24 August Books We’re Excited About

Plus, what's new in paperback

Reading ahead

Our TBR shelves may be bursting, but there are always new books that we want to find room for. From poignant literary novels to cozy romantic fantasies to riveting tales of horror, August’s most anticipated list is packed with must-reads! Here are 24 upcoming releases across a mix of genres. These titles are available for preorder, but in the meantime, we have recs for similar reads that you can enjoy now.

Plus, find out what's coming out in paperback this month!

Literary fiction 

Atomic Hearts by Megan Cummins (Aug. 5)

Part teenage summer fling, part family tragedy, this debut novel traces the relationship between Gertie and Cindy, bonded since birth by their unsteady home lives. It's an unforgettable story of the relationships that shape us beyond all reason and the ways it might be possible to pull ourselves back from the brink.

What to read while you wait: Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah

People Like Us by Jason Mott (Aug. 5)

Wickedly funny and achingly sad all at once, this electric novel from a National Book Award winner centers on two Black writers, each searching for peace in a world riven with gun violence. One is on a global book tour after a big prize win; the other, set to give a speech at a school that has suffered a shooting.

What to read while you wait: Hell of a Book by Jason Mott

A Dog in Georgia by Lauren Grodstein (Aug. 5)

Amy Webb is a chef. Or rather, she was a chef. But now she's also a wife and a stepmother, and somehow, along the way, her sense of self disappeared entirely. Which is why she is currently in the republic of Georgia, looking for a lost dog, and, more importantly, the life's purpose she once took for granted.

What to read while you wait: Hard by a Great Forest by Leo Vardiashvili

Dominion by Addie Citchens (Aug. 19)

Reverend Sabre Winfrey, shepherd of the Seven Seals Baptist Church, rules the town of Dominion, Mississippi, with an iron fist. The youngest of his five sons, Emmanuel, is called Wonderboy for his seeming infallibility. But then the cloistered society is rocked by revelations of Wonderboy's transgressions.

What to read while you wait: Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones

Mystery, thriller, and horror 

We Are All Guilty Here by Karin Slaughter (Aug. 12)

Welcome to North Falls, a small town where everyone knows everyone. Or so they think. Until the night of the fireworks. When two teenage girls vanish, and the town ignites. For Officer Emmy Clifton, it's personal. But as she traces the clues the girls left behind, she realizes she never really knew them. Nobody did.

What to read while you wait: Blindsighted by Karin Slaughter

What Hunger by Catherine Dang (Aug. 12)

This haunting novel follows Ronny Nyugen, the daughter of Vietnamese immigrants, as she grapples with the weight of generational trauma while navigating the violent power of teenage girlhood. When tragedy strikes, Ronny's world is upended and she is overtaken by a force larger than herself.

What to read while you wait: The Eyes Are the Best Part by Monika Kim

The End of the World as We Know It: New Tales of Stephen King's the Stand by Stephen King, Christopher Golden, and Brian Keene, et al. (Aug. 19)

Since its publication in 1978, The Stand has been considered a seminal piece of apocalyptic fiction. Now the King of Horror has authorized a return to the harrowing world he imagined with this original short story anthology bringing together some of today's greatest and most visionary writers.

What to read while you wait: The Stand by Stephen King

The Possession of Alba Díaz by Isabel Cañas (Aug. 19)

In 1765, plague sweeps through Zacatecas. Alba flees with her wealthy merchant parents and fiancé, Carlos, to his family’s isolated mine for refuge. But safety proves fleeting as Alba begins suffering from strange symptoms She senses something lurking beneath her skin. Something angry. Something wrong.

What to read while you wait: Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas

Mrs. Christie at the Mystery Guild Library by Amanda Chapman (Aug. 26)

Book conservator Tory Van Dyne is not thrilled when she encounters a woman claiming to be Agatha Christie visiting from the Great Beyond to help solve a murder that hasn't even happened yet. But a suspicious death soon follows and Tory joins forces with Christie's supposed ghost to catch the killer.

What to read while you wait: The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie

Sci-fi and fantasy

The Fallen and the Kiss of Dusk by Carissa Broadbent (Aug. 5)

Mische made the ultimate sacrifice to save those she loves, plunging the world into an eternal night. Imprisoned by the gods and obsessed with revenge, Asar is desperate to find her again. When a goddess offers them a path back to each other, Asar and Mische embark on an extraordinary mission.

What to read while you wait: The Songbird and the Heart of Stone by Carissa Broadbent

Accomplice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer (Aug. 5)

Evie Sage didn't mean to become the right-hand woman to the kingdom's most terrifying villain. But now she's knee-deep in magical mayhem, murder plots, and an entirely inappropriate crush on her brooding boss. Don't miss out on the Deluxe Limited Edition of book #3 in this laugh-out-loud romantasy series.

What to read while you wait: Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

The Society of Unknowable Objects by Gareth Brown (Aug. 12)

From the author of the internationally bestselling The Book of Doors, another fantastical, stand-alone novel in which a trio of seemingly everyday people are members of a secret society tasked with finding and protecting hidden magical objects—ordinary items with extraordinary properties.

What to read while you wait: The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

Katabasis by R. F. Kuang (Aug. 26)

Dante's Inferno meets Susanna Clarke's Piranesi in this all-new dark academia fantasy, in which two graduate students must put aside their rivalry and journey to Hell to save their professor's soul—perhaps at the cost of their own. Pre-order now to receive the stunning Deluxe Limited Edition.

