly at all (and possibly Arabic as well), which makes one wonder how he came to use terms and descriptions he does not himself understand.
Title: Liberty Street
Author: Heather Marshall
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Ballantine Books, 6/16/26
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 5 Stars
I loved Looking For Jane by Heather Marshall and was excited to read her newest book, Liberty Street. This one is about Emily in 1961, who goes under cover in a women’s prison after receiving a note alleging bad conditions there. It is also about Rachel in 1996, who is a detective investigating remains found in an unmarked grave.
“1961: Emily Radcliffe works as an editorial assistant at Chatelaine magazine, surrounded by the best women journalists in the country, whose articles tackle the controversial topics no other women’s publication dares to touch. When a bombshell letter from an inmate at the notorious Mercer Women’s Prison lands on Emily’s desk, she senses a scoop that could launch her career as a real, hard-boiled journalist. But after going undercover to investigate the inmate’s shocking claims, Emily discovers that getting into the prison is the easy part; the real challenge will be getting back out . . .1996: Unidentified female remains are discovered in an unmarked grave in a small-town Ontario cemetery, and Detective Rachel Mackenzie is tasked with unraveling the mystery. But when the investigation leads her to the now-shuttered Mercer Women’s Prison, Rachel’s own dark history threatens to surface from where she’s kept it carefully buried.”
This story was very interesting as well as upsetting, reading about how women who received subjective prison terms were treated. Both timelines deal with women’s mental health issues including post partum depression and psychosis, and there is an additional timeline detailing Rachel’s childhood being raised by her grandmother after neglect from her mother. I definitely recommend this one.
Title: Extracurricular
Author: Rachel Lynn Solomon
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: Berkley, 7/14/26
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 5 Stars
Extracurricular by Rachel Lynn Solomon is a spicy and sweet romance about Ramona, a former pop star, and Nick, her professor when she begins classes at UCLA.
“Ramona Wilder has spent her whole life in the spotlight. After a hit kids’ TV show, she transitioned into music, singing in arenas around the world and becoming an icon for millions of teenage girls. Now at age twenty-six, exhausted by the inhumane lack of privacy, she’s done—with all of it. She wants a chance at normal, whatever that might mean for her. And she’s starting with college. Professor Nick Navarro is recently divorced but determinedly optimistic, allowing himself a very reasonable ten minutes per day to wallow. When his department calls a meeting about a celebrity enrollment, he plans to treat whoever it is like any other student. Except when Ramona blazes into class and causes an uproar, the typically easygoing professor is rattled, maybe for the first time in his career. Ramona loves the way she flusters him, taking every opportunity to push Nick’s buttons, though what she really wants is to unbutton them completely. When a crisis brings them closer outside of class, they begin a tentative friendship amid an undeniable attraction. But Ramona can’t be so easily finished with her old life, and they’ll both have to confront their pasts if they want a chance at something real.”
This was a forbidden romance due to the power dynamics as well as an age gap story with Nick being 10 years older than 26 year old Ramona. Ramona has a past of abuse and doesn’t really know how to be in a relationship, while Nick is dealing with hurt from his divorce. I loved the writing and the chemistry in this one.
Title: Alex, By Proxy
Author: Karen Myna Cantor
Genre: YA Contemporary
Publisher: Holiday House, 7/21/26
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 3.5 Stars, Rounded up to 4 Stars
Alex, By Proxy by Karen Myna Cantor is about a boy who has dealt with Munchausen by Proxy, his mother poisoning him for the past 10 years. He is now questioning himself and being questioned by lawyers as well as friends, who he works with to put out a podcast about his experiences.
“Alex is a victim of Munchausen by proxy, but he’s also a witty, sarcastic kid with unusually good crossword skills and a penchant for astronomy. At least he used to be. Now that he’s recovered from years of illness induced by his mother, he sort of has to figure out who he is all over again. . . And most importantly, he’ll have to decide if he can testify against the woman who gave birth to him. As Alex awaits the trial, his friends convince him to start a podcast as a way to tell his story. Together, they create ‘Lethal Lullaby.’ The podcast brings Alex closer to his old life—hanging out with friends, cracking jokes, having fun. . . At the same time, new memories surface and disturbing revelations come out, forcing Alex to acknowledge that the podcast could be making things worse. It seems like he’s got deeper issues than he’d like to admit–and this time, he can’t blame them on his mom. Day by day, Alex’s mental health crumbles, until he can no longer distinguish between truth and fiction. Should he trust himself to testify? And if he gets up there, what version of the truth will he share?”
I thought this was written in a way where the characters felt younger than the were, but the story was harder to understand than a book for young people. It makes the reader have questions right along with Alex. I did not know if his mental health issues came before his mother’s mistreatment or because of it. I also thought more care should have been included to explain that victims of abuse often want to protect their abusers. The middle section of this book read like a thriller and kept me turning pages.
Title: The Long Answer
Author: Anna Hogeland
Genre: Literary
Publisher: Penguin Audio, 6/21/22
Source: Author – Print, Library – Audio
Why I Read It: Backlist
My Rating: 4 Stars
From my 26 in ’26 list, I listened to The Long Answer by Anna Hogeland. The author sent me the print version of this book in 2022 and I never got around to reading it until now. I have noticed that she has a new book coming out soon! This one is about a character named after herself – Anna, who is pregnant. She talks to her sister and a variety of other women about their journeys into motherhood.
“Twelve weeks pregnant for the first time, Anna speaks to her sister on the other side of the country and learns she has just miscarried her second child. As this loss strains their bond and complications with Anna’s own pregnancy emerge, her tenuous steps towards motherhood are shadowed and illuminated by the women she meets along the way, whose stories of the children they have had, or longed for, or lost, crowd in. “
This was written like a selection of short (or long) stories about multiple women who Anna interacts with. It was a story about the long answer to the question “do you have children?” as well as about Anna’s relationship with her sister. This book centers around pregnancy loss and can be difficult to read at times.
Title: Love You More
Author: Emily Giffen
Genre: Contemporary
Publisher: Ballantine Books, 7/7/26
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 5 Stars
I have loved many of Emily Giffin’s books and this one was no exception. Love You More is about Billie, who dates Mick in high school and college, but then moves to New York City for her medical school residency. She is now engaged to Dean when Mick gets back in touch suddenly, with news that changes Billie’s life.
“Billie has built the perfect life. Her medical practice in New York City is thriving, and she’s finally found the right partner in Dean after years spent trying to move on from her high-school sweetheart, Mick. Their young love had been intense and true, but distance and ambition pulled them apart when she left Wisconsin for medical school. Then one morning, just after she’s accepted Dean’s romantic marriage proposal, Billie’s phone rings. It’s Mick—calling for the first time in nearly a decade. His news is urgent and in a moment, everything changes. As Billie boards a plane back to Wisconsin, her past comes rushing in—her hometown friendships, the love she and Mick shared, and the choices that shaped them all. What awaits her is a reckoning with what she’s lost, what she’s built, and what she still wants.”
This book is about loss and doing the right thing, no matter how difficult it may be. I can’t say much but there were twists and I was invested. I do think the ending came a bit abruptly, but overall I loved this story.
This post includes eight of the books I read this month. Five were print books and three were audio. Seven of these were adult books and one was YA. Genres included rom com, literary, historical fiction, and contemporary.
If you wrote about books this month, you can link up with us here:
Have you read any of these books or do you want to? What have you been reading lately?
