August's round of brand-new books may rank among the most eclectic ones of the entire year. If it is the last of the delicious summer leftovers, you can still enjoy it with the appropriate literature.

Book 1: Long Live the Pumpkin Queen: Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas

Author: Shea Ernshaw, Category: Teen & Young Adult Dark Fantasy, Teen & Young Adult Paranormal Romance, Teen & Young Adult Literature & Fiction

This novel mostly centers on Sally and her rise to the position of Pumpkin Queen, but she also has to deal with the consequences of having such enormous power. The story is set immediately afterward following Jack and Sally's wedding. They are currently on their honeymoon in the country of love. Sally doesn’t understand how much work it takes to become the Queen of Halloweentown until they return. But for Sally, this transformation is tremendous. She cares deeply about Jack, but how can she be the Queen? She despises the extra attention and how they keep trying to dress her in outfits and shoes that aren't what she desires. Therefore, She tries to escape the chaos by running into the woods. She sees a door for the first time and mistakenly opens it and transports to Dream Town, where she frees the Sandman. He puts Halloweentown to sleep as a whole.Therefore, Sally is more determined than ever to protect the town, her neighborhood, and her beloved Jack. Can she save the city and discover the answers she seeks? Is Halloweentown doomed to exist only in a state of perpetual trance?

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Book 2: The Honeys 

Author: Ryan La Sala, Category: Teen & Young Adult Fiction about Death & Dying, Teen & Young Adult LGBTQ+ Fiction, Teen & Young Adult Horror

The author adds a mystical element to real-life phobias. In this book, he shows the virtuous triumph over evil dichotomy and hetero normative attitude that parodies in a deeply melodic, scathing manner. A brother's anguish, relationship, and endurance, along with the horrors that lurk beyond the bucolic, picture-perfect veneer of a summer camp, are the subject of this narrative. The tragic loss of his twin sister is being borne by Mars, a gay, gender-fluid teen. He is skeptical about The Honeys, a group of girls who attend the Aspen Conservancy Summer Academy. They are selected to be the subject of his investigations since they had recently grown apart from his sister. But the more time he spends in Aspen, the more pleasant alpine winds end up giving rise to dreadful echoes making his memories fade away. He feels something is distorting his thoughts. Will he be able to discover what is chasing him?

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Book 3: Furysong (THE AURELIAN CYCLE)

Author: Rosaria Munda, Category: Teen & Young Adult Dystopian, Teen & Young Adult Coming of Age Fantasy, Teen & Young Adult Literature & Fiction

With their city on the verge of being ripped to pieces by invading Dragonfire, Annie and Lee are both embroiled in a life-or-death struggle in this explosive denouement to the sweeping saga that started with Fireborne. The Dragonborn of New Pythos, who are furious at Griff's treachery, are poising to slaughter him. Even though he has supporters on both sides who desire to alter his fate,the consequence of his atonement can be high. Delo will also have to choose between obeying his clan and compromising his ethic eventually. Due to the impending resurrection of the triarchy, Callipolis is on the verge of imploding. Annie is the only one who can safeguard her Guardians and their dragons. Therefore, she needs to conquer her self-consciousness about her destiny. Lee has to demonstrate his loyalty while contending with the Dragonborn court and a foreign princess in a trial that pits his head against emotion. Now, he must figure out how to maintain his radicalism while conveying his message through negotiation. To defend one another, defeat their assailants, and recapture their home, Annie and Lee need to decide what they are inclined to give up because it is becoming more plausible that Callipolis will perish.

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Book 4: Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution

Author: R. Kuang, Category: Alternate History Science Fiction, Asian Myth & Legend, Historical Fantasy

The mysterious Professor Lovell transports the cholera-orphaned Robin Swift, a Chinese boy, from Canton to London in order to be ready for enrollment in Oxford University's famed Royal Institute of Translation. It is also known as Babel: the hub of wizardry and linguistics on the entire planet. He spends years there studying Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese. Robin views Oxford as an ideal place where education comes before anything else. He knows that serving Babel requires leaving his home since knowledge is subordinate to power. As his studies continue, he is compelled to choose between Babel and the enigmatic Hermes Society, an organization whose mission is to thwart imperial development. Therefore, he must choose as Britain wages an unfair conflict with China for opium and silver. This book raises a question: Is aggression a necessary component of revolt, or is it possible to overhaul powerful institutions from the inside out?

