Contemporary & Literary Fiction
How to Leave the House - It's Natwest's last day before he leaves for university, and there's only one thing on his mind: the deeply embarrassing package he ordered to his house - which still hasn't arrived. He won't leave town without it. Any alternative is too distressing to consider...
I want to read because: Let the people who have never ordered an embarrassing package throw the first stone. But also… what’s in that package? I need to know.
Five-Star Stranger - In an age where online ratings are all-powerful, Five-Star Stranger follows the adventures of a top-rated man on the Rental Stranger app—a place where users can hire a pretend fiancé, a wingman, or an extra mourner for a funeral. (…) But when a nosy patron threatens to upend his long-term role as father to a young girl, Stranger begins to reckon with his attachment to his pretend daughter, her mother, and his own fraught past. Now, he must confront the boundaries he has drawn and explore the legacy of abandonment that shaped his life.
I want to read because: I’m in love with this premise and I hope this book makes me cry.
A Great Marriage - When a perfect wedding is called off just days before the big event, it sends two people—and their families—reeling. With her signature warmth, knowing humor and intimate, observational style, beloved author Frances Mayes creates a rich tapestry of characters from an unforgettable family, exploring the grand mystery ride of marriage, and what really makes for a “great” one.
I want to read because: This sounds like one of those British dramedies where the cast is tiny and everyone is mad but also hilarious and there’s a big old house and a lady wearing a cardigan and possibly a nosy priest.
Historical fiction
Accidental Darlings - When Anastasia’s beloved mother dies, she has no choice but to go to rural Skimpole and move in with ‘the Aunt’ – too fearsome for a first name, an outcast from the village who lives in a dilapidated mansion with two servants and an unruly pack of dogs.
The many mysteries of Skimpole are irresistible - how did Anastasia’s father really die? Who wrote the extremely raunchy love letters she has found in the Aunt’s bedroom, signed ‘Big Willy’? And why does everyone in the village hate the Aunt so much? When some of the Aunt’s friends from her youth arrive at the house, wreathed in cigarette smoke and an air of debauchery, Anastasia may be closer to finding answers – but the truth she was so desperate to uncover will turn her entire world upside down…
I want to read because: I truly don’t have the words to describe how fabulous this book sounds. Big Willy?!?!?
A Little Trickerie - A Little Trickerie is blazingly original, disarmingly funny and deeply moving. Portraying a side of Tudor England rarely seen, it's a tale of belief and superstition, kinship and courage, with a ragtag cast of characters and an unforgettable and distinctly unangelic heroine.
I want to read because: This book is about a young medieval vagabond and is there really anything else one needs to know?
Costanza - Based on a true story, Costanza is a dizzying and sensual historical novel that brings to life a feminist icon who has been written out of history.
I want to read because: I’m not a fan of fiction based on true stories unless there’s an art theme. In this case, Costanza was a respectable young wife who had a sordid affair with famous sculptor Bernini, so I’m reading it, highlighting it and taking notes. I love art gossip! Even if it’s kind of made up!
The Seventh Veil of Salome - A young woman wins the role of a lifetime in a film about a legendary heroine - but the real drama is behind the scenes in this sumptuous historical epic.
I want to read because: More celeb fiction!! I told you it was a big trend this year.
The Singer Sisters - This is an epic family saga that follows mother Judie and daughter Emma as they navigate the ups and downs of music stardom - asking what women artists must sacrifice for success.
I want to read because: Yep, MORE celeb fiction + family drama + retro cover = perfect summer read.
The Volcano Daughters - A saucy, searingly original debut about two sisters raised in the shadow of El Salvador’s brutal dictator, El Gran Pendejo, and their flight from genocide, which takes them from Hollywood to Paris to cannery row, each followed by a chorus of furies, the ghosts of their murdered friends, who aren’t yet done telling their stories.
I want to read because: I’ve heard this is lush and immersive, and that’s exactly what I expect from the best historical fiction. Gimme!
Thriller & Mystery
I Need You to Read This - A sly and addictive new mystery about an advice columnist searching for answers about her predecessor’s murder.
I want to read because: Who knew pursuing a coveted career as an advice columnist could be life-threatening? Is a previous recipient of poor advice finally exacting their revenge? Few things are as dangerous as poor advice, that’s for sure.
You Will Never Be Me - Influencer Meredith Lee didn't teach Aspen Palmer how to blossom on social media just to be ditched as soon as Aspen became big. So can anyone really blame Mer for doing a little stalking? (…) Would anyone else be able to resist tweaking things a little here and there, showing up in Aspen's place for meetings with potential sponsors? Mer's only taking back what she deserves—what should have been hers.
Meanwhile, Aspen doesn't understand why her perfectly filtered life is falling apart. Sponsors are dropping her, fellow influencers are ghosting her, and even her own husband seems to find her repulsive. (…) When Meredith suddenly goes missing, Aspen's world is upended and mysterious threats begin to arrive—but she won’t let anything get in the way of her perfect life again.
I want to read because: Mer should learn something from the thousands of online biz gurus to be found on targeted youtube ads and understand that her free advice could very easily become an online course, which would in turn give her a super reliable source of passive income that would eventually turn her into a billionaire. But no, she went and helped someone out for FREE. Anyway - as someone who watches influencer drama deep dives on her lunch break, I’m pretty excited to read this.
