22 July Books We're Excited About

Plus, what's new in paperback

Reading ahead

Our TBR shelves may be bursting, but there are always new books that we want to find room for. From family dramas to enemies-to-lovers romances to captivating thrillers for kids of all ages, July’s most anticipated list is packed with must-reads! Here are 22 upcoming releases across a mix of genres. These titles are available for pre-order, but in the meantime, we have recs for similar reads that you can enjoy now.

Plus, find out what's coming out in paperback this month!

Literary fiction

Vera, or Faith by Gary Shteyngart (July 8)

Observant and sensitive, Vera wants only three things in life: to make a friend at school; Daddy and Anne Mom to stay together; and to meet her birth mother, Mom Mom. Meet the ten-year-old narrator of this poignant, sharp-eyed tale of a family struggling to stay together in a country rapidly coming apart.

What to read while you wait: Beautyland by Marie-Helen Bertino

The View from Lake Como by Adriana Trigiani (July 8)

Recently divorced, Jess has moved into her parents' basement in Lake Como, New Jersey, where she dutifully takes care of everyone but herself. But after an unexpected loss unearths long-buried secrets, Jess is fueled by her lost dreams to reinvent her life and write a new story on her own terms.

What to read while you wait: Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano

Finding Grace by Loretta Rothschild (July 8)

Honor seems to have it all. She adores her daughter Chloe and her charming husband Tom (even if he does work one hundred hours a week). But her longing for another baby threatens to eclipse all of it?until a shocking event changes their lives forever.

What to read while you wait: Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane

Maggie; Or, A Man and a Woman Walk Into a Bar by Katie Yee (July 22)

A man and a woman walk into a restaurant. The woman expects a lovely night filled with endless plates of samosas. Instead, she finds out her husband is having an affair with a woman named Maggie. A short while after, she is diagnosed with breast cancer. She decides to call the tumor Maggie.

What to read while you wait: Joan is Okay by Weike Wang

Mystery, thriller, and horror

An Inside Job by Daniel Silva (July 15)

Art restorer and legendary spy Gabriel Allon has been awarded a commission to restore one of the most important paintings in Venice. But when he discovers the body of a mysterious woman in the Venetian Lagoon, he finds himself in a desperate race to recover a lost masterpiece by Leonardo da Vinci. 

What to read while you wait: The Kill Artist by Daniel Silva

Everyone is Lying to You by Jo Piazza (July 15)

Lizzie and Bex were best friends in college. After graduation, Bex ghosted Lizzie, leaving her confused and devastated. Fifteen years later, Bex, now Rebecca Sommers, a #tradwife Instagram influencer, reaches out to her old friend with a career-making proposition. But Lizzie quickly learns that nothing is as it seems. 

What to read while you wait: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson (July 22)

At twenty-seven, Jet's been waiting for her life to begin. But after a violent attack by an unseen intruder, doctors predict her imminent death and she has just one week to solve her own murder. Pre-order now for the stunning hardcover edition with a custom-stamped case, beautiful endpapers, and a premium dust jacket.

What to read while you wait: The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson

Rush Week by Michelle Brandon (July 22)

An irresistible, juicy contemporary novel based on the TikTok phenomenon #BamaRushTok. It's been five years since they said goodbye. Now four sorority sisters find themselves back at the University of Alabama Rush Week, where the dark secrets they'd thought long buried threaten to resurface.

What to read while you wait: Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard

She Didn't See It Coming by Shari LaPena (July 29)

Bryden and Sam have it all: thriving careers, supportive friends and a cherished daughter. The perfect life for the perfect couple. But when Bryden disappears one day, the couple's luxurious condo building transforms into a potential crime scene. Can the detectives find her before it's too late?

What to read while you wait: The Couple Next Door by Shari LaPena

Sci-fi and fantasy

The Peculiar Gift of July by Ashley Ream (July 1)

Taking in the recently orphaned daughter of an estranged cousin had not been Anita's plan. But from the moment the fourteen-year-old arrives on her doorstep, July seems to "know" what each customer at Anita's store, Island Grocery, most needs. They're small things, but one by one, these gifts start to change lives.

What to read while you wait: The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley (July 8)

This slow burn, enemies-to-lovers romantasy follows an assassin and a healer forced to work together to cure a fatal disease, all while resisting the urge to kill each other—or, worse, fall in love. The stunning limited edition hardcover features foil details, beautifully designed endpapers, and more.

What to read while you wait: Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst (July 15)

This cozy romantic fantasy follows librarian Terlu Purna, introduced in The Spellshop. Years after being turned into a wood statue for using illegal magic, she awakens in a magical greenhouse on a distant island where the lone remaining resident is a grumpy gardener struggling to keep his plants alive.

