The best new books coming out in August 2023
Has the inclement weather ruined your summer plans this month? We have the perfect distraction: plenty of new books
Autumn in August? Surely not, but the weather forecast predicts otherwise. It’s fair to say our high hopes of a bright and sunny month have been a little dampened so far. Inevitably, then, our plans of lounging at rooftop bars and sunbathing in the park have been replaced with binge-watching the latest TV shows and getting stuck into a good book. However, when the novels are as good as this month’s roster – think non-fiction from Diary of a CEO podcaster Steven Bartlett and new award-winning novels – who are we to complain? Here are the best books coming out in August 2023.
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
Moving and emotionally intelligent, Tom Lake is a novel about family and the lives of mothers before they have children. Set in the pandemic world of spring 2020, Lara’s three daughters return to the family home during lockdown and beg to learn more about their mother’s life – especially a former whirlwind romance which occurred while Lara was a member of theatre company, Tom Lake. This is a rich and uplifting story about family and sisterhood, reaffirming how everyone should have their voice heard.
Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen
Published on 3 August, Sarah Pekkanen’s new novel has received rave reviews from renowned authors Harlan Coben and Colleen Hoover – which is good enough to convince us to pick up a copy. If an on-the-edge-of-your-seat thriller is what you’re after, look no further than Gone Tonight. Ruth Sterling believes she knows everything about her daughter Catherine, and vice versa. When Catherine decides to move out of the family home, Ruth starts to panic and cracks are revealed in her carefully-constructed world. After all, there’s a reason why Ruth kept them moving every few years and why she was always ready to be gone in the night…
Just Another Missing Person by Gillian McAllister
Another thrilled published on 3 August, Gillian McAllister’s latest novel will have you guessing right until the last page. The story focuses on the mysterious disappearance of Olivia, who was last seen entering a dead-end alley and has not been spotted since. Julia is the detective heading up the case, and while she’s worked on missing person cases before, she has no idea how close to home this one is going to get. Because someone out there knows her secret and to prevent it from being told, she has to frame someone else for murder…
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store: A Novel by James McBride
One of the most highly-anticipated releases this month comes from James McBride, former winner of the National Book Award and one of Barack Obama’s favourite authors. This story is set in 1972 in the Chicken Hill neighbourhood of Pottstown, Pennsylvania, where a team of builders finishing the last house on a new development find a skeleton at the bottom of a well. Who it was and how it got there are two long-held secrets by the residents of Chicken Hill, a poverty-stricken area home to immigrant Jews and African Americans. As the truth unravels, McBride highlights the blight of each character and what they must do to survive.
Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo
Best-selling author of Poet X, Elizabeth Acevedo has delivered her first novel for adult audiences in the form of Family Lore, which will be published on 10 August. The reader is thrust into the centre of the lives of the Marte sisters – Flor, Matilde, Pastora and Camila – as they prepare for a big day ahead: Flor’s living wake. Gifted with powers from an early age, Flor can predict the future, which concerns her fellow sisters as they are unsure what she has foreseen. With secrets of their own, it’s time for them to confront the truth at whatever cost. Spanning just three days, Acevedo has packed a huge amount of emotion and storytelling into 384 pages – and we’re sure you won’t be able to put this one down.
The Invisible Hour by Elizabeth Hoffman
From the New York Times best-selling author of the Practical Magic series comes a new enchanting novel about love, self-discovery and the power of books. 16-year-old Ivy is pregnant and vulnerable. Cast out by her family, she thinks she finds safety in the arms of Joel Davis, but little does she know that he’s the leader of a cult known as the Community. Hoffman slyly switches the narrative to Ivy’s daughter Mia, who has only ever known the claustrophobic life of the cult. When Ivy discovers a book and begins to learn about the world outside of the Community she realises there are serious consequences if she ever dared to leave.
Learned By Heart by Emma Donoghue
Inspired by the real diaries of Eliza Raine and Anne Lister – otherwise known as Gentleman Jack – Learned By Heart is an historical fiction novel about the long-lasting connection between two women. Set in 1805, 14-year-old Eliza is a school girl at the Manor School for Young Ladies in York. Alone, fearful and lacking real friendships, she soon meets a charismatic new student who brings out the fun side in her while turning her beliefs, plans and world upside down. This addictive and mesmerising novel examines a new side to the Gentleman Jack story, and shows how one relationship can change your life forever.
Prophet by Helen Macdonald and Sin Blache
A new immersive science fiction novel by two renowned authors will be published on 24 August. It begins when an all-American diner appears overnight in a remote British field. It’s brightly lit but has no power and no connection to the real world. Soon, more and more objects materialise: toys, fairground rides, pets and other treasured mementos of the past – and deaths quickly follow. Investigator and former agent Sunil Rao and his partner Colonel Adam Rubenstein are tasked with getting to the bottom of it, and discovering what they will have to do to defend themselves and the ones they love.
The Breakaway by Jennifer Weiner
The New York Times best-selling author has another romance novel to share on 29 August, and this time we meet 34-year-old Abby Stern, who’s happy with her bike club, plus-sized body and relationship with childhood sweetheart, Mark. However, she has a lingering feeling that something isn’t right, especially when she can’t get memories of Sebastian and their one night-stand out of her head. Low and behold, it’s not long until she sees him again on a cycling trip, testing her belief about love, family and her own sense of being.
The Diary of a CEO by Steven Bartlett
Famous for his weekly podcast, Diary of a CEO, entrepreneur and Dragon’s Den star Steven Bartlett reveals the fundamental lessons he has learned in his business career in this follow-up to his first book, Happy Sexy Millionaire. Focusing on moral and emotional lessons, not strategy, Bartlett reveals the rules he swears by which are rooted in psychological and behavioural science. Are you ready to get started?
Read more: The best summer holiday family days out near London
