13 August Books To Pre-Order For Your Labor Day Vacation

Jul 24, 2024

I want to buy all of these August book releases, but I don't think my fiancé will love it if I add another book box to our growing moving pile. Summer has been full of some of the best reads I've come across and it keeps getting better with these new releases! From rom-coms to thriller books, I won't be surprised if one (or more) of these fun reads makes it to someone's book club roundup next month!

Since I can't buy everything, here are the four books I'm pre-ordering today:

The Girl with No Reflectionby Keshe Chow (August 6)
Plays Well with Othersby Sophie Brickman (August 6)
Scandalous Women by Gill Paul (August 13)
Magical Meet Cute by Jean Meltzer (August 27)

Interested in seeing more? Keep scrolling to see the full list of August book releases to keep on your radar!

Amazon

Silent Sister by Megan Davidhizar (August 6)

Grace and Maddy may be sisters, but they couldn't be more different. While Grace is a social butterfly, Maddy's been blending into the shadows.

It's one of the reasons Grace becomes a prime suspect when she's the only one who's found after she and Maddy mysteriously disappear. Racing against an invisible clock and accusations, Grace does everything she can to find out what really happened — especially one she discovers her sister and their classmates aren't the only ones hiding secrets.

Amazon

The Girl with No Reflectionby Keshe Chow (August 6)

Princess Ying Yue's dreams of marital bliss with the crown prince are dashed when she realizes he's not a kind man. Instead of showering her with affection, he locks her in her room while he goes about his business. The only thing that helps her pass the time is looking at her own reflection, but even that haunts her when she discovers a gateway to another world inside the mirror and falls in love with a reflection of the crown prince.

This reflection is the mirror opposite of who she's supposed to marry and it's him she falls in love with. However, something terrible lurks beneath the beautiful exterior of this new world — and its long, drawn out feud.

Amazon

A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher (August 6)

Cordelia isn't a fan of her mother's eccentric ways, but she knows better than to challenge her. She knows her mom dabbles in dark forces so she just accepts it. Her only "friend" is a white horse named Falada that belongs to — you guessed it — her mom.

The only other bright spot in her life is the fact she and her mother will now live in a gorgeous home with two people who feel like the family she's always wanted. Things are going well until Cordelia realizes her mother intends to harm them, ripping away her one chance at true happiness.

Torn between her natural love for her mother and the realization she'll never receive the love she needs from her, Cordelia must decide if she's ready to face the evil sorceress in an epic showdown that'll change everything.

Amazon

The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava (August 6)

Ember Lee Cardinal has been telling little white lies for as long as she can remember, but nothing tops the biggest lie she'll have to tell in order to secure a job.

Tired of facing a lousy job market that won't accept her resumé, she decides to embellish it and omit a part of her Native American ethnicity. She scores a lucrative accounting job that thrusts her into the corporate world, and a new relationship with Danuwoa Colson, the IT Guy.

She was already playing with fire, but when a nosy co-worker discovers she's breaking a "no dating" work policy, they stop at nothing to manipulate her, causing Ember to lie more than ever before.

Amazon

Plays Well with Othersby Sophie Brickman (August 6)

Raising three small children while her husband pours everything into his job, Annie Lewin feels stuck in a weird loop. She's also trying to score a coveted kindergarten spot for her son while balancing her parenting advice column.

To add insult to injury, her rivalry with nemesis Belinda Brenner reaches an insane level that causes Annie to stoop to a new social low. At first it feels great because her content is reaching even more people on the internet, but she quickly spins out of control.

Forced to reckon with her own actions, Annie wonders if she's truly different from the parents who do anything to secure their kids' futures.

Amazon

A Well-Trained Wife by Tia Levings (August 6)

Tia Levings recounts her time as a devoted wife in the fundamentalist Quiverfull movement. She prided herself on being a good Christian who never strayed from the rules and was completely okay with being 100 percent submissive — even if submission meant silencing herself or living in isolation.

For a while, Tia never spoke up about things that occurred in her home because she truly believed she was supposed to be an example as a Christian. However, the thought of how this vicious cycle would shape her children pushed her to slowly fight back.

She peels back the layers of how extremism can manifest in marriages, and offers readers an inside look at how she chose to save her family.

Amazon

Wanted: Toddler's Personal Assistant by Stephanie Kiser (August 6)

Stephanie Kiser's dreams of being a writer in NYC are dampened by the fact it'll take more than a dream to survive in the concrete jungle. At her wit's end, she decides to look into becoming a nanny for the wealthy 1 percent.

For seven years Stephanie maneuvers the world of nannying toddlers while paying her bills and even begins to develop attachments to the littles she cares for. But this role begins taking over her life and leaves little room for her to do anything else. She even begins learning sordid things about the wealthy families she nannies for, and realizes people still believe money buys happiness when it doesn't.

Now Stephanie has to decide if she's willing to stay in such a demanding role or choose to follow her dreams.

Amazon

Worst Case Scenario by T.J. Newman (August 13)

Worst Case Scenario unveils what happens when a group of people — power plant employees, firefighters, teachers, families, and more — find themselves dealing with a high-scale nuclear disaster. Things are at a level 8, meaning this looming threat is bigger than Fukushima and Chernobyl.

It's clear that everyone will have to form a community that relies on each other, but the effects of this disaster may still undo everything.

Amazon

Scandalous Women by Gill Paul (August 13)

Three women find themselves dealing with sexism and hate during the mid 1960s as they work to make a name for themselves. College grad Nancy White is employed by a publishing house that's supposed to be her dream job, but brings her face-to-face with crushing moments.

Jacqueline Susann's Valley of the Dolls and Jackie Collins' The World Is Full of Married Men were two books considered too saucy for that time. Their reputations crumble in the spotlight as society trashes them, causing them become afraid that someone will expose their secrets.

