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Readers' Most Anticipated August Books
At the beginning of each calendar month, Goodreads’ crack editorial squad assembles a list of the hottest and most popular new books hitting shelves, actual and virtual. The list is generated by evaluating readers’ early reviews and tracking which titles are being added to Want to Read shelves by Goodreads regulars.
Each month’s curated preview features new books from across the genre spectrum: contemporary fiction, historical fiction, mysteries and thrillers, sci-fi and fantasy, romance, horror, young adult, nonfiction, and more. Think of it as a literary smorgasbord. Check out whatever looks delicious.
New in August: Silvia Moreno-Garcia explores the shadows of golden age Hollywood in The Seventh Veil of Salome. The acclaimed writing team known as James S.A. Corey launches a new sci-fi series with The Mercy of Gods. And debut author Hayley Dennings presents a murder mystery in Jazz Age Harlem—with vampires!
Also on tap this month: Shakespearean historical fiction, an adventurous bisexual romance, and a frighteningly plausible vision of near-future American dystopia.
Add the books that catch your eye to your Want to Read shelf, and let us know what you're reading and recommending in the comments section.
Each month’s curated preview features new books from across the genre spectrum: contemporary fiction, historical fiction, mysteries and thrillers, sci-fi and fantasy, romance, horror, young adult, nonfiction, and more. Think of it as a literary smorgasbord. Check out whatever looks delicious.
New in August: Silvia Moreno-Garcia explores the shadows of golden age Hollywood in The Seventh Veil of Salome. The acclaimed writing team known as James S.A. Corey launches a new sci-fi series with The Mercy of Gods. And debut author Hayley Dennings presents a murder mystery in Jazz Age Harlem—with vampires!
Also on tap this month: Shakespearean historical fiction, an adventurous bisexual romance, and a frighteningly plausible vision of near-future American dystopia.
Add the books that catch your eye to your Want to Read shelf, and let us know what you're reading and recommending in the comments section.
Superstar author Jodi Picoult specializes in contemporary and historical fiction that explores complex moral issues in society. Her latest novel qualifies on both counts, deploying dual timelines to follow the struggles of two ambitious female authors—one in the present day, one in 1581. You may notice that the second timeframe suggests Shakespeare. You may suspect that’s relevant. You may be right. Bonus trivia: Picoult has written several issues of the comic book series Wonder Woman.
Silvia Moreno-Garcia, author of the hugely popular 2020 horror novel Mexican Gothic, returns to shelves this month with a historical novel set in the shadows of golden age Hollywood. The gist: In 1950s Los Angeles, two actresses vie for the role of legendary princess Salome. Scandal and intrigue ensue. But the really interesting part goes back a few thousand years, as we learn some intriguing details about the ancient princess herself.
Best friends since childhood, Jess and Storey take two weeks out of each year to go off-grid, hiking and hunting in the woods of rural Maine. Their latest trip takes a turn when they return to find America has abruptly descended into civil war. Dodging military patrols and secessionist militias, they pick up a third companion: an abandoned child. Clearly resonant with contemporary fears, Peter Heller delivers a disturbingly plausible dystopian vision.
The debut novel from writer Gina María Balibrera introduces two sisters from El Salvador with a story unlike any other. Fleeing the cruelties of genocide and an occult-obsessed dictator, the sisters make their way around the world—Hollywood, Paris, New York City—haunted by the ghosts of their murdered friends and family. Balibrera’s ambitious novel combines elements of historical fiction, magical realism, alternate history, and a bold kind of imaginative conjecture—call it speculative mythology.
When a young nanny is found dead amid the nastiness of a bitter divorce, attorney Stella Hudson is assigned to represent the best interests of the couple’s only child. Nine-year-old Rose Barclay hasn’t spoken a word since the mysterious death, and she may be the only witness. But why is the child collecting sharp objects? And why has the sprawling Barclay estate replaced all glass with plastic? Sarah Pekkanen (Gone Tonight) delivers a psychological mystery-thriller where everyone is a suspect.
Fans of Red, White and Royal Blue will want to check out the new rom-com from author Casey McQuiston, which proposes a fascinating thought experiment: What happens when two bisexual exes accidentally book the same European food-and-wine tour? Answer: They challenge each other to an international hookup competition! Naturally. Starting with the hot Italian tour guide, Theo and Kit embark on a series of wagers to prove that they’re truly over each other. Sure, Jan.
