August Book Suggestions

Here's the list of books that have been submitted for August!

** I'll update this list as new books come in, so keep adding **

The submission form will close at 11:59pm PST today.

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When River’s already broken life shattered further on her sixteenth birthday, she was forced to be with the wrong best friend of her brothers. She was meant for Sammy but circumstance and black mail forced her into a relationship with Danny, a troubled, abusive partner. Leaving the only boy she ever loved to flee. Now four years later he has returned. When her feelings and missing parts of herself that left with him return also, loyalty, restraint and love will be tested. Can she find a way to leave the threatening clutches of Danny, to finally be saved by her childhood love? Or will Danny’s hold on her tighten when more life shattering events consume their already troubled lives?

When Sammy returns home, after four years of being away from the girl that broke his heart, he’s not prepared for all his old feelings to force their way straight back into his heart. Questions that were left unasked when he left begin to plague him, when the sudden relationship between River and Danny all those years ago seems all the more confusing now. Secrets, mistrust and Danny’s possessive behaviour sends up red flags and Sammy begins doubting himself for leaving in the first place.

When the spark between Sammy and River finally ignites it will leave explosive consequences for everyone.

Chosen by: Tina
Length: 222 pages     Genre: New Adult Fiction / Romance
Why should we read this? This book is a roller coaster of emotion. It takes you to dark places brings you back and then does it again. It's described as a dark NA romance. I'd love to discuss these with my fellow readers and get their response.
Special Notes: New Adult books are for mature audiences, 17+. They often contain sexual content, as well as violence. Self-published.

After Kylie’s dad dies in a freak accident, he leaves her with nothing other than her crazy step-mother, Darla, and the ability to play guitar. When Darla kicks Kylie out and she loses her job all in the same day, she hops a bus to Nashville determined to make her late father’s dreams come true. Waitressing and saving her pennies to record a demo, her big break comes when she’s asked to join a tour going down the tubes with once platinum album-selling country music superstar Trace Corbin. But touring with Trace is hardly a dream come true since he’s pretty much drinking his career down the drain. If Kylie can’t pull Trace out of his rut, he’ll pull her and her dreams down with him.

Chosen by: Tina
Length: 210 pages      Genre: New Adult Fiction / Romance
Why should we read this? Obviously I am loving the romance genre lately. This one is a fun read about the country music scene (but not so country it ruins it for you non country fans *cough Jessica cough*) with some sexy cowboys. I love the lead character because she's sassy and doesn't take shit.
Special Notes: New Adult books are for mature audiences, 17+. They often contain sexual content, as well as violence. Self-published.

What if you'd been living your life as if you were dying—only to find out that you had your whole future ahead of you?

When sixteen-year-old Alice is diagnosed with leukemia, her prognosis is grim. To maximize the time she does have, she vows to spend her final months righting wrongs—however she sees fit. She convinces her friend Harvey, who she knows has always had feelings for her, to help her with a crazy bucket list that's as much about revenge (humiliating her ex-boyfriend and getting back at her archnemesis) as it is about hope (doing something unexpectedly kind for a stranger). But just when Alice's scores are settled, she goes into remission.

Now Alice is forced to face the consequences of all that she's said and done, as well as her true feelings for Harvey. But has she caused irreparable damage to the people around her—and to the one person who matters most?

Julie Murphy's Side Effects May Vary is a fearless and moving tour de force about love, life, and facing your own mortality.

Chosen by: Kari
Length: 336 pages     Genre: Young Adult Fiction / Contemporary
Why should we read this? This is one of my all time favorite books, that will make an amazing discussion book. Alice is not always a really likeable person, but I so understood her, and there were so many wonderful nuances in this story! Plus, what would YOU do if you were a teenager and had terminal cancer?
Special Notes: Traditionally published.

Perfection comes at a price.

As soon as the government passed legislation allowing humans to be genetically engineered and sold as pets, the rich and powerful rushed to own beautiful girls like Ella. Trained from birth to be graceful, demure, and above all, perfect, these “family companions” enter their masters’ homes prepared to live a life of idle luxury.

Ella is happy with her new role as playmate for a congressman’s bubbly young daughter, but she doesn’t expect Penn, the congressman’s handsome and rebellious son. He’s the only person who sees beyond the perfect exterior to the girl within. Falling for him goes against every rule she knows…and the freedom she finds with him is intoxicating.

But when Ella is kidnapped and thrust into the dark underworld lurking beneath her pampered life, she’s faced with an unthinkable choice. Because the only thing more dangerous than staying with Penn’s family is leaving…and if she’s unsuccessful, she’ll face a fate far worse than death.

For fans of Kiera Cass’ Selection series and Lauren DeStefano’s Chemical Garden series, Perfected is a chilling look at what it means to be human, and a stunning celebration of the power of love to set us free, wrapped in a glamorous—and dangerous—bow.

Chosen by: Kari
Length: 304 pages     Genre: Young Adult Fiction / Dystopian
Why should we read this? This is a somewhat uncomfortable book in the sense it's about human girls who are bred and raised to be the perfect pet for people. It toes some interesting lines, and just really had me thinking about a lot of things.
Special Notes: Traditionally published.

When the magic is up, rogue mages cast their spells and monsters appear, while guns refuse to fire and cars fail to start. But then technology returns, and the magic recedes as unpredictably as it arose, leaving all kinds of paranormal problems in its wake.

Kate Daniels is a down-on-her-luck mercenary who makes her living cleaning up these magical problems. But when Kate's guardian is murdered, her quest for justice draws her into a power struggle between two strong factions within Atlanta's magic circles.

The Masters of the Dead, necromancers who can control vampires, and the Pack, a paramilitary clan of shapechangers, blame each other for a series of bizarre killings—and the death of Kate's guardian may be part of the same mystery. Pressured by both sides to find the killer, Kate realizes she's way out of her league—but she wouldn't have it any other way…

Chosen by: Jessica
Length: 260 pages     Genre: Adult Fiction / Urban Fantasy
Why should we read this? I want to introduce anyone in the group who hasn't read it yet to Urban Fantasy, and Ilona Andrews is the best! Kate is a kick-ass heroine with a big heart, Curran is a swoon-worthy shape-shifter, and all the characters are amazing. I love this series, and I want to share it with you!