Top Picks of August 2023 Book Releases
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Are you looking forward to the upcoming August 2023 book releases? With so many amazing stories and authors yet to be discovered, now is the time to start making a list of all your must-reads!
The start of a new month is always thrilling, especially when we get the chance to set up our reading lists! There are some brilliant books coming out soon, ranging from romantic reads to popular New York Times bestsellers and thought-provoking coming-of-age stories or gripping historical fiction novels. As an eclectic reader, I’m sure you’ll find something enjoyable on this list, and I’m delighted to spread the news about these new titles.
If you’re new to Comet Readings—welcome! Every month I’ll highlight some of the most exciting upcoming releases to keep in mind. Deciding between them can be tough, so I’ve made sure to include a variety of genres, both from famous and debut authors, to give you the best and most varied reading experience.
Happy Reading!
If you’re looking for all the upcoming books, take a look at
Best August 2023 Book Releases
Good Bad Girl
by Alice Feeney
Mystery
On Sale: August 29, 2023
Edith, an eighty-year-old woman with a plan to escape her nursing home; Patience, a young care worker with secrets of her own; and Clio, Edith’s estranged daughter—all have something in common. Each one is connected to the mysterious disappearance of a baby twenty years prior. Now they must unravel the mystery surrounding this abduction and two murders in order to confront the truth and discover what happened to the missing baby.
Gone Tonight
by Sarah Pekkanen
Thriller
On Sale: August 1, 2023
Catherine Sterling is determined to move away from home and pursue her dream career, despite her mother, Ruth’s desperate attempts to keep them together. But when Ruth’s past threatens to catch up with them, they must face the truth about the darkness that may lie within Catherine and the real danger lurking in their lives. Will Ruth’s secrets be revealed before it’s too late?
The Breakaway
by Jennifer Weiner
Contemporary Fiction
On Sale: August 29, 2023
When Abby Stern embarks on a cross-country bike trip, she doesn’t expect to encounter the man from her past–the one who might change her view of love and life forever. Along with Sebastian, a serial dater living far away, Abby’s journey takes her back to memories of weight loss camp with her overbearing mother. It allows her to face those doubts which have kept her from embracing her true self.
None of This Is True
by Lisa Jewell
Thriller
On Sale: August 8, 2023
Alix Summers is a popular podcaster celebrating her 45th birthday at her local pub when she meets a woman who shares the same birthday: Josie Fair. Alix finds something unsettling about Josie but can’t resist the temptation to make her the subject of her podcast. As it turns out, Josie has been hiding dark secrets and has dangerously inveigled her way into Alix’s life and home.
Happiness Falls
by Angie Kim
Literary Fiction
On Sale: August 29, 2023
Mia and her family are thrown into chaos when her father and younger brother, Eugene, don’t return from a walk in the park. When Eugene returns bloody and alone, their tight-knit family is left with many questions as to what happened to Mia’s father. With a ticking clock investigation of his whereabouts and an emotionally powerful portrait of the family at its core, Happiness Falls takes readers on a thrilling ride full of shocking twists and philosophical musings.
Top Thrillers August 2023
North of Nowhere
by Allison Brennan
On Sale: August 8, 2023
Kristen and Ryan McIntyre have spent the past five years in hiding from their murderous father, Boyd McIntyre. When he finally tracks them to a small Montana town, they barely escape in a plane and crash land deep into the wilderness of Montana. With an impending storm brewing and Boyd’s hired tracker on their tail, they desperately search for safety—unaware of the severity of the upcoming danger.
Save for Later
Dark Corners
by Megan Goldin
On Sale: August 8, 2023
As the FBI searches for Maddison Logan, an influencer who has gone missing after a visit to Terence Bailey in prison, Rachel Krall is enlisted by the agency to help uncover some leads. When a dead body with a tattoo similar to one of Bailey’s appears, the team fears that he may have an accomplice on the outside. Entering into this dangerous world of influencers, Rachel must uncover the truth buried in the dark corners of the internet before it’s too late.
In A Quiet Town
by Amber Garza
On Sale: August 8, 2023
Tatum has been estranged from her daughter Adrienne for years – until one fateful day when she comes across her again. But upon attempting to reconnect, Adrienne suddenly disappears without a trace. No one believes Tatum until a mysterious man claiming to be Adrienne’s fiancé surfaces and insists on helping with the search for her. With his assistance, Tatum must race against time to find her daughter and uncover the truth about what happened to her.
The Trade Off
by Sandie Jones
On Sale: August 15, 2023
As Stella and Jess clash over the moral choices of journalism, a mysterious figure lurks in the shadows and manipulates The Globe’s every move, forcing Stella and Jess to make an impossible trade-off. As secrets come to light and tensions rise, both women must decide how far they are willing to go for the truth—and what they are willing to sacrifice in order to get it.
The Coworker
by Freida McFadden
On Sale: August 29, 2023
When Natalie Farrell, the top sales rep at Vixed, a nutritional supplement company, receives an anonymous phone call suggesting something terrible has happened to her colleague Dawn Schiff, she is shocked. It turns out that Dawn wasn’t just an awkward outsider as everyone believed―she was being targeted by someone close. Now Natalie finds herself embroiled in a twisted game of cat and mouse that leaves her wondering who the real victim is.
Top Historical Fiction August 2023
The Keeper of Hidden Books
by Madeline Martin
August 1, 2023
Zofia is a brave young woman living in Warsaw during World War II. When Hitler’s forces occupy and destroy the city, she takes it upon herself to save whatever books she can find from the wreckage. Along with her best friend Janina, Zofia starts a secret book club to keep their love of reading alive despite persecution. As the war rages on and liberation draws near, their struggle to stay alive intensifies and Zofia must fight to save her friend using literature as her only weapon.
