Even in a historically slow publishing month—which August tends to be—there are still more new books than any reader can possibly make time for.
Goodreads has combined early reviews and data about titles users are adding to their “Want to Read” shelves to identify some of the most-anticipated books of the month.
- Mystery: The Unknown by Riley Sager
Fiction: Take What You Can by Naima Coster
Romance: Embrace by Bal Khabra
Suspense: Freyja by Margrét Ann Thors
Cozy Fantasy: Daggerbound by T. Kingfisher
Where the algorithm goes, Goodreads follows, so this list, like most crowdsourced lists these days, is heavy on genre and commercial titles. That’s not a judgment, just a statement of fact. Lit fic readers have plenty to look forward to as well, including new novels from Chang-rae Lee, Téa Obreht, and Edwidge Danticat.
- For big nonfiction, look no further than Pulitzer Prize winner Jill Lepore’s exploration of how AI technology is undermining democracy.
Check out the whole list of Goodreads users’ most anticipated books of August.

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