illustration by cosmonails
I know it’s the middle of the month, but it’s always a good time to share things we’re excited about. And the fact that 90% of these books are already out, just really means that you can get your hands on them ASAP! Bu timeless aside, August has some seriously great books to offer: from chilling mysteries, shocking romances, to poignant dystopia – even a YA that sounds sweet! Yes! A YA!
I’m especially looking forward to All the Ugly and Wonderful Things, which I’ve already started. It sounds unique and daring, which is always a killer combo. If it lives up to the hype it will be one of my favourites of the year, for sure. Also, this month brings not one but TWO books from auto-buy authors for me – Sandra Brown and Loreth Anne White. Their romantic suspense novels are always super entertaining, I can’t get enough!
all synopsis are adapted from goodreads
To The Bright Edge of the World
written by Eowyn Ivey
Colonel Allen Forrester receives the commission of a lifetime when he is charged to navigate Alaska’s hitherto impassable Wolverine River, with only a small group of men. The Wolverine is the key to opening up Alaska and its huge reserves of gold to the outside world, but previous attempts have ended in tragedy.
Good Morning, Midnight
written by Lily Brooks-Dalton
At a brilliant, ageing astronomer’s latest posting in the Arctic, news of a catastrophic event arrives. The scientists are forced to evacuate, but Augustine stubbornly refuses to abandon his work. At the same time, Mission Specialist Sullivan is aboard the Aether on its return flight from Jupiter. The journey has been a success, but when Mission Control falls silent, Sully and her crew mates are wonder if they will ever get home.
Patient H.M.
written by Luke Dittrich
In 1953, a twenty-seven-year-old factory worker named Henry Molaison—who suffered from severe epilepsy—received a radical new version of the then-common lobotomy, targeting the most mysterious structures in the brain.
The operation failed to eliminate Henry’s seizures, but it did have an unintended effect: Henry was left profoundly amnesic, unable to create long-term memories.
Playing Dead
written by Elizabeth Greenwood
Is it still possible to fake your own death in the twenty-first century? With six figures of student loan debt, Elizabeth Greenwood was tempted to find out.
Playing Dead is an utterly fascinating and charmingly bizarre investigation into our all-too-human desire to escape from the lives we lead, and the men and women desperate enough to lose their identities—and their families—to begin again.
All the Ugly and Wonderful Things
written by Bryn Greenwood
As the daughter of a meth dealer, Wavy knows not to trust people, not even her own parents. Struggling to raise her little brother, eight-year-old Wavy is the only responsible “adult” around. One night everything changes when she witnesses one of her father’s thugs, Kellen, a tattooed ex-con with a heart of gold, wreck his motorcycle. What follows is a powerful and shocking love story between two unlikely people that asks tough questions.
Behind Closed Doors
written by B.A. Paris
Everyone knows a couple like Jack and Grace: he has looks and wealth, she has charm and elegance. You’d like to get to know Grace better, but it’s difficult, because Jack and Grace are never apart. Picture this: a dinner party at their perfect home, the conversation and wine flowing. Grace’s friends are eager to reciprocate with lunch the following week. Her friends call — why doesn’t Grace answer the phone? And why are there bars on one of the bedroom windows?
The Girl Before
written by Rena Olsen
Clara Lawson is torn from her life in an instant. Without warning, her home is invaded by armed men, and she finds herself separated from her beloved husband and daughters. The last thing her husband yells to her is to
say nothing.
In chapters that alternate between past and present, the novel slowly unpeels the layers of Clara’s fractured life.
Swear on This Life
written by Renée Carlino
When a bestselling debut novel from mysterious author J.Colby becomes the literary event of the year, Emiline reads it reluctantly. Yet from the very first page, she is entranced by the story of Emerson and Jackson, two childhood best friends who fall in love and dream of a better life. That’s because the novel is patterned on Emiline’s own dark and desperate childhood, which means that “J. Colby” must be Jase.
Sting
written by Sandra Brown
When Jordie Bennet and Shaw Kinnard lock eyes across a disreputable backwater bar, something definitely sparks. Shaw gives off a dangerous vibe that makes men wary and inspires women to sit up and take notice. None feel that undercurrent more strongly than savvy businesswoman Jordie, who doesn’t belong in a seedy dive on the banks of a bayou. But here she is… and Shaw Kinnard is here to kill her.
In the Barren Ground
written by Loreth Anne White
One bitter night, five months pregnant rookie cop Tana Larsson gets a call about the fatal wolf mauling of two students, and the only way to reach the remote scene is to enlist the help of Cameron O’Halloran.
When the macabre scene they uncover suggests violence much more sinister than animal, Tana must trust Crash if she wants to protect the town from the evil that lurks in the frozen dark.
The Girl With The Lower Back Tattoo
written by Amy Schumer
In The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo, Amy mines her past for stories about her teenage years, her family, relationships, and sex and shares the experiences that have shaped who she is—a woman with the courage to bare her soul to stand up for what she believes in, all while making us laugh.
Words in Deep Blue
written by Cath Crowley
This is a love story.
It’s the story of Howling Books, where readers write letters to strangers, to lovers, to poets.
It’s the story of Henry Jones and Rachel Sweetie. They were best friends once, before Rachel moved to the sea.
Now, she’s back, working at the bookstore, grieving for her brother Cal and looking for the future in the books people love, and the words they leave behind.
Have you read/are you excited for any of these?
What other August releases would you recommend?
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Great list of books! The one that interested me the most was Good Morning, Midnight, putting that on my TBR!
Let me know if you like it, it sounds awesome to me!
Interesting list! I’m not big on romance novels but Swear on this Life sounds like a really interesting concept.
I’ve read it already! I like reading romance novels but more often than not they’re disappointing. Most of them are too superficial and feel like recycled material, you know?
I really liked some elements of Swear on this Life but it’s not an amazing book tbh :/
Almost all of these look like something I would love!
Yay! And there’s a YA, did you notice??!!! Words in Deep Blue! It’s not available on Book Depository though, so I’m still waiting on that one.
I cannot deny the fact that I am now itching to get my hands on ‘Swear on This Life’ and ‘Words In Deep Blue’. Not sure its a good thing that paid is not too far away…
ahhhh I know that feeling all too well. I’m always reluctant to buy new books though – best to get them through public projects / libraries, etc – bc I’m afraid I won’t like them! Unless they’re like classics or from authors I’m familiar with. iBooks is the worst, so so easy to click “buy”.
Anyway, I’m waiting on Words in Deep Blue to be available again, too. Swear on This Life was a nice contemporary romance novel. The drama parts of their childhood were the best, I really liked them!
Awesome list! So many books I want to add to my TBR. Good Morning Midnight sounds like a really exciting story. Thanks for sharing!
It does sound exciting right?! It has a killer discount at Book Depo right now, I’m sooooo tempted to buy it!
God, I sound like an advocate for BD but I just really love it, haha