Book Notification Weekly Picks #10

By Vince MoralesAug 15th, 2025

Book Notification Weekly Picks: August 15th, 2025

Vin - Entertainment Editor

Welcome back for another batch of weekly picks. This is our tenth iteration, which means we have now recommended 120 books. It’s kind of crazy how that doesn’t even scratch the surface of all the great books out there.

Do you ever finish a book and, when you start the next, realize it is just a little too similar? That happened to me this week. I had just finished reading The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami. It was a good read, a tough read that filled me with anxiety, but a good one. Then my friend had been on me to start Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica so I started reading that, but I could tell immediately that it was a little too similar. I love reading future dystopias as much as the next person, but two in a row felt like a bit much. It was time to switch gears to something a little lighter. Ulysses by James Joyce, maybe?

That’s all I have for this week. As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out with any recommendations or feedback. Let’s get to the picks.

Vince
Entertainment Editor @ Book Notification

Title: She Rides Shotgun
Author: Jordan Harper
Before the Big Screen
Series: Standalone

Description: After his release from prison, Nate flees with his daughter Polly to escape a vengeful gang, forcing her into a dangerous life on the run.

Title: The Terminal List
Author: Jack Carr
Genre: Political Thriller
Series: James Reece

Description: After a deadly ambush and the murder of his family, a Navy SEAL uncovers a high-level government conspiracy and seeks vengeance outside the law.

Title: The Big Sleep
Author: Raymond Chandler
Genre: Detective
Series: Philip Marlowe

Description: Private detective Philip Marlowe’s investigation into a millionaire’s blackmail case entangles him in a web of crime involving kidnapping, pornography, and murder.

Title: The Devils
Author: Joe Abercrombie
Genre: Fantasy
Series: The Devils

Description: Summoned to the Sacred City, Brother Diaz is assigned a perilous mission requiring the aid of criminals and monsters against political intrigue and looming elven threats.

Title: Before Dorothy
Author: Hazel Gaynor
Genre: Historical Fiction
Series: Standalone

Description: In 1930s Kansas, Emily struggles to protect her orphaned niece and farm from dust storms, tragedy, and long-buried family secrets.

Title: The Body in the Bookstore
Author: Ellie Alexander
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Series: A Secret Bookcase Mystery

Description: When a body is found during a bookstore’s mystery festival, bookseller Annie Murray investigates, confronting her friend’s unsolved murder and a new killer in her community.

Title: The Honeytrap
Author: Saul Herzog
Genre: Thriller
Series: Espionage Thriller

Description: Three female spies uncover a conspiracy spanning continents, using seduction and espionage to confront betrayal and prevent a conflict that could trigger World War III.

Title: The Connellys of County Down
Author: Tracey Lange
Genre: Family Drama
Series: Standalone

Description: After her release from prison, Tara Connelly struggles to rebuild her life while navigating family troubles, unresolved secrets, and the return of the cop who arrested her.

Title: Anatomy of a Con Artist
Author: Johnathan Walton
Genre: Non-Fiction
Series: Standalone

Description: Drawing on personal experience and real cases, Walton explains common tactics of con artists and offers practical advice for identifying and avoiding their schemes.

Title: The Memory Collectors
Author: Dete Meserve
Genre: Sci-Fi
Series: Standalone

Description: In a California beach town, four strangers use a time travel service to revisit pivotal moments, uncovering shared tragedy and a hidden threat from their past.

Title: Thirteens
Author: Kate Alice Marshall
Genre: Young Adult
Series: Secrets Of Eden Eld

Description: In Eden Eld, three children must uncover the truth behind a centuries-old curse and stop the mysterious Mr. January before they become his next victims.

Title: The Serpent and the Wings of Night
Author: Carissa Broadbent
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series: Crowns of Nyaxia

Description: Oraya, the adopted daughter of a vampire king, enters a deadly tournament to prove herself, navigating deadly rivals, political intrigue, and a dangerous attraction to her competitor.

Vince is the Entertainment Editor at Book Notification. His first book was Green Eggs & Ham by Dr. Seuss, and his passion for reading took off from there. He'll read just about anything, but can usually be found re-reading his favorite Pynchon novels and Seattle Mariners box scores.

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