Book Release Radar: Most anticipated reads of August 2024

Summer may be coming to a close, but there are still plenty of exciting August book releases to close it out in style.

Summer may be coming to a close, but there are still plenty of exciting August book releases to close it out in style.
Summer may be coming to a close, but there are still plenty of exciting August book releases to close it out in style.  © Unsplash/@silamalychrzeczy

The air is getting saltier, and our doors are rusting... it's finally August!

There's nothing better than lounging at the beach with a good book during the summer, and in its final month, some of the hottest authors are back with the perfect reads to finish out the season.

From sizzling romances to moving memoirs, there's something for every kind of reader this month.

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Here are our picks for the most anticipated reads of August 2024!

The Pairing by Casey McQuiston

Casey McQuiston is the bestselling author of Red, White, and Royal Blue and One Last Stop.
Casey McQuiston is the bestselling author of Red, White, and Royal Blue and One Last Stop.  © Screenshot/Instagram/@casey.mcquiston

Casey McQuiston, the bestselling author behind Red, White, and Royal Blue and One Last Stop, is back this month with one of the most-anticipated reads of the year, The Pairing.

The book is a romantic comedy following two exes who share an unexpected – and awkward! – reunion on a food and wine tour through Europe.

Naturally, the pair decides to challenge one another to an "international hookup competition," hoping to convince each other – and themselves – that they're over their past romance.

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The Pairing will be released on August 6.

Five-Star Stranger by Kat Tang

Five-Star Stranger is Kat Tang's debut novel.
Five-Star Stranger is Kat Tang's debut novel.  © Screenshot/Instagram/@jills.bookshelf

Five-Star Stranger is the buzzy debut from author Kat Tang.

The book follows the top-rated "Rental Stranger" on an app that allows people to – as the title suggests – rent a stranger to take on various roles, such as a plus-one, wingman, or anything else one might want.

But the stranger's attachment to a young girl, to which he plays a "father" role, threatens the boundaries he's always laid out for himself.

An unforgettable debut, Five-Star Stranger dives into the existential questions sparked by the commodification of relationships in today's world

Five-Star Stranger arrives on August 6.

Men Have Called Her Crazy by Anna Marie Tendler

Anna Marie Tendler will drop her deeply personal and poignant memoir, Men Have Called Her Crazy, on August 13.
Anna Marie Tendler will drop her deeply personal and poignant memoir, Men Have Called Her Crazy, on August 13.  © Screenshot/Instagram/@annamtendler

In one of the most anticipated celebrity memoirs, artist Anna Marie Tendler recounts her experience in a psychiatric hospital after suffering severe bouts of anxiety, depression, and self-harm.

But Men Have Called Her Crazy goes far beyond just her stay at the hospital, diving deep into Anna's early life as well as her experiences with men as an adult.

Though not explicitly mentioned in the synopsis, many are particularly invested in the release due to its potential revelations about her divorce from comedian John Mulaney, which was announced around the same time as her hospital stay.

Men Have Called Her Crazy arrives on August 13.

By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult

Jodi Picoult is known for beloved books like My Sister's Keeper, Small Great Things, and many more.
Jodi Picoult is known for beloved books like My Sister's Keeper, Small Great Things, and many more.  © Screenshot/Instagram/@jodipicoult

Jodi Picoult, the beloved author of My Sister's Keeper, returns this month with By Any Other Name.

This dual timeline read follows a woman named Emilia, living in 1581, and her present-day descendant, Melina.

After Melina pens a new play inspired by Emilia, she comes to learn that the societal structures that kept her ancestor from succeeding as a female playwright aren't as distant as she liked to believe.

In an intertwining narrative, Melina must reckon with the pressure to give up her name on the work in order to give it the best chance to be seen.

By Any Other Name will be released on August 20.

For more on the hottest reads for summer 2024, check out TAG24's Book Release Radars for June and July.

Cover photo: Unsplash/@silamalychrzeczy

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