With hundreds of books hitting bookstore shelves every month, it can be difficult to sift through new releases for the best finds. That’s why we’ve done the heavy lifting for you! Here are ten of the most popular novels that were published in August.
The Good Daughter by Karin Slaugther
When Charlotte and Samantha Quinn’s happy small-town home life was torn apart by a vicious attack, which left their mother dead, their lives were changed forever. Their father was broken, and from then on, their family was consumed by secrets from that fateful night. Twenty-eight years later, Charlotte has become a lawyer, and when violence strikes their hometown again, her life becomes a nightmare. Turns out most secrets can’t stay buried forever.
“Simply one of the best thriller writers working today. I’d follow her anywhere.” - Gillian Flynn
The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne
The author of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas has done it again. Cyril Avery was born out of wedlock to a teenage mother, and he has spent most of his life adrift in the world. His one lifeline is to Julian Woodbead, a glamorous friend. Set in Ireland during the 1940s, this tale of redemption will have you laughing and crying.
“This is nothing less than the story of Ireland over the past 70 years, expressed in the life of one man… highly entertaining and often very funny… Big and clever.” - The Times Sunday Review
My Absolute Darling by Gabriel Tallent
Young Turtle Alveston loves exploring the northern coast of California, from creeks and tide pools to rocky islands where no one is around. She’s always isolated herself since the death of her mother, and middle school provides no relief for her. When she meets Jacob, a high school boy who tells funny jokes and makes Turtle feel like she hung the moon, her life begins to change. She begins to draw away from her unpredictable, tortured father, and in the process, discovers that maybe she can become the hero she’s always needed.
“The magnificent, inhospitable landscape of northern California is itself a character here… a fast-paced adventure story… [a] strange and remarkable book.” - The Guardian
The Color Project by Sierra Abrams
Teenage Bernice has never liked her name, but when she meets handsome Levi and he keeps trying to guess it, she ends up falling for his persistence (and charm). She’s never felt so attached to someone, and the intensity of her feelings scares her. When news of an unexpected illness hits Bree’s family, she becomes lost in a world of chaos and needs Levi more than ever. A tale of family, friendship, and romance, The Color Project will touch your heart.
Stay With Me by Ayobami Adebayo
As soon as they met at university, Yejide and Akin fell in love. They got married, and although many thought Akin would take several wives, the couple decided that polygamy wasn’t an option for them. Then, four years after their wedding, Yejide is still having trouble becoming pregnant. When a woman shows up at their house and introduces herself as Akin’s second wife, Yejide takes desperate measures to get pregnant and save her marriage. Emotional and intense, this novel tackles the sacrifices we make for family.
“Affecting and powerful… Adebayo’s prose is a pleasure: immediate, unpretentious and flecked with whip-smart Nigerian-English dialogue. She handles weighty themes with an absence of sentimentality.” - Sunday Times
Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie
When Isma accepts an invitation from a mentor in America to resume one of her lifelong dreams, she feels immense relief. She’s spent years caring for her younger siblings, but now, she has a chance at freedom. When her brother resurfaces and appears to be following the legacy of the jihadist father he never knew, Isma fears the worst. Then the son of a powerful political figure enters Isma’s life, and she wonders: what will she do in the name of love?
“Urgent and explosive… near perfect… a difficult book to put down.” - NPR
Wish You Were Here by Renee Carlino
Charlotte has hopped from interest to interest, job to job, man to man. She’s spent most of her twenties untethered to anything specific, but she knows she’s looking for something more. When she collides with Adam, a painter who seems to be as lost as she is, she is caught up in an entirely new kind of excitement. Months later, after that fateful evening with Adam, she still hasn’t been able to shake the thought of him, so she decides to find out what happened after their blissful night together. Little does she know that her decision will play a role in the wild love story to come.
“[Readers] will find themselves simply smitten by both the novel in front of them and the story within the story. Romance readers and women’s fiction fans should snap up this charming love story.” - Booklist
The Forbidden by Jodi Ellen Malpas
Annie has never completely fallen for a guy… that is until she met Jack. It’s not just a spark with him: it’s a blazing fire. She’s overwhelmed by the intensity of their relationship, but as she uncovers more secrets about this dangerous man, she realizes that a relationship with him is most likely impossible. Can she resist the urge to be with him?
“A brave, cutting-edge romance… This is a worthwhile read.” - Library Journal
The Bedlam Stacks by Natasha Pulley
Set in the 1850s, The Bedlam Stacks tells the story of Merrick Tremayne, an ex-East India Company smuggler who sustained an injury to his leg. When he is recruited by the India Office for an expedition to fetch an essential ingredient for the treatment of malaria in Peru, he doesn’t feel good about the plan. After all, most people who’ve attempted this expedition have died trying. Still, he sets out into the Amazon rainforest in search of the ingredient. There, he must separate truth from legend, friend from foe, and magic from danger.
“[A] witty, entrancing novel… Pulley makes the fantastic feel plausible and burnishes her reputation as a gifted storyteller.” - Starred Review, Publishers Weekly
The Cottingley Secret by Hazel Gaynor
One hundred years ago, two young English girls convinced the world that they had captured fairies on film in their garden. Their parents were astounded, and when Sir Arthur Conan Doyle believed the photos were real, the girls became national celebrities. Nearly a century later, Olivia Kavanagh finds an old manuscript in her late grandfather’s bookshop and becomes fascinated by the story of these two girls. The lines between the past and present begin to blur, as do the lines between what is fantasy and what is real.
“Beautifully written and expertly researched, Gaynor’s latest is a look at one of history’s most intriguing mysteries and an important reminder of the power of belief.” - Booklist