This third installment in Hannah Grace’s Maple Hills series follows college junior and hockey team captain Henry Turner, whose demanding class load has him stressed out. Enter young achiever Halle Jacobs, who’s juggling her own overstuffed schedule. Both are searching for some way to, you know, release all that tension. When Halle agrees to tutor Henry…well, I think we’re all familiar with this particular daydream. Can these two young people help each other out?
The new book from Ava Reid (A Study in Drowning) reimagines Shakespeare’s famous tragedy with Lady Macbeth at the center of the action. Flipping the villainess role entirely, Reid presents a resourceful young woman forced to marry a Scottish brute and find her way in a treacherous new world. To survive, she’ll need to call on all her shrewdness and savvy. Oh, and her witchcraft. Can’t forget the witchcraft. Clearly, Reid has some interesting new ideas for this retelling.
Billed as the kind of book that might have happened had Agatha Christie written fantasy novels, this BookTok hit from the U.K. is now hitting U.S. shores. The setup: In the magical land of Concordia, 12 powerful heirs embark on a peacekeeping voyage aboard the emperor’s flagship. When one of the VIPs is murdered, the sleuthing falls to our hero Ganymedes Piscero—quirky, queer, and a real bastard (in the aristocratic bloodline sense of the term.)
Devotees of galaxy-spanning science fiction will want to check out this one, the latest from the writing team behind the acclaimed space opera series The Expanse. In a far-future universe, the last remnants of humanity are abducted and forced into a Darwinian cage match with another captive species. Only one man has the vision to recognize the divide-and-conquer politics—and fight the real enemy. We suspect allegory. The Mercy of Gods is the first in a planned trilogy.
Estamos rodeados de fantasmas. That’s what Gabe’s grandmother always used to say: We are surrounded by ghosts. In the new horror novel from Gabino Iglesias (The Devil Takes You Home), five childhood friends set out to avenge a murder by tracking down the leader of Puerto Rico’s most dangerous drug gang. But things are about to get a lot more complicated. A storm-of-the-century hurricane is coming, bringing with it evil spirits that owe allegiance to no mortal.
With the dystopian fever dream Hum, celebrated Brooklyn author Helen Phillips (The Need) imagines a future in which the very fundamentals of society have been transformed by climate change, artificial intelligence, surveillance technology, economic inequality, and electronic addiction. When a desperate mom agrees to a dangerous experiment, she’s forced to put her trust in a new breed of hyper-advanced robots. Phillips’ style of cerebral sci-fi has been compared with that of Haruki Murakami and Margaret Atwood.
August is shaping up to be a strong month for speculative fiction. Set in Jazz Age Harlem, this fascinating debut YA novel from author Hayley Dennings blends period fiction with sapphic romance, a citywide murder mystery, and some interesting alternate-history world-building. Two former friends—one human, one not so much—team up to fight a supernatural conspiracy in a dark and dangerous city. They’ll have to deal with their feelings first. Also: vampires. Lots and lots of vampires.
Behind-the-curtains-style memoirs are always compelling, and here’s one whose subtitle says it all: How Nannying for the 1% Taught Me About the Myths of Equality, Motherhood, and Upward Mobility in America. Desperate to pay off her college loans, Stephanie Kiser spent seven long years nannying for crazy-rich families on New York City’s Upper East Side. She’s seen some things. She has some thoughts. But she really did love those kids.
Multimedia artist and reluctant celebrity Anna Marie Tendler has written one of the year’s most intimate and courageous books, a kind of literary self-portrait about womanhood in the 21st century. After her stay in a psychiatric hospital in 2021—and a very public split with a very famous comic—Tendler began a grueling journey of painful healing. Using the residential treatment as a pivot point, Tendler recounts her experiences and examines the unrelenting pressures women face today.
Which new releases are you looking forward to reading? Let's talk books in the comments!
Comments Showing 51-100 of 102 (102 new)
I saw a few that look interesting. I agree we’re all entitled to our opinion. Different strokes for different folks! 😃
I’ve read House of glass and there’s one other on that list I want to read but overall I found the list disappointing. Thankfully those other list and other books.
