Author: Kate Fagan
This book, unknown to me when I picked it, is written like a memoir. I didn't know that fictionalized memoirs were a thing, but this book was phenomenal. Cate Kay is the author of a best-selling post-apocalyptic trilogy that's been turned into a movie series. Her real name is Annie, but most of the people in her current life know her as Cass. As a teenager, Annie and her best friend, Amanda, did everything together but especially the theater. They had big plans to go to California together to become actors. Annie had been in love with Amanda for most of high school, but Amanda did not feel the same way, and toward the end of high school things were getting pretty awkward. Just before they were meant to leave for L.A., Amanda was injured in an accident. Annie went to get help and just didn't go back. She ends up in a nearby town where she decides to go by the name Cass. She's living in the coffee shop that she works at when she meets Sydney, who turns out to be a truly horrible person. Sydney convinces Cass to go to New York with her where she helps to create her author pseudonym, Cate Kay. When her first book goes viral and is picked up to be a movie, Cass meets Ryan, the actress who will play one of the lead roles, and the two fall for each other. Hard. But it doesn't work out, thanks in large part to Sydney and Ryan's agent. Eventually the book comes full circle and Annie/Cass/Cate ends up back home.
Shifter Lords series books 1-9
Author: S.E. Babin
This is an ongoing series, but I have completed the storyline for Evie, so it felt like the right time for a review. Evie's books comprise the first nine in the series, which, at the time of writing this post, includes 14 books. Evie is what's known as a floromancer, a witch who specializes in gardening magic. At least, that's what she portrays to the outside world. In reality, she's the daughter of gods and a chimera shifter. She's been living a peaceful life as the local florist, but all that changes when she saves the life of the local Shifter Lord and finds herself the center of some very unwelcome attention. I loved this series, which shouldn't come as a surprise since I love this author. I'm impatiently waiting for Moira's part of the story to be finished so I can continue my journey through this oh-so-interesting world that S.E. Babin has created.
Author: Elin Hilderbrand
My June book club pick was fantastic. Set during the infamous summer of 1969, it follows the women of the Levin family as they each find their way through some difficult situations. The mother is struggling with her son's deployment to Vietnam, which she believes is her punishment for the role she played in her first husband's suicide. The oldest daughter, Blair, is trying to find balance in her currently unhappy marriage. The middle daughter, Kirby, is rediscovering herself after a terrible relationship. And the youngest daughter, Jess, experiences her first love and first heartbreak. All in the span of one summer. This one has already found its place in my best books of the year. Don't believe me? Read my full review here.
Author: Alison Espach
Strap in, folks. This review is going to be a bit longer because, full disclosure, I nearly didn't finish this book. And it's because I truly wasn't prepared for what this book is actually about. Here's what I knew going in: a divorced or separated woman (it wasn't clear in the blurb which one) books herself a room at an expensive Newport inn. When she gets there, she realizes she is the only guest who is not there for a wedding. Somehow, she and the bride become friends and shenanigans ensue. That blurb coupled with the glowing reviews made this bestseller infinitely appealing. Then I read the first chapter and said, "This is not what I signed up for."
Here's what the blurb doesn't tell you: Phoebe is a depressed 40-year-old woman who's come to the Cornwall Inn to kill herself. Not gonna lie. When I read the final line of the first chapter, I put this book down for a full three days. I wasn't sure that I wanted to read about a woman who was ready to die. But the reviews! My goodness, this book has good reviews. So when I got the notice that my library books were due back soon, I decided to read a few more chapters, just see how it went. Obviously, I ended up finishing the book. And in my opinion, the reviews are well deserved. This book made me laugh out loud while also think very deeply about life in general, and you already know that it made my list of best books of 2026 so far. So, here's a quick summary that I think will better prepare you for what this book actually is.
Phoebe has been divorced for the past two years. One day she decides that she can't keep doing this same life anymore, so she books a room at the Cornwall Inn for just one night. She doesn't pack a bag; she doesn't tell anyone she's leaving. She just puts on her one nice dress, gets on a plane, and goes. When she checks in, all she has is herself and a bottle of cat painkillers, which she plans to OD with. However, the hotel she's chosen has been booked out for the week for a wedding, and Phoebe shouldn't have been able to get a room at all. On her way up to said room, she ends up in the elevator with the bride, Lila, and ends up telling her the truth of her visit. Lila is determined not to let anything, including Phoebe, ruin her perfect wedding week. She convinces Phoebe to postpone her suicide and personally extends Phoebe's room at the hotel. One thing leads to another, and pretty soon Phoebe finds herself in the wedding. As the maid of honor. Cue the not so much shenanigans but wedding party antics. What happens in between is truly life changing for all involved.
