Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: August 2026

Hello, everyone! I didn't mean to take such a long break from posting (in fact, I have a half-finished blog post in my drafts for 3 weeks), but here we are. One month has already passed and it's time for a another monthly reading wrap-up. The good news is that I returned to my hometown in August, so I had a lot of time for reading - and reading I had been! 

So, let's see what I read this month: 

Books I've Finished in August 2026 

• Don't Fear the Reaper - Stephen Graham Jones: No surpise here, this was a 5*.  I cried and I laughed in this book. What can I tell you? I've just found what works for me in a slasher. And now, I'm even more excited for the final book of the series! 
• The Legend of Sleepy Hollow - Washington Irving: This short story is a classic that I've been wanting to read for a long time, and I finally did. It is rather short, so it was a one-sitting read, but it was thoroughly enjoyable. I think that what did it for me was the atmosphere.
• Till Summer Do Us Part - Meghan Quinn: I had such high hopes for this romance, and it's a bummer that it felt just ok. In fact, I loved the first half and I giggled a lot. But when they got intimate, the spice was just kept on coming. I have to say that reading this while commuting felt uncomfortable, especially when I turned the page and there was one of those illustrations. 
• The Virgin Suicides - Jeffrey Eugenides: While I have Middlesex on my shelves, I decided to read this one first (partly because of the Buzzword Reading Challenge). This is an intresting case, as I can totally understand the criticisms. However, the story is supposed to be the boys' view of the girls, and I enjoyed the writing. So, overall I really liked it. 
• The Rose Field - Philip Pullman: I don't think I had mentioned The Book of Dust series in my post about unfinished series. But this was one of them and I just had to know how it would end. Do I consider it the best book in the series? Not really. Did I still rate it 5*? Most certainly! This was a 750-page book, and I read it in just a few days. It reminded me why I love reading so much, exactly what I had felt while reading The Secret Commonwealth, the previous installment. 
• Παιδικά Τραγουδάκια - Maria Rapti: Since I've been so interested in horror recently, I was eager to try some Greek horror. And let me tell you, that I was pleasantly surprised. This was inspired by a real serial killer from the 1950s, it was atmospheric, and at times really creepy. The sure thing is that I'll be reading more from this author.
• A Girl in Exile - Ismail Kadare: I've mentioned plenty of times that I'm doing a Reading Around the World challenge, and this book would be great for the prompt for Albania. I might have picked it up for this reason, but I ended up being pleasantly surprised. I loved the writing and the introspection in this book. Plus, I feel like I've learned something about Albania's history. 
• The End of Everything - M John Harrison: Every year, I eagerly wait for the Booker Prize shortlist. Then, I usually read 1-2 books from there. In the 2026 shortlist, The End of Everything stood out to me, especially since I've had such great luck with post-apocalyptic/speculative fiction lately. Unfortunately, this wasn't for me. It was a struggle finishing it and it might have put me in a reading slump.
• The Blue Castle - L. M. Montgomery: This was delightful!!! Why isn't anyone talking about the other stories that L.M. Montgomery has written apart from Anne of Green Gables? Valancy was just a relatable heroine, and Snaith was also interesting. If you are looking a cozy classic romance, this is the perfect read.

Books I DNFed

• Helen of Nowhere - Makenna Goodman: I thought I'd rey another one of the Booker Prize shortlist after my disappointment with The End of Everything. But this was worse, I just gave up at 80%. Can you believe that? DNFing a book at 80%. But I didn't care, and I just didn't want to keep reading anymore. 

Books I'm Currently Reading

• Trickster Makes the World - Lewis Hyde: It's been a couple of months since I've picked up a non-fiction. This one is about the trickster character in mythology, focusing mostly on Hermes (the Greek god) and Native American tricksters (Coyote, Raven). So far, it is insightful, even thought it's a bit dense.  
• Brighton Rock - Graham Greene: I have read Graham Greene before, and I've loved each book. I've also recommended The End of the Affair in my short classics list, since it's one of my favourite books of all time. Even though I'm not sure if I'll love this book as much as the rest (the Greek translation is also a bit weird), I'm still enjoying it. 

What did you read in August?

Are you ready for fall?