Undeterred, Nancy decides Jacqueline and Jackie deserve to have their books received in a positive light and hopes the two authors will find a kindred spirit in one another instead of a fiery rivalry.

Amazon

Rules for Ghostingby Shelly Jay Shore (August 20)

Ezra Friedman's ability to see ghosts makes things complicated. He also frequently runs into his grandfather who makes it known he's not a fan of Ezra's HRT-induced puberty. Feeling judged from every angle, Ezra often dreams of getting far away from his family and the funeral home he's grown up in.

Things become even worse when Ezra loses his dream job and his mom decides she's perfectly content building a life with the rabbi's wife. With his hopes of leaving the Friedman Family Memorial Chapel crushed, Ezra has no choice but to help keep the business afloat.

Torn between duty and a crush on the attractive funeral home volunteer, Ezra realizes his biggest issue doesn't come from anyone alive. When he learns he can see the ghost of the funeral home volunteer's husband, and that he speaks and moves unlike other spirits, Ezra's caught between family, business, and an unruly ghost that wants to shake things up.

Amazon

Bridesmaid Undercover by Meghan Quinn (August 20)

Everly Plum is running the Bridesmaid for Hire program at Magical Moments by Maggie, and happily agrees to assist Hardy Hopper with his friend's wedding. However, Hardy also wants Everly to help him win back his ex-girlfriend...who's in the wedding too.

Despite the fact Everly's crush on Hardy is threatening her professionalism, she decides to do everything she can to help the wedding and potential matchmaking situation run smoothly. Soon Hardy notices that he's just as smitten with Everly as she is with him.

Met with opposition at every turn, Everly and Hardy will have to decide whether their budding love is worth pursuing, or if they have to leave it at the altar.

Amazon

Magical Meet Cuteby Jean Meltzer (August 27)

Faye Kaplan's quite content living as a potter in New York, despite the fact she doesn't have a special someone by her side. It's more of an after thought as opposed to a need — at least that's what she keeps telling herself.

However, anti-semitism in her community leads her to drunkenly create a golem protector & perfect man. She doesn't think anything of it because pottery is something she genuinely loves. That is, until she runs into Greg (literally) and he seems to check every box of perfection.

He doesn't remember what happened or how he got there, but Faye doesn't think anything of it at first. Yet, Greg begins to seem too goo to be true. Almost like someone created him...

Amazon

Love Is in the Hair by Gemma Cary (August 27)

Evia Birthwhistle is dealing with typical teenager issues — including having an eccentric mom — and wonders if things will ever get better. What she doesn't expect is that she'll have to defend her bestie Frankie from annoying bullies who target her due to the facial hair she has. Frankie has PCOS, but that doesn't seem to matter to their classmates.

Fed up, Evia creates the Hairy Girls Club as a form of protest and it's met with opposition from the "smoothalicious" girls. Unsure if she's ready to lead a feminist movement in high school and determined to show Frankie she really does care, Evia forges ahead to prove we don't have to judge anyone for things beyond their control. And that body hair is normal.

Visit our most-anticipated summer books list to find even more juicy reads to dive into during vacation!

Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.

Header images via Amazon

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Jasmine Williams

Staff Writer, Jasmine Williams, covers a variety of topics from home decor to beauty and everything in between. She has bylines at Motherly, The Everymom, and Byrdie where she wrote about motherhood, beauty, health and relationships. Jasmine knew she wanted to be a writer when she realized she was actually interested in reading the articles in her mom's favorite magazines — and she may or may not have ripped her favorite articles out to study them later. When she's not working, you can find Jasmine playing make-believe with her toddler, spending an undisclosed amount of time in Target or TJ Maxx, and searching for a family-friendly puppy to add to her family.

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13 August Books To Pre-Order For Your Labor Day Vacation

Silent Sister by Megan Davidhizar (August 6)

The Girl with No Reflectionby Keshe Chow (August 6)

A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher (August 6)

The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava (August 6)

Plays Well with Othersby Sophie Brickman (August 6)

A Well-Trained Wife by Tia Levings (August 6)

Wanted: Toddler's Personal Assistant by Stephanie Kiser (August 6)

Worst Case Scenario by T.J. Newman (August 13)

Scandalous Women by Gill Paul (August 13)

Rules for Ghostingby Shelly Jay Shore (August 20)

Bridesmaid Undercover by Meghan Quinn (August 20)

Magical Meet Cuteby Jean Meltzer (August 27)

Love Is in the Hair by Gemma Cary (August 27)

4 Habits Women With Tons Of Friends All Have In Common

14 Gifts For Book Lovers & Introverts You'll Want For Yourself

The 5 Best (& Well-Reviewed) Moisturizers For Dry Skin On Amazon

11 Most-Anticipated December Movies You're Going To Love

Trending Topics

This Week’s Stories

13 August Books To Pre-Order For Your Labor Day Vacation

Silent Sister by Megan Davidhizar (August 6)

The Girl with No Reflectionby Keshe Chow (August 6)

A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher (August 6)

The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava (August 6)

Plays Well with Othersby Sophie Brickman (August 6)

A Well-Trained Wife by Tia Levings (August 6)

Wanted: Toddler's Personal Assistant by Stephanie Kiser (August 6)

Worst Case Scenario by T.J. Newman (August 13)

Scandalous Women by Gill Paul (August 13)

Rules for Ghostingby Shelly Jay Shore (August 20)

Bridesmaid Undercover by Meghan Quinn (August 20)

Magical Meet Cuteby Jean Meltzer (August 27)

Love Is in the Hair by Gemma Cary (August 27)

Trending Stories