While 2020 may not have turned out as anyone expected, it has been a great year for new book releases. So, as the world spins madly on, I’m reaching for my bookcase and making my way through my ever-expanding TBR stack. With the number of exciting titles published recently, I thought I’d compile a list of new book releases for August 2020 that I can’t wait to delve into.
The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi
4th August, Faber & Faber
One afternoon, a mother opens her front door to find the length of her son’s body stretched out on the veranda. The Death of Vivek Oji transports us to the day of Vivek’s birth, the day his grandmother Ahunna died. It is the story of an overprotective mother and a distant father, and the heart-wrenching tale of one family’s struggle to understand their child, just as Vivek learns to recognize himself.
Teeming with unforgettable characters whose lives have been shaped by Vivek’s gentle and enigmatic spirit, it shares with us a Nigerian childhood that challenges expectations. This novel, and its celebration of the innocence and optimism of youth, will touch all those who embrace it.
Buy:
Waterstones
Book Depository
True Story by Kate Reed Petty
4th August, Quercus Books
After a college party, two boys drive a girl home: drunk and passed out in the back seat. Rumours spread about what they did to her, but later they’ll tell the police a different version of events. Alice will never remember what truly happened. Her fracture runs deep, hidden beneath cleverness and wry humour. Nick – a sensitive, misguided boy who stood by – will never forget.
That’s just the beginning of this extraordinary journey into memory, fear and self-portrayal. Through university applications, a terrifying, abusive relationship, a fateful reckoning with addiction and a final mind-bending twist, Alice and Nick will take on different roles to each other – some real, some invented – until finally, brought face to face once again, the secret of that night is revealed.
The Comeback by Ella Berman
5th August, Berkley
A deep dive into the psyche of a young actress raised in the spotlight under the influence of a charming, manipulative film director and the moment when she decides his time is up.
Alternating between past and present, The Comeback tackles power dynamics and the uncertainty of young adulthood, the types of secrets that become part of our sense of self, and the moments when we learn that though there are many ways to get hurt, we can still choose to fight back.
The Revolt by Clara Dupont-Monod
6th August, Quercus Books
Translated by Ruth Diver
It is with a soft voice, full of menace, that our mother commands us to overthrow our father . . .
Richard Lionheart tells the story of his mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine. In 1173, she and three of her sons instigate a rebellion to overthrow the English king, her husband Henry Plantagenet. What prompts this revolt? How does a great queen persuade her children to rise up against their father? And how does a son cope with this crushing conflict of loyalties?
Replete with poetry and cruelty, this story takes us to the heart of the relationship between a mother and her favourite son. Two individuals sustained by literature, unspoken love, honour and terrible violence.
Sisters by Daisy Johnson
13th August, Jonathan Cape
Desperate for a fresh start, their mother Sheela moves them across the country to an old family house that has a troubled life of its own. Noises come from behind the walls. Lights flicker of their own accord. Sleep feels impossible, dreams are endless.
In their new, unsettling surroundings, July finds that the fierce bond she’s always had with September – forged with a blood promise when they were children – is beginning to change in ways she cannot understand.
Taut, transfixing and profoundly moving, Sisters explodes with the fury and joy of adolescence. It is a story of sibling love and sibling envy to rival Shirley Jackson and Stephen King. With Sisters, Daisy Johnson confirms her standing among the most inventive and exciting young writers at work today.
Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko
18th August, Hot Key Press
Tarisai has always longed for the warmth of a family. A mysterious, often absent mother known only as The Lady raised her in isolation. The Lady sends her to the capital of the global empire of Aritsar where she must compete with other children. The winner join the Crown Prince’s Council of 11 whose members have a bond deeper than blood.
That closeness is irresistible to Tarisai, who has always wanted to belong somewhere. But The Lady has other ideas. She has a magical wish that Tarisai is compelled to obey: Kill the Crown Prince once she gains his trust. Tarisai won’t stand by and become someone’s pawn—but is she strong enough to choose a different path for herself? With extraordinary world-building and breathtaking prose, Raybearer is the story of loyalty, fate, and the lengths we’re willing to go for the ones we love.
Buy
Waterstones
The Book Depository
Summerwater by Sarah Moss
20th August, Picador
On the longest day of the summer, twelve people sit cooped up with their families in a faded Scottish cabin park. The endless rain leaves them with little to do but watch the other residents.
A woman goes running up the Ben as if fleeing; a retired couple reminisce about neighbours long since moved on; a teenage boy braves the dark waters of the loch in his red kayak. Each person is wrapped in their own cares but increasingly alert to the makeshift community around them. One particular family, a mother and daughter without the right clothes or the right manners, starts to draw the attention of the others. Tensions rise and all watch on, unaware of the tragedy that lies ahead as night finally falls.
