14 DAY TRIAL // iBookstore is picking up on promoting some of the most interesting stuff out there. This used to be just the way AppStore or iTunes Music Store were doing business, but now you can see more and more collections of books or magazine-related content promoted like that.
The titles in "20 Best Books of August" are described as the most memorable releases with provocative perspectives on the human experience.
This new selection is divided in two main categories: August's Best Fiction and August's Best Nonfiction with ten books of each. Half of those are released and the other half are books expected to show up in iBookstore this month.
One of the most appreciated authors this month is John Scalzi and his book "Lock In." Scalzi's title was named a New York Times bestseller and it has received a Hugo Award. His novel is described as a near-future thriller that treats themes like freedom, ethics, and corporate greed. The story follows the effects of a highly contagious virus that makes its way across the globe. The virus' symptoms are not worse than those of a flu, but for one percent of the sick people the disease turns into "Lock In": the victims are fully awake and aware but they are unable to move, say something or react to stimuli.
You can get a sample now and pre-order the book and read the whole novel on August 26 when it comes out.
The Non-Fiction books look even better. "Soldier Girls," for example, was written by journalist Helen Thorpe and it follows the story of three women in the Indiana National Guard who served in Afghanistan and Iraq. The three are described from 2001 to 2013 and Thorpe has been doing her job collecting emails, diaries, medical records, personal correspondence and interviews to know them better. Military culture is just one of the big subjects in the book and that gets portrayed along with their return in civilian life and the redeployment to Iraq.
Another good one is "The Invisible Bridge" – the story of president Nixon's fall and the rise of Ronald Reagan. The author is Rick Perlstein and he puts together a collection of great stories from the '70s through to the '80s.
And last, you may want to check "Dream Year," a book by Ben Arment that pushes the readers to make the leap from a job they hate to a life they love.