August is another busy month in bookland, and once again I find myself with way more to read than I have time for. But there are way worse things than having too many choices, right? This is also the last month of my Summer of Horror reading event, and I’ll be doing a wrap-up post in early September with the results of how many books on my TBR I was able to read. Meanwhile, there are lots of August horror releases, but as you can see below, I’m covering all the genre bases this month. Here are the books I hope to read this month:
We Love the Nightlife by Rachel Koller Croft. Locked in a toxic female friendship, two vampires careen toward catastrophe in this dark and dazzling page-turner, set amidst London’s glittering disco scene. I’m so excited to dive into this book! It will probably be one of my first August reads.
The Unmothers by Leslie J. Anderson. In this emotionally raw and propulsive folk horror-mystery, a journalist goes to a small town and unravels a dark secret that the women have been keeping for generations. I love this cover, and I’m always up for a good folk horror story.
A Mask of Flies by Matthew Lyons. A Mask of Flies by Matthew Lyons is a crime horror novel which blends It Follows and The Outsider, with a pinch of The Evil Dead, in which a criminal and the cop she’s taken hostage must find their way to safety – pursued by threats both human and supernatural – after a failed bank robbery. It’s not often you run across a horror story that involves a bank robbery, lol. I’m so curious about this!
Crypt of the Moon Spider by Nathan Ballingrud. Crypt of the Moon Spider is a dark and dreamy tale of horror, corruption, and identity spun into the stickiest of webs. This is the only novella on my list, but I’m very excited to finally be reading something by this author.
Ghost Mother by Kelly Dwyer. Ghost Mother is a mesmerizing psychological ghost story that blurs the thin line between reality and delusion. The author kindly offered me a copy of her book, and in fact I’m currently reading it and really enjoying it!
Glass Houses by Madeline Ashby. A masterful near future whodunit for fans of Glass Onion and Black Mirror; join a stranded start-up team led by a terrifyingly realistic charismatic billionaire, a deserted tropical island, and a mysterious AI-driven mansion–as the remaining members disappear one by one. I don’t have a lot of science fiction on my plate this month, but this is one of my most anticipated books of August.
A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher. A dark retelling of the Brothers Grimm’s Goose Girl, rife with secrets, murder, and forbidden magic. I know a lot of bloggers who have already read and loved this, and the rest of us can’t wait!
Key Lime Sky by Al Hess. An alien invasion hits the town of Muddy Gap, but a disgruntled pie aficionado is the only one who seems to remember it… For my “cozy” fix I can’t wait to read Al Hess’s new book. It sounds cute and cuddly!
Through the Midnight Door by Katrina Monroe. As emotional as it is haunting, Through the Midnight Door explores the sometimes-fragile bonds of sisterhood and the way deeply rooted trauma can pass from generation to generation. Weird house stories, I live for them! This looks like a lot of fun.
Sacrificial Animals by Kailee Pedersen. Inspired by Kailee Pedersen’s own journey being adopted from Nanning, China in 1996 and growing up on a farm in Nebraska, this rich and atmospheric supernatural horror debut explores an ancient Chinese mythology. I think this could go either way for me. I’ve sort of lost interest since I requested it, but let me know if you’ve read it.
The Girl in the Bog by Keith Donohue. Ancient heroes from Irish mythology and folklore come to life in the modern world in this dark, atmospheric story. At once a thrilling chase novel and a wry reimagining of Ireland’s oldest epic, it is sure to enthrall readers of Neil Gaiman and Cassandra Khaw. Keith Donohue is a favorite author of mine, but it’s been years since his last book, so I’m really looking forward to this one.
The Mercy of Gods by James S.A. Corey. How humanity came to the planet called Anjiin is lost in the fog of history, but that history is about to end. I haven’t read The Expanse series, so I’m glad I have the chance to check out the authors’ new book!
Asunder by Kerstin Hall. Karys Eska is a deathspeaker, locked into an irrevocable compact with Sabaster, a terrifying eldritch entity—three-faced, hundred-winged, unforgiving—who has granted her the ability to communicate with the newly departed. She pays the rent by using her abilities to investigate suspicious deaths around the troubled city she calls home. When a job goes sideways and connects her to a dying stranger with dangerous secrets, her entire world is upended. This book is getting some excellent reviews, and I can’t wait to see what all the fuss is about:-)
Come Out, Come Out by Natalie C. Parker. A spine-tingling LGBTQIA+ YA horror about queer teens who accidentally invoke a twisted spirit who promises help but delivers something sinister. Perfect for fans of Kayla Cottingham, Andrew Joseph Smith, and Aiden Thomas. I am ready for a good YA horror story, and I think this might be the one!
