My August Reads: Everything I Devoured This Month
Kimberly ElliottAugust was a genre-hopping, can't-put-it-down kind of reading month — Greek mythology, dark romantasy, cozy witchy midlife magic, paranormal shifters, and a little epic fantasy thrown in for good measure. Here's every book I read this month, what it's about, and why it earned a spot on my shelf.
Fields of Asphodel
by Callie Rowland
A lush reimagining of Greek mythology following Asphodel, the free-spirited daughter of Hades and Persephone. Cursed to never fall in love with a god, Del has spent her life happily removed from her family's underworld drama — until her parents arrange her marriage to Thanatos, the god of death, and her carefully guarded freedom starts slipping away. What follows is a forbidden, slow-burn romance tangled up in family legacy, war, and curses that refuse to stay buried.
A Bad Day for Sunshine
by Darynda Jones
Book one in the Sunshine Vicram series. Sunshine Vicram returns to her hometown of Del Sol, New Mexico as its newly elected sheriff — a job her meddling parents nominated her for — expecting nothing more dramatic than the occasional local flasher. Instead, she lands in the middle of a nationwide manhunt after a teenage girl goes missing, all while juggling her teenage daughter, a couple of very distracting men, and a town that never runs short on chaos.
Betwixt & Between (Betwixt, Bewitched, Beguiled)
by Darynda Jones
A paranormal women's fiction trilogy following Defiance Dayne, a forty-something divorcée who inherits a mysterious house in Salem, Massachusetts — only to discover she's a witch with far more power than she ever imagined. Funny, warm, and packed with midlife reinvention, this series proves it's never too late for magic, romance, or a completely new chapter.
Crown Me Dead & Crown Me Yours
by Liv Zander
The Heartstring Duet is a dark romantasy set in a kingdom being consumed by rot. Elara, a gravedigger's daughter, strikes a desperate bargain to save her dying brother: infiltrate the palace, seduce the decaying King Kael, and become his queen so she can be sacrificed to break the plague's hold on the realm. Caught between the king and the cold, calculating man who orchestrated the plan, Elara finds herself tangled in deception, betrayal, and a love story that's anything but safe.
My Emergency Contact is a Wolf Shifter
by Roxie Ray
A steamy standalone paranormal romance about Zoey Yates, a woman who keeps a carefully guarded emotional distance from everyone — including the wolf shifter she listed as her emergency contact after knowing him for a matter of hours. When the hospital actually calls him, he shows up, and Zoey has to learn how to let someone show up for her for once.
Magic Bites
by Ilona Andrews
The first Kate Daniels novel. In a version of Atlanta where magic and technology constantly clash for dominance, mercenary Kate Daniels investigates the murder of her guardian — and uncovers a conspiracy that pulls her deep into the city's magical underworld. A staple of urban fantasy for a reason: sharp writing, a fierce heroine, and a richly built world.
Moonlight and Magic
by Darynda Jones
Book four in the Betwixt & Between series. This installment shifts focus to Annette Osmund, who always suspected she was psychic — and discovers instead that she's a powerful witch who's just inherited magic she never dreamed possible. Starting over in a new town with her best friend by her side, Annette learns that her closeness with Defiance was never a coincidence.
On Broken Bonds
by Lacey Carter Andersen
Book one in the Shield of the Gods trilogy. When her sister is chosen as a prize for the gods' brutal Eternal Trials, the heroine has only one option: enter the deadly competition herself and win her sister's freedom. A slow-burn reverse harem romantasy full of dangerous trials, forced proximity, and a growing group of powerful men she probably shouldn't trust.
The Pureblood Daughter Series
by Emberly Wyndham
A Regency-set paranormal vampire trilogy following Adelina Gray, dismissed by society for a mysterious illness, who catches the eye of the enigmatic Viscount Rosetti — a man who turns out to be far more than human. As Adelina uncovers her own hidden bloodline and the secrets of vampire society, she's pulled into a world of forbidden romance, danger, and a legacy she never knew she had.
World Sphere: The Academy
by AlwaysRollsAOne
The second installment in a progression fantasy series following Storme, a man reincarnated into a massive magical Dyson Sphere world after choosing his abilities in haste. This entry follows Storme as he heads to a magical academy, sharpening his skills and navigating a world where danger and adventure are always one dungeon away.
Their Dragon Rider (Court of Rivals, Court of Fury, Court of Lust)
by Lacey Carter Andersen
A reverse harem fantasy romance following Harper, a village healer who rescues an injured dragon and finds herself bonded to him — only to learn that every dragon rider is male, and every dragon is female. Determined to attend the dragon rider academy anyway, Harper collides head-on with three darkly handsome princes who'd rather see her quit than accept she belongs. High heat, enemies-to-lovers tension, and a heroine who refuses to back down make this trilogy a full-throttle read.
First Grave on the Right, Second Grave on the Left & Third Grave Dead Ahead
by Darynda Jones
The first three books in the Charley Davidson series. Charley is a part-time private investigator and full-time grim reaper who sees dead people — and it's her job to help them cross over, whether they're ready or not. When those dead people happen to be murder victims, Charley finds herself pulled into solving their cases, all while navigating a smoking-hot, secretive entity who's been following her since childhood and turns out to be far more than human. Sharp humor, high stakes, and a heroine who somehow makes talking to the dead look like a good time.
That's my August shelf! From gods and ghosts to shifters and witches, this was a month of full immersion. What did you read this month?
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