I have The Volcano Daughters on my TBR, that's the only one in this list.
No hate to the author. But I despise when people take Shakespeare and try to change the story to be more feminist or have a clear agenda they are trying to push. I'm not talking about Shakespeare-inspired stories where the characters are different and the stories are different. I'm talking about where they keep the same characters and the same storyline and try to rewrite it to be empowering. Like your changing the story completely and it's annoying. You can inspired by Shakespeare and write any story you want, but don't take his characters and his story and try to change it to fit an agenda. It personally annoys me, if anyone has more insight on why so many authors do this please let me know.
Although not what I’d usually go for - ‘Lady Macbeth’, ‘House of Glass’ & ‘The Volcano Daughters’ seem interesting and worth a try … finding books you didn’t intend on finding; not a bad afternoon.
Why haven’t I seen A Season of Perfect Happiness on any of the August lists? It’s supposed to come out the 20th. I read an ARC and it was phenomenal. I’m kind of upset it’s not getting any promotion.
This is the first list in over a year that actually has books on it that interest me. Very excited to read a few of these!
I’ll repeat Penelope commented earlier in this feed. Nothing on this list appeals to me.
Kristen wrote: "How about keeping an open mind whenever these lists come out? No need to comment how disappointing the lists are. Stick to the Browse tab and hit the New Releases, where you can either hit "authors..."Excellent tip. Another reminder for those who are disappointed--these lists are based on readers opinions, not publishers. The title of the feature is "Readers' Most Anticipated." Anyone who is excited about an upcoming title needs to click the "want to read" button as soon as they hear about an upcoming title, and their opinions will be counted prior to publishing these monthly lists. Follow your fave authors, and you will have plenty of warning!
Is dystopia the theme for 2024? Also, absolutely nothing appeals to me on this August list.
Magdalena wrote: "I am SO tired of all the House of this and that titles. If you can imagine a whole book you should be able to imagine a unique title as well."I quite agree. Instead, these are remarkably clever.
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse
Are You There, Vodka? It's Me
The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things
The Celery Stalks at Midnight
Nostradamus Ate My Hamster
An Arsonist's Guide to Writers' Homes in New England
Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal
Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off
The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds
The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven
Now THOSE are some clever book titles!
.....Karin Slaughter has a new book coming out on the 20th... just saying.
House of Glass sounds pretty good. I usually like Jodi Picoult's work but this one, maybe not so much.
Cant wait to read the third Maple Hills series book: Daydream :)
Aaron wrote: "yes, queers mak..."As it says at the top "The list is generated by evaluating readers’ early reviews and tracking which titles are being added to Want to Read shelves by Goodreads regulars."
Whatever it is you're looking for isn't what Goodreads users want to read. Perhaps you are unable to see LGBT and POC as "normal" people, but the majority do. You're not a victim here, and no one is under any obligation to cater to your needs.
Yến wrote: "If i want to read books online, where can i read?"Check your local library website to see if they offer eBooks through Overdrive/Libby and/or Hoopla.
You can use NetGalley to read and review advanced copies if you're up for serious reviewing.
Also try the Giveaways section on here. I've never won a physical copy but have been lucky to win a few Kindle eBooks.
I'm excited for Lady Macbeth! Sounds intriguing.
Kristen wrote: "How about keeping an open mind whenever these lists come out? No need to comment how disappointing the lists are. Stick to the Browse tab and hit the New Releases, where you can either hit "authors..."How have I never known this was a thing! Now I can use that for favorite authors new books instead of googling when I remember!
I also enjoying The Dead Cat Assassins by P. Djèlí Clark and look forward to Drown Me in Dreams by Gabi Burton. HAPPY READING ALL ✨🫶🏽
“The list is generated by evaluating readers’ early reviews and tracking which titles are being added to Want to Read shelves by Goodreads regulars.”Thank you GoodReads for sharing this info and lists of new books each month!
I 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 memoirs and “Wanted” is about a whole new subject for me. Memoirs are usually of big events or important people but this will be a form of social studies. Exciting!
Looking for a great new historical fiction book. I read “the women” by Kristin Hannah and loved it. Any suggestions? This list doesn’t interest me.