The Lies of Alma Blackwell by Amanda Glaze. Atmospheric and sweepingly romantic, this gothic mystery tells the story of a girl poised to inherit a famously haunted California mansion and a stranger who arrives with a dark warning… Wait, we have another YA horror! This sounds amazing too:-)
Hey, we do share a couple of books this month! Not that I doubted you, of course, but… we have NOT been on the same page this year. How many of these do you think you’ll get through?
Ha ha eventually we might sync up again! I’m hoping to get through at least ten, but I’ll really have to push myself.
How many interesting books!! I loved A Sorceress Comes To Call! And I hope to read The Mercy of Gods soon!!
I hope we both love The Mercy of Gods:-)
Ooh I’m going to have to look at the full blurbs for a couple of these as they sound intriguing. I still haven’t read anything by T Kingfisher but as I’m leaning towards picking one of the fairytale inspired ones first this August release is definitely in the running. My most anticipated books of the month are Lady Macbeth, The Enchanted Lies Of Celeste Artois & Heir Of Venus to name a few. Looking at my list there’s more out in August then I realised though
I really wanted to read Lady MacBeth but there just isn’t time to read everything. I hope you love it!
Thank you. And I hope you find time to read it eventually if you want to.
What a spooky looking line up. We have a couple of books in common and I’m really looking forward to the Kingfisher.
Lynn 😀
Lynn Williams recently posted…Review: Bless Your Heart by Lindy Ryan
I hope we both have great reading months:-)
I just got a copy of We Love the Nightlife. I heard the author give a talk on that book so I’m really excited about it.
Suzanne @ The Bookish Libra recently posted…Thriller Thursday Reviews: Storm Child & I Will Ruin You
Oh cool. I hope we both love it:-)
I’m looking forward to the Mercy of Gods (but do read The Expanse if you get a chance!! Such an incredible series!). I just finished A Sorceress last night, and loved it. Love the cover and title for Key Lime Sky — can’t wait to hear more. Hope you enjoy your August reads!
I definitely want to read The Expanse at some point:-)
A new Kingfisher! Wonderful!
Yes, it’s always a celebration when she has a new book out:-)
I really enjoyed Through the Midnight Door – the contemporary aspect (sibling relationships) even more than the supernatural one, go figure. Good luck with all those!
Roberta R. recently posted…Offbeat Offline: July 2024 (Back and Review-Packed)
Ooh good to know! I can’t wait to see if I enjoy it too.
yes I have all my August slots filled and want to read other books too. Sigh.
Sigh. Yes, just too many books to read everything.
I have an ambitious tbr this month too! Enjoy!
Stormi recently posted…Week in Review #90
Good luck to both of us:-)
There are so many books coming out soon that I can’t wait to read!
I know, it’s almost ridiculous how many books are coming out:-)
Oh no!!! So many intriguing horror titles I have not heard of. I pretend I do not see it
Jaedia recently posted…Dragons and Whimsy’s New Title & Blaugust 2024
LOL maybe you will have time to read a couple? 🙂
I wanted to start Key Lime Sky yesterday but my Kindle’s battery died, so I had to find myself a paper book. Definitely next on my list though.
Ellie Warren recently posted…The Black Bird Oracle
I hope you are able to read it soon:-)
Happy reading this month, Tammy! 😀
Stephanie @ Bookfever recently posted…Monthly Wrap-Up: July 2024
Thanks Stephanie:-)
Some pretty good books here! I’m about 40% into We Love the Nightlife and am I am loving it. I need to figure out what to read this month. So many choices!
I’m loving it too! I’m hoping to get a bunch read today. It’s reminding me a bit of Rachel Harrison’s books.
I only recognize a couple of these books so lots of great new stuff to learn about here.
I think the month has great potential:-)
I can’t wait to try the new Corey book! Happy reading, Tammy! 😀
Lashaan Balasingam recently posted…My Monthly Anticipation | August 2024
Me too, I hope we both get to read it:-)
Last month for you to concentrate on horror…get it get it!! While perusing NG a while ago I paused on Sacrificial Animals…ultimately I wasn’t sure if there would be any animal harm (which is my one CW I try to avoid), so I passed.
I’m definitely focusing on horror, but there are some good books from other genres that will be “must reads” too:-) I had the same thought with Sacrificial Animals, since that’s one of my triggers too. Hopefully it’s just in the title.
Looks like some good books! And that Key Lime Skies has me intrigued! I’ve got a copy of The Lies of Alma Blackwell to read as well. Hope we get to as many as we can this month!
Lisa Mandina (Lisa Loves Literature) recently posted…E-galley Review: Death at Morning House by Maureen Johnson
Good luck to us both, there sure are a ton of new releases!