I’ve been doing these monthly reading radars for several months now, and every month I say…Lauren…be chill. Don’t go crazy. Your TBR is overflowing. You had to buy A NEW BOOKSHELF and you currently have 30+ books checked out from the library. But here we are, it’s August and this is my biggest new release booklist yet.
Sigh.
But also…..eeeeeee!!! SO MANY NEW GOOD BOOKS! Comment what you’re adding to your TBR!!
Hearts of Glass by Jennifer Hillier ( Jennifer Hillier ): Triple POV/timeline. A serial killer - The Carnival Killer - recants his long-ago confession regarding a murdered teenager which may be in connection to missing influencers in the area. This was a great multi-layered mystery/thriller that exceeded my expectations in so many ways. I thought the character development was excellent and went above and beyond compared to other books in the genre. There were so many excellent, well thought out sub plots that kept the story interesting even if the actual mystery part was moving at a slower pace. There were a LOT of characters with fascinating backstories and personalities. The character development for Barb and Cole (the two most central characters that dominated the chapters) was thorough and multifaceted. The overall pacing was great! There was intrigue, suspense, and tension for the entirety of the book.
The Women in White by Sarah Pekkanen: I was supposed to finish this book before this post, but then decided to go to Happy Hour with my friends. Oh well!! It’s good to far. Not life changing but fun.
Kitten by Stacey Yu (Lit fic) Stacey: Katie is a recent college graduate who is estranged from her mom and struggling to pay her rent. But her new boyfriend is generous and seems to help her out quite a bit, even if he seems controlling at times. When Katie joins her boyfriend for vacation at his parents lake house, she develops a unique bond with his family cat. One of my most anticipated August reads!!
Freyja by Margrét Ann Thors (Thriller): An unsolved case of a young girl’s disappearance in chilling Reykjavík, Iceland resurfaces 20 years later. Iceland is one of my most favorite places I’ve traveled to, so excited to dive back in!
The Shadows of Tomorrow by Noëlle Michel , Frank Wynne (Translator) (Sci-fi): A thrilling story about the Neanderthal race that has been recreated from DNA and introduced on a nature reserve where they are being studied by scientists. Hailed as a cross between Sea of Tranquility and Dark Matter, this sounds INSANELY good and I’ll be reading this week! Thanks to Simon & Schuster for my gifted copy!
Etna by Paul Yoon (Lit fic): A story told through the eyes through an ex-military working dog. I think this is one of my most anticipated August reads and I know I’m going to cry the entire time.
Soft Spots by Leila Renee (Lit fit): A dark humor, coming of age about a woman who runs away from her family after graduating from college, only to be forced to confront whether or not to reconcile when her father suddenly falls ill. I’ve been gravitating towards dark comedy/coming of age stories this summer, so this is an epic combo. Also love the cover!
The Unknown by Riley Sager (Thriller): In 1926, five women disappeared from a remote Island in Vermont. 100 years later, it’s happening again. OK! Riley Sager wrote one of my favorite thrillers of all time, and so I am excited for this one!
The Amateur by Chris Bohjalian (Thriller) Chris Bohjalian : A young woman accidentally kills a caddy with a stray ball at a country club and the investigation reveals dark secrets. Ok this sounds like my nightmare, but I do need the tea.
Take What You Can Get by Naima Coster (Contemporary fiction) Naima Coster : Two women who initially bonded as the only two Black students on a study-abroad trip, decide a decade later to raise their children together in NYC. Books about beautiful friendships…yes, please!!!
Breathing Under Water by Jacqueline Friedland (Lit fic) Jacqueline Friedland : Two women’s paths converge in the most unexpected way. Berry is juggling her vice principal job while raising her autistic son, and college student McKenna struggles to care for her grandmother with dementia and her swimming scholarship. A book about women helping women? Sign me up.
Awake Awake by Fiona Mozley (Lit fic): Mary has started to remember things that she knows aren’t real but feel like actual memories? How does she distinguish memories from her actual past? Um yes this sounds diabolical and right up my alley.
The Project by Annie Lord (Romance): Fed up with the dating scene, Daisy and Maya decide to take matters into their owns hands and build the perfect match starting with James - the black sheep of the friend group. I’m looking to thaw my cold heart and read some more romance and this actually sounds fun (and the cover isn’t a cartoon).