What to read while you wait: Babel by R. F. Kuang

Historical fiction 

The Art of a Lie by Laura Shepherd-Robinson (Aug. 5)

In eighteenth-century England, widowed confectioner Hannah Cole is struggling to keep her head above water. It seems everyone, even those who claim to be her friends, have turned against her. Joining forces with William, a friend of her late husband, she is drawn into a web of love, betrayal, and intrigue.   

What to read while you wait: The Square of Sevens by Laura Shepherd-Robinson

The Harvey Girls by Juliette Fay (Aug. 12)

1926: Charlotte and Billie are two very different women who have both joined the ranks of the Harvey Girls, waitresses for the first hospitality chain on the Santa Fe railroad. Hired on the same day, they share three things: a room, a heartfelt dislike of the other—and each has a secret that would certainly get them fired.

What to read while you wait: The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah

The Lost Baker of Vienna by Sharon Kurtzman (Aug. 19)

2018: Having recently lost her beloved grandfather, journalist Zoe Rosenzweig seeks to learn more about her family's experiences following WWII. 1946: Chana Rosenzweig and her family are finally free in Vienna. But freedom doesn't look like they'd imagined it would, as they struggle to make a living and stay safe.

What to read while you wait: We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter

The Secret Book Society by Madeline Martin (Aug. 26)

London, 1895: Trapped by oppressive marriages and societal expectations, three women receive a mysterious invitation to an afternoon tea at the home of the reclusive Lady Duxbury. Beneath the genteel facade of the gathering lies a secret book club and an unexpected chance to rewrite their own stories.

What to read while you wait: The Buccaneers by Edith Wharton

Romance 

The Blonde Who Came in from the Cold by Ally Carter (Aug. 5)

Ten years ago, they joined the CIA. Six years ago, he left the game. Five years ago, they fell in love. One year ago, she ran out into the cold with no intention of ever coming back. This action-packed sequel features a second-chance romance between two rival spies who must join forces to stay alive.

What to read while you wait: The Blonde Identity by Ally Carter

Anywhere With You by Ellie Palmer (Aug. 5)

When twenty-nine-year-old control freak Charley Beekman sets out on a road trip through the Minnesota woods with Ethan, her chronically unreliable childhood best friend, her goal is to stop her sister's ill-advised marriage. But their cozy journey ignites long-suppressed sparks that threaten to burn like wildfire.

What to read while you wait: People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

For Richer For Poorer by Danielle Steel (Aug. 12)

Eugenia Ward, a fashion designer and mother to five adult children, is struggling to save her business post pandemic. Meanwhile, she navigates family drama as one daughter plans a lavish wedding and another prepares to give birth to twins. She finds a silver lining in a new friendship with Patrick, a real estate developer. 

What to read while you wait: A Mind of Her Own by Danielle Steel

Love's a Witch by Tricia O'Malley (Aug. 26)

Sloane MacGregor vowed never to return to Briarhaven, but her grandmother has summoned her and her sisters back to break the centuries-old curse haunting their bloodline. Knox Douglas, Briarhaven’s grumpy mayor, may once have crushed on Sloane, but her cursed presence is the last thing he needs right now.

What to read while you wait: The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling

Nonfiction 

King of Kings: The Iranian Revolution by Scott Anderson (Aug. 5)

From a bestselling author comes this stunningly revelatory narrative history of the Iranian Revolution, one of the most momentous events in modern times. This groundbreaking work traces the rise of religious nationalism, offering essential insights into today's global unrest.

What to read while you wait: Lawrence in Arabia by Scott Anderson

The Gods of New York by Jonathan Mahler (Aug. 12)

New York entered 1986 as a city reborn, rejuvenated by record profits on Wall Street. But it also entered 1986 as a city whose foundation was beginning to crack. This sweeping chronicle charts four tumultuous years that changed the city forever—and anticipated the forces that would soon divide the nation.

What to read while you wait: The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York by Robert A. Caro

The 2026 Old Farmer's Almanac (Aug. 26)

The Old Farmer's Almanac has been making every day "useful, with a pleasant degree of humor" since 1792. With the 2026 edition, it continues this tradition in its inimitable fashion. Trusted by generations from all walks of life, the Almanac allows readers to make informed decisions based on time-honored wisdom.

What to read while you wait: The Old Farmer's Almanac Vegetable Gardener's Handbook

New in paperback

• The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride—An award-winning novel about small-town secrets and the people who keep them.
• The Edge by David Baldacci—The 6:20 Man is back—in a small coastal town in Maine to solve the murder of a CIA agent.
• The Grey Wolf by Louise Penny—Get the latest mystery in the bestselling Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series.
• 61 Hours: A Reacher Novel by Lee Child—A bus crashes in a savage snowstorm and lands Jack Reacher in the middle of a deadly confrontation.
• The Surrogate Mother by Freida McFadden—Abby wants a baby more than anything. She was promised a miracle. She got more than she bargained for.
• Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout—Return to a beloved cast of characters of the Amgash series as they grapple with big questions.

We hope you find some titles here that you want to add to your TBR list! Let us know which new books you’re most excited about this month.

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Read more by Ashly Moore Sheldon