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Best New Books to Read in August 2026
IGN highlights nine new books due in August 2026, spanning horror, fantasy, science fiction, romance and thrillers. The selection particularly leans into early “spooky season” reading, with several supernatural or unsettling premises.
– The Unknown by Riley Sager (4 August): a dual-timeline thriller about actresses visiting an island where five women vanished in 1926.– The House That Eats The Dead by Max Doty (13 August UK; 18 August US): a supernatural horror story about a suburban home that devours living things.– The Infinite State by Richard Swan.– Them.– Dreamland.– A Trade of Blood.– (Mostly) Human Resources.– Time Travel for Beginners.– The Calamities.
In short
- IGN recommends nine varied new releases for August 2026.
- Horror and supernatural stories feature prominently.
- Riley Sager and Max Doty’s novels receive detailed recommendations.
Explained simply
Books are published throughout the year, and summer releases often cover a mix of genres, from romance and fantasy to thrillers and horror. August’s selection includes both familiar kinds of stories and unusual supernatural ideas, such as a house that consumes living things.
Several books use mystery or speculative elements to explore danger and uncertainty. In The Unknown, actresses visit an island linked to the disappearance of five women in 1926; other titles include science fiction, time travel and fantasy. These different approaches give readers a range of ways into suspenseful or imaginative fiction.