Everything I Read in July & August 2026

1. The Strength of the Few by James Islington - Book 2 in this series that i started earlier this year. Fantastic! This one continues to deliver. I'm patiently waiting for Book 3.

2. I See You've Called in Dead by John Kenney - This was a recommendation from my mother and I really liked it! The story is about an obituary writer who publishes his own obituary. I laughed and I cried. I feel like I really took something away from this one. Would recommend.

3. Whistler by Ann Patchett - There's a running joke in my book club about the fact that I did not like Patchett's The Dutch House, but one of my friends who I trust thought that I would like it. She was correct - this was a delight. I've described it as happy people just getting happier. I have some gripes, but overall I really liked this one. However, if you're not a fan of character-driven stories, I don't know that this would work for you.

4. The MASH Up by Laura Marie Meyers - This was our book club book and frankly, none of us liked it. I found the main character grating and there wasn't enough of the whimsy that I was hoping for. I say skip it.

5. Open by Andre Agassi - This was excellent! I'm a big tennis fan and this was exceptionally well written (by the same ghostwriter as Prince Harry's memoir!). I will say that I think this one was a bit too long. But I loved his stories, his complicated relationship with tennis, and the ways he's found meaning in his life.

6. The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Caused an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt - Another fantastic book - I listened to this one. It had been on my list for a while and I blew through it so quickly. Fascinating and it made me want to