13 new books in August will get you through the dog days of summer

NPR Since the days of the ancients , the dog days of summer have promised heatwaves, bug bites and quantities of sweat no antiperspirant can contain. For once, why not spare yourself its indignities? There are more than enough new book releases in August to keep readers contentedly antisocial and entertained until the humidity breaks. This month brings riveting novels about dogs, stars (the Hollywood kind), small towns and characters with bigger woes than just sweat stains.