Author: Janice Hallett
All I can say about this book is wow. It had so many twists and turns and led me on quite the chase. As with The Appeal, which was one of my top books for 2024, you go into the book with the knowledge that someone has been murdered -- or in the case of this book that someone either already is or is in danger of being killed. Then you are presented with all the evidence that the investigators have to work with. In The Examiner, our chief investigator is a professor who is evaluating the final projects of a group of six students in a multimedia arts masters program. In addition to the students' final essays, the examiner has all of their coursework grades along with reports from the tutor. He also has access to their emails, message boards, DMs, and digital diary entries, which were all part of the coursework. Interspersed with the evidence is conversations between the examiner and two university employees. Here's the gist of what's going on: six people ranging in age from 21 to 56 must work as a team to create an art installation for a real company as part of the masters course. There are a lot of shady dealings going on: among the students, the tutor, and the company behind the commission. Nothing, and I mean nothing, is as it seems. This one kept me on my toes and has definitely found its way onto my best books list for the year.
Author: Cassie Cole
I'm 99 percent sure that I've read this series before, although like I stated in my June what I'm reading post, I couldn't find it in my Kindle history or anywhere on my blog. I believe that I read an earlier version -- the acknowledgements at the end of the final book state that the author originally published the series under a pen name but had since reworked it, including the ending. And I must say that the ending I remember sucked (they all died!), and I enjoyed this ending so much more. While there was quite a bit that I did remember about this series as I was reading it this go 'round, I'm pretty confident that there were new scenes and quite a bit more character development. So if you, like me, read an earlier version and was angry disappointed with the ending, definitely give it another go. I was not disappointed this time. For those of you who are new to this series, it follows a bonded group of elite soldiers as they defend their nation from invasion. Alyssa is a pyromancer who survived an attack on the training academy and is bonded into the group after their pyromancer is killed in the same attack. Obviously they have a lot to overcome as the original group do not want a replacement for their fallen pyro, but they're also being targeted by the leader of their nation who sends them on suicide mission after suicide mission in his power-hungry scheme to become ruler of the whole world.
Author: Matt Haig
Brace yourselves for an unpopular opinion. When I tell you I've picked up this book every single time I go to the bookstore, I'm not exaggerating. But something always kept me from outright buying it, and after reading it, I'm glad that I didn't spend the money. This book has such an interesting premise, but I have to admit that I wasn't blown away by the story. It's a deep and serious topic, but at the same time, I didn't feel like it ever really explored it fully. I also didn't really like the main character. Nora suffers from depression and has basically pushed everyone in her life away. When her cat dies, Nora decides that she can't take anymore and tries to overdose. In the moments between life and death, she finds herself in a library filled with the books of all of her possible lives if only she'd made different choices. She gets to try on a few of these lives until she finds one that fits or decides to return to her 'root life' or dies. The character development in this one was super slow; it literally took the entire book for Nora to evolve. In fact, most of this book felt very shallow to me...which I think was the point, but it was hard to get into the story, and I missed not having other developed characters.
Author: Grady Hendrix
Okay, so when I started reading this one and realized that a bunch of dolls were at the center of everything, I almost backed out. Horror is not my cup of tea, and possessed dolls are absolutely not for me, but I kept going, and I am really glad that I did. In fact, I think this Hendrix book might be my favorite so far, and y'all know how much I loved The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires. I have a serious book hangover from this one; I cannot stop thinking about it!
Essentially, Louise returns home after both of her parents are killed in a car accident where she must work with her estranged brother to get their childhood house ready to sell. Except there's something in the house that doesn't want them to. So Louise and her brother, who have been at odds for pretty much their entire lives, must work together to overcome this presence. I don't think I can tell you anything more of substance without really spoiling the best parts of the book. It's worth the mystery, trust me.
Author: B.M. Clemton
I enjoyed this five book series. It was refreshingly different from what I've come to expect in this genre. There were some slight editing issues, but nothing that detracted from the story. Danica Knight is a type of elementalist thought to be extinct after the other supernaturals hunted down and killed them all. It's a secret she's kept closely guarded all her life...until she goes to university and meets the men she was forcefully tied to as a child. They've got a lot to overcome and pretty much the entire world to save in the process.
Building the Circle series (reread)
Author: Maggie M. Lily
This is one of my absolute favorite magical series. In fact, this series and the follow-up Peacekeeper's Harmony trilogy made my best books list of 2022. I just love the Trellis family so much. This is my second reread of the main series, but the last time I read it was at least two years ago, meaning enough time has passed to make this one almost like reading it again for the first time.
