Monthly Roundup – August 2026 – neverimitate
August is my birthday month and we had a lovely time celebrating this as a family. On the day, Husband and I went out for an indulgent Afternoon Tea while Daughter and Younger Son made my birthday cake, a slice of which we each enjoyed with accompanying glasses of fizz later.
The following weekend Elder Son was able to join us and we ran a parkrun I particularly enjoy – The Old Showfield in Frome. He agreed to pace me in an attempt to get under a 27 minute finish for the first time and I smashed it, thereby setting a new parkrun PB. I’m still buzzing from this success.
That evening we all met up in town for a family dinner at a favourite restaurant. It didn’t disappoint and was a lovely way to round off this year’s birthday celebrations.
The summer heatwave remained a feature throughout the earlier part of the month. Husband and I enjoyed a few days on the south coast where it was ever so slightly cooler than in Wiltshire, although still challenging to walk in and sleep through. We stayed for two nights in a lovely hotel that I would happily recommend – Orestone Manor between Torquay and Teignmouth. We then moved to Taunton ahead of our weekly parkrun. As well as the hotel review linked to above, I posted my usual thoughts on this holiday through the lens of my teddy bear in Edward Explores the South Devon Coast.
Run reports were posted for three parkruns: Longrun Meadow in Taunton; Victoria Park in Newbury; and from last month, husband’s 250th event at Quakers Walk in Devizes. I also posted a report from a local race I entered for fun when the rest of my family decided to run it – the Combe Summer Miles and Smiles 1 miler.
I’m not sure if it was the heat but, in a rush of blood to the head, I did something I have always said I had no interest in and entered a marathon which, all being well, I will run in the spring. My previous lack of interest in racing this distance was mainly down to the required training runs. Well, it turns out I rather enjoy running long as I discovered when I started pushing my training runs this month ahead of some other races entered, completing 27km and then 30km around local lanes and wanting to go further had my legs been strong enough. I hope I continue to feel this positive when the winter weather arrives and I have to build on that stamina.
The heatwave did, eventually, break although we have seen little rain as yet. No doubt this will change eventually and I will be looking back longingly on my runs in the sun.
I posted reviews for 6 books in August – another good mix of new releases and titles plucked from my still vast TBR pile. To read my thoughts on each of this month’s books, click the title below. There were no turkeys but neither were there any I would rush to buy for others.
Opening Night by Sara Baum, published by Granta
Diving for Pearls by Jamie O’Connell, published by Doubleday
The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick, published by Picador
Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker, published by Penguin
The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng, published by Canongate
The Year of Runaways by Sunjeev Sahota, published by Picador
Sourcing the books
My sister sent me a generous and varied stack for my birthday – I look forward to reading these over the coming year. Added to these were two books from small publishers I rate highly, and one from the Booker Prize longlist that was of interest.
My continued thanks to those who still share my words across their social media platforms – whichever ones you are now using – your support is always appreciated. For anyone interested, you may find me on Instagram and Threads.
And to everyone reading this, I wish you and yours good health and pleasure in whatever form you appreciate. May you find time to relax with some good books, ones that take your mind of whatever else is going on in the madness that is now our wider world.
