Whether you’re a parent eagerly awaiting the day you can drop your kiddos off at school or someone looking for a way to distract from their mundane 9-5, there’s nothing better than escaping into a far-off literary world. This year, leave the end-of-summer jitters behind and soak up the last few weeks of warm weather with one of these exciting August book releases!
Popular August Book Release Genres:
- Fairytale retelling
- LGBTQ+ romance
- Action and adventure
- Mystery thriller
- Dystopian fiction
5 New Books Coming in August We Can't Wait to Read
Whether you prefer audiobooks or IRL copies, get excited and add any of these phenomenal August book releases to your To-Be-Read shelf:
1. A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher
Starting the month strong with an August 6th release date, A Sorceress Comes to Call is a fantastical retelling of a little-known Brothers Grimm fairytale, “The Goose Girl.” When quiet, lonely Cordelia and her evil sorcerer mother move into a kind and wealthy family’s home, she must learn how to face her powerful parent to protect her newfound family. Filled with dark magic systems, murder, betrayal, and forbidden spells, this highly anticipated novel by award-winning and best-selling author T. Kingfisher is sure to tickle your fantasy fancy.
Tricks are afoot when it comes to this new August book—T. Kingfisher is a pen name used by the well-loved children’s fantasy writer Ursula Vernon. Famous for her beloved writing style, charming dialogue, and enticing character relationships, her adult series is just as good! If you grew up with her kid-friendly titles or are looking to get lost in a memorable standalone novel, this bittersweet and whimsical fairytale is perfect for you.
2. The Pairing by Casey McQuiston
On August 6th, let yourself indulge in all things queer romance with Casey McQuiston’s latest romantic comedy, The Pairing. Follow Theo and Kit, two estranged bisexual exes who definitely are (not!) over each other as they accidentally book the same food and wine tour across Europe. With no way to avoid each other for the next three weeks and both equally desperate to prove to the other that they’re over it, they challenge one another to a hookup competition—what could possibly go wrong?
If you loved the romantic tension and spice level of McQuiston’s most famous novel, Red, White, and Royal Blue, you’re in for a treat with this new August book. Scoop up the special first edition copy of The Pairing to add to your personal LGBTQ+ romance collection and experience the tantalizing, toe-curling love story for yourself.
3. I Need You to Read This by Jessa Maxwell
Creepy, addictive, and secretive are just some of the words used to describe Jessica Maxwell's latest thriller mystery novel, I Need You to Read This, out August 13th. Alex Marks, a writer who typically keeps to herself, discovers her childhood hero, Francis Keen, has been brutally murdered. Her world turns upside down as she impulsively applies to fill her advice column position herself. But, when her dream job begins to turn into a cat-and-mouse nightmare between her and her predecessor’s still-on-the-loose murderer, she’ll have to face her own secrets—and potentially her own death!
If you’re after a novel that you’ll want to finish in one sitting, you’re in luck! Put your detective cap on and follow the twists and turns of this unpredictable thriller mystery novel. If you read it too fast (and with how fast-paced this new August book is, it’s entirely possible), follow it up with Maxwell’s best-known title, The Golden Spoon!
4. The Dead Cat Tail Assassins by P. Djèlí Clark
On August 6th, dive headfirst into a brand-new fantasy world with one of the most fan-anticipated books of the year. While the badass characters of The Dead Cat Tail Assassins are not cats and do not have tails, they are undoubtedly dead. When Eveen the Eviscerator’s impressive skills and unbreakable vows are put to the test after the Festival of the Clockwork King, who knows what could happen? With complex gods, highly trained resurrected assassins, and secretive backstories begging to be investigated, this page-turner is a summer must.
If you’re a fan of high fantasy, intricate fight scenes, and gritty whodunnits, this dark, adventure-filled August book release was made for you. Leave the lighthearted fairy romances on the shelf and explore this intriguing, rich world for yourself.
5. Hum by Helen Phillips
Goodreads names Hum by Helen Phillips, one of the most anticipated August book releases in the dystopian fiction genre—and with good reason! When May, a mother hellbent on resolving her family’s debt and securing their future in an uncertain world riddled with climate change issues and robots, loses her job to artificial intelligence, she volunteers herself to be a scientific guinea pig for an experiment that will alter her face beyond surveillance recognition. When she splurges on passes to a botanical garden for her entire family to kick their screen time habits, everything begins to unravel.
Fans of classic dystopian novels will love this unflinchingly honest piece of fiction. If raw topics such as marriage, motherhood, and a sense of self tug on your heartstrings, this futuristic utopian novel is sure to be your favorite new book in August.
Ways to Support Novel this August
While we eagerly await our Rochester store’s grand opening, find all your most-anticipated August book releases and support us by:
- Listening to new August books through our partnership with Libro.fm
- Shopping for physical copies through our affiliate link for Bookshop.org
- Keeping a lookout for new books this August at our local sidewalk sales
From romance plots making us grin ear to ear to breathtakingly beautiful (yet dark) fantasies and more, there’s an August book release for everyone this year! Add one or two that caught your eye to your preorder shopping cart, and enjoy being transported to another world.