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Book 5: The Drowned Woods

Author: Emily Lloyd-Jones, Category: Teen & Young Adult LGBTQ+ Fiction, Teen & Young Adult Dark Fantasy, Teen & Young Adult Wizards & Witches Fantasy

Steeped into Welsh folklore, ‘The Drowned Woods’ is a dense, evocative narrative by Emily Lloyd-Jones that seeps into your bones and fully engulfs you in its world. The 18 years old Mererid Mer, is the sole diviner of ‘life water’. She had spent years avoiding the prince who held her captive and coerced her to work for him. On the prince's instructions, she discovered the rivals' wells. Later she learned that the prince covertly poisoned them, slaughtering hundreds of people. Therefore, she made enormous efforts to escape from his grasp. She decided to follow her former commander, who suggested that she should deploy her powers against the prince who exploited her. In order to dethrone him, her starting point should be ‘The mystical well’ that safeguards the prince's domains. As we all know, a person with a cause may bring down entire dynasties. It may be possible for Mer to achieve much-needed peace and redemption at last.

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Book 6: Cake Eater

Author: Allyson Dahlin, Category: Teen & Young Adult European Historical Fiction, Teen & Young Adult Historical Romance, Teen & Young Adult Science Fiction & Dystopian Romance

The book ‘Cake Eater’ is a tragic narrative of a young woman's struggle against the destructive loops of selfishness and greed. To reveal disturbing realities, the cybernetic reinterpretation of Marie Antoinette whisks you into the luminous Versailles of the coming years. Throughout the story, Marie's obsession with using social networking sites to promote herself and keep up with the latest technological advancements ultimately proves to be her downfall.
Marie Antoinette arrives at the dazzling, vibrant palace of Versailles. But Versailles, however, does not resemble the ideal Palace Marie saw on The Apps. A ruthless clique lurks under the lavish veneer that intends to keep Marie and Louis as puppets in a dangerous game. Her life is like a never-ending collection of rules, and the court keeps an eye out for her flaws. Her stoic and reticent spouse Louis is more worried about hacking computers and horses than he is about leaving her offspring. What if the past happens again? Or will these destined couples weather the storm to outsmart their assailants and avert their horrifying end?

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Book 7: These Fleeting Shadows

Author: Kate Alice Marshall, Category: Teen & Young Adult LGBTQ+ Fiction, Teen & Young Adult Horror, Teen & Young Adult Paranormal & Urban Fantasy

The author creates an absolutely unnerving dark fantasy by fusing local mythology and folk tales in this horrific novel. Harrowstone Hall, commonly referred to as Harrow, is the location of the protagonist Helen's prehistoric house. But she is unaware of the reasons behind her and her mother's abandonment from it. Even her mother’s lack of interaction with them is unknown to her subsequently. After her grandpa’s demise, she gets to know an intriguing thing. She is startled to learn that she will inherit everything, including the house, the property, and the money. But to gain the inheritance, She must stay on the grounds of Harrow for an entire year. If she doesn't comply, she will receive nothing. For as long as she can remember, her dreams of Harrow have plagued her. But now those nightmares have crept into her waking hours. Therefore, she is determined to discover Harrow's secrets. She knows that if she is to make it through the year, she must find out the answers to these following questions: Why is the home created like a maze? What is responsible for the holes that keep popping up in the woods at night? Why does she seem to be getting sick at the house?

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Book 8: My Imaginary Mary (The Lady Janies)

Author: Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows, Category: Teen & Young Adult 19th Century United States Historical Fiction, Teen & Young Adult Romantic Comedy, Teen & Young Adult Monster Fiction

This satirical feminist alternative history is jam-packed with diversions and chortle entertainment. May currently lives in a humdrum apartment above her father's bookstore. As she has inherited her mother's sharp mind, she waits for an incredible idea to spark a work of literature worthy of her parentage so that she can enchant rakishly alluring Percy Shelley. On the other hand, Ada Lovelace is used to have exceptional parents because her father is Lord Byron, the most famous poet in history. Other than the arts, she has a strong affinity for mechanical engineering. Unfortunately, a man will always be willing to take Ada's splendid ideas as his own, regardless of how correct her calculations are. The world-changing machine Pan, also known as Practical Automaton Number One, is Ada's best invention to date—but only if she can figure out how to make him independent or how to get him to do anything at all. But destiny brings these two masterminds Mary and Ada together. They get to know that they are fae- mystical beings having the power to manifest their dreams. So their dream team creates PAN, a breathing, thinking, and living being. But they both are forced to escape from a crazed scientist who won't stop until he discovers how they created a real son out of leftover parts.Thus, this fantasy-adventure bows formally to the past before gleefully tossing it aside is a complete pleasure.