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
20th August, Michael Joseph
This is a poignant comedy about a crime that never took place, a would-be bank robber who disappears into thin air, and eight extremely anxious strangers who find they have more in common than they ever imagined.
As police surround the premises and television channels broadcast the hostage situation live, the tension mounts and even deeper secrets are slowly revealed. Before long, the robber must decide which is the more terrifying prospect: going out to face the police or staying in the apartment with this group of impossible people.
The Mountains Sing by Nguyen Phan Que Mai
20th August, Oneworld Publications
With the epic sweep of Min Jin Lee’s Pachinko or Yaa Gyasi’s Homegoing and the lyrical beauty of Vaddey Ratner’s In the Shadow of the Banyan, The Mountains Sing tells an enveloping, multigenerational tale of the Trần family, set against the backdrop of the Việt Nam War. Trần Diệu Lan, who was born in 1920, was forced to flee her family farm with her six children during the Land Reform as the Communist government rose in the North. Years later in Hà Nội, her young granddaughter, Hương, comes of age as her parents and uncles head off down the Hồ Chí Minh Trail to fight in a conflict that tore not just her beloved country, but her family apart.
Frying Plantain by Zalika Reid-Benta
20th August, Dialogue Books
Set in a neighbourhood known as “Little Jamaica,” Frying Plantain offers a rich and unforgettable portrait of growing up between worlds, following one young girl from elementary school to high school graduation. Frying Plantain shows how, in one charged moment, friendship and love can turn to enmity and hate, well-meaning protection can become control, and teasing play can turn to something much darker. In her brilliantly incisive debut, Zalika Reid-Benta artfully depicts the tensions between mothers and daughters, second-generation Canadians and first-generation cultural expectations, and Black identity and predominately white society.
Will you be reading any of these new book releases?
Looking for more reading recommendations? Here’s my summer reading list.
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Disclosure: Some of the links in this blog post are affiliate links, meaning, at no extra cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
That’s a great recommendations ??
Thank you!
This came at a great time! I just finished my latest book and I’ve been looking out for a new book to read so I’ll be waiting for these to be released! X
Ah that’s great! I hope you find something you enjoy x
Wow! The Death of Vivek Oji really does sound heart- wrenching! It sounds really good but I hope it isn’t too sad! I like it focuses on Nigeria as well, it is so great to read about other cultures. Hmm not sure about True Story, it sounds like it could be very triggering for some people. The Comeback, Summerwater and Anxious People sound good too. But The Mountains Sing sounds amazing! I will 100% be reading when it is released, even though I can tell it is going to be sad! Frying Plantain sounds interesting too, especially for me because I am a black mixed girl who grew up in a white area. Great post, I cannot wait for some of these books to be released! xx
I’ve 50 pages into The Death of Vivek Oji and I’m already loving it! So far, I’ve seen nothing but glowing reviews for The Mountains Sing so I’m sure you’ll love it too! Enjoy! x
Some great recommendations Evie, thank you! I’m always looking for new books to read! x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
Thank you, Lucy! x
I’m always grateful for the book bloggers that post about new releases (which is most of them, tbf haha) because I never ever keep track unless a release is from an author I’ve already read and loved. It always helps (usually months, and in some cases, years into the future) when I finally decide to pick up a now “old” release and recall a blogger gushing over it ages before :’) Maybe I’ll read one of these one day; Summerwater and The Mountains Sing sound great!
Hahaha I’m always so torn between keeping up with exciting new releases and getting through my backlist and classics. The Mountains Sing has received nothing but love so far, I can’t wait to read it! Also, I just read your latest blog post and for whatever reason, it’s not letting me leave a comment!? But I just wanted to say that you write so beautifully, and you’re going to ace them creative writing classes in college! x
Ah GIRL THANK U!!! <3 xx
Love the sound of The Comeback – seems right up my street! I agree that lockdown has been great for reading and I’ve been loving having more time on my hands!
Tash // A Girl with a View
That’s the one I’m most intrigued by too! X
Thanks for sharing! I’ve been doing so much reading lately and I’m always looking for new reads. Anxious People sounds right up my street!
lovely!!!
I always head to posts like these to get lots of books lined up on my ever-growing download list on my Kindle! Thank you for all of these recommendations; going to check them out and add a few for sure.
Paige // Paige Eades
Haha the to-be-read list is always growing! Enjoy x
These are great recommendations. I’ve been trying to improve my fiction book collection. Thanks for sharing!
I hope you enjoy!
These all sound like great new releases! Thanks for putting them on my radar! 🙂
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