What to read while you wait: The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst

A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Madanna (July 15)

After resurrecting her great-aunt Jasmine from the dead, Sera Swan, formerly one of the most powerful witches in Britain, lost most of her magic and was exiled from her Guild. Now she reluctantly helps Jasmine run an enchanted inn. But then she learns about something that might restore her power.

What to read while you wait: The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Madanna

Historical fiction 

Our Last Vineyard Summer by Brooke Lea Foster (July 1)

Following her senator father's death, graduate student Betsy Whiting and her sisters return to their beloved Martha's Vineyard summer home which their mother says will now need to be sold to pay off their father's debts. There, Betsy reckons with old family secrets and the complicated legacy of her parents. 

What to read while you wait: The Martha's Vineyard Beach and Book Club by Martha Hall Kelly

Under the Stars by Beatriz Williams (July 29)

World-class chef Audrey Fisher has struggled in the shadow of her famous mother. Meredith Fisher's glamorous persona masks the trauma of her past. When mother and daughter return to the New England island they left behind, they confront their complicated history and make an astonishing discovery. 

What to read while you wait: Husbands & Lovers by Beatriz Williams

Romance

Let's Make a Scene by Laura Wood (July 1)

When Cynthie Taylor gets her first real acting job, there's only one problem. She hates her costar, Jack, even if their onscreen chemistry is palpable. Thirteen years later when an offer comes to make a sequel to the cult classic that launched their careers, both actors badly need the work. But can they learn to trust each other?  

What to read while you wait: Under Your Spell by Laura Wood

Overruled by Lana Ferguson (July 1)

As one of the top divorce lawyers in Austin, Danica Pierce is married to her work. When the biggest case of her career gives her a shot at making partner, it seems like nothing could possibly stand in her way. Except for her infuriating secret—she's sleeping with the enemy: opposing counsel, Ezra Hart.

What to read while you wait: Friction by Sawyer Bennett

Where You're Planted by Melanie Sweeney (July 8)

Single mom Tansy Perkins only has room in her life for her daughter and her job as a children’s librarian. But after a catastrophic hurricane severely damages her library, she's forced to relocate her branch into a shed in the county botanic gardens, where her archnemesis is the assistant director.

What to read while you wait: Funny Story by Emily Henry

These Summer Storms by Sarah Maclean (July 8)

Alice Storm hasn't set foot on her family's private New England island in five years. She's built a new life beyond the Storm name and fortune. But the shocking death of her larger-than-life father changes everything. Now Alice intends to pay her respects and leave as soon as possible. But her father had other plans.

What to read while you wait: Montana Sky by Nora Roberts

Children's and YA 

Snoop by Gordon Korman (July 1)

If Carter hadn't been checking his phone, he might have seen his brother coming down the ski slopes in his direction and avoided the crash. Now he's stuck at home with two broken legs. Bored, he starts watching the live feeds from police cams around his town and starts to see some very strange things. (Ages 9–12)

What to read while you wait: Restart by Gordon Korman

Codebreaker by Jay Martel (July 22)

Mia's world is shattered one night when government agents raid her home. When the dust settles, her mother is dead and her father has gone on the run. In this original, interactive thriller, Mia must decode the clues her father has left behind to try and prevent a devastating national tragedy. (Ages 12–18)

What to read while you wait: The Bletchley Riddle by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin

Glorious Rivals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (July 29)

Seven players arrived on Hawthorne Island, each with their own secrets and motivations. Millions are at stake, but so are hearts—and lives. The players now must race to win the game, solve myriad mysteries, and survive the twists and turns in this heartstopping sequel to a bestselling YA fantasy thriller. (Ages 13–17)

What to read while you wait: The Grandest Game by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

New in paperback

• Bonded in Death by D. Robb—Lieutenant Eve Dallas has a frustrating new case in the 60th book in the futuristic In Death series.
• The Songbird & the Heart of Stone by Carissa Broadbent—The third epic fantasy romance in the Crowns of Nyaxia series is described as A Court of Thorns and Roses meets Dante's Inferno.
• All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker—Right now, get a bonus 10 pts. with your order of a new paperback edition of this romantic and thrilling must-read novel.
• Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty—Another brilliantly constructed thriller from the author of Big Little Lies and Nine Perfect Strangers. A 10 pt. bonus is also available with this purchase!
• Spirit Crossing by William Kent Krueger—A disappearance and a dead body put Cork O'Connor's family in the crosshairs of a killer in book #20 of the series.
• The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman—A gifted young knight arrives at Camelot two weeks too late in this thrilling new take on Arthurian legend.
• Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner—A propulsive page-turner about a seductive and cunning American woman who infiltrates an anarchist collective in France.

We hope you find some titles here that you want to add to your TBR list! Let us know which new books you’re most excited about this month.

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Read more by Ashly Moore Sheldon