Wondering what to read now? If you’re looking for book suggestions, look no further! Here are all the hot new August 2020 book releases for you. I’ll let you know what I’ve read, what I can’t wait to read, and what’s getting all the attention this month.
Is time playing tricks on me?
The screeching halt of March has transformed into summer days that have flown by too quickly.
Luckily, summer’s not over yet. With a few weeks left before school starts (if school even starts at all!), the mad dash of August is about to begin.
Although school shopping and last-minute vacations are probably on your calendar, don’t forget to pencil in some summer reading. The last crop of summer book releases is nearly upon us, and you won’t want to miss them.
The highlights of the month:
- Five thrillers to end summer on a high note
- A historical fiction novel set in the New York Public Library
- A highly talked about book about identity set in Nigeria
- The newest book in one of my least favorite YA series
Have I got you interested? Then keep scrolling to see our picks for the best of the August 2020 book releases.
August 2020 Book Releases – Advance Review Copies
The Night Swim
Megan Goldin
Rachel Krall, the host of a popular true-crime podcast, gets more than she expected when she investigates a rape trial in a small town. A mysterious woman named Hannah is stalking Rachel, leaving Rachel notes begging her to investigate the death of Hannah’s sister twenty-five years ago. Could that cold case be connected to the current trial?
Captivating from start to finish, Goldin has penned a likely bestseller. The coverage of the rape trial gives the feel of a good legal thriller, keeping you wondering how the jury will decide. Add in the cold case, and you’ll be guessing how the two cases connect. I was impressed with the ending, and predict people will be talking about this August book release.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 4 August 2020
Amazon | Goodreads | More Info
The Lions of Fifth Avenue
Fiona Davis
In 1913, Laura Lyons lives inside the famed New York Public Library where her husband is superintendent. Yet she struggles with her traditional role as a housewife and begins a degree in journalism. In 1993, Sadie, Laura’s granddaughter, becomes the curator of one of the library’s collection. When rare books begin to disappear, Sadie finds that history is repeating itself.
I have mixed feelings about Davis’s latest historical fiction novel. I enjoyed the connection between the two stories. The modern piece, while less-developed than the historical narrative (a common problem to modern/historical narratives that irks me), was interesting enough to push the story forward. Laura’s narrative was thoughtfully complex in spots and annoyingly simple in others, touching on motherhood, feminism, and family dynamics.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Dutton through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 4 August 2020
Amazon | Goodreads | More Info
Behind the Red Door
Megan Collins
Fern Douglas has an overwhelming feeling of deja vu when watching the news. Astrid Sullivan has been kidnapped again. Fern doesn’t remember the story from twenty years ago when Astrid was kidnapped as a teen, but she can’t shake the sense that she somehow knows Astrid. With one-dimensional characters, I was underwhelmed by Collins’s middle of the road summer thriller. I was hoping her all-too-obvious plot would be a red herring, but sadly it ended exactly as I expected. Still, if you aren’t too picky about new release thrillers, this could be a satisfying choice for a quick read.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Atria through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 4 August 2020
Amazon | Goodreads | More Info
Little Disasters
Sarah Vaughan
Pediatrician Liz Trenchard doesn’t know what to think when her friend shows up in the ER with her injured baby girl. Jess has always been the perfect mom, and yet her story of how Betsey suffered a skull fracture doesn’t add up. Vaughan’s new book was a difficult one for me to read. My heart broke for a mom who so obviously was having mental health problems unnoticed by her friends and family. With a slower pace, Little Disasters is a drama with a hint of mystery instead of an edge-of-your-seat read. Although probably only a three-star read for me, I think it would make a great book club choice to spark a conversation on postpartum depression.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Atria through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 18 August 2020
Amazon | Goodreads | More Info
Against the Loveless World
Susan Abulhawa
The story of a woman pondering the events that sent her down a radical path and landed her in prison. Born in Kuwait to Palestinian refugees, Nahr has not had an easy life. Jilted by her husband, she becomes a prostitute to provide for her family. After being driven out of Kuwait after the US invasion of Iraq, Nahr resettles in Palestine, where she finally finds a home.
Hinting at the grim realities of the Palestinian life, Against the Loveless World is a poignant tale for our times. Nahr serves as a complicated protagonist, highlighting the combination of poor choices and awful circumstances that have influenced her life. Nahr is no hero, but Abulhawa helps you realize that even terrorists are people, too.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Atria through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 25 August 2020
Amazon | Goodreads | More Info
Three Perfect Liars
Heidi Perks
After her maternity leave, Laura returns to work at a successful advertising agency only to find herself sidelined by the new hire. In her absence, Mia has ingratiated herself into the workplace, with her own reasons for desperately wanting to stay. Meanwhile, Janie, the CEO’s wife, grates at her husband’s lifestyle. A deadly fire reveals the tangled layer of secrets of these three ambitious women.