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Book 9: Suburban Hell

Author: Maureen Kilmer, Category: Dark Humor, Occult Fiction, Fiction Satire

This book is a deftly crafted, eminently realistic horror comedy about suburban suffering and interpersonal ties that will give both spine-tingling chills and goosebumps. There are several genuinely humorous sections in this book about suburban nightmares that have both natural and otherworldly origins. After leaving the city and relocating to the suburbs, Amy quickly became friends with her new neighbors- Liz, Jess, and Melissa. The four of them would joke around outside the PTA group. The team devises an idea for a clubhouse one night during their weekly wine gathering. In Liz's garden, there is a She Shed that is only for them, with no room for partners or children. But the evening after they christen the She Shed, though, something feels off. They are not expecting Liz's minor home renovation project to unleash a supernatural force that would transform their peaceful neighborhood into a terrifying scenario. Even the most composed mothers struggle to explain the bizarre burn marks, toys that move on their own, and foul odors that surround their possessed companion Liz. To save Liz and the neighborhood before the suburbs descend into complete chaos, Amy, Jess, and Melissa must team up to combat the evil spirit.

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Book 10: The Book Eaters 

Author: Sunyi Dean, Category: British & Irish Horror, Vampire Horror, Folklore

This exquisitely written, touching story illustrates the overwhelming love of a mother, which can be both terrifying and powerful. The will to endure even in the face of systems intended to crush you or determined to do so is discussed thoroughly in this book. There is a clandestine line of individuals who inhabit the Yorkshire Moors. They regard books as food and can remember all the information after consuming a book. They see romance books as delicious and sweet, whereas spy books are like a hot snack. Children who misbehave, have to eat dismal, musty dictionary pages, and chew on a map can help with memory recall. Devon belongs to The Family, an illustrious and secessionist group of bookworms. Her brothers thrive on tales of valor and adventure. But like many other bookworms, she learns through a carefully crafted diet of fairy tales and cautionary stories. However, her child is born with a peculiar and sinister form of hunger—not for books, but for people's minds. Contrary to popular belief, she understands that happy endings are not always the case in real life. With a complex, nuanced examination of murky morality and motherhood, it strips back the comforting veneer of fairytales and tradition to reveal the agony hidden beneath.

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Book 11: Wild is the Witch

Author: Rachel Griffin, Category: Teen & Young Adult Contemporary Fantasy, Teen & Young Adult Survival Stories, Teen & Young Adult Wizards & Witches Fantasy

The novel ‘Wild is the Witch’ is intensely evocative and emotionally unflinching. It is a tale about forgiveness, vulnerability, and enduring sorrow. This story of enemies-turned-lovers is startlingly poignant with wild magic, perilous hunting through the ethereal woods of the Pacific Northwest, and a cozy love language of warm fires, s'mores, and tiny acts of kindness. The protagonist Iris Gray is a young witch who is involved in a tragic accident and forced to leave her village with her mother. She currently hides herself and works at her mother's wildlife sanctuary alongside an intern named Pike Alder, who despises witches. A curse that Iris previously devised to turn Pike into a witch gets stolen by an amplified owl before Iris can undo it. But if the bird dies, the curse might prove catastrophic for many residents in addition to pike. The only way to prevent things from happening is for her to cooperate with her adversary and locate the cursed owl. Therefore, She embarks on a quest with Pike to capture the owl and end the curse. She makes sure ,he never finds out that she is a witch or she is the one who cast the curse. But as the perils in the woods increase, Iris must choose how much she is willing to take risk to keep her secrets safe.

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Book 12: Carrie Soto Is Back

Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid, Category: Family Saga Fiction, Women's Friendship Fiction, Women's Domestic Life Fiction

A legendary athlete tries to make a comeback in this stirring tale about the cost of brilliance even if the world believes she is past her prime. Carrie Soto is tenacious and unpopular because she pursues victory at all costs. But by the time she gives up playing tennis, she is the best. She has twenty Grand Slam titles and has broken all records. However, six years after her retirement, Carrie witnesses Nicki Chan, a robust and impressive player, breaking her record. To recapture her records, she decides to participate for one more season at the age of 37. She doesn’t even care if it means denying her pride to train with Bowe, the man with whom she once perilously falls in love. He and she each have a specific objective in mind before quitting the game permanently. Despite everything, She is back for one final, sweeping season.

