Mini Book Reviews: August 2026

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With no NetGalley reads for August, I decided to dig into my Kindle library and read some of the many Kindle Daily Deals that I've downloaded lately. I also had 4 library holds that all came in later in the month. I'm pleased to say that there is not one disappointing book on my list. I'm also hard-pressed to pick a favorite, but if I had to---ok, I can't. You'll have to read them and decide for yourself!

The Mad Wife is a tense, suspenseful story about a 50s housewife that had me turning the pages! Lulu, a mom of a young boy and a newborn girl, is doing all the things to ensure she's providing the perfect life for her family. When a new neighbor moves in across the street, she becomes obsessed with her and her family. As the story progresses, there is a stunning turn of events that I didn't see coming. I don't want to say much more than that--it's best to go in blind. Well worth the read, but can we talk about that ending? 

This is not a sad book at all. In fact, it had me laughing out loud multiple times. Bud, the main character, is an obituary writer for a major newspaper. After a blind date that goes bad, Bud goes home, gets drunk, and writes his own obituary. A clumsy move makes him hit send on his computer, and when he wakes up the next day, everyone thinks he's dead. As Bud begins to sort out his life, he searches for meaning, connection, and healing. It's a touching journey and for me, an enjoyable one. This is the book the cloying Theo of Golden should have been. I See You've Called in Dead is so much more nuanced and relatable than Theo. Smart dialogue and humor and no sentimentality--this one was right up my alley. It gave me a lot of food for thought. Highly recommended.

Lula Dean sets up a little library in her front yard full of wholesome books to combat what she believes should be banned books at the town library. But little does she know that the books inside their dust jackets have been replaced with the very 'pornographic' books she has condemned. The townspeople who read these books are surprised, but enjoy their reads and begin to look at things in a new light. The grassroots effort to remove a statue of a confederate soldier with a dark past begins to grow, and friends become enemies. While the subject matter is divisive, the narrative is written in a lighthearted and humorous manner. I found Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books to be entertaining without being preachy. If only we could all solve our differences like this!

Country People is a fun and quirky read about a family that moves from California to Vermont to allow the mom to pursue a visiting professorship at a local college. Her husband, Miles, who is something of a dreamer, decides that this is a chance, after 12 years, to finally wrap up his dissertation. While the wife and kids settle into their new lives, Miles continues to flail until he befriends a character who introduces him to his hollow earth group. The group consists of eccentric locals, and Miles begins to feel at home. I enjoyed reading about this family's transition to rural life. But I found myself skimming past some of the random ramblings about the hollow earthers, as well as the intermittent radio broadcasts interspersed throughout the book. I assume this was to give context, but I felt it didn't really work. Overall, though, this was a fun read and the ending was perfect.

Romance is not my favorite genre, but I'll never say no to a smart, well-written story! Dolly is a single mom and kindergarten teacher, raised on the East Coast by her father, who owns a fish market. When she returns to the island one summer to help him at the store, she runs into Stewart, a son of the island scions, who has a flat tire, which she helps him change. One thing leads to another, and she makes a deal with him to play his girlfriend to help impress his family. She needs the money to repair her family's home. Well, you know where this is going...but it's the journey that makes Dolly All the Time such a fun read! 

Set during the Great Hunger in Ireland, Land is the story of a family living in the country, trying to survive. Working as a land surveyor for the redcoats, he takes his young son Liam along to learn the trade and help him. They stumble upon a copse, which scares Liam and mystifies Tomas, setting the tone for this beautiful, tragic story. The story traverses between past and present, but I never lost sense of where I was in the narrative. I felt transported to this beautiful area in Ireland, so green and lush, without ever having been there--so powerful is the author's prose. What a wonderful book!

When Margot leaves her dream life and returns to her childhood home, she learns about her mother's secret past. The story is told in alternating timelines, but one theme runs through both of them: female rage. I can't decide which timeline was my favorite--I loved the late 1970's nostalgia, but the juicy Hollywood betrayal was fun, too! Lady X is one of those under-the-radar books that I'm so glad I picked up. I'm being intentionally vague because going in blind was the best way to enjoy this wild ride of a book!

How was your month of reading? Have you read any of these? What would you recommend to me?

I'm linking up with Jenn and Jenny for Tuesday Topics!  I'm also excited to join Farrah for My Month is Booked! Also with Share Your Shelf with Slices of Life and Not in Jersey.