It is a truth universally known that summer brings the hottest reads. With so many books to choose from, and so little time—you can’t read them all! Which is why we’re here to help. Check out the Get Lit team’s handpicked August reads—and go add them to your TBR list!
This post was originally published on GetLiterary.com.
Imagine a world where your smart wearable device that tracks your steps starts to track the number of words you speak. How many words do you think you speak in a day? More than 5,000? The average adult person speaks over 16,000 words a day!
Imagine now that you are limited to speak only 100 words per day, and your wearable device gives you an electric shock if you go over. In VOX, a new dystopian novel by Christina Dalcher, that’s the case for women. Similar to The Handmaid’s Tale, women are no longer allowed to have their jobs or bank accounts, and they are limited to speaking 100 words daily and restricted in their reading and writing too. Even if you try to find ways around the limitations with body language, cameras are constantly monitoring you to restrict your ability to communicate. The technology already exists, so the concept of this dystopian novel is all too realistic, and could, in real life, be placed into effect very quickly.
Saimah’s Pick Imagine a world where your smart wearable device that tracks your steps starts to track the number of words you speak. How many words do you think you speak in a day? More than 5,000? The average adult person speaks over 16,000 words a day! Imagine now that you are limited to speak only 100 words per day, and your wearable device gives you an electric shock if you go over. In VOX, a new dystopian novel by Christina Dalcher, that’s the case for women. Similar to The Handmaid’s Tale, women are no longer allowed to have their jobs or bank accounts, and they are limited to speaking 100 words daily and restricted in their reading and writing too. Even if you try to find ways around the limitations with body language, cameras are constantly monitoring you to restrict your ability to communicate. The technology already exists, so the concept of this dystopian novel is all too realistic, and could, in real life, be placed into effect very quickly.
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Isabel’s Pick
Goodbye, Paris is technically a romance (I mean, how can you not fall in love in Paris?), but it’s by no means your typical love story.
Between her violin shop in a quiet town in England and her romantic, long-distance affair with her boyfriend, David, in Paris, Grace Atherton is pretty happy with her life as it is. But when David saves the life of a woman in the Paris Metro, his resulting fame shines a light on the lies he has spun, and a dark trauma from Grace’s past rises to the surface. Can Grace collect the pieces of her shattered life? And does she even want to put her old life back together anymore? For fans of Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine and Jojo Moyes’s Me Before You trilogy, Goodbye, Paris is a charming debut with a cast of quirky, unforgettable characters that proves that sometimes you have to break your heart to make it whole again.
Carolyn’s Pick
There’s something about summers in New York City that always put me in a mood to devour a good thriller. I like to think that nerve-racking psychological dramas pull me in so much that I forget I’m pushed up against other sweaty riders on the subway going home. If you’re in need of the same kind of escape or a pulse-pounding title to keep you company at the beach, you’re going to love Catherine Coulter’s newest FBI thriller. Not the first time she’s done it, but Coulter will make each hair on the back of your neck stand up in Paradox. A patient has just escaped from the mental institution and he has only one thing on his mind. Unfortunately, it’s not cracking open a nice cold beer, it’s more like trying to kidnap the five-year-old son of FBI agents Lacey Sherlock and Dillon Savich. Luckily, he fails and flees the scene, but we know that won’t be the last of him. A few days later, Police Chief Ty witnesses her first murder case on the deck of her lake cottage, which leads to the discovery of a dozen bodies at the bottom of the lake (what’s a good murder mystery without multiple bodies turning up?). Dangerous psychopath and twists you won’t see coming mean you need to read this eerie and unsettling thriller. Once you do, I promise to give you tips on sleeping without having to keep one eye open!
With unparalleled suspense and her trademark explosive twists, #1 New York Times bestselling author Catherine Coulter delves into the terrifying mind of an escaped mental patient obsessed with revenge in this next installment of her riveting FBI series. When he fails to kidnap five-year-old Sean Savich, agents Sherlock and Savich know they’re in his crosshairs and must find him before he continues with his ‘kill’ list.Chief Ty Christie of Willicott, Maryland, witnesses a murder at dawn from the deck of her cottage on Lake Massey. When dragging the lake, not only do the divers find the murder victim, they also discover dozens of bones. Even more shocking is the identification of a unique belt buckle found among the bones. Working together with Chief Christie, Savich and Sherlock soon discover a frightening connection between the bones and the escaped psychopath. Paradox is a chilling mix of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, old secrets that refuse to stay buried, and ruthless greed that keep Savich and Sherlock and Chief Ty Christie working at high speed to uncover the truth before their own bones end up at the bottom on the lake. Don’t miss Paradox, the twenty-second FBI thriller.
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Everyday People delivers exactly what its title proclaims: a collection of stories written by, for, and about the everyday human experience. Although fiction, the narratives are threaded together effortlessly as if of real people. Similar to life and the activities that make up our collective day-to-day, Everyday People is multilayered and complex. The stories are of varied styles and genres and each aims to teach many lessons while manifesting diverse voices of people of color.
“A delight and highly recommended.” —Booklist “Showcases the truth and fullness of people of color.” —Book Riot In the tradition of Best American Short Stories comes Everyday People: The Color of Life, a dazzling collection of contemporary short fiction.Everyday People is a thoughtfully curated anthology of short stories that presents new and renowned work by established and emerging writers of color. It illustrates the dynamics of character and culture that reflect familial strife, political conflict, and personal turmoil through an array of stories that reveal the depth of the human experience. Representing a wide range of styles, themes, and perspectives, these selected stories depict moments that linger—crossroads to be navigated, relationships, epiphanies, and times of doubt, loss, and discovery. A celebration of writing and expression, Everyday People brings to light the rich tapestry that binds us all. The contributors are an eclectic mix of award-winning and critically lauded writers, including Mia Alvar, Carleigh Baker, Nana Brew-Hammond, Glendaliz Camacho, Alexander Chee, Mitchell S. Jackson, Yiyun Li, Allison Mills, Courttia Newland, Dennis Norris II, Jason Reynolds, Nelly Rosario, Hasanthika Sirisena, and Brandon Taylor. Some of the proceeds from the sale of Everyday People will benefit the Rhode Island Writers Colony, a nonprofit organization founded by the late Brook Stephenson that provides space for speculation, production, and experimentation by writers of color.
