“Summer’s lease hath all too short a date.” William Shakespeare

“When summer gathers up her robes of glory, and, like a dream, glides away.” Sarah Whitman

These literary quotes are just too relatable! If you’ve been soaking up the final glorious rays of summer or have been too busy to follow new releases, let me introduce some great titles that have come out this month. As usual, I scoured the bestseller lists, Kobo top reads, and Goodreads for the titles that have generated heat in August.

Of Blood and Bone by Nora Roberts

Nora Roberts has proven herself to be a gifted fantasy storyteller with her new series Chronicles of The One. Fallon Swift, approaching her thirteenth birthday, barely knows the world that existed before—the city where her parents lived, now in ruins and reclaimed by nature since the Doom sickened and killed billions. Traveling anywhere is a danger, as vicious gangs of Raiders and fanatics called Purity Warriors search for their next victim. Those like Fallon, in possession of gifts, are hunted—and the time is coming when her true nature, her identity as The One, can no longer be hidden. Her training is about to begin under the guidance of Mallick, whose skills have been honed over centuries. She will learn the old ways of healing; study and spar; encounter faeries and elves and shifters; and find powers within herself she never imagined. And when the time is right, she will take up the sword, and fight.

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig

Debut author Erin A. Craig will have you drowning (willingly) in her mystical YA fiction. Annaleigh lives a sheltered life at Highmoor, with her sisters, their father, and stepmother. Once they were twelve, but loneliness fills the grand halls now that four of the girls’ lives have been cut short. The plague, a plummeting fall, a drowning, a slippery plunge—there are whispers throughout the surrounding villages that the family is cursed by the gods. Disturbed by a series of ghostly visions, Annaleigh becomes increasingly suspicious that the deaths were no accidents. Her sisters have been sneaking out every night to attend glittering balls, dancing until dawn in silk gowns and shimmering slippers, and Annaleigh isn’t sure whether to try to stop them or to join their forbidden trysts. Because who—or what—are they really dancing with?

Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center

From USA Today bestselling author Katherine Center comes a stunning new novel about courage, hope, and learning to love against all odds. As one of the only female firefighters in her Texas firehouse, Cassie Hanwell has seen her fair share of other people’s tragedies. But when her estranged and ailing mother asks her to give up her whole life and move to Boston, Cassie suddenly has an emergency of her own. The tough, old-school Boston firehouse is completely different from Cassie’s old job — hazing, a lack of funding, and poor facilities mean that the firemen aren’t exactly thrilled to have a “lady” on the crew—even one as competent and smart as Cassie. Except for the infatuation-inspiring rookie, who doesn’t seem to mind having Cassie around. But she can’t think about that. Because love is girly, and it’s not her thing. And don’t forget the advice her old captain gave her: Never date firefighters.

The Whisper Man by Alex North

In this dark, suspenseful thriller, Alex North weaves a multi-generational tale of a father and son caught in the crosshairs of an investigation to catch a serial killer preying on a small town. After the sudden death of his wife, Tom Kennedy believes a fresh start will help him and his young son Jake heal. A new beginning, a new house, a new town. Featherbank. But the town has a dark past. Twenty years ago, a serial killer abducted and murdered five residents. Until Frank Carter was finally caught, he was nicknamed “The Whisper Man,” for he would lure his victims out by whispering at their windows at night.

From the Ashes: My Story of Being Métis, Homeless, and Finding My Way by Jesse Thistle

In this extraordinary debut memoir, Jesse Thistle—once a high school dropout and now a rising Indigenous scholar—chronicles his life on the streets and how he overcame trauma and addiction to discover the truth about who he is. Abandoned by his parents as a toddler, Jesse Thistle briefly found himself in the foster-care system with his two brothers. Eventually the children landed in the home of their tough-love paternal grandparents. Struggling, Jesse succumbed to a self-destructive cycle of drug and alcohol addiction and petty crime, spending more than a decade on and off the streets, often homeless. One day, he finally realized he would die unless he turned his life around. In this heartwarming and heartbreaking memoir, Jesse Thistle writes honestly and fearlessly about his painful experiences with abuse and what it means to live in a world surrounded by prejudice and racism.

Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion by Jia Tolentino

Trick Mirror is an enlightening, unforgettable trip through the river of self-delusion that surges just beneath the surface of our lives. This is a book about the incentives that shape us, and about how hard it is to see ourselves clearly in a culture that revolves around the self. In each essay, Jia writes about the cultural prisms that have shaped her: the rise of the nightmare social internet; the American scammer as millennial hero; the literary heroine’s journey from brave to blank to bitter; the mandate that everything, including our bodies, should always be getting more efficient and beautiful until we die.

