Aardvark never plays it safe and that’s exactly why I love predicting their picks every month. While BOTM tends to lean toward accessible, buzzy titles, Aardvark consistently surfaces books that feel more curated: the ones you wouldn’t have found on your own but can’t put down once you start. August has some strong contenders across thrillers, literary fiction, and a few debuts that have Aardvark written all over them. Here are the books I think have the best shot at making the August box.
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Whether or not these are actually picks, only time will tell. Even if they are not, all or most of these are on my Summer Most Anticipated.
When the picks are announced and you find you have space in your box still, make sure to also check reviews of all past Aardvark Books that I’ve read HERE.
July MOST ANTICIPATED | August Most Anticipated
SUMMER MOST ANTICIPATED | Fall Most Anticipated
Keep in mind that these are simply predictions and books I hope get chosen. I could get these completely wrong, but the anticipation and guessing is part of the fun right?!
August Predictions
My top picks for the box are Fruit Fly by Josh Silver, which the BBC already named a must-read of 2026 and reads like Yellowface but sharper. A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett because Aardvark carried the first two books in this series and I need the third so my spines match on the shelf. I’m also watching The Divine Gardener’s Handbook by Eli Snow, Night Songs by Allie Dyer, and Awake Awake by Fiona Mozley. All three have that quiet, atmospheric energy Aardvark gravitates toward. On the thriller side I could see One of the Family by Mark Edwards or The Unheld by Luke Larkin making the cut, and Freyja by Margret Ann Thors would be a perfect international pick if they go that direction.
For the wilder guesses: I’m currently about a third of the way through Seek Immediate Shelter by Vincent Yu and it’s interesting enough that I could see Aardvark pulling it in as a surprise pick. The Project by Annie Lord has been getting buzz as a sharp, subversive romcom from the Vogue writer behind Notes on Heartbreak, and if Aardvark goes for a romance pick this month I think Something About September by Julia McCay is the one. A literary agent hiding out in a bookshop by the sea falls for a struggling novelist. It’s a slow-burn romance disguised as literary fiction and that is Aardvark’s sweet spot. Whatever they pick, August is looking stacked and I’m here for all of it.
Do you think any of these will be picks? Just a few days left before the Aardvark team starts putting out hints for their picks!
I hope you found a book that you are truly excited about in this post. Let me know which other new releases you are excited for this month or that you’re hoping are Aardvark picks, by commenting below or by messaging me on Instagram @speakingof.books or TikTok @speakingof.books. Don’t forget to follow me to get weekly updates and new reviews!
Happy Reading!
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