25 July Book Releases We’re Excited About

By Ashly Moore Sheldon • June 25, 2026

Reading ahead

Our TBR shelves may be crammed full, but there are always new books that we want to squeeze in. From moving family dramas to cozy romantic fantasies to stunning special editions, July’s most anticipated list is packed with must-reads! Here are 25 upcoming releases across a mix of genres. These titles are available for preorder, but in the meantime, we have recs for similar reads that you can enjoy now.  

Plus, find out what's new or coming soon in paperback. 

Literary and contemporary

A Real Animal by Emeline Atwood (July 7) 

This debut follows Lucy through her twenties, through loneliness and complicated love that takes her from the depths of the Pacific Ocean to the plains of Texas. As the years pass by, she finally comes to terms with the understanding that being human itself means feeling alone, and wild, and unknowable. 

What to read while you wait: The Pisces by Melissa Broder 

The Great Wherever by Shannon Sanders (July 7) 

In this sweeping family portrait, thirty-two-year-old Aubrey is stumbling through adulthood when she learns she has inherited her father's share of a Tennessee farm— a place rich in family secrets and busybody ghosts. At once grand and intimate, this novel explores themes of legacy and loss.   

What to read while you wait: Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson 

Famous Men by Julie Buntin (July 14) 

From the author of Marlena comes a vivid novel about Will, a young woman raised by her single mother in a small Michigan town. When Will stumbles across poet Nathaniel Fellow, she feels she's found a kindred spirit. Then a comment from her mother leaves her wondering if this is the father she's never known.  

What to read while you wait: Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid 

Cool Machine by Colson Whitehead (July 21) 

As New York City begins toemergefrom decline, Ray Carney's Harlem furniture business is thriving. But when the banks refuse a loan for his wife's new travel agency, Carney gambles on one last heist. From the two-time Pulitzer-winner, this is the exuberant final chapter of the Harlem Trilogy. 

What to read while you wait: Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead 

Beginning Middle End by Valeria Luiselli (July 28) 

This story begins when a mother and her prepubescent daughter take off on a trip to Sicily. As the mother, whose marriage has collapsed, works on reconstructing their life as a duo, the daughter begins to ask difficult questions. This is a road novel of exquisite tenderness, spanning four generations of women.  

What to read while you wait: Lost Children Archive by Valeria Luiselli 

Thrills and chills

Fabulous Bodies by Chuck Tingle (July 7) 

An aspiring fashion influencer by day, Poppy moonlights as a grave robber to make ends meet, wheeling and dealing dead bodies across Palm Springs. When a lucrative job veers off course, Poppy must fight for her life if she hopes to survive this blood-soaked joyride of carnage and extravagant entertainment. 

What to read while you wait: Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle 

The Intrigue by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (July 14) 

Handsome con artist Ulises charms lonely women via letters to steal their money, but money is hard to come by in 1940s Mexico and he's desperate to get his hands on a real fortune. He thinks he's found it in boardinghouse owner Perla. But Perla's observant niece, Inés, throws a wrench in his plans.  

What to read while you wait: Havana Red by Leonardo Padura 

The Parisian Heist by Jo Piazza (July 14) 

Emma is a struggling American artist living in Paris and cleaning for the city's Elite when she gets drawn into the dazzling, dangerous world of ultra-wealthy art dealer Stella Swanson. There, her story converges with young widow Jo van Gogh living in the late 1800s and trying to secure a future for herself and her young son. 

What to read while you wait: The Art Forger by B. A. Shapiro 

The Story Keeper by Kelly Rimmer (July 21) 

In the aftermath of a tumultuous year, Fiona Winslow finds solace in the decaying grandeur of Wurimbirra, the rambling family estate she is intent on restoring. As she sifts through the crumbling plaster and dust, she unearths dark secrets that have been buried for a generation. 

What to read while you wait: The Book of Lost Names by Kristen Harmel 

Sci-fi and fantasy

The Farewitch of Foxe Holler by Ellen Pauley Goff (July 7) 

Honey Frost is Foxe Holler's dependable Farewitch. With a dash of flour and a pinch of charm, Honey carries on her family's legacy for healing any ailment with the right recipe. When the Holler's reclusive Warlock suddenly requests that she cure his mysterious illness, Honey's ordered life turns upside down.  

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

World War Z (Deluxe Slipcase Edition) by Max Brooks (July 21) 

With more than 350 annotations and a new introduction by the author, a deluxe slipcase paperback edition of the bestselling novel chronicling a zombie apocalypse features stunning new cover art, a designed cutout revealing the book inside, and five full color interior illustrations of pivotal scenes 

What to read while you wait: Robopocalypse by Daniel H. Wilson 

The Winter Folk by Jen Julian (July 21) 

Every year, the mythical Winter Folk gather at a secret lodge, where a woman named Moth was once the housekeeper and trusted confidant of the enigmatic master of the house. Moth has not been allowed back in decades. Still, she feels its call. She needs to see him again. No matter the cost. 

What to read while you wait: Starling House by Alix E. Harrow 

Fishbone Cinderella by Elizabeth Lim (July 28) 

A mother and daughter bound by a generations-old curse must navigate war, immigration, heartbreak, and inherited magic from 1940s Hong Kong to 1960s California. Blending folklore with historical fiction, this multigenerational saga of love, sacrifice, and memory is available in a stunning hardcover first edition. 

What to read while you wait: The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo 

Sea of Charms: