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What should I read next? 15 new books to check out


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Ready to line your bookshelves? 

August’s hottest new books include riveting kitchen confidential memoirs and fantastical journeys to hell, literary TikTok horrors and swoony romances ready to fill that “Love Island” void. 

This month also saw plenty of celebrity book news, including tell-alls from “Ted Lasso” actor Keeley Hazell and “Camp Rock” and Disney alum Alyson Stoner. Jennette McCurdy, author of the bestselling “I’m Glad My Mom Died,” announced her debut novel. We chatted with plus-sized model Tess Holliday, who wrote a new book aimed at bolstering teen confidence. Even Barack Obama shared his favorite books in his annual summer roundup.

What to read next: 15 new books to check out now

We’re willing to bet your next great read is in this list. From cozy, whimsical fantasies to historical fiction and horror, this guide to August’s brightest new releases has something for everyone.

‘Katabasis’ by R.F. Kuang

Kuang delivers an epic for dark academia lovers, romantasy readers and mythology nerds alike in “Katabasis.” Both a high-stakes adventure and a commentary on the academic world, “Katabasis” is about a magic-studying graduate student who will do anything for success, even if that means journeying through Hell to save her toxic professor. 

‘The Magician of Tiger Castle’ by Louis Sachar

This cozy, historical fairytale is brimming with nostalgia and whimsy, perfect for grown-up fans of “Holes.” “The Magician of Tiger Castle” follows a tea-obsessed magician tasked with saving the kingdom after a princess falls in love with a lowly scribe rather than the prince she was arranged to marry. 

‘People Like Us’ by Jason Mott

National Book Award winner Mott started writing “People Like Us” as a memoir, but pivoted to ultra-meta fiction, serving as a quasi-sequel to his bestseller “Hell of a Book.” This enrapturing novel follows the fever dream aftermath of an author who wins a national literary award while another author visits a university that’s just experienced a mass shooting. Come for a peek behind the curtain at literary A-listers and stay for the poignant commentary on racism and gun violence in America.

‘Tart: Misadventures of an Anonymous Chef’ by Slutty Cheff

This memoir is a biting and hilarious romp through kitchens and adulthood from the anonymous British Vogue columnist behind @sluttycheff on Instagram. It’s a raw depiction of a young woman who ditches corporate work for the high-stakes kitchens of the fine dining world. 

‘The Re-Write’ by Lizzie Damilola Blackburn

“The Re-Write” is for anyone missing “Love Island” right now. Temi and Wale already have an unhappy ending. They had a whirlwind romance, which ended when Wale left his aspiring writer girlfriend for a shot at fame on a reality dating show. Now with celebrity status as a bad boy, Wale is looking for a ghostwriter to pen his memoir. When that turns out to be Temi, will they get another shot at a happily ever after?

‘The Hounding’ by Xenobe Purvis

Billed for fans of “The Crucible” and “The Virgin Suicides,” “The Hounding” shows how far one town will go to keep young women under its thumb. Little Nettlebed residents have always perceived the Mansfield girls as odd. But when one man swears he saw them transform into dogs, the town rumor mill quickly gets out of control. 

‘Loved One’ by Aisha Muharrar

A meditation on grief, friendship and memory, “Loved One” follows 30-year-old Julia as she attends the funeral of her first-love-turned-close-friend Gabe, who died unexpectedly. There, she meets the last woman Gabe loved, which sets both women on a collision course to uncover the deepest parts they’re hiding from themselves and each other. 

‘If You’re Seeing This, It’s Meant for You’ by Leigh Stein

This literary horror is for anyone who’s felt fate intervening on their TikTok feed. Dayna is unemployed and newly single, and an out-of-the-blue opportunity to fix up a dilapidated mansion into an influencer house seems like her ticket to a new life. Then the house’s enigmatic tarot card influencer vanishes, and Dayna and another house member begin a social media campaign to find her – and gain some virality for themselves.

‘A New New Me’ by Helen Oyeyemi

“A New New Me” is short and sweet speculative literary fiction, a punchy story about a woman who splits herself seven ways to get through the week – Kinga-A through Kinga-G live different lives with different personalities on their designated day. The Kingas live in careful balance, but when Kinga-A discovers a man tied up in their apartment, all versions must reckon with what they know about each other. 

‘L.A. Women’ by Ella Berman

Fans of “Didion and Babitz” and the literary lore of 1960s California will love “L.A. Women.” This novel follows a pair of famous frenemy writers drawn to each other as their careers skyrocket. But then one betrays the other by penning a book based on the life of the other, calling into question whether great art is worth the cost. 

‘The Book of Lost Hours’ Hayley Gelfuso

Told in two timelines, this historical fantasy set in Cold War-era America centers on a mystical library filled with specially made watches that contain the memories of the deceased. A young girl grows up there, trapped and alone, after her watchmaker father vanishes. But her sanctuary is at risk of government overtake by agents who want to control remembered history. 

‘Once Upon a Time in Dollywood’ by Ashley Jordan

Desperate times call for drastic change in this debut rom-com. When words fail star playwright Eve Ambroise, she grasps for a fresh start by ending her engagement, cutting off her parents and escaping to the Tennessee mountains. She moves next door to Jamie Gallagher, a single dad trying to find equilibrium after a rough custody battle. The two find chemistry quickly, and when true feelings ignite, they wonder if it’s worth the risk of being burned again.

‘The Possession of Alba Díaz’ by Isabel Cañas

“The Possession of Alba Díaz” is a gothic horror set in 1765 as a young woman flees her plague-stricken home with her wealthy parents and her fiancé. But the horror doesn’t stop after her escape – she starts suffering strange hallucinations and convulsions. As her condition worsens, her fiancé’s brooding cousin becomes an unwilling participant in the evil forces tormenting her. 

‘We Are All Guilty Here’ by Karin Slaughter

Every teenager has something to hide, but what happens when those secrets turn deadly? When two teen girls vanish from the small town of North Falls, Officer Emmy Clifton is determined to find them, not just to uncover the truth but because one of the missing girls is her best friend’s daughter. As she pieces together the puzzle, she realizes nothing was ever as it seemed.

‘Lucky Day’ by Chuck Tingle

From the bestselling horror author of “Bury Your Gays” comes an apocalyptic tale of a former statistics professor solving a horrific global disaster – the Low-Probability Event, a day of bizarre freak accidents that killed eight million people in total. A suspicious casino may be the answer to the questions that she, and all of humanity, are grappling with.  

Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY’s Books Reporter, where she covers buzzy releases, chats with authors and dives into the culture of reading. Find her on Instagram, subscribe to our weekly Books newsletter or tell her what you’re reading at cmulroy@usatoday.com

Contributing: Jennifer McClellan



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