One of the Family by Mark Edwards (Thriller): Patrick goes to his girlfriend’s family’s house in a remote part of Scotland, where there is a plan to murder the patriarch’s fiancé! Take me to Scotland for the family drama!!!
Deceptions by Jeffrey Deaver (Thriller) A collection of two short stories about murder and crime! I love a short story book.
My Person by Téa Mutonji (Fiction): Tania and Margot are best friends - basically sisters - until Tania tells Margot one day that she no longer wants to be friends, and actually wants to “unknow” her. This sounds so good and quite frankly I NEED THE TEA!! Thank you to Putnam for my gifted copy!
Dreamland by Olivie Blake (Horror): The Santa Ana winds are blowing…murderous vibes into LA? Girl Dinner was one of my favorite books last year and so I didn’t need any convincing to read more Olivie Blake.
Under the Falls by Richard Russo (Mystery): Tyler Sinclair left his small home town at 18, and 18 year later returns as the frontman for a band performing at a charity concert. This is a novel about crime in a small town and long held secrets. A crime novel from a Pulitzer winner? OK!!!!
A Tender Age by Chang-rae Lee (Lit fic): A coming of age about a 12 year old boy managing his American life and his Korean upbringing. An accident one summer will challenge everything. One of my most anticipated reads this summer!
A Thousand Painted Hours by Barbara O’Neal (Historical fiction) Barbara O'Neal : A epic, emotional novel spanning the 1900s across India to London. Artist Elise Turner clings to her canvases across four decades of peril. I am not doing the description justice but it sounds like a beautiful historical fiction novel!
Sunrise by Téa Obreht (Historical fiction): Three lives, 100 years, and one mysterious town called Sunrise that holds a link to a century old ghost story. It’s a story of myths and the intersection of truth with real life. This sounds so juicy!
Mia by Leslie Bassett (Thriller): Sally is an American who has been living in Mexico for about a year with her husband and kids. One day, outside of her kid’s school, Sally meets Louise - an electric, charming, and brash older woman whom Sally is drawn to. Then Louise starts to call Sally Mia, and refers to her as her….daughter? This seems like a trippy novel of physiological suspense and I am sooooo curious!
The Secrets We Hide by Karin Slaughter (Thriller): Allison Vickery has been murdered in her own kitchen and her daughter is left for dead upstairs. A small town with BIG secrets. I felt like I needed therapy after reading Pretty Girls so I guess here we go again.
What Happened to Liberal Democracy? by Daron Acemonglu (Non-fiction/History): From 2024 Nobel laureate in economics and coauthor of Why Nations Fail, a book about the rise and fall of democracy across global politics over the last 100 years. I’m trying to read more non-fiction!!
Piñen by Daniela Catrileo (Short stories): Women’s/spanish literature short stories. I really love short story books nowadays!!!! This has already been published but releases in an English translation in August.
The Hill in the Dark Grove by Liam Higginson (Horror): Carwyn, a sheep farmer, stumbles upon a stone circle and a sort of burial mound in one of the fields on their land. I’m a little scared because like is this going to be REALLY scary but I want to try anyway.
Promise Me Never by Liv Constantine (Thriller): Savannah says yes to marriage after a whirlwind two week romance with Bennett Bryson, and ends up in Bennett’s REMOTE HOME! Where he starts to become dark and controlling!? What could possibly go wrong!?
The Unprecedented Times by Malavika Kannan (Lit fic) malavika kannan : A coming of age novel about a Gen Z woman who starts her first year at Stanford in the midst of the COVID pandemic. I love coming of age novels!
Range by Dorthe Nors (Fiction): A astrophysicist navigates the boundaries between the universe and her life and people on earth. I don’t know if I understand what this book is about but it was on an NYT list soooo!
Morons of War by Sloan Green (Satire/War): “The Catch-22 of America’s drone wars”…I will literally read any satire.
The Secret Dinner by Raphael Montes (Thriller): Four friends concoct a plan to help pay for their Rio apartment as rents skyrocket. They fall into an twisted, secret world where they host secret dinner parties catering to the twisted fantasies of Rio’s elite.
