Today is the last official day of summer, so I thought what better topic for today’s Musing than my summer faves of 2026!
Last year I shared my summer reads HERE and of course some of my favorites from this year’s TBR will be on this list, but also some shows, movies, music, recipes, products, etc. Let’s dive in!
Summer 5-Star Reads
- The Night We Met by Abby Jimenez and
- The Summer of Second Chances by KL Walther.
- Dolly All The Time by Annabel Monaghan
- Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune
- Into The Blue by Emma Brodie
- Our Secret Summer by R.S. Grey
- Call of the Camino by Susanne Redfearn
- Rules for the Summer by Meghan Quinn
Movies & Series
- Voicemails from Isabelle
- Long Way Home
- Every Year After
- Five Star Weekend
- Sterling Point
- The Last Sunrise
Music
- Alex Warren new album, and just him in general
Recipes
I declared this the summer of salads before lettuce was a no no— so I switched it up and omitted the lettuce but still tried to prioritize a salad type of lunch during the work week. I also made egg white bakes every week for easy breakfasts before work, current fave: broccoli cheddar.
Salad “Recipe”
Basically in a big bowl I just mixed up the following
- 1 can of chickpeas
- 1 can of artichoke hearts
- 1 can of olives
- 6 mini cucumbers
- A package of heirloom cherry tomatoes
- Pepperincini
- Sometimes beets…
Then day of I might add tuna, and right before I eat I’ll add a couple of croutons and dressing (Ken’s Italian is my favorite, probably not the healthiest option but alas).
If I don’t add tuna, I will have cottage cheese and peaches on the side for added protein, and it’s like a little dessert.
Products
- Softsoap Energizing Citrus Bouquet (smells like honeysuckle) body wash
- Another summer reading shirt by Piper & Ivy
Hobbies
- Reading, duh! But outside if it wasn’t too oppressive with humidity
- My veggie garden – I grew Japanese eggplant and pablanos! Yum!
- Junk Journaling / Collage in June and July and started an altered book in August
This summer felt short, as usual— but oppressive heat also made it feel long. I probably didn’t make the most of it, like I wish I had, but I still came out with quite a few favorites, all things considered (like being sick for all of August). Felt like a good summer!
What were your summer faves this year?
Photo by Sergey Shmidt on Unsplash