10 Best Books To Read In August

Summer is just flying by, and before you know it, these long, hot days will be a thing of the past. It's all the more the reason to get your read on right now, and if you're looking for a great book, we've got covered.

This month's reading list is a mix of picks from Patch staffers and Amazon editors. We've got beach reads, thrillers, fiction, nonfiction and everything in between. If you like to read, you're going to love these page-turners. Enjoy!

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#1 "The Last House Guest" by Megan Miranda

Littleport, Maine, is an idyllic vacation town where wealthy tourists and hard-working locals typically only have transactional interactions. Despite this, visitor Sadie Loman and Littleport resident Avery Greer form a close friendship. Every summer for over a decade, the two girls are inseparable — until Sadie is found dead. Police offices officially rule the death a suicide, but Avery knows there are some in the community who blame her. Someone knows more than they're saying, and Avery is determined to clear her name before the facts get twisted against her.

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#2 "The Chain" by Adrian McKinty

Imagine you get a call that a stranger has kidnapped your child. In order to free them, you have to kidnap someone else's child. Your child will only be released when your victim's parents kidnap another child. It's a chain, and if you break it, your child will be killed. As Stephen King put it, "This nightmarish story is incredibly propulsive and original. You won't shake it for a long time."

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#3 "The Friends We Keep" by Jane Green

Evvie, Maggie and Topher have drifted apart since their days in college. Evvie starved herself to become a model, but derailed her career by sleeping with a married man. Maggie married her college sweetheart, Ben, but had no idea how much heartache his drinking would cause. Topher did become a successful actor, but the shame of a childhood secret kept him from ever experiencing any real intimacy. Now at their thirtieth reunion, these old friends have a chance to bond again — until a dark secret comes back to light. Will Evvie, Maggie and Topher rekindle the close friendship they once had, or will this new information permanently tear them apart?

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#4 "Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead: A Novel" by Olga Tokarczuk

Janina lives in a remote Polish village, where she spends most of her days alone. She has a reputation as being a recluse, but she doesn't mind. She openly prefers the company of animals to people. Then one day Janina's neighbor, Big Foot, turns up dead. Soon other bodies are discovered in odd circumstances, and Janina gets wrapped up in the investigation. She's sure she knows who did it, but will the locals listen?

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#5 "The Outlaw Ocean: Journeys Across the Last Untamed Frontier" by Ian Urbina

There aren't many untamed frontiers left on our planet, but the world's oceans are perhaps the wildest and least understood. They're far too big to police, and the different crimes committed are nothing short of astonishing. There are traffickers and smugglers, pirates and mercenaries, wreck thieves and repo men, hackled slaves and cast-adrift stowaways. There are also incredibly hard-working people who bravely navigate dangerous waters to keep the world's economy afloat. In this adventure story and stunning exposé, we get an inside look into the disturbing reality of the oceans that connect us all.

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#6 "The Whisper Man: A Novel" by Alex North

After the sudden death of his wife, Tom Kennedy moves with his young son to a new town, Featherbank. He's hoping for a fresh start, but this town has a dark past. Twenty years ago, serial killer Frank Carter abducted and murdered five locals. Until this murderer was caught, he was nicknamed "The Whisper Man'" for the way he lured his victims out of their homes at night. Just as Tom and his son settle into Featherbank, a young boy vanishes. The child's disappearance is eerily similar to the crimes Frank Carter committed 20 years before, reigniting rumors that the serial killer had an accomplice. Now, detectives Amanda Beck and Pete Willis must find the missing boy before it's too late. Soon Tom's son begins acting strangely, though, and then he hears a whisper outside his window.

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#7 "The Summer of Sunshine and Margot" by Susan Mallery

Margot is a seasoned etiquette coach, but she's never met anyone quite like Bianca, an aging movie star who gained her fame — and notoriety — by shocking audiences onscreen and in real life. Margot has her work cut out for her. Her sister Sunshine is on a mission to finish college and dedicate herself to her job as a nanny. She vows not to screw up — again — but the tempting single dad who happens to be her boss has her conflicted. In "The Summer of Sunshine and Margot," both sisters turn disaster into destiny.

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#8 "Chaos: Charles Manson, the CIA and the Secret History of the Sixties" by Tom O'Neill with Dan Piepenbring

Twenty years ago, journalist Tom O'Neill was assigned a magazine story about the 1969 Manson murders. While researching for the piece, O'Neill unearthed shocking evidence of a cover-up behind the "official" story. Every discovery led the journalist to more questions: Who were Manson's friends in Hollywood, and how far did they go to hide their ties? Why didn't the police act on their many chances to stop Manson? How did Manson succeed in turning a group of peaceful hippies into murderous monsters? In this investigative book, O'Neill seeks answers in places no one else dared to look.

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#9 "Whisper Network: A Novel" by Chandler Baker

Sloane, Ardie, Grace, and Rosalita have worked at Truviv, Inc. for years. When Truviv's CEO dies suddenly, their longtime boss, Ames, is up for a promotion. Each woman has a different relationship with Ames, but they're all well aware of the whispers about how he treats women. Up until now, this hearsay has been swept under the rug. But when Ames makes an inappropriate move on a colleague, Sloane, Ardie, Grace, and Rosalita aren't willing to look the other way. Their decision to take a stand sets in motion a catastrophic shift in the office. Secrets are exposed, friendships are tested and not everyone will survive.

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#10 "Tiny But Mighty: Kitten Lady's Guide to Saving the Most Vulnerable Felines" by Hannah Shaw

Hannah Shaw, better known as Kitten Lady, has dedicated her life to saving tiny cats. In this beautiful new book, she not only shares hundreds of adorable kitten photos, but she also outlines how to combat the many dangers newborn kittens face. Kitten Lady includes practical information on how you can help tiny cats, too, from from fighting feline overpopulation on the streets to fostering unweaned kittens.

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Looking for even more great books? Check out last month's reading list!

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Photo Credit: All images via Amazon