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What if I told you there was a new genre that is quickly becoming my remedy for tempering the news about political uncertainty and global crises that are dominating our newsfeeds? I’m talking about up lit. The genre includes novels and nonfiction that are optimistic and feature themes that focus on finding heroism within the ordinary. The stories are about human connection and love, not necessarily romance. Sounds good, right? Self-care within a book. That’s why I was so excited to read Joanna Cannon’s new novel Three Things About Elsie. The story follows an 84-year-old woman named Florence who has fallen in her apartment at an assisted living facility. While she’s waiting to be rescued, she’s thinking about her best friend Elsie and is wondering if a secret from their past is about to be revealed. The novel is beautifully written, and a bit sad at times—but in order to feel uplifted, you have to experience what it feels like to be down, right? It’s the yin and the yang of it all. Three Things About Elsie will reel you in with its emotional story of friendship, acts of kindness, and—yes—secrets!
Twenty-five-year-old Lacey Whitman has recently been diagnosed with the BCRA1 gene mutation: the “breast cancer” gene, and her best chance of survival is a preventative double mastectomy. This would be a difficult choice for anyone—Lacey struggles especially because she doesn’t want to lose “the girls” until she’s had the chance to use them...sexually. So naturally she and her friends make a “boob bucket list”—everything Lacey would want to do with her breasts before a possible surgery. And so, begins a year of sensual exploration and sexual entertainment. The Bucket List is a wild and thoughtful romp you don’t want to miss!
“Witty, sexy.” —Los Angeles Times *Best Reads of Summer—PureWow* From the author of the critically acclaimed “lively and engrossing parable for women of all generations” (Harper’s Bazaar) The Regulars comes a deeply funny and thoughtful tale of a young woman who, after discovering she has the breast cancer gene, embarks on an unforgettable bucket list adventureTwenty-five-old Lacey Whitman is blindsided when she’s diagnosed with the BCRA1 gene mutation: the “breast cancer” gene. Her high hereditary risk forces a decision: increased surveillance or the more radical step of a preventative double mastectomy. Lacey doesn't want to lose her breasts. For one, she’s juggling two career paths; her work with the prestigious New York trend forecaster Hoffman House, and her role on the founding team of a sustainable fashion app with friend/mentor, Vivian Chang. Secondly, small-town Lacey’s not so in touch with her sexuality: she doesn’t want to sacrifice her breasts before she’s had the chance to give them their hey-day. To help her make her choice, she (and her friends) creates a “boob bucket list”: everything she wants do with and for her boobs before a possible surgery. This kicks off a year of sensual exploration and sexual entertainment for the quick-witted Lacey Whitman. The Bucket List cleverly and compassionately explores Lacey’s relationship to her body and her future. Both are things Lacey thought she could control through hard work and sacrifice. But the future, it turns out, is more complicated than she could ever imagine. Featuring the pitch-perfect “compulsively delicious” (Redbook) prose of The Regulars, The Bucket List is perfect for fans of Amy Poeppel and Sophie Kinsella.
I’ve written about You before, but I had to bring it back just so you could see the creepy cover of the movie edition. Soon to be a new series on Lifetime featuring Penn Badgley and Elizabeth Lail (kicking off September 9!), You is the story of a stalkery dude who *does what he has to do* to get the object of his obsession. When beautiful, aspiring writer Guinevere Beck strides into the East Village bookstore where Joe Goldberg works, he does what anyone would: he Googles the name on her credit card. There is only one Guinevere Beck in New York City. She has public social media, which tells Joe everything he needs to know: including where she’ll be tonight. Joe invisibly and obsessively takes control of Beck’s life, eventually moving from stalker to boyfriend, transforming himself into Beck’s perfect man—all while quietly removing the obstacles that stand in his way, whatever it takes. *shivers*
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A NEW YORK TIMES AND USA TODAY BESTSELLER
“Hypnotic and scary.” —Stephen King
“I am riveted, aghast, aroused, you name it. The rare instance when prose and plot are equally delicious.” —Lena Dunham
From debut author Caroline Kepnes comes You, one of Suspense Magazine’s Best Books of the Year, and a brilliant and terrifying novel for the social media age.
When a beautiful, aspiring writer strides into the East Village bookstore where Joe Goldberg works, he does what anyone would do: he Googles the name on her credit card.
There is only one Guinevere Beck in New York City. She has a public Facebook account and Tweets incessantly, telling Joe everything he needs to know: she is simply Beck to her friends, she went to Brown University, she lives on Bank Street, and she’ll be at a bar in Brooklyn tonight—the perfect place for a “chance” meeting.
As Joe invisibly and obsessively takes control of Beck’s life, he orchestrates a series of events to ensure Beck finds herself in his waiting arms. Moving from stalker to boyfriend, Joe transforms himself into Beck’s perfect man, all while quietly removing the obstacles that stand in their way—even if it means murder.
A terrifying exploration of how vulnerable we all are to stalking and manipulation, debut author Caroline Kepnes delivers a razor-sharp novel for our hyper-connected digital age. You is a compulsively readable page-turner that’s being compared to Gone Girl, American Psycho, and Stephen King’s Misery.
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