Wondering what to read now? Here are all the hot new August 2026 book releases for you. I’ll let you know what I’ve read, what I can’t wait to read, and what’s getting all the attention this month.
In case you’re new to Booklist Queen, every month I cover all the hottest new book releases. I try to read as many new book releases as I can to give you an honest perspective on what to read and what to skip.
However, I realize that my to-read list might not exactly match yours. That’s why I’ve also included some of the most popular August 2026 book releases from your favorite authors.
Enough from me, let’s get on to the August 2026 book releases so you can fill up your to-read list.
Top August 2026 Book Releases
Big Little Truths
Liane Moriarty
In a sequel to the bestseller Big Little Lies, ten years have passed and Madeline, Celeste, Jane, Renata, and Bonnie are navigating mothering teenagers. Meanwhile, Celeste’s mother-in-law is behaving oddly; Madeline faces a challenge; Jane’s marriage is at a crossroad; Bonnie needs more than yoga; and Renata is living her best life. When the principal receives a threatening package and a stranger starts hanging around the school asking questions, the tight knit group of women must face the consequences of the big little truths they have kept from their children.
Publication Date: 25 August 2026
Learn More: Goodreads | StoryGraph
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Adversary to the Villain
Hannah Nicole Maehrer
In the fourth book of the Assistant to the Villain series, the prophecy keeps pointing to Evie adn the Villain’s magic keeps choosing her. Now the helpful, loyal and kind Evie finds that she might be the true threat to Rennedawn’s magic. But as Evie leans into being the Villain, Trystan starts acting like the hero. As they race to claim artificats before King Benedict finds them, will Evie save the kingdom or destroy it?
Publication Date: 4 August 2026
Learn More: Goodreads | StoryGraph
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The Unknown
Riley Sager
Marin is ecstatic to get a leading role in a major motion picture about an unsolved mystery in New Avalon, an island on a Vermont Lake. A century ago, five women vanished after a seance with only one dress for each found hanging in an oak tree. Arriving on New Avalon, mysterious things begin to happen to the crew and then a castmate vanishes. Is someone trying to sabotage the movie or is a supernatural force at work?
Publication Date: 4 August 2026
Learn More: Goodreads | StoryGraph
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The Secrets We Hide
Karin Slaughter
Return to North Falls as Sheriff Emmy Clifton and her sister, ex-federal agent Jude Archer, navigate a murder in their hometown. Allison Vickery has been shot dead in her kitchen and her teenage daughter is found almost dead in her bedroom upstairs. Rumors about the Vickery family have swirled for years but no one really knows what happens behind closed doors. It’s up to Emmy and Jude to discover the secrets the town has buried to solve the case.
Publication Date: 11 August 2026
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Under the Falls
Richard Russo
Eighteen years after Tyler Sinclair left Stone Mountain, he returns for one night only to have his band perform a benefit concert for his old friend Doc. At the concert, resentment simmers against Tyler. Tyler’s childhood best friend Curt is now chief of police and is married to Tyler’s ex-girlfriend, Freddi. When Freddi and Tyler’s fraught history becomes a catalyst for tragedy, Tyler’s worst fear seems to be coming true: that you can’t escape Stone Mountain twice.
The Phone Swap
Lia Louis
After they switch seats on a plane, ambitious scientist Allie finds she accidentally swapped phones with a movie star. At first, Allie and Milo are skeptical of each other but eventually digital reality forces them to trust each other so they can access the messages only available on their phones until they can meet and swap back. Through video chats and direct messages, will the deep connection Allie and Milo have started to form survive their first in-person meeting and real lives?
The Phone Swap is a low-steam meet-cute romance that eventually falls heavily into the miscommunication trope. Allie and Milo are well-paired and I did enjoy the first half of the story as they fall in love. However, I never enjoy a miscommunication trope and Milo’s behavior started to grate on me the further into the book I got. Worse, I didn’t love the way Allie and Milo’s friends behaved in the book. The Phone Swap is a quick easy read that will entertain you for an evening but you’ll like less the more you think about the story.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Atria Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 25 August 2026
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The Most Anticipated August 2026 Book Releases
Stay Buried
Jennifer McMahon
In 1919, Dr. Thomas Endicott trains his daughter Frankie in medicine in the isolated town of Boone’s Ferry, Vermont. When a mysterious illness strikes the town, the two rush to find a logical explanation as the town suspects supernatural forces. In 2016, Ashley and Malcolm inherit their grandmother’s property in Boone’s Ferry. At first they are charmed by the small town until they realize the townspeople leave offerings to a vengeful spirit four times a year.
Publication Date: 11 August 2026
Learn More: Goodreads | StoryGraph
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They Say a Girl Died Here
Sarah Pinborough
After dropping out of college, Anna Maybourne moves in with her parents and her dementia-ridden grandma in their new home in a small farm town plagued by drought. The town is infamous for a series of vicious murders by the Farmhandman, never solved though the prime suspect is dead. As Anna befriends a handsome deputy and the town loner, she becomes fascinated with the case. As the anniversary nears, Anna suspects her grandmother’s delusions may hold the key to the truth.
Publication Date: 25 August 2026
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My Sister is Going to Kill Me
Nina Simon
Liv and Mandy Chisholm take an annual sisters trip together to keep their relationship close. This year, they take a guided rafting trip through the beauties of the Grand Canyon. The trip turns even more treacherous than the water when a fellow traveler dies and another corpse is found in the water. Liv and Mandy must put aside their sibling troubles and work together to discover the murderer in their midst.
Publication Date: 18 August 2026
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The Butcher Legacy
Alaina Urquhart
In a sequel to The Butcher Game, Dr. Wren Muller returns to her New Orleans morgue and tries to let everything return back to normal. The nightmare should be over, except, in the weeks leading up to Halloween, little girls start to vanish in both cities where Jeremy Rose roamed. With Jeremy behind bars and his accomplice vanished, Wren’s nightmare is far from over.
Publication Date: 11 August 2026
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Time to Burn
Ellery Lloyd
Inigo Frank’s company has perfected commercial time travel with one approved route to the London Blitz for anyone who can afford the enormous price tag. To show the world his success, Inigo recruits award-winning filmmaker Phoebe Hunt to create a documentary. But instead of filming their triumphant return, Phoebe records them arriving bloodied and traumatized with one person missing. The missing woman happens to harbor a grudge against Phoebe and has the present starts to change, Phoebe must race to find the truth before the past and present are rewritten.
Publication Date: 4 August 2026
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UPCOMING AUGUST 2026 BOOK RELEASES BY DATE
August 4th Book Releases
August 11th Book Releases
August 18th Book Releases
James Patterson & James O. Born
August 25th Book Releases
What August 2026 Book Releases are You Most Excited to Read?
What books can you not wait to get your hands on this month? Did I miss any August 2026 book releases that you are anticipating? As always, let me know in the comments!
More New Book Releases:
Recommended
The Most-Anticipated Upcoming Book Releases
The New York Times Fiction Bestseller List
The Latest Celebrity Book Club Picks
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