The Zeppelin Deception by Colleen Gleason

“Gleason has vamped up the familiar world of Holmes and Watson…to paranormally exhilarating effect!” —  The New York Times. It’s a cold, blustery day in January of 1890 when Mina Holmes receives an invitation to Evaline Stoker’s wedding. The two young women—partners and occasionally friends—haven’t spoken for nearly two months, since the events at the Carnelian Crow. Shocked, Mina is still looking at the invitation when constables from Scotland Yard begin pounding on her front door. They’ve arrived to arrest her for the murder of a man she’s never even heard of. When the mysterious black zeppelin appears once again in the night sky, things are about to get even more dangerous than ever for Miss Stoker and Miss Holmes.

The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware

New York Times best-selling author of The Woman in Cabin 10 brings us another skin-crawling thriller. When she stumbles across the ad, she’s looking for something else completely. But it seems like too good an opportunity to miss – a live-in nannying post, with a staggeringly generous salary. And when Rowan Caine arrives at Heatherbrae House, she is smitten – by the luxurious “smart” home fitted out with all modern conveniences, by the beautiful Scottish Highlands, and by this picture-perfect family. What she doesn’t know is that she’s stepping into a nightmare – one that will end with a child dead and herself in prison awaiting trial for murder.

Her Silent Cry by Lisa Reagan

The latest explosive mystery in the Detective Josie Quinn series. Seven-year-old Lucy Ross is snatched from the carousel in Denton city park. Detective Quinn finds Lucy’s sparkly butterfly backpack abandoned by the ticket booth, a note with a devastating message stuffed inside: answer your phone, or your sweet little darling will die… The next day, Lucy’s parents are filled with hope when they pick up a call which they think is from their babysitter – but instead it’s a chilling male voice on the line. Josie races to the babysitter’s small apartment only to find her lifeless body in a tangle of sheets on her bed. Josie is faced with the most high-stakes case of her career as each new phone call from someone connected to the family ends with the shocking discovery of another body. This twisted killer wants revenge, and he won’t stop until the Ross family are in pieces…

Death of Darkness by Dianne Duvall

Delve into the most eagerly anticipated book in the New York Times bestselling Immortal Guardians series. Seth has led the Immortal Guardians for thousands of years. They have protected humans from psychotic vampires, defeated corrupt mercenary armies, defended military bases under attack, and more. But the latest enemy to rise against the Immortal Guardians has proven to be a formidable one, wielding almost as much power as Seth. The Immortal Guardians have succeeded thus far in staving off Armageddon despite heartbreaking losses. Then Leah Somerson walks into Seth’s life and sparks a new desire. Peace and contentment are no longer enough. She wants to find happiness. She wants to erase the darkness in Seth’s eyes and replace it with love and laughter. She knows he’s different in ways that make most fear him. But Leah will not. Nor will she shy away when danger strikes.

The Winemaker’s Wife by Kristin Harmel

For readers who love novels like Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale, The Winemaker’s Wife is a moving story set amid the champagne vineyards of northern France during the darkest days of World War II. Champagne, 1940: Inès has just married Michel, the owner of storied champagne house Maison Chauveau, when the Germans invade. As the danger mounts, Michel turns his back on his marriage to begin hiding munitions for the Résistance. Inès fears they’ll be exposed, but for Céline, half-Jewish wife of Chauveau’s chef de cave, the risk is even greater—rumors abound of Jews being shipped east to an unspeakable fate. New York, 2019: Liv Kent has just lost everything when her eccentric French grandmother shows up unannounced, insisting on a trip to France. But the older woman has an ulterior motive—and a tragic, decades-old story to share. When past and present finally collide, Liv finds herself on a road to salvation that leads right to the caves of the Maison Chauveau. 

More News

• Winners of The Hugo Awards have been announced! Hugo winners are awarded for their excellence in the field of science fiction and fantasy. For the complete list of winners, visit their website.

Hugo Award for Best Novel 2019: The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal, a feminist alternative history novel and first book in the ‘Lady Astronaut’ Series. On a cold spring night in 1952, a huge meteorite fell to earth and obliterated much of the east coast of the United States, including Washington D.C. The ensuing climate cataclysm will soon render the earth inhospitable for humanity. This looming threat calls for a radically accelerated effort to colonize space. Elma York’s experience as a WASP pilot and mathematician earns her a place in the International Aerospace Coalition’s attempts to put man on the moon. But with so many skilled and experienced women pilots and scientists involved with the program, it doesn’t take long before Elma begins to wonder why they can’t go into space, too. Elma’s drive to become the first Lady Astronaut is so strong that even the most dearly held conventions of society may not stand a chance against her.

• Gwyneth Paltrow Hired a Personal Book Curator— See what he chose for her shelves in Town and Country Mag.
• Michelle Obama recommends these eight books: Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison, The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins, White Teeth by Zadie Smith, Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, An American Marriage by Tayari Jones, Educated by Tara Westover, The Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank, and Commonwealth by Anne Patchett (Bustle Magazine).
• Kobo Writing Life has launched Podcast Promotions! Tune into our weekly podcast for great deals on reads.
• An easy way to branch out in the indie author community is by using the hashtags #amwriting and #KWLcommunity!