If you’re anything like us, summer means one of two things: either you’re stuffing your suitcase with books to tear through on a sun lounger, or you’re staying local and grabbing every chance you can to lie back under a shady tree with a great new read. Luckily, August is packed with exciting releases – from a twisty Japanese whodunnit to a bold, moving debut about loneliness, identity, and finding your voice. It’s a good month to get lost in a book (or five).
The Man Who Died Seven Times by Yasuhiko Nishizawa, translated by Jesse Kirkwood
“Nishizawa’s English-language debut is a wildly inventive fusion of sci-fi and murder mystery. Hisataro, a teen stuck in a time-loop, keeps reliving the day his grandfather dies – and starts digging into what really happened. With a big inheritance up for grabs and a bunch of shady relatives, everyone’s a suspect. Think Groundhog Day meets Knives Out, with a clever plot and a snarky lead. It’s smart, fast-paced, and seriously hard to put down.” – Samantha de Haas, Creative Production Manager
Nearly Departed by Lucas Oakeley
“Lucas Oakeley’s debut novel is just as witty, moving and relatable as his day-job writing. It’s a romcom with a twist, following twenty-something Joel as his world is upended by the sudden death of the woman he thought he’d spend the rest of his life with. As Joel navigates grief and begins to piece himself back together, Beth, the love of his life, returns... but this time, as a ghost. It’s wonderfully readable: tender, funny, and quietly profound. I devoured it on a flight to and from New York City.” – Pia Brynteson, Content Editor
Cleaner by Jess Shannon
“Jess Shannon’s Cleaner is a weird gem of a debut novel. Expect sex, love, drugs and a lot of cleaning. A young artist moves back home to live with her parents when she realises her degrees and diplomas are getting her nowhere. Unemployed and directionless, she starts a job as a clearer for a nude gallery where she meets Isabella, another aspiring artist, and they begin a passionate affair. Touching on themes of loneliness, intimacy, art and isolation, Cleaner is also funny, vibrant and utterly unpredictable.” – Maria Padget, Book Club Director
Every One Still Here by Liadan Ní Chuinn
“Barrelling onto the short story scene is Every One Still Here, a new (and debut) collection from the anonymous young northern Irish writer Liadan Ní Chuinn. As someone who was born the same year as the Good Friday Agreement, Ní Chuinn brings a fresh, unflinching voice to their precise, thoughtful and deeply affecting book about the trauma the Northern Irish faced. The more palatable term of the ‘Troubles’ is blown open and laid bare: not for the faint-hearted, there are graphic descriptions of dissecting bodies, traumatised families, and the gut-punch of the last few pages are moulded by grief and rage. This one will linger long after the final page.” – Natalie Beecroft, Books Contributor
Refuge: Stories of War (and Love) by Sunny Singh
“Sunny Singh’s incandescent short story collection takes us inside the world of war – its consequences, its legacies, its victims, its perpetrators, its survivors. It also teaches us something about people’s remarkable ability to endure, love and retain dignity and compassion, even in the most extreme of circumstances. In a world ablaze with conflict, this is an essential read for all who believe in the power of stories and love.” – Maria Padget, Book Club Director
