6 Must-Read Books New in Paperback This August

For fans of BIG LITTLE LIES and the long list of suburban thrillers taking over our reading lists, have you read any Lisa Jewell lately? This month’s Book Club Favorites pick, WATCHING YOU is a heart-pounding domestic mystery with twists and turns—a perfect companion for the last few weeks of summer. In Melville Heights—one of the finest neighborhoods in Bristol, England—a shocking murder reveals secret obsessions that date back twenty years, involving a beloved headmaster, his son, and a student. A Lisa Jewell novel is not to be missed.

From the author of ETTA AND OTTO AND RUSSELL AND JAMES, Emma Hooper’s follow-up is a family story spanning two generations that will warm your heart. After the fish disappear from their fishing village, Big Running, the Connors are one of the few families to remain in the once-thriving town. With the help of his music instructor, eleven-year-old Finn Connor becomes obsessed with solving the mystery of where the fish have gone. Meanwhile, his sister, Cora, longs for a bigger life beyond the shores of Big Running. A gorgeous portrait of family that weaves together four stories, OUR HOMESICK SONGS deserves a spot on your reading list.

Paula McLain calls THE VERDUN AFFAIR “ravishingly beautiful,” so you know you’ve got to read it sooner rather than later. This historical novel follows Tom, a young American orphaned by World War I who is helping the grieving families who travel through Verdun. Then he meets Sarah Hagen, a disarmingly beautiful woman looking for her missing husband. A sweeping romance develops between Tom and Sarah—one that both distracts and heals them from the sorrows of this world.

New in paperback and in bookstores, Hannah Orenstein’s follow-up to PLAYING WITH MATCHES will surely distract you from Instagram-stalking your ex. In LOVE AT FIRST LIKE, Eliza Roth—who co-owns a Brooklyn jewelry shop with her sister—accidentally posts a photo of herself with an engagement ring to her 100,000 Instagram followers. As expected, sales go through the roof and Eliza must find a fake fiancé to keep up this ruse . . . and sales. When entrepreneur (and perfect fake fiancé) Blake enters the picture things spin out of control and Eliza’s lies become harder and harder to keep up with.

Rejoice! V. C. Andrews’s famed Dollanganger series continues with this new novel, BENEATH THE ATTIC. The ninth novel in the series, this prequel explores the origins of the Foxworth family when Corinne Dixon is swept away by the charming Garland Foxworth. After an unexpected pregnancy, Corrine marries Garland but is soon faced with the truth about her beloved. Is the Foxworth family not what they appear? How will Corrine survive this strange new life? Well, we know how things will turn out for Corrine—now see where they began in BENEATH THE ATTIC.

Make room for some nonfiction on your August list with wise words from Brené Brown. A Reese Witherspoon Hello Sunshine Book Club pick, BRAVING THE WILDERNESS is Brown’s call to embrace who you are and discover your true sense of belonging. In a climate of disconnection with each other and ourselves, Brown argues that “true belonging requires us to believe in and belong to ourselves so fully that we can find sacredness both in being a part of something and in standing alone when necessary.”