The Secret Midwife
by Soraya M. Lane
On Sale: August 1, 2023
Emilia is a midwife, living in occupied Poland in 1942. Despite the constant presence of Nazi soldiers, she uses her role to secretly help Jewish mothers and work with the resistance — until she is betrayed. Emilia then finds herself imprisoned in Auschwitz, surrounded by horror and despair. Determined to make a difference, she teams up with a brave doctor, Aleksy, and an innocent outcast, Lena, to come up with a dangerous plan.
Save for Later
The Invisible Hour
by Alice Hoffman
On Sale: August 15, 2023
Mia Jacob is a young woman living in an oppressive cult in western Massachusetts. She finds solace in reading, and one day she discovers The Scarlet Letter and realizes it tells the story of her and her mother’s life in the Community. Through a journey of heartbreak and time, Mia must abandon the rules she was raised with. As she does so, she learns that books have a powerful ability to transport one to other worlds or bring them back in time.
Most anticipated August 2023 New Books
Vampires of El Norte
by Isabel Cañas
Horror
On Sale: August 15, 2023
Nena and Néstor are two childhood sweethearts living in 1840s Mexico, who have become estranged due to tragedy. With tensions between Anglo settlers from the north and local ranchers brewing, a more sinister force lurks at night that drains men of their blood and leaves them for dead. When the United States invades Mexico in 1846, Nena works as a curandera, a healer striving to prove her worth to her father, while Néstor is part of the auxiliary cavalry. Together they must battle against this nightmare made flesh and confront their past before it’s too late.
Shark Heart A Love Story
by Emily Habeck
Literary Fiction
On Sale: August 8, 2023
Lewis and Wren had been married for only a few weeks when Lewis is diagnosed with a rare, incurable illness–one that will gradually transform him into a great white shark. As Lewis wrestles with the knowledge of his impending metamorphosis, he and Wren must confront the loss of their dreams of growing old together and discover how to create new hopes for their future.
The Many Lives of Mama Love
by Lara Love Hardin
Memoir
On Sale: August 1, 2023
Lara Love Hardin’s memoir The Many Lives of Mama Love is a harrowing, honest account of her tumultuous life. From the opulence and excess of the perfect soccer mom to the cold hard reality of life in jail as inmate S32179, Lara shares her story without shame or self-pity. Through love, healing and resilience, she reclaims her identity from the grips of an opioid addiction and incarceration—transforming into a successful ghostwriter who eventually meets spiritual leaders such as The Dalai Lama, Oprah Winfrey, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
The Connellys of County Down
by Tracey Lange
Contemporary Fiction
On Sale: August 1, 2023
When Tara Connelly returns home to County Down, she discovers how her family has changed in her absence. As she navigates the tumultuous waters of rebuilding relationships and forging a new career, she finds an unexpected chance at love. But when the secrets of her family are revealed, Tara must decide if she can confront her fears or risk losing everyone she loves.
Reese's Book Club Pick August 2023
Reese’s Book Club is a book club founded by Reese Witherspoon. The club reads one book a month and then discusses it online. All the books are chosen with a wide range of readers in mind. Reese’s Book Club is a great way to get recommendations for books to read and to connect with other readers. Here you’ll find the updated list and know about my favorite picks.
Tom Lake
by Ann Patchett
Literary Fiction
On Sale: August 1, 2023
Exploring the power of memory and family, Tom Lake is a captivating novel by Ann Patchett. As Lara tells her daughters the story of Peter Duke—the actor she shared a stage with and had a romance with years before—the girls search for themselves in their mother’s past and are forced to confront their own lives in the midst of a changing world. With vivid imagery and lyrical prose, Patchett captures the complexity of family relationships and the beauty of a life lived.
Read With Jenna Book Club Pick August 2023
The Read with Jenna Book club is a great way for fans of Jenna Bush Hager to connect with each other and discuss their favorite books. It’s also a great way to discover new authors and learn more about the reading experience. If you’re looking for a way to get more out of your reading, be sure to check out the Read with Jenna Book Club. You won’t regret it!
Summer Sisters
by Judy Blume
Contemporary Fiction
On Sale: May 8, 1998
As two young women who are as close as family, Vix and Caitlin experience their teenage years together. They share everything from secret crushes to embarrassing moments, and with each passing summer, they become closer. But when a shocking event changes the course of their lives forever, it forces them to confront the secrets that have been kept from one another for so many years. Summer Sisters by Judy Blume is a captivating story of friendship, love, and loss that will touch readers’ hearts.
GMA Book Club August 2023
Family Lore
by Elizabeth Acevedo
Literary Fiction
On Sale: August 1, 2023
Spanning three days before a living wake for Flor, the matriarch of the Marte family, this novel follows the lives of four generations of Dominican-American women as they grapple with secrets, lies, trauma, and the ties that bind them. With a unique and captivating blend of past and present, Santo Domingo and New York City, Acevedo explores what it means to belong to a family—the dark corners and the joy and celebration—while never losing sight of the power of love.
Book of the Month August 2023
Book of the Month is perfect if you’re looking for a subscription that will keep you entertained and engaged. They carefully select books from well-known authors and new releases to send to their subscribers. You’re guaranteed to find a great book each month.
So if you’re looking for a great way to get new books each month, Book of the Month is a great option. Try it out today!
Family Lore
by Elizabeth Acevedo
The Many Lives...
by Lara Love Hardin
Happiness Falls
by Angie Kim
Shark Heart...
by Emily Habeck
None of This Is...
by Lisa Jewell
Vampires of El...
by Isabel Cañas
These are the best new books of August 2023. Let me know if you find something interesting or have already read and enjoyed any of these new releases.