The best new books to read in August 2021

01 of 15

Afterparties, by Anthony Veasna So

A short-story collection exploring the lives of Cambodian American refugees in Central California, So's posthumous work (he died unexpectedly last year) explores queerness and the fraught relationships between family and friends. Don't expect this to be the last you hear of a bright talent taken too soon. (Aug. 3)

02 of 15

All's Well, by Mona Awad

Ostensibly a novel about an attempted staging of Shakepeare's All's Well That Ends Well, Awad's third book leans into surrealism thanks to protagonist Miranda Fitch, a drama teacher plagued with chronic pain who is visited by three mysterious strangers with a plan to help her get revenge on students who refuse to comply. (Aug. 3)

03 of 15

Edge Case, by YZ Chin

After Edwina's husband walks out on her without a word or note as to his whereabouts, she's forced to confront the truth about their courtship and marriage — but also her devotion to the pursuit of an elusive green card and this country that holds safety and security over her head as she gives it everything. (Aug. 3)

04 of 15

Damnation Spring, by Ash Davidson

Along California's northern coast, Rich Gunderson's family has made a living in logging for generations. But now, as the forest begins to run out and the women in town begin to notice disturbing fertility patterns that might be tied to an herbicide, the community stands at a precipice. (Aug. 3)

05 of 15

Immediate Family, by Ashley Nelson Levy

Levy's debut novel feels almost memoir-like in its realness: It's written as a letter to the narrator's adopted younger brother as she readies a toast for his looming wedding, attempting to make sense of the hardships he faced and her family's unwitting role in his struggles. (Aug. 3)

06 of 15

Ghosts, by Dolly Alderton

The British writer and romance columnist became a hit with young women the world over when she released her memoir Everything I Know About Love, and her debut novel brings many of the same themes to the page. As protagonist Nina gets ghosted by a man she just fell in love with, Alderton explores the perils of modern heteronormative dating. (Aug. 3)

07 of 15

Getaway, by Zoje Stage

The Baby Teeth author's third novel is set during a hiking trip to the Grand Canyon and explores the dark side of friendship: jealousy, envy, and more that change the relationship between three women forever. (Aug. 3)

08 of 15

Radiant Fugitives, by Nawaaz Ahmed

The story of a fractured family — Seema lives in San Francisco working on Kamala Harris' attorney general campaign, estranged from her parents in Chennai after coming out as a lesbian — is told by the unborn baby of the book's protagonist. Ahmed pulls off the unconventional framing, and the result is irrefutably poignant. (Aug. 3)

09 of 15

Once There Were Wolves, by Charlotte McConaghy

The Australian author made waves with last summer's Migrations, a meditation on climate change and loneliness, and returns with a new story set in the Scottish Highlands, where two twin sisters join a team attempting to reintroduce a pack of wolves to their natural surroundings. (Aug. 3)

10 of 15

The Turnout, by Megan Abbott

Megan Abbott does dance drama! Two sisters inherit their parents' ballet school and must reckon with the aftermath of a suspicious accident that happens just before the annual staging of The Nutcracker. (Aug. 3)

11 of 15

The Husbands, by Chandler Baker

Baker's latest domestic thriller can best be described as a gender-swapped version of The Stepford Wives — and to add further enticement, it's set to become a film starring Kristen Wiig. (Aug. 3)

12 of 15

In the Country of Others, by Leila Slimani

On the heels of the success of The Perfect Nanny, Slimani launches a trilogy about a marriage between a young French woman and a Moroccan former soldier who raise their children in the aftermath of World War II. (Aug. 10)

13 of 15

Velvet Was the Night, by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

The author of the 2020 smash hit Mexican Gothic pivots to noir with this thriller set amid the political unrest of 1971 Mexico City. It follows two narrators: Maite, a secretary with a seemingly simple life and a penchant for reading romance comic books, and Elvis, a member of the state-sponsored paramilitary gang known as the Hawks. (Aug. 17)

14 of 15

The Ones Who Don't Say They Love You, by Maurice Carlos Ruffin

This collection of short stories is an homage to Ruffin's hometown of New Orleans — he honors the city that visitors know but more importantly shines light on the people and places that form the backbone of the less-visible city. (Aug. 17)

15 of 15

A Slow Fire Burning, by Paula Hawkins

When a young man is found stabbed to death on a London houseboat, everyone — including his recent (and quite down-on-her-luck) one-night stand, a busybody neighbor with enough personal dramas to fill her own houseboat, and estranged family members —is a suspect, each more inscrutable than the last. (Aug. 31)