From the start, I enjoyed the tension between Laura and Mia, as Laura becomes obsessed with the new girl who has usurped her job. Although adding in Janie was necessary for the overall mystery, for me, it served as a drag on the story. I did find it intriguing that all the girls were hellbent on each other instead of the men who were at the root of all the trouble, a fact that even the main characters realize is hypocritical. In the end, things averaged out for me into an enjoyable, though forgettable, thriller.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Gallery Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 18 August 2020
Amazon | Goodreads | More Info
Betty
Tiffany McDaniel
Tiffany McDaniel uses her mother’s life as inspiration in her novel about Betty, a young girl born in 1954 to a white mother and a Cherokee father. A cycle of poverty and violence underscores Betty’s family life growing up in rural Southwest Ohio as the sixth of eight children. McDaniel is an excellent writer, describing scenes from Betty’s life in movingly gorgeous prose. Most likely, Betty ends up as an empowering story, but the weight of the violence was too much for me, and I only got a quarter of the way through the book. In just that small portion, I read about rape, incest, physical abuse, verbal abuse, bigotry, racism, and suicide. I just want to cry that this is based on someone’s real life.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Knopf through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Book of the Month – August 2020 Book Releases
Receiving my blue box from Book of the Month Club is a highlight of every month.
Here’s how it works – each month, they pick 5 books and you get to choose one book or skip until the next month. If you want to add any extra books, then you get them at a discounted price.
Each month is usually a mix of new releases and advance copies of unreleased books. If you are interested in joining, you can use my Book of the Month Club affiliate link to get a discount on your first book!
Here’s a look at the August Book of the Month selections.
The Most Anticipated August 2020 Book Releases
The Wicked Sister
Karen Dionne
Rachel Cunningham has spent the last 15 years in a self-imposed exile living in a psychiatric facility. Now Rachel begins to question if she did murder her parents when she was a child. What if it was someone else? Maybe even her sister. Full of twists and turns, reviews are coming in strong for this psychological thriller set in the remote woods of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
The Death of Vivek Oji
Akwaeke Emezi
One day, a mother in Nigeria opens her door to find the dead body of her son. Starting with Vivek Oji’s death, Akwaeke Emezi slowly unravels the explanation of why and how he died. Born to a distant Nigerian father and a loving Indian mother, Vivek has always struggled with his identity. He feels closest to his cousin Osita, who struggles to understand her cousin’s crisis. Exploring otherness and identity with sharp social commentary, The Death of Vivek Oji will be one of the most talked-about August 2020 book releases.
The Comeback
Ella Berman
Grace Turner was a up and coming young actress until a car crash ended her career. Now she’s just trying to be a better person. When Grace is asked to present a lifetime achievement award to director Able Yorke, former she realizes it’s time to reveal the truth about the manipulative director. For she isn’t powerless anymore.
Midnight Sun
Stephenie Meyer
Fifteen years after Twilight’s debut, Stephenie Meyer returns with the long-rumored fifth book in the series. Taking you back to the first novel, Meyer retells the epic love story of Bella Swan and Edward Cullen from Edward’s perspective.
Migrations
Charlotte McConaghy
Franny Stone embarks on a journey to follow the last remaining flock of Arctic terns. With the eccentric crew of the Saghani, she sets off on a journey that is her one last chance of redemption. Set in a near-future apocalyptic world where animals are almost all extinct, Migrations is described as a hauntingly observant novel that will overwhelm you with the emotions of loss.
What August 2020 Book Releases are You Most Excited to Read?
What books can you not wait to get your hands on this month? Did I miss any August 2020 book releases that you are anticipating? As always, let me know in the comments!
More New Book Releases:
Rachel @ Never Enough Novels says
The Lions of Fifth Avenue is the one I’m most interested in reading! I’ve been diving into more historical fiction lately so this sounds intriguing!
Kaylee Baldwin says
I’ve been reading more thrillers than I ever have in my life the last few months! The Night Swim looks right up my alley!
Emily says
OOOOOH want to try The Wicked Sister. The setting for a story matters a lot to me and I love the U.P!
Rachael says
I was so excited when I found out it was set in the UP. It’s somewhere I would love to visit.