Rena Reads - August 2026

August is a month of transitions. With kids returning to school, a new chapter begins for many of us. I am starting a new chapter myself.

August means more structured evenings and thoughtful schedule changes. The cooler mornings and nights here in Michigan have me feeling like there is a change in the air - both literally and figuratively.

It has also been a month of mixing up my book genres. This month, I read a short literary fiction book, a legal courtroom drama, a contemporary fiction novel, and my usual favorite: historical fiction.

Follow along with my monthly reads, and check out my past Rena’s Reads blog posts for inspiration to try something new and hear my personal thoughts on what I’ve been reading. I could talk about books all day, which is fitting since I recently opened a bookstore in my small hometown!

Below is a short recap of what I thought about my August reads.

Short Literary Fiction

Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach

“The gull sees furthest who flies highest.”

That is a quote from this short story that stuck with me.

My Book Bingo board inspired me to read a short story this month. This one had quietly been sitting on my TBR list, and at only 84 pages - with several of those being photographs -

I thought it was the perfect time to mark the “Read a short story of fewer than 100 pages” square on my bingo board.

This is one I will keep in my personal library.

It is a thought-provoking story about a bird who goes against his flock because he wants more. He wants to learn to fly and exceed the limitations and expectations set by his community.

It takes courage to think big and fly high. Sometimes, it is as simple as being driven to discover how far you can go when you ignore the naysayers and follow your own dreams.

Legal Courtroom Drama

Judge Stone by James Patterson and Viola Davis

This book was very entertaining to me. It was also the only book I experienced in audiobook form this month.

Actress and co-author Viola Davis narrates the audiobook, so I chose to listen because I am a fan of her work as a very talented actress. It did not disappoint.

Not only did the story keep me invested, but it also made me think about morality and social conflict. Sometimes, we imagine a controversial choice and think it would be easy to know what we would do in the characters’ situation. That decision may change once we are given a glimpse of the whole picture.

The characters are molded and shaped by their own experiences, from childhood through adulthood. As people, we often know only the surface-level information we hear through the media, on social media, or perhaps in a courtroom.

As a society - myself included - many of us are fascinated by documentaries and true crime. This storyline reminded me that, on both sides of a conflict, we really do not know the people behind the headlines at all. Every person we hear half-truths about has a history and a family. They are also battling daily situations we are not privy to from the outside looking in.

It is a good reminder that everyone is human and facing their own struggles, regardless of what they have done, or, more importantly, what we think they have done.

The book is set in the South and gives us glimpses into small Southern towns facing their own unique histories of race and conflict. Those issues are more prevalent in some areas of the country than others, and the influence of place and time becomes very relevant to the plot.

To me, this book was thought-provoking and emotional while still being an easy read that made me want to keep going and discover what ultimately happened.

It left me feeling both sad for and proud of the main characters. There truly is not always a happy ending to the challenges and devastation life can throw our way. Sometimes, there is simply “an ending” - one that continues our story and becomes another layer we carry with us into the next challenge.

Contemporary Fiction

The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer

I really did not know much about this book or what to expect. It was the August selection for Petals and Pages, Rooted Wildflower’s book club.

The story follows the life of a death doula who helps people with their needs at the end of life as they prepare to die. These are, of course, typically sad situations. Throughout the story, however, there is also a theme of personal growth and learning to live.

The main character is deeply involved in helping her clients work through the regrets and joys of their lives while learning some important lessons of her own.

There were characters I truly enjoyed and would love to read an entire book about. There were also a couple of characters I could not have cared less about ever encountering in real life, and that is okay. Some people we meet are simply not for us.

There are many lessons to be learned from this book, but I did not connect personally with Clover, the main character. Because of that, it was not my favorite but it earned a solid “It’s okay” from me.

Historical Fiction

The Calamity Club by Kathryn Lockett

This was my favorite book of the month and maybe my favorite of the year so far!

Yes, I love historical fiction, and this book combines many facets of real situations faced in the Southern states. The story is set primarily in Mississippi during Prohibition in the 1930s.

It touches on so many real-life human predicaments, including poverty during the Great Depression, abandonment, the social prejudices of the time, sexual abuse, outdated and discriminatory sterilization statutes, and so much more.

You get so much from the characters in this book. Even though it is lengthy, I did not want it to end. I laughed out loud, and somehow, despite all the challenges the characters faced, the story was still incredibly enjoyable.

One of the main characters is an 11-year-old girl, and the author did such a wonderful job writing her. She is so smart but still sees the world through a child’s eyes. Her perspective is wise and young, heartbreaking and funny - all at the same time.

The only thing I did not love was that the book left me feeling frustrated because I did not know more about what happened to the characters. It left me only imagining.

Perhaps that was intentional - and even a little genius - because for days afterward, I was still missing and thinking about the individuals I had grown to love throughout the story.

This book takes such an unlikely group of women, both young and old, and brings them together in the most surprising ways.

A must-read!

That wraps up my August reads! I hope at least one of these books makes it onto your reading list because each one was good in its own unique way.

Keep turning those pages, friends. On to the next stories in September!

~Rena