Author: Saara El-Arifi
Did anyone else go through an ancient Egypt phase as a kid? Man, I used to be obsessed. This book was published this year, so it's new new. In fact, I was the first person to check it out of my library. This was a quick read for me at just over 300 pages. It is written from Cleopatra's point of view as if she herself is writing her autobiography. It begins with her being crowned pharaoh and the plot from her sister, Arsinoe, and brother, Theos, to overthrow her. It moves through her relationship with Julius Caesar, then her great love with Marcus Antonius, and finally her death. So, final thoughts. I enjoyed this one. I learned some things about Cleopatra that I did not previously know (or just didn't remember). I think this book stayed as true to history as possible, though I have not done a deep dive into much, and I don't want to reveal too much for fear of spoilers. Yes, a book about a historical figure can have spoilers -- in this case, the ending.
Author: Kate White
It's been eight years since Bree's daughter, Melanie, was murdered. The suspected killer was convicted in two other murders. On his deathbed, he confesses to those plus two other previously unknown victims but is adamant that he did not kill Melanie. In light of the new victims, investigators reopen Melanie's case and find inconsistencies with her case versus those of the other girls. Meanwhile, the university that Melanie attended is unveiling a memorial to her, bringing Bree and her now-ex-husband back to the place where it all happened, only now they have even more questions than they did before. Bree begins looking for answers that will bring her closure, but what she finds is that maybe she didn't know her daughter quite as well as she thought she did. This one was just okay for me. There was one plot hole that still bothers me (who locked Bree in that office and why?!), and I felt like this one was just a bit boring and predictable. Usually these types of books have more suspense and danger.
Author: Virginia Evans
This book was phenomenal in a way that I did not expect. Honestly, if you had told me that I would love a story that's told entirely through the correspondence of a 70-something year old woman, I would have laughed at you. But I'm here to tell you that this is one of the best things I've read all year. I want to be like Sybil when I grow up. She was such a spitfire and led a truly remarkable life. She writes to everyone -- her brother who lives overseas, her children, her best friend, authors (who sometimes write back), a young boy struggling to find his place in the world, and one ongoing letter that she never sends. I don't really know how to best summarize this book without spoiling all the best parts of it. Just take my word for it. I enjoyed it immensely and will probably recommend it to EVERYONE.
Author: Julianne MacLean
This was my July book club pick, and I'm going to give it to you straight. I was kind of disappointed in this one. The blurb did not prepare me for what the book actually is, so I was constantly rearranging my expectations. It's about a pilot who goes missing over the Bermuda Triangle and all the baggage he leaves behind. I'm not going to go into much depth here, but I did write a full review that you can check out here.
Author: Buck Turner
I don't typically read romance books written by male authors, but I'll make an exception for Buck Turner. What he did with this star-crossed lovers story was truly exceptional. The trope is familiar: boy and girl from opposite sides of the tracks meet and fall in love. They are torn apart again and again but somehow always find their way back to each other. I really appreciated how realistic this all was: their reunions were not simple or easy or even all that sweet. I loved Jack, and I admired Ellie's ambition, even though it almost cost them everything time and time again. Watching them grow and develop both individually and as a couple was so beautiful.
Now for the books and series I did not finish. This is actually an incomplete list. I am not including the books that I only read the first one or two chapters of. Those don't really count to me. I am including two series that I read the first book in its entirety and the one book that I've been trying to read for most of the year that I finally just gave up on.
- Brighten Magic Academy series -- I read the first book of this series which seemed like it would be a fresh take on some familiar tropes. In the end, I just felt kind of meh about it. It had its moments, sure, but at the end of the book I wasn't really sure what the overall point of the series was. Basically, it's about a girl who disguises herself as a boy to attend an boys-only magic school. She's discovered by her roommates literally on day one, and they're all just okay with it, which is suspicious. Also, and I hate to admit this, I was kind of weirded out that pretty much all of the male characters were fine with being intimate with the FMC while she was in her male form.
- The Midnight Feast -- I finally gave up on this one, y'all. I feel like I've dedicated more than enough time to it at this point. Honestly, more than it deserved. It just did not hold my attention, and I really couldn't tell you what was going on. This one was just weird all the way around.
- Ghost Alpha Unit series -- I don't know why I keep trying with these omegaverse books. I know I don't like them! And although I finished the first book of this series, I ultimately still just don't get the appeal of the omegaverse trope. It's just not for me.
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