August Releases

So many great books are coming out soon, I had to talk about a few of them. I couldn't possibly talk about all of them, so I decided to do it month by month. These are some of the August releases that are at the top of my to-read list, in chronological order. Let me know if I'm missing any.

By the way, I really should have talked about August new releases sooner, but I don't really have too many TBRs coming out in August. I'd love to hear about some that you're excited about.


1 August
Across the Great Barrier, by Patricia C. Wrede

Summary (from Goodreads): 
Eff is an unlucky thirteenth child - her twin brother, Lan, is a powerful seventh son of a seventh son. And yet, Eff is the one who saved the day for the settlements west of the Great Barrier. Her unique ways of doing magic and seeing the world, and her fascination with the magical creatures and land in the Great Plains push Eff to work toward joining an expedition heading west. But things are changing on the frontier.

There are new professors of magic for Eff and Lan to learn to work with. There's tension between William and his father. And there are new threats on the frontier and at home. To help, Eff must travel beyond the Barrier, and come to terms with her magical abilities—and those of her brother, to stop the newest threat encroaching on the settlers.

With wit, magic, and a touch of good pioneer sense, Patricia C. Wrede weaves a fantastic tale of the very wild west.

My Thoughts:
I read the first book in Patricia C. Wrede's Frontier Magic series, Thirteenth Child, in August last year, and although it wasn't my favorite Wrede book, I liked it, and I'm excited for the sequel. If I have time, I want to reread Thirteenth Child before I read Across the Great Barrier, and I think I will like it better than I am remembering (right now my sleep-deprived brain is being biased by a negative review I read a little while back). Also, I like the cover for Across the Great Barrier so much more than Thirteenth Child.  Good job, Ms. Wrede!


2 August
The Near Witch, by Victoria Schwab

Summary (from Goodreads):
The Near Witch is only an old story told to frighten children.

If the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely, and always looking for company.

And there are no strangers in the town of Near.

These are the truths that Lexi has heard all her life.

But when an actual stranger—a boy who seems to fade like smoke—appears outside her home on the moor at night, she knows that at least one of these sayings is no longer true.

The next night, the children of Near start disappearing from their beds, and the mysterious boy falls under suspicion. Still, he insists on helping Lexi search for them. Something tells her she can trust him.

As the hunt for the children intensifies, so does Lexi’s need to know—about the witch that just might be more than a bedtime story, about the wind that seems to speak through the walls at night, and about the history of this nameless boy.

Part fairy tale, part love story, Victoria Schwab’s debut novel is entirely original yet achingly familiar: a song you heard long ago, a whisper carried by the wind, and a dream you won’t soon forget.


My Thoughts:
I didn't really want to read this at first because multiple reviewers mentioned how creepy it was, and I know I have a very low creep tolerance, but it seems like everyone loves this book. People have been praising it left and right, and I finally gave in and decided to add it to my TBR. I am determined to get past the creepiness and enjoy this book. And who knows? Maybe I'll surprise myself.

Are there any August Releases you're excited about?