There is something special about late summer. The warm weather, just barely long enough days, and the sense that it is the ideal time to curl up with a good book before returning to the hustle and bustle of the fall season. I love spending time with books over the month of August, reading on the patio, packing along a novel for weekend getaways, or just settling down with a mystery for an evening at home.
Barnes & Noble’s Monthly Picks are always a great find for me. Looking for recommendations on which books you can enjoy during the last hurrah of summer? Let me share with you what B&N’s August picks have in store for you.
1. Adversary to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
Fantasy lovers, assemble! Another great addition to your monthly dose of magic has arrived this month! Adversary to the Villain has all of the staples that make up a great magical adventure, including the witty banter of the clever characters, their lovable nature, dangerous quests, and numerous plot twists.
What impresses me most about the book is the wonderful balance between lighthearted banter and the sometimes serious character exploration.
2. Like Family by Erin O. White
Sometimes the best books are the ones that explore the relationships between people in the context of their lovers and friends. Like Family, the story touches not only on themes of friendship and romance but also delves into heavy subjects, such as the value of family and the changes that can happen to relationships over time.
I believe that this book would be a great addition to anyone’s TBR for the end of the summer.
3. Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V. E. Schwab
E. Schwab knows how to keep her readers guessing long after the book’s over. This book is packed with gothic and historical fiction that will keep the reader interested in every page of the book.
An elaborate world, multi-layered characters, and an engaging plot make this novel one of the most talked-about books on B&N.com this August. It is the kind of book that keeps you reading late into the night, even as you find yourself wishing the story would last a little longer.
4. Dinner for Vampires by Bethany Joy Lenz
Dinner for Vampires (2024) is a bestselling memoir by Bethany Joy Lenz, best known as the star of the hit drama series One Tree Hill.
The book details her shocking double life: while playing a beloved TV character, she spent nearly a decade trapped in “The Big House Family,” a high-control cult. Lenz reveals how its leaders isolated her from loved ones, placed minders on set, and siphoned off millions of dollars of her earnings—until she finally found the courage to escape for the sake of her newborn daughter and rebuild her life.
5. Here Comes the Sun by Bill McKibben
Not every great summer read has to be fiction. Bill McKibben writes about climate change, but also about hope and practical solutions. Instead of only writing about the problems, he gives us something to hope for in the future.
If you like to read nonfiction about science or about what’s happening in the world today, then this is definitely one of the best books to read this month.
6. The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman
The Impossible Fortune is yet another mystery full of humor, intrigue, unique personalities, clever deductions, and an absorbing plot. Unlike many other mystery novels, however, this one provides the reader with a mystery to solve without making him/her waste hours upon hours trying to figure out what is going on.
A mystery is something one needs in late summer, and this one ticks all the boxes necessary to make me happy during August.
7. Because of a Dog by Matthew Sigman
Every reading list deserves a book that leaves you smiling. Because a Dog delivers just that—it’s a story about mending old wounds, meeting new faces, and stumbling onto hope when you least expect it.
8. Flesh by David Szalay
Flesh (2025) is the Booker Prize-winning sixth novel by Canadian-Hungarian author David Szalay. It traces the sweeping, decades-long life of István, a passive Hungarian man whose trajectory drifts from poverty and childhood trauma to the upper echelons of London’s super-rich elite.
Booker Prize winner Flesh follows István from a troubled adolescence in Hungary to a life among London’s super-rich. Through his dramatic rise across social and economic boundaries, David Szalay explores trauma, ambition, masculinity, and the hidden cost of getting everything you thought you wanted. It is a quieter and more demanding read, but one that stays with you.
9.Dominion by Addie E. Citchens
Dominion is an enthralling debut novel about family, faith, power, as well as long-held secrets in a closely knit Mississippi community. Addie E. Citchens has written a multigenerational story filled with vivid characters, buried secrets, and difficult questions about the ways family and faith shape a community.
10. Rose in Chains by Julie Soto
Rose in Chains blends fantasy and dark romance in a world shaped by war, power, and dangerous secrets. With political intrigue, complicated relationships, and a heroine forced to navigate life in a conquered kingdom, it is a strong choice for readers who enjoy their romance with a darker edge.
My Final Thoughts
As the fun of summer winds down, there are always wonderful opportunities to kick back and relax with another great, or two, or three. The August picks from Barnes & Noble this year include a few books sure to satisfy the adventure, mystery, antasy, and thought-provoking reader in us all. Whether traveling, reading on the weekend, or just unwinding after some weeks in the working world, the books that are featured this month by B&N will certainly fill up one’s late-summer days.
