Happy Tuesday! It’s almost the end of the month, so I am sharing the books I read this month and what I am currently reading. I am linking up with Joanne and Dara for Share Your Shelf so be sure to check it out on the first Thursday of next month for other great bookish posts.
The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️
**2026 Sunshine & Books Summer Beach Read**
This book was LONG and it took me almost two weeks to read. I thought it was great, but to be honest I do not love reading a book for that long. There is a strong cast of characters and I think I’d name Meg as the main character. She is 11 years old and living in an orphange in Oxford, Mississippi. She is told her mother abandoned her, but doesn’t quite believe it. Birdie comes to Oxford to ask her sister for money. While trying to ask her husband for money, Birdie’s sister discovers secrets that her husband has been keeping. When her sister and mother-in-law leave their house, Birdie is faced with finding a way to make some money to try to save her family’s home and lifestyle. That’s when the book took a turn I was not expecting. Oh my goodness! There are some strong women in this book that refuse to give up hope and they will go to the ends of the earth to survive. I love a story of sisterhood and strong women. My only negative thought is that after 663 pages, I felt like the book just ended. I wanted to see how these women started their new lives and what happened to them.
The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Volume 3 by Beth Brower (audio) ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️
The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Volume 4 by Beth Brower (audio) ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️
The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Volume 5 by Beth Brower (audio) ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️
I am flying through the Emma M. Lion books. I love them!! Emma is so funny and I love hearing her observations of the people in St. Crispian’s. I think her descriptions of her cousin Archibald are hilarious and can picture him in my mind as I’m listening. I love the friendship she has with her tenant, the vicar, and the Duke. Hearing her describe the events of The Season are so entertaining. I am listening to them through Hoopla from our public library and will probably finish the last three in the next month or so. I’ve heard from people that enjoy reading them, but I am loving hearing the daily look at Emma M. Lion’s day.
Falling for Peachtree Bluff by Kristy Woodson Harvey ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️
I think I am one of KWH’s biggest fans. I love her books. I was so excited to head back to Peachtree Bluff for a fall book. It was great to catch up with the Murphy ladies and their families. Each of the Peachtree Bluff books has showcased one of the ladies and a big decision or struggle as we got to know them. This one focuses on all four women. Ansley is facing a big decision with her husband Jack that will involve her siblings and her children. Caroline’s lovelife has been thrust into the media and she has to find the balance between private family life and a fun new boyfriend. Emerson is planning a wedding, shooting a movie, and struggling to grow her family. Sloane is pregnant, living in her mother’s guest house, and just wants her home renovations to be finished before she gives birth. All four women have a lot on their plates while still trying to help each other. Like many women, they put others’ needs ahead of their own until it all comes to a head during Emerson’s wedding. There was one part that I thought was a little unbelievable, but spending fall in Peachtree Bluff was wonderful. If you are reading this Kristy, I hope you have another Peachtree Bluff story swirling around in your head!
The Honeycrisp Orchard Inn by Valerie Bowman ☀️☀️☀️☀️
If you are looking for a Hallmark movie in a book, this is the book for you. Ellie loses her event planning job and her boyfriend in New York City. Her parents own an inn and their dear friends own the surrounding orchard in upstate New York. Right after she loses her job, her mom calls asking her to come home and help them run their fall festival. The timing is perfect! When Ellie gets home, she finds out she’s planning the festival with her childhood friend and he is not very happy to be working with her. You’ve seen Hallmark movies, you know how this goes, but it was a great fall book and made me excited about the crisp weather and enjoying some apple cider! I am looking forward to reading the Christmas sequel, Snowed Inn.
The Mother-In-Law Book Club by Kate Hash ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️
I loved this book. At the beginning of the book, Andi overhears a conversation between to mothers-in-law about their sons and their wives. She is appalled by what they say and cannot keep her mouth shut. She lets these women have it about their expectations and how they treat their sons. Whoa! What a start. Andi is a traveling consultant and plans to be in Durham, NC for a few months. One of the women she reprimands finds her in baggage claim and invites her to join her book club. Andi finds herself with a group of women in their 70s. She helps them learn about their adult children and learns a whole lot about herself. It was so lovely!! Was it predictable? Sure. Was it a great read? YES!
Currently Reading: Weyward by Emilia Hart
Currently Listening: Heart the Lover by Lily King
You can always checkout what I’ve been reading on my Books 2026 page. I have all of my yearly reading pages linked here if you want to see what I’ve been reading for the last 8 years.
Have you read any of these? Do you like to read seasonal books? Do you tend to read one preferred genre? I am noticing that I do! I think one of my new year’s resolutions or goals for 2027 might be to read a few books outside of the rom-com/beach read/chick lit books that I tend to read. We’ll see. Have a great day full of sunshine and books!
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