Fantasy
We Love the Nightlife - Locked in a toxic female friendship, two vampires careen toward catastrophe in this dark and dazzling page-turner, set amidst London's glittering disco scene.
I want to read because: You know, I love me some adventurous high fantasy, but the adult fantasy genre needs more of these goofy, cheesy premises. Give me toxic Bri’ish vampires, absolutely. Give me pin-up werewolves next, I don’t know, orrr supermodel fae (I’m actually really into this idea, NOBODY TAKE IT!). Fantasy has so much potential as a genre, especially in the adult fiction space. So yes, I’m buzzin’ to read this one.
Lady Macbeth - A reimagining of Lady Macbeth, Shakespeare’s most famous villainess, giving her a voice, a past, and a power that transforms the story men have written for her.
I want to read because: I’m here for any and all kinds of villainess retellings, it’s just something I’m really passionate about. Especially when the cover slays this hard.
The Maid and the Crocodile - In the magic-soaked capital city of Oluwan, country bumpkin Small Sade needs a job—preferably as a maid, with employers who don’t mind her unique appearance and unlucky foot. But before she can be hired, she accidentally binds herself to a powerful god known only as the Crocodile, who is rumored to devour pretty girls. Small Sade entrances the Crocodile with her secret: she is a Curse Eater, gifted with the ability to alter people’s fates by cleaning their houses.
(…) She is determined to impress the wealthy inhabitants and earn her place in Oluwan City . . . assuming her secret-filled past—and the revolutionary ambitions of the Crocodile God—don’t catch up with her.
I want to read because: I, too, feel like my fate has been altered every time I clean my house. Stupid jokes aside, I don’t know why but I’m very intrigued by this one. It just sounds immersive and whimsical. It’s set in the world of Raybearer (which I’ve been meaning to read for years now!!!) but you don’t need previous knowledge of that universe in order to read it.
Horror & Sci-Fi
The Unmothers - In this emotionally raw and propulsive folk horror-mystery, a journalist goes to a small town and unravels a dark secret that the women have been keeping for generations.
I want to read because: Horses giving birth to creepy human babies and main characters descending into madness? My kryptonite right there.
A Mask of Flies - A crime horror novel in which a criminal and the cop she’s taken hostage must find their way to safety – pursued by threats both human and supernatural – after a failed bank robbery.
I want to read because: Cop and criminal must work together if they want to survive something dead and hungry knocking on their door. God, I love a good zombie/golum/whatever this is story. Plus they’re in an isolated cabin and they don’t trust each other? Chef’s kiss.
Hum - In a city addled by climate change and populated by intelligent robots called “hums,” May loses her job to artificial intelligence. In a desperate bid to resolve her family’s debt and secure their future for another few months, she becomes a guinea pig in an experiment that alters her face so it cannot be recognized by surveillance.
Seeking some reprieve from her recent hardships and from her family’s addiction to their devices, she splurges on passes that allow them three nights’ respite inside the Botanical Garden: a rare green refuge where forests, streams, and animals flourish. But her insistence that her son, daughter, and husband leave their devices at home proves far more fraught than she anticipated, and the lush beauty of the Botanical Garden is not the balm she hoped it would be. When her children come under threat, May is forced to put her trust in a hum of uncertain motives as she works to restore the life of her family.
I want to read because: Not gonna lie, this is mainly a case of cover infatuation. But I love a dangerous botanical garden! It’s giving me Annihilation vibes.
Non-Fiction
Wanted: Toddler's Personal Assistant - Toddler's Personal Assistant is alternately poignant and funny, a portrait of a generation of Americans struggling to find work they love balanced against the headwinds of global uncertainty, overwhelming student loans, and an economy stacked against anyone trying to work their way up from the bottom. In this unputdownable memoir, Stephanie chronicles her journey from newbie nanny to beloved caregiver—and the painful decision to eventually say goodbye to the children she has grown to love.
I want to read because: If you want to know what it’s like to be a nanny for the 1% in New York City and have already watched The Nanny Diaries and Uptown Girls, reading this book should be the next step in your research.
Men Have Called Her Crazy - This stunning literary self-portrait examines the unreasonable expectations and pressures women face in the 21st century. Yet overwhelming and despairing as that can feel, Tendler ultimately offers a message of hope.
I want to read because: Certainly one of the most anticipated memoirs of 2024, with a beautiful cover to boot!
Pixel Flesh - An up-close and striking look at modern beauty culture―from Botox and Instagram filters to lip flips and editing apps―and the realities of coming of age online.
I want to read because: Modern beauty culture is one of my absolutely favorite subjects to learn and rant about, so this one sounds like a must-read.
Group Living and Other Recipes - Thoughtful, quirky, candid, and wise, Group Living and Other Recipes introduces a gifted memoirist and thinker, making a convincing case that “now is always the right time to reimagine home and family.”
I want to read because: If you’re 🤏🏼 this close to join a group of friends and find a place to live together because the housing market is beyond wild, this memoir is for you.
This month is such a boon!! I can't wait for You Will Never Be Me.
August is honestly rivaling September for being THAT GIRL in book releases!!