The Best New Books Out The Week Of August 31

A collection of nine literary fairy-tales, Sarah Shun-lien Bynum's Likes is the perfect book to escape into if you're feeling the need for a book vacation this week.

Another short-story collection, this one from the author of The Girls, Emma Cline's Daddy features 10 dark stories about everyday people pushed to their breaking points by unspeakable acts.

A coming-of-age story set in Naples, Elena Ferrante's The Lying Life of Adults centers on Giovanna: a young woman whose family swears she's beginning to resemble a mysterious and vilified aunt.

Following the death of Gifty's troubled brother, their mother cannot seem to pull herself out of bed. Gifty has devoted herself to finding academic answers to her family's problems, but she begins to find herself drawn to her old faith in this new novel from Homegoing author Yaa Gyasi.

Margot heads home to L.A.'s Koreatown after losing contact with her mother, Mina, only to find that the older woman has died. Margot attempts to unravel the mystery of her mother's life in this new novel, which moves between a daughter's search for answers and her mother's early days in L.A.

The Ripped Bodice bookstore owner Bea Koch has a book out this week that romance fans won't want to miss. Read all about the lesser-known women of the Regency era in Mad & Bad.

A young girl searches for answers in this coming-of-age story from the author of Let's Tell This Story Properly and Kintu. Kirabo has been raised by a community of women, but her desire to know the person who gave birth to her sends her into the welcoming arms of Nsuuta, a local witch.

A small-town seamstress agrees to an arranged marriage to a big-city businessman in this debut from Ghanaian author Peace Adzo Medie. Afi only married Elikem to help her mother find financial security, but did she make the right decision?

Aiden Thomas' highly anticipated queer romance novel finally lands in stores this week. Cemetery Boys centers on trans brujo Yadriel, who accidentally summons the ghost of a former classmate... and can't seem to get rid of him.

Evie Wyld's The Bass Rock connects the stories of three women — an accused witch, a postwar bride, and a survivor annotating someone else's life — across centuries. Tackling issues of patriarchal control and the liberating power of women's friendships, this is one to watch this week.

Finally, this week brings seven new Amazon Original Stories, collectively known as Out of Line. Each of these new tales from Kate Atkinson, Emma Donoghue, Mary Gaitskill, Roxane Gay, Caroline Kepnes, Lisa Ko, and Cheryl Strayed comes with audio narration.