This Summer is just going by so fast that we are already in the month of August. For students, August is the last dreaded month before school starts again. For parents, maybe it's not such a bad thing to be able to send your kids off soon. Regardless of the dread of school, August is a month to be treasured so why not spend this month to yourself and indulge in a good book or two. The following are the books that will be hot in the market for the month of August. Enjoy!

A Bitter Truth: A Bess Crawford Mystery by Charles Todd
William Morrow, $32.99
When battlefield nurse Bess Crawford returns from France for a well-earned Christmas leave, she finds a bruised and shivering woman huddled in the doorway of her London residence so Bess decided to take her in. Bess traveled with the woman to Vixen Hill and found that the woman’s family has gathered for a memorial service for the elder son, who died of war wounds. Her husband, home on compassionate leave, is tense, tormented by jealousy and his own guilty conscience. Then, a troubled house guest is found dead and Bess herself becomes a prime suspect in the case. This murder will lead her to a dangerous quest in war-torn France, an unexpected ally, and a startling revelation that puts her in jeopardy before a vicious killer can be exposed.

The Most Dangerous Thing by Laura Lippman
Harper Collins Canada, $33.99
Years ago, they were all the best of friends. But as time passed and circumstances changed, they grew apart, became adults with families of their own, and began to forget about the past and the terrible lie they all shared. But now Gordon, the youngest of the five, has died and the others are thrown together for the first time in many years.

Jantsen's Gift: A True Story Of Grief, Rescue, And Grace by Aimee Molloy
Grand Central Publishing, $15.50
After the death of her 15-year-old son Jantsen, Pam Cope made the choice to throw away everything she knew and started her mission in the streets of Saigon financing 15 rescued children. From there, she traveled to different places and finally found her true calling in Ghana, where she met a special child named Mark who was a 6-year-old slave. Today, Pam is the mother of three adopted children, and the co-founder of "Touch A Life", dedicated to saving at-risk and exploited children in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Ghana.


The Rules of Civility by Amor Towles
Viking, $31.00
Featured in the August edition of Oprah's Magazine, The Rules of Civility tells a story of a watershed year in the life of Katya "Katey" Kontent in the summer of 1938. Katey was a young, sharp, urbane woman of extraordinary ability and humble origin who embarks on a journey through the upper echelons of New York society in search of a future brighter than she has been told to accept.

The First Love Cookie Club by Lori Wilde
William Morrow Paperbacks, $14.99
Sarah Collier has reluctantly returned to Twilight, Texas. The once-awkward teenager has become a big-time success with her bestselling kids’ books. Now she’s come back home to grant one child a very special wish, even though her own heart was once broken by the little girl’s father, Travis Walker. This all makes Sarah wonder, even though she can go home again, should she?

Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie
Griffin, $14.99
Minerva Dobbs was extremely shocked when her boyfriend, David, dumps her three weeks before her sister's wedding. She overheard David making a bet with his old nemesis, gorgeous and successful Calvin Morrisey - that Calvin can't get Min into bed in a month. Min decides to play along and hopefully get a date to the wedding. This novel is about destiny and how a bet turns into true love.

Taken By Passion by Jaymie Holland
Trade Paperback, $16.99
Alice O'Brien literally tumbles down a rabbit hole and discover a strange but fascinating land. She meets the fierce, powerful shape-shifter named Jarronn who is one of four irresistible brothers that rule the land. Soon, Alice learns that Jarronn deliberately lured her into his kingdom to make her his mate in hopes of averting a dark danger that threatens his people. Can this bond of passion save them?

Unsaid by Neil Abramson
Center Street, $26.99
Helena has died, but cannot move on so she lingers, haunted by the life she left behind. She is terrified of confronting the mistakes she made during her life as a veterinarian. David, her shattered attorney husband who, with Helena’s passing, has lost his one connection to a compassionate and heartfelt existence.
When a chimpanzee named Cindy is scheduled for a research experiment that will kill her, David suddenly must call upon everything he has learned from Helena to find a way to save Cindy. In the explosive trial that follows, Helena and David must confront their mistakes, grief, and loss— because the only way to save Cindy is to discover what it really means to be “human.”

Any of the above pique your interest? Or do you have any recommendations for August?