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Book 13: Thank You for Listening

Author: Julia Whelan, Category: Friendship Fiction, Women's Friendship Fiction, Contemporary Women Fiction

This inspiring and heartfelt novel offers new twists and exhilarating experiences. It follows a former actress who became a successful audiobook narrator but lost focus of her goals due to a terrible event. But when she gets an offer to narrate one final romantic novel, she embarks on a journey of self-discovery, love, and acceptance. Sewanee Chester once dreamed of becoming a movie star, but those days are long gone. Now, she makes her living as an audiobook narrator. Working in a sound booth has brought her fulfillment and achievement, allowing her to care for her elderly grandmother. When Sewanee suddenly lands in Las Vegas for a literary convention, she unwittingly spends a night with a stunning stranger. After returning to her house, she finds out that one of the most famous romance authors in the world wants Sewanee to perform her last work. But having her ambitions brutally cut short, Sewanee doesn't buy what romance books are selling, and she stopped writing them years ago. However, her affection for the late author and the opportunity to assist her grandmother influenced her choice. Brock and Sewanee develop a genuine bond as they collaborate on the book under the guise of secrecy using Sewanee's former romantic pen name. She quickly resumes dreaming, but as soon as secrets come to light, the reality of life once more crumbles around her. She will be able to enter a world of acceptance and connection she never imagined is conceivable, only if she can learn to take chances for passions she has long repressed.

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Book 14: Empty Smiles (Small Spaces Quartet)

Author: Katherine Arden, Category: Children's Mystery, Detective, & Spy, Children's Spine-Chilling Horror, Children's Friendship Books

The nightmare for Ollie, Coco, Brian, and Phil continues to intensify in this harrowing final season. Three months have passed after Ollie forged a risky pact with the smiling guy to rescue people she cared for,but she then mysteriously disappeared without a trace. That guy assured Coco, Brian, and Phil that they would have a chance to save Ollie. As time passes, they begin to speculate whether he is lying and Ollie is no longer alive. But eventually, a hint appears. A scared and erratic child who vanished from a nearby traveling carnival shows up at the local swimming hole. He speaks to everyone who will listen about the enigmatic stranger who abducted him. He says, How the man only allows him to leave if he conveys a message that includes: ‘Try it if you dare’. The man is ecstatic that he's taken action. Now it's time for Brian, Phil, and Coco to contribute theirs. And they are certainly aware of where to begin. Ollie is stuck in the world behind the haze, learning the terrible facts about the carnival managed by the smiling gentleman as her friends are frantically trying to find her. Brian, Coco, and Phil will do anything to save Ollie, but they quickly understand that this game is far riskier than the others. Because this time, the smiling guy has taken things seriously. It's only until daylight for Ollie, Coco, Brian, and Phil to finally defeat him before it's too late since the summer nights are fleeting. Indeed,this time the risks escalate even more with the climax.

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Book 15: A Taste of Gold and Iron

Author: Alexandra Rowland, Category: LGBTQ+ Fantasy Fiction, Historical Fantasy, Romantic Fantasy

The author’s exquisitely intimate tale centers on a relationship between two people with the softest of hearts against the backdrop of a dukedom's political intrigue. Here, the Goblin Emperor and Magnificent Century collide in a fantastical setting evoking the Ottoman Empire, with a queer central romance taking place. This novel has the ideal proportion of hatred developing into love, subdued longing, dicey intrigues, a newly discovered family, and a hint of magic. Kadou is a bashful prince of the kingdom of Arasht: which is reformed after the Ottoman Empire. A dispute with the father of the queen's new child causes Kadou to be humiliated and disgraced. Therefore, he wants to show his devotion to his sister, the queen. So, he takes charge of the inquiry into a break-in at one of their guilds, with the assistance of his newly chosen bodyguard. The icy-looking Evemer, who is supposed to discipline Kadou but only seems to endure him at best. As their relationship deepens, they uncover a plot together, one that has the power to destroy the kingdom's finances and bring about its downfall.Overall,this is a fantastic book that strikes the perfect chord between sensual romance, soothing prose, and a compassionate feeling while simultaneously addressing serious subjects, particularly those concerning anxiety and mental health, political mysteries, and irresistibly adorable cinnamon roll characters.

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Book 16: The Undead Truth of Us

Author: Britney Lewis, Category: Teen & Young Adult Zombie Fiction, Teen & Young Adult Fiction about Death & Dying, Teen & Young Adult Coming of Age Fiction

The novel ‘The Undead Truth Of Us’ is a deeply affecting tale about grief, healing, and the monsters we breed in ourselves and others. In our life the thing we fear the most is losing the ones we love. Zombies have long represented the worst fears in American popular culture. The story centers on a Black kid named Zharie who is learning how to juggle friendship, love, and grief. She is on a journey to figure out the truth about her mother and the less pleasant aspects of her life and family. She tries to comprehend her loss, her connections, the world, and her new reality in which zombies are everywhere. She also battles to understand her grief. Zharie is learning about the love and the pain that comes with it as she develops a strong relationship with Bo and his buddies.When she investigates the events surrounding her mother's final days, she discovers that zombies are less of a menace and more of a metaphor for dolefulness.There is, however still more to come.