A Very Special Episode by Camille Acker (Fiction): A mysterious organization recruits the scion of an elite DC society - a space for African Americans after the Emancipation Proclamation. It’s a debut and the cover is stunning!
Hello Baby by Kim Eui-Kyung (Fiction): The bonds between six women undergoing IVF together are tested when one of the women has an unexpected birth. It’s a novel about what it takes to become a mother.
The Maltese Version by Katy Simpson Smith (Fiction): I can’t really break this one down into a 1-2 sentence description, but it sounds so good! About 4 women navigating love and life and desire!
That Night by Gillian McAllister (Thriller): Frannie calls her sister and brother for help after she accidentally hits and kills a man while on a family vacation in Italy. Twisty!!!
Ideal Life by Evelyn Skye (Romance) Evelyn Skye : What would you do if you could rewind the last 24 hours? Talia wakes up with a watch that lets her do just that! I think I can handle a romance with a fun angle like this!
Goodbye, Ramona by Montserrat Roig (Historical Fiction): A powerhouse story about three women from the same family from each of their viewpoints. Originally published in the 70s, it’s being translated and published in English. I actually a familiar with this author because on of their other books - The Time of Cherries - was a BOTM at my indie bookshop so I’m curious!
First Summer by Ekin Oklap (Sapphic fiction): A coming of age about two girls who become friends after one moves in across the street from the other. They bond over their love of a space explorer protagonist from a childhood book series. From the same publisher that brought us Almost Life, I DON’T NEED TO KNOW ANYTHING ELSE!
They Say A Girl Died Here by Sarah Pinborough (Thriller): Anna is caught in a town where two women were murdered exactly three years apart. Anna is unsure if the case is actually closed. I didn’t read Behind Her Eyes but I watched the show and my jaw was on the floor.
The Life of M by Rachel Cusk (Fiction): A book about a film star named M whose picture has been everywhere since she was a child. Rumor has it this is about…Natalie Portman? I have an eARC so you know I’ll be reading this soon.
Dèy by Edwidge Danticat (Fiction): Magnolia is a successful Haitian-American real estate agent who lives in Miami with her family. One day while shopping with her teenage daughter, they both hear gunshots from a nearby store. A novel about discovering the meaning of life and relationships.
Big Little Truths by Liane Moriarty (Mystery/thriller): A followup to the iconic Big Little Lies!!
Seasons of Fury by Rozina Ali (Non fiction): A narrative history following four Muslim families in the post 9/11 era from NYT Magazine award winning journalist.
Fallen for France by Elizabeth Letts (Historical Fiction) Elizabeth Letts : The pathways of a young woman in France, a small young boy, an a wartime veterinarian all stumbled upon an exquisite Arabian mare. This sounds like a stunning, sweeping novel that I can’t describe in 2 sentences!
Last Day of a Prior Life by Andres Barba, Lisa Dillman (Translator) (Horror): “Ghost story without a ghost”, a woman prepares to sell her house and finds herself face to face with a strange boy who disappears in front of her again and again. I think I can handle horror on the ghost spectrum rather than the gore spectrum. Also obsessed with this cover.
The Rise and Fall of the Artificial State by Jill Lepore (Non ficiton/AI) Jill Lepore : It’s a book about the history of AI and I would like to learn more!!
Where Wilted Flowers Bloom by Johanna Rojas Vann (Fiction) Johanna Vann : A woman moves to Nashville with her family in the throes of grief and befriends her next-door neighbor Mark who is an elderly, retired pastor. Why do I feel like this is going to make my sob?
Ghost Cities by Siang Lu (Fiction/Fantasy): Inspired by vacant megacities in China, this book follows multiple narratives of those living in ghost cities.
Children of Wolves by Lawrence Osborne (Thriller) Lawrence Osborne : An American PI travels to Turkey to find the daughter of a wealthy family.
Crocodilopolis by John Manuel Arias (Fiction) John Manuel Arias : An ex Costa Rica politician who was born into a corrupt political dynasty is living in exile in Washing DC. Who’s to blame? His younger brother. DRAMA!!!!
Now tell me… what’s on your list!?
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