Welcome back to the Nook! Every week we round up the titles everyone’s talking about — the big traditionally published bestsellers and the indie gems flying a little more under the radar. Because a great book is a great book, no matter which route it took to your shelf.
Here’s what’s new for the week of August 6, 2026.
📈 Straight Off the NYT Bestseller List
The New York Times Paperback Trade Fiction list this week runs the gamut — cozy Southern charm, hard sci-fi survival, dungeon-crawling fantasy, and a couple of steamy hockey romances holding their ground. Here’s the current top 6:
Theo of Golden — Allen Levi
A man travels to a small Southern town, where he purchases pencil drawings of local residents and exchanges them for stories.
Project Hail Mary — Andy Weir
Ryland Grace wakes up alone and far from home, with the fate of humanity resting on his shoulders — now the basis of the movie.
Dungeon Crawler Carl — Matt Dinniman
A Coast Guard vet named Carl and his ex-girlfriend’s cat, Princess Donut, are trapped in a fantasy dungeon — and things only get weirder from there.
The Deal — Elle Kennedy
Hannah Wells strikes a deal with the captain of the college hockey team in exchange for tutoring — a deal that complicates far more than his grades.
The Divorce — Freida McFadden
After her husband ends their marriage and she turns her attention to his new girlfriend, Naomi starts to suspect she might be in danger.
The Five-Star Weekend — Elin Hilderbrand
After a tragedy, a popular food blogger brings friends from distinct chapters of her life together for one Nantucket weekend..
✨ Good Finds in Indie Publishing
Gary Got Goosed — J.R. Montarbo
Gary Gander has spent his whole life on the wrong end of fate’s jokes — a perpetual punching bag of a pizza delivery “boy.” When one nightmare phone call throws his week into chaos, he’s forced to face life, love, family, and the voice he’s kept buried too long. Darkly funny and surprisingly tender.
Flame of Almandraaz — Timothy Robare
Book one of Ashes and Embers. The Lord of Doom is rising, and the Prince of Flame must burn bright — with an ancient dragon at his side — to stand against him. Epic fantasy for readers hungry for a new series to sink into.
Life in the Quiet — SR Stacy
Forty-year-old widow Allison “Sonny” Carino finally has the life she’s always wanted — new love, a career win, kids ready to launch — until a neighborhood prank war turns dangerous and the culprit isn’t so easy to unmask. Family drama with real teeth and real heart.
King Oak — Catherine Arthur
The Common, 1780. George Hogtrough risks his neck in the murky world of smuggling while his wife’s attention drifts toward his hated — and far more honorable — brother. A tangled historical drama of love, betrayal, and a secret that threatens to unravel a family for good.
A Kingsguard Tale: Shadowfall — G.F. Allen
Ten years after Frea fell, Bastion is the last kingdom standing. Dart Horowitz joins the Kingsguard Academia alongside Ava, the last Ancient, racing to find her a way home before the next Blood Moon Eclipse — all while fighting a darkness inside himself that no shield can stop.
In The Same Boat — Luana Giunta
To escape her grandfather’s cruel games, Kayleean moves to London and takes a job waiting tables. Enter Bentley — handsome, popular, allergic to relationships — who strikes an unlikely deal with her when his father issues an ultimatum. Will they make it to port, or sink in the storm?
Which one’s going on your TBR first? Drop your pick in the replies — and if you’re an indie author with a new release, you know where to find us. 🧡
— Just Reading Nook
Olive Stevens is an agency copywriter and managing editor of Just Reading Nook. She also writes book features and news articles.
You can follow her at x /@olivesstevens