Aaron wrote: "I'm not going to hate on the list like so many others, however I think it is a travesty that Worst Case Scenario by T.J. Newman is not on it. Her first two books were exceptional and I just finishe..."I just read it and it's FANTASTIC
Kristen wrote: "How about keeping an open mind whenever these lists come out? No need to comment how disappointing the lists are. Stick to the Browse tab and hit the New Releases, where you can either hit "authors..."Good advice, I'm on the way there now.
This is the best we can do?No wonder I am rereading books written twenty or fifty years ago.
Picoult is usually worth the time.
Excited for the new James S.A. Corey. I'm curious to see if they can manage to pull off another series with as much skill as the Expanse. They managed to get me to read horror (which I tend to stay far away from) so lets see what they pull off this time.
Was already excited for: - The Volcano Daughters
- Lady Macbeth
- This Ravenous Fate
Found out about here:
- The Seventh Veil of Salome
- Voyage of the Damned
- House of Bone and Rain
- The Pairing
Thanks for this list!
Stephanie wrote: "I’m excited for the release of “A Well-Trained Wife: My Escape from Christian Patriarchy “, and “Our Narrow Hiding Places” (historical fiction set in WW2 Amsterdam)."genuinely thank you im new to goodreads and i just found that thank you so much!!!
8/15 I have marked as Want to Read. Was surprised to see others comment about it not being a great list. It’s a great list for me at least!
Dear Hannah by Zoje Stage : long anticipated sequel to Baby Teeth
Yes! Gabino Iglesias made the list! If you are into horror then this is your guy. His previous novel The Devil Takes You Home was very gripping and I was hooked. His writing style and description as well as the character development had me reeling.
The Rose Arbor by Ryes Bowen is not listed. Published around August 10, 2024.
House of Glass and House of Bone and Rain sound interesting.
My new books for August are:Apprentice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
Angel of Vengeance by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
A Werewolf's Guide to Seducing a Vampire by Sarah Hawley
A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher
Dinosaurs at the Dinner Party: How an Eccentric Group of Victorians Discovered Prehistoric Creatures and Accidentally Upended the World by Edward Dolnick
More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa
How do people in the comments not understand that these are the books most people added this month. Complaining won't change that and so doesn't saying that book x deserves to be on the list.
I'm new to Goodreads...it would be great if there was a line under each book description with genre, trope, etc....I'm only familiar with one author on the list and don't have the time to research every title to see if it's something I'd be interested in.Is there a place to recommend these types of things to Goodreads admins? TIA
For anyone interested in a new fantasy novel, I just finished The Dollmakers by Lynn Buchanan and I highly suggest giving it a read! It deserves more attention and praise!
The only one I really wanted to read was the house of glass nothing else looked good
They should definitely add “this summer will be different” it is sooo good!!!
Oooh! Excited to see a story with characters from El Salvador. As a salvadorean myself, it's nice to see.
"Which new releases are you looking forward to reading? Let's talk books in the comments!"I'm very much looking forward to reading The Girl with No Reflection, Of Jade and Dragons and The God and the Gumiho, hopefully sooner than later.
Of this list I'm only watching Lady Macbeth but I'm probably reading the original first, just like I did with The Daughter of Doctor Moreau which was also a great read I can recommend!
Honestly love these classic retellings, feels much more fresh than the xth version of Beauty and the beast (though I do love those as well)
Been waiting so long for The Mercy of Gods and now it’s here!
Barb M wrote: "Who put together this lame list? One of the most anticipated books by the great William Kent Krueger is releasing in August - SPIRIT CROSSING. #20 in the Cork O'Connor series."This list relies on titles which members have marked "want to read," and selects those with the most tags. It's not "curated." Anyone who wants these monthly lists to reflect more of their own tastes needs to do their part to identify upcoming books as "want to read."
So if the list is "lame," it's because too few of us bother to mark the books we are personally looking forward to reading. I found 3 on this list that I definitely want.
Magdalena wrote: "I am SO tired of all the House of this and that titles. If you can imagine a whole book you should be able to imagine a unique title as well."Absolutely agree. Although I feel like it's probably publishing that's pushing them towards these trendy names
Some of these sound sound interesting
Thanks for that tip! I love that series!