Hello, my fellow readers!
It is a hot, muggy August, which makes it the perfect time to stay indoors with a good book, the air conditioning on, and a fan running.
Last month I read 7½ out of the 10 books on my TBR. I also attended two incredible multi-author signings and came home with some fantastic new and signed books. Ten books still feels like the right number for my monthly TBR, but I’m listing eleven this month since I’m already halfway through one. Hopefully I’ll get to them all, but if not, that’s okay.
I have quite a few ARCs due this month and in September, so my main goal is to make a big dent in those.
I also failed to finish both my Monster of the Month and Wifely Pick last month, so I’m doubling up on both categories this month.
Book Signing
I’m attending one signing this month at a mystery writers conference here in Tennessee.
The author I’m most excited to meet is Heather Graham. She wrote an Alien short story in the anthology Aliens: Bug Hunt, which I recently had horror writer Christopher Golden sign. I’ve never read Graham before, but I picked up The Reaper Follows and The Island, and both sound incredible. There are a couple of other authors I’m excited to meet as well, so I’m looking forward to another great event.
ARCs
The Amateur by Chris Bohjalian is a literary thriller about an eighteen-year-old golfer whose life changes forever after an errant practice shot passes through a net and accidentally kills a high school junior. One swing changes everything.
I previously read and really enjoyed Hour of the Witch, especially its exploration of feminism and how easily women could be accused of witchcraft in the 1600s. Bohjalian is probably best known for The Flight Attendant, which was adapted into a television series. I’m excited to see what he does with this premise.
The Amateur — August 8, 2026, from Doubleday.
Devil Inside by Clay McLeod Chapman is a horrormance—a blend of horror and romance—published by Harlequin. It follows a man who survives a near-death experience only to discover that food tastes like ash and people’s faces appear to be melting. He meets a woman named Lilith and immediately connects with her, but after she disappears, another woman claims to be Lilith reborn. Is he experiencing heaven, hell, or something in between?
I’m already a fan of Chapman’s writing, so this was an easy yes.
Devil Inside — August 11, 2026, from Harlequin.
Marla by Jonathan Janz is an urban legend brought to life. A young woman lives with her mother in a creepy Gothic house. Some believe Marla is a witch, while others think she’s a prisoner. After a string of murders, one detective notices that Marla is always watching from her window whenever a crime occurs. What does she know?
I just met Jonathan Janz at a signing, and he was incredibly excited that Marla is finally receiving a wide release after previously being available only in a limited edition.
Marla — August 18, 2026, from Blackstone Publishing.
Not a Word by Linwood Barclay is a mystery thriller about a man who comes home to discover his parents dead. Authorities rule it a murder-suicide, but he believes something far darker happened. His search for answers uncovers long-buried family secrets.
I’ve never read Barclay before, but both Stephen King and Joe Hill have praised his ability to blend thriller and horror elements, so I’m excited to finally give him a try.
Not a Word — August 25, 2026, from William Morrow.
Monster of the Month
Wolf Hunt and Wolf Hunt 2 by Jeff Strand follow a group of mob enforcers transporting a scrawny prisoner they’ve been warned never to interact with. What they aren’t told is that he’s actually a werewolf.
Jeff Strand mixes brutal horror with hilarious comedy better than almost anyone. I’ve already read and loved the first book, but I’ve always meant to continue the series. This month seems like the perfect opportunity.
Wifely Picks
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is a book I’ve read before but never fully appreciated.
At the time, I was a huge fan of Battle Royale by Koushun Takami, and I couldn’t get past the similarities. Years later, after seeing countless books—from Red Rising to many other dystopian novels—compared to The Hunger Games, I’m excited to revisit it with fresh eyes.
I originally rated it 3 stars over thirteen years ago. My wife has read the entire series, and it’s one of her all-time favorites.
Boy’s Life by Robert McCammon is another reread.
My wife is currently reading it as her first McCammon novel, and it’s been almost twenty years since I last experienced it. I remember it being one of my favorite McCammon books, so we decided to read it together.
Many readers compare it to Stephen King’s The Body. It’s a wonderful coming-of-age novel with mystery, horror, and death woven throughout.
Owned Books
Vicious by V. E. Schwab is one of my favorite superhero novels ever written. Imagine an origin story told from the perspective of the villain.
Victor would be the antagonist in almost any other novel, yet Schwab gives him just enough humanity to keep you rooting for him.
This is a reread because I want the story fresh in my mind before continuing the series. Vicious remains my favorite V. E. Schwab novel.
Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman is the first novel in the Dragonlance Chronicles.
This book is incredibly special to me because I first discovered it sitting on a classroom shelf in seventh or eighth grade. It was one of the gateway novels that helped make me a lifelong reader.
I recently met both Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman at Gen Con, where they signed my copy. It was a wonderful opportunity to tell them how much this book has meant to me over the years.
Indie Read
The Bounded Curse by Ana Stanojevic is a young adult fantasy about a girl and her friends who accidentally awaken an ancient curse they believed was only a myth. Now they’re forced to embark on a dangerous quest to stop it.
Ana reached out to me with a fantastic pitch that immediately caught my attention. I’d like to make reading at least one independent or self-published novel every month, and thanks to authors trusting me with their work, I’m already booked with indie reads through November.
What books are you planning to read this August?
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