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Book 17: Would You Rather

Author: Allison Ashley, Category: Doctors & Medicine Humor, Fiction Satire, Friendship Fiction

‘Would You Rather’ is the result of friends-to-lovers, roleplay, and shared grieving being raised to the pinnacle of excellence. It is the perfect mashup of all the finest romantic cliches. Mia and Noah have always been best friends. But when she is compelled to decide between refusing a scholarship to complete her degree and keeping her job along with the healthcare insurance she depends on, Noah proposes to marry her so that she can benefit from his privileges and continue her study. So, do you believe they will ever be able to love one another or be together forever? Here the author tells a heartwarming tale that elicits a wide range of issues like the fear of becoming a burden due to illness, the difficulty of dealing with a family loss, the feelings you get when a friend simply understands you, and the possibility to pursue your passion again. Overall, Noah and Mia's melancholy anecdotes contrast with their sparkling and flirtatious interactions that will surely tug at your heartstrings.

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Book 18: The Last Housewife

Author: Ashley Winstead, Category: Psychological Thrillers, Literary Fiction, Suspense Thrillers

In ‘The Last Housewife’ the author conveys a riveting tale of a cult and how women become mentally enslaved. She delves deep into the tangled relationship between feminism and patriarchy, exploring the concept of authority and salvation. The perspective of Shay Evans is applied to tell the narrative, who makes a comeback to exert revenge on the killers of her two college companions and protect the other women who are still in peril. She chooses to abandon the tranquility of her daily life and re-enter the scary world she has promised never to see again. With the support of the podcast broadcaster, she looks into the causes of her friend's demise.She follows the strands of her friend's life to discover the truth she is seeking.She strives to separate her need for justice from her dark yearning amid an odious world of wealth and power as she draws deeper into her sinister past.Therefore, she must face the intricacies of her culpability as well as indoctrination and demonstrate how far she would go to find out the truth. But the question entails: Is justice even conceivable in a world that has been created, both inside and outside the cult, for men to dominate it?

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Book 19: The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches

Author: Sangu Mandanna, Category: Occult Fiction, Romantic Fantasy, Paranormal & Urban Fantasy

‘The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches’ is filled with sharp and sardonic prose. It is an encouraging and heartwarming story of a lonely witch Mika Moon who is one of the few witches in Britain. She is conscious of the fact that, to prevent her magic from being discovered, she must keep a low profile and avoid interacting with other witches. She also abides by the rules because she is raised by strangers after losing her parents at a young age and is accustomed to living alone. However, she does have one online account where she creates videos and portrays herself as a witch. She thinks that no one will take it with seriousness but someone does. She receives an unexpected telegram pleading with her to go to the isolated and enigmatic Nowhere House to instruct three young witches on how to use magic. Even though it is against the rules,Mika decides to go there. As a result, she becomes involved in the lives and secrets of her three charges as well as those of two patient carers, an absent archaeologist, a retired actor, and Jamie. A stranger like Mika poses a threat in the eyes of the charming and sarcastic librarian of Nowhere House, who will stop at nothing to keep the kids safe. The idea of belonging someplace starts to feel like a genuine prospect as Mika begins to find her place at Nowhere House. However, there are other threats to life besides those brought on by magic, and Mika will have to choose whether to take a chance on protecting a family she doesn’t even realize she is looking for.

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Book 20: Haven

Author: Emma Donoghue, Category: Medieval Historical Fiction, Sea Adventures Fiction, Sea Stories

The themes of solitude, passion, and the struggle between self-preservation and responsibility are all portrayed in the elegant and contemporary story ‘Haven.’ In a small boat, three men sail off in search of an island. During their voyage, their captain sees them in a dream. They pledge to leave the world behind them, ensuing their faith as a guide. A dream tells a priest and scholar named Artt to leave the wicked world behind in the seventh century of Ireland. He boats down the Shannon river with two monks—young Trian and elderly Cormac—in quest of a remote location to establish a monastery. The three guys drift into the Atlantic and discover a barren, incredibly high island. This island is home to multitudes of birds and is declared to be God. Thus in such circumstances, what does existence mean?

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This article is authored by: Sheuly Ahmed