Wondering what to read now? Here are all the hot new August 2022 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.
In case you’re new to Booklist Queen, every month I cover all the hottest new book releases. I try to read as many new book releases as I can to give you an honest perspective on what to read and what to skip.
However, I realize that my to-read list might not exactly match yours. That’s why I’ve also included some of the most popular August 2022 book releases from your favorite authors.
Enough from me. Let’s get on to the August 2022 book releases so you can fill up your to-read list.
Top August 2022 Book Releases
Carrie Soto is Back
Taylor Jenkins Reid
When Carrie Soto retired from tennis six years ago, she was the best player the world had ever seen, shattering every record imaginable. Now a hotshot new tennis star is threatening to break Carrie’s legacy. At 37, Carrie attempts to come back for one more epic season to defend her title, even if defying all the odds means she has to train with a man from her past.
If you’ve read Malibu Rising, Carrie Soto is that tennis player, but you don’t need to read Malibu Rising to enjoy the book. I love that Reid gives crossovers hinting at her other books in such a way that it’s fun for fans, but doesn’t preclude you from reading the book independently.
I absolutely loved Carrie Soto is Back. I started it half an hour before my bedtime and literally did not put it down until I had finished it. Taylor Jenkins Reid shines with her brilliant writing and complex characters. You do, however, need to at least enjoy tennis, because much of the suspense comes from the actual tennis matches.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Ballantine Books through Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 30 August 2022
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Daisy Darker
Alice Feeney
For their Nana’s 80th birthday party, the entire Darker family reunites for the first time in years at Nana’s house on a remote island. At midnight, Nana is found dead. When another body follows and the tide traps them on the island, the family realizes they must confront their darkest secrets or risk all being killed off one by one.
Feeny returns with a And Then There Were None style locked room mystery where family members trapped on an island begin dying one by one. Daisy Darker shines with Feeney’s typical style in the backstory chapters. However, in the present-day narrative, Daisy made an odd protagonist and I struggled to feel committed to the book. Although I correctly guessed the twist early on, I kept discarding my theory since it didn’t really make sense and I was hoping for something less cliché.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Flatiron Books through Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 30 August 2022
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The Family Remains
Lisa Jewell
In a sequel to the dark thriller, The Family Upstairs, the police have discovered Birdie’s remains and start to investigate what really happened in the house. With the police asking questions, Lucy is terrified they will find out that she killed her ex-husband, while at the same time we learn the backstory of Michael and his second wife. Meanwhile, Henry’s obsession with Finn continues as he tries to track Finn down in Chicago.
Confused? You need to read the first book (and probably refresh your memory with a summary) because Jewell jumps right in where the last book left off. Admittedly, it was fun to see what happened to all the characters from The Family Remains. Yet, on the whole, the sequel felt completely unnecessary. Far from adding much to the story, Jewell stripped out the darker elements that made The Family Upstairs so memorable and went with a slow-burn character study.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Atria Books through Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 9 August 2022
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Girl, Forgotten
Karin Slaughter
While protecting a judge getting death threats, newly US Marshal Andrea Oliver can’t resist investigating a cold case. On prom night in 1982, the popular Emily Vaughn is killed. Emily was hiding a secret, but her wealthy family and friends closed ranks after her gruesome murder. Not Andrea is determined to use her powers to find out what happened to Emily.
Love on the Brain
Ali Hazelwood
When NASA offers Bee Königswasser the lead on a neuroengineering project, she is thrilled until she learns she must work with her grad school archnemesis, the handsome Levi Ward. When her equipment goes missing and the staff begins ignoring her, Bee realizes that Levi is starting to support her at work, and must decide if she has the guts to lay her heart on the line.
The Ink Black Heart
Robert Galbraith
The sixth entry in the Cormoran Strike series has the private investigator and his partner Robin involved in another twisted case. When Edie Ledwell, co-creator of the popular cartoon The Ink Black Heart, shows up at their door terrified of an online troll, Robin doesn’t think they can help him. After Edie is killed, Robin and Cormoran try to uncover the stalker’s true identity.
The Last White Man
Mohsin Hamid
When Anders awakes to find his skin has darkened, he doesn’t tell anyone. When the phenomenon begins happening across the land, some people resist the change at all costs while others find the transformation leads to feelings of loss and newfound love. For Anders and his new girlfriend Oona, it becomes a second chance to discover each other.
Book of the Month – August 2022
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, right now you can use my Book of the Month Club affiliate link to get your first book for $5!
The August Book of the Month selections are:
See the Complete List of Upcoming Releases!
Reese Witherspoon’s August 2022 Pick
Wrong Place Wrong Time
Gillian McAllister
Just after midnight, Jen is watching out the window for her teenage son Todd to come home when she sees him murder an older man right outside their house. With her son in custody, Jen goes to be in despair but wakes to find the day starting all over again. Caught in a time loop, Jen must find out the impetus for the murder and try anything she can to stop it.
Jenna Bush Hager’s August 2022 Pick
The Many Daughters of Afong Moy
Jamie Ford
Former poet laureate Dorothy Moy has always channeled her dissociative episodes and mental health into her work. When her daughter starts showing similar behaviors and remembering items from the lives of past ancestors, Dorothy undergoes an experimental treatment to alleviate inherited trauma. As Dorothy becomes intimately connected with the past generations of women in her family, she finds a stranger is searching for her in each time period.
