Here at POPSUGAR, we love books [1]. We're constantly reading, and if you're going through books as quickly as we are, you probably need some new recommendations right about now. Well, not to fear. We tapped our editors to find out the brand-new books they can't get enough of. These picks have all come out in August [2], and you won't be able to put them down.
Whether you want an engageing thriller [3], a collection of essays, or a complex novel that's "like nothing else I've read this year," these must-read books are worth checking out. They're for anyone who wants to read more this summer [4] or just needs something fun to do this weekend. Keep reading to shop our top August book recs!
Luster: A Novel
"Encountering Raven Leilani's one-of-a kind debut, Luster: A Novel [6] (£15), jolted me out of my mid-pandemic stasis. Her novel follows Edie, a young Black artist who begins dating an older, married white man in an open relationship — and ends up forging complicated relationships with his wife and daughter — is like nothing else I've read this year. Leilani's vibrant language and unflinching willingness to get down into the muck of human behaviour make each sentence of this novel feel like a revelation and a discovery." — Lindsay Miller, deputy editor
Luster: A Novel, launches in the UK on 28 Jan., 2021, but you can pre-order a copy or Kindle edition on either Waterstones.co.uk or amazon.co.uk.
The Silent Wife: A Novel
"Karin Slaughter's The Silent Wife: A Novel [7] (£21) proves that she's at the tippy top of her game. Investigator Will Trent is forced to take on two separate crimes simultaneously in this page-turner. Chock-full of complex relationships between characters, The Silent Wife will absolutely leave you on the edge of your seat. In Slaughter's traditional descriptive style, she leaves no stone unturned. This thriller isn't for the faint of heart!" — Murphy Moroney, staff writer, Family
Intimations: Six Essays
"I love reading the work of Zadie Smith, and this Intimations: Six Essays [8] (£6) came out at a time when the world seemed to need her voice most. These essays were written in the early days of lockdown; they are beautiful, poignant, and will stay with you long after you're finished. If you're interested in an incredibly timely selection of essays, you can't go wrong with this." — India Yaffe, assistant editor, Shop