We’re more than half way into the year, we believe it’s time for a reading checkup: how are everyone’s 2023 reading goals coming along? New favorites? Any five-star books so far? Feeling ahead or behind? Fortunately, there are still three-quarters of the year remaining, which means so! many! more! books! And these August releases are certain to increase the size of your reading list. There is a book for everyone at every stage of your reading journey, whether you’re in the mood for a standalone, beginning a new series, or revisiting some of your favorite authors. Quickly add this month’s new releases to your reading list by scrolling down!
Lies We Sing to the Sea by Sarah Underwood
In Ithaca, twelve young women are executed every spring. This is the request made by the vengeful Poseidon for the Queen Penelope’s twelve maids who were hanged and dumped into the sea centuries ago. When Leto’s time comes, however, she does not expect to die. Instead, she finds herself awoken on an enigmatic island where she meets a young woman with green eyes who possesses the power to control the sea. a young woman named Melantho who thinks that one more death can stop a thousand. Everyone will be drowned by the tides of fate if the prince of Ithaca does not pass away. Sarah Underwood spins an epic tapestry of lies, love, and tragedy that will appeal to readers who enjoy Madeline Miller, Alexandra Bracken, and Renée Ahdieh.
Missing Clarissa by Ripley Jones
Fans of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder will enjoy Ripley Jones’ riveting novel Missing Clarissa because it centers on two friends who start a true crime podcast with perilous results. In August 1999, Clarissa Campbell, a hugely popular cheerleader, goes missing after leaving a party in the woods near the small Washington town of Oreville. She was never found. Her teachers, friends, and other adults are questioned by the police because they all have something to hide. In addition, the mystery captures the nation’s interest due to Clarissa’s beauty. However, the case quickly goes cold because there are no leads and no body. Despite the efforts of online sleuths and true-crime enthusiasts, Clarissa has never been found, dead or alive. Blair and Cameron, best friends and juniors in high school in Oreville, start a true crime podcast to investigate the origins of this rural urban legend two decades later. The sordid truth about Clarissa’s relationship with her charismatic boyfriend is revealed as a result, and they also learn about a small-town figurehead who used to be a high school art teacher and has a very good reason to want Clarissa dead. A compelling enough argument, in fact, that they might need to include him in their upcoming episode… Does, however, a murky past involving a kidnapped girl convict him of murder? Or are two young women about to put the life of an innocent man in danger while letting the real murderer go free?
Mother of the River by Emily McPherson
Mother of the River, a story about a 17-year-old girl who is looking for her missing mother when she discovers a lost legend, was inspired by traditional Irish mythology. Ianthe was just six years old when her mother vanished and the enigmatic statue materialized in a nearby river. Ianthe frequently goes there with her mother to share stories about her life now, eleven years later, when the statue serves as a memorial. The existence of a mythical creature is called into question, and Ianthe starts to wonder what actually happened all those years ago, when an old friend returns to town and claims that the statue is more than just a statue. Along with her best friend Fintan, Ianthe searches for a lost legend and uncovers fantastical perils, family secrets, and the magic of Ireland. Finding the myth, though, might not be enough to undo the past. And learning the truth might put her future in danger.
There Goes the Neighborhood by Jade Adia
Jade Adia’s unforgettable debut novel tells the tale of three best friends who will stop at nothing to stay together. It also serves as a raised fist against the destructive forces of gentrification and a love letter to communities of color everywhere. The fear is real, even though the gang is imaginary. The mom-and-pop stores of Rhea’s youth are being replaced by artisanal kombucha breweries and hot yoga studios, which is causing the neighborhood to deteriorate. Additionally, she has the impression that she is no longer welcome anywhere. Rhea and her two best friends call their little patch of South Los Angeles home, despite the fact that it isn’t perfect. It also deserves protection. However, as more white people move to their newest urban utopia for its low rent and brand-new Whole Foods, more of Rhea’s friends and family are pushed out. until Rhea decides a counterattack is necessary. The friends manipulate social media using cell phones and a bag of fireworks to give the impression that there is gang violence in their neighborhood. Rhea only wanted to safeguard her neighborhood. her companions. Herself. It wasn’t intended for anyone to get hurt. It wasn’t intended for anyone to die. But when power is used to combat fear, is anyone ever truly safe?
A Long Stretch Of Bad Days by Mindy McGinnis
After years of work, Lydia Chass is poised to enroll in a prestigious journalism program and surpass Henley, but a mistake at the school prevents her from receiving all the credits she needs to graduate. Bristal Jamison, who uses foul language and has a bad reputation, still needs one more credit to graduate. In order to look into the Long Stretch of Bad Days, a week in which Henley was hit by a tornado, a flash food, and its first, only, and unsolved murder, the two forge an unforeseen alliance while remaking Lydia’s town history podcast. Some do not want these hidden secrets to be revealed as their investigation reveals them. The girls must find the truth before Henley’s shadowy past catches up with them as the threats grow more serious.
Flowerheart by Catherine Bakewell
The power of Clara’s magic has always been erratic. However, it has never been hazardous. Then, with just a touch, poisonous flowers begin to bloom on her father’s chest. He needs a spell that must be cast, a spell that requires absolute mastery, to heal him. Her former best friend Xavier, who has changed from a shy, sweet child into a distant, enigmatic person, is the only one willing to help her. Clara will do anything to save her father, so Xavier demands a terrible price in return. She learns that he is keeping a lot of secrets as she tries to reconcile the new Xavier with the boy she used to love. Along the way, she unearths the cause of the terrible darkness that has engulfed the kingdom and that only Clara’s magic can dispel.
The Sinister Booksellers of Bath by Garth Nix
Mythical trouble is frequently present in Bath. The ancient hot spring and the being that resides in it are closely monitored by the booksellers who patrol the Old World. This time, the left-handed bookseller Merlin is in grave danger due to the discovery of a sorcerous map, necessitating a desperate rescue effort from his sister, the right-handed bookseller Vivien, and art student Susan Arkshaw, who is still having trouble accepting her own recently discovered magical heritage. The map directs the party to a mysterious location protected by terrifying magic and manned by enormous living statues. However, this is only the start. The booksellers must look into the centuries’ worth of disappearances and deaths in order to learn the secrets of a murderous Ancient Sovereign. She will likely commit another murder soon if they do not step in. Her intended victim is not a regular person this time.