Good Morning America’s August 2022 Pick
Mika in Real Life
Emiko Jean
At 25, Mika’s life is still a complete mess, much to the chagrin of her Japanese parents. When the daughter she gave up for adoption reaches out, Mika tells a white lie to make her life seem more put together than it is. Just as Mika’s life seems to be settling into place, her lie keeps snowballing and she risks losing everything she just found.
The Most Anticipated August 2022 Book Releases
Babel
R. F. Kuang
In 1828, Robin Swift, an orphan, is brought from Canton to London by the mysterious Dr. Lovell. For years he trains in different languages to be accepted to Oxford’s Royal Institute of Translation, known as Babel. Learning to translate, and the magic that comes with it, soon puts Swift on a collision course between loyalty to his homeland and his adopted company when Britain starts a war with China.
You’re Invited
Amanda Jayatissa
Amaya is surprised when she receives an invitation to her former best friend’s lavish wedding in Sri Lanka. Until Amaya learns that Kaavi is marrying Amaya’s ex-boyfriend. Desperate to stop the wedding, Amaya finds herself at the center of the wedding’s rumor mill. When Kaavi disappears, Amaya finds she is the prime suspect.
Stay Awake
Megan Goldin
Liv Reese wakes up in a New York City cab and nothing is like she remembers. Strangers are living in her brownstone, her phone is missing, and her hands are covered in blood with the message “Stay Awake” penned all over them. Two years ago, she was a successful writer in a new relationship. With the news talking about a crime scene with “Stay Awake” scrawled in blood, Liv must run from a crime she doesn’t remember.
The publisher’s description is toting Stay Awake as a complex thriller, and I have to say I think it was a bit too convoluted for my taste. Liv is suffering from a condition that makes her memory reset every time she falls asleep which at times made for a great unreliable narrator but at other times just felt too unbelievable. I honestly suggest skipping this summer thriller.
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: 9 August 2022
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Nothing More to Tell
Karen M. McManus
Starting an internship at a true-crime show, Brynn is determined to investigate the unsolved murder of one of her high school teachers. Her ex-best friend, Tripp Talbot, was the key witness that provided an alibi for the other two students that found the body. As Brynn digs into the truth she realizes everything Tripp told the police was a lie, and much more was going on than she realized.
Mademoiselle Revolution
Zoe Sivak
In 1791, biracial heiress Sylvie de Rosiers flees the Haitian Revolution and arrives in Paris, hoping to find the acceptance that eluded her back home. Instead, Sylvie finds herself swept up in the French Revolution, befriending Robespierre and his mistress. As the Reign of Terror approaches, Sylvie must decide where her loyalties lie, even if it means losing her head.
Alias Emma
Ava Glass
On one of her first assignments as a secret agent, Emma Makepeace has 12 hours to deliver the son of a Russian dissident into protective custody. When Russian assassins hack into the city’s widespread security camera network, Emma must use all her training and skill to deliver him across the most camera-ridden city in the world without being spotted.
Alias Emma is a fun summer read with a thrilling high-action plot that belongs on any summer reading list. Emma was a delightful protagonist, competent and strong but not over-the-top superhero level. Plus, Emma’s chemistry with Michael hit just the right tones, a natural camaraderie without a sappy falling head over heels in love. I fully expect to see a film adaptation soon.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Ballantine Books through Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 2 August 2022
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All Good People Here
Ashley Flowers
My list of the best new thrillers of summer 2022 would not be complete without this exciting debut from the host of the true podcast Crime Junkie. When she was six years old, Margot’s next-door neighbor and best friend, January, was murdered in their small hometown. Now a big-city journalist, Margot returns home to help care for her uncle when another girl disappears. Determined to find the missing girl and solve January’s murder, Margot begins to wonder how well she knows her neighbors.
Haven
Emma Donoghue
In seventh-century Ireland, Artt has a dream to leave the world behind. He brings two monks with him and the three men search for an isolated place to build a monastery. After rowing down the River Shannon, they settle on a barren island where survival will take all of their faith and skill.
For some reason, I kept mistaking Haven for a psychological thriller like her bestseller Room, so medieval historical fiction was not quite what I was expecting. In all, the Robinson Crusoe-style story about three monks was okay. I find the details of how the men survived on almost nothing to be interesting, but I have no idea what the point of the story was. In case you were wondering, it’s not anti-religious, but wasn’t trying to win you over to religion either.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Little, Brown and Company through Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 23 August 2022
Amazon | Goodreads | More Info
Popular August Upcoming Releases
What August 2022 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 2022 book releases that you are anticipating? As always, let me know in the comments!
More New Book Releases:
Ann says
Hoping Alias Emma and Mika In Real Life will be good as they are I believe first adult books by typically YA authors.
Christi Daugherty as Ava Glass. I think I read Christi was born in Dallas?
I enjoyed Jennifer E. Smith’s The Unsinkable Greta James, her first adult fiction.
I am on a wait list for Alias Emma. May do the same for Mika.
Trying to hit the right timing & have a good book to travel with and read an upcoming trip. I just never know how fast or slow these wait lists will be at my local library.
Another good book, different genre that Ann Patchett mentioned on Laydown Diaries is Deer Creek Drive by Beverly Lowry. About a murder in the 40s, I believe.
Linda Phillips says
Author Nora Murphy. Debut novel. Titled The Favor halfway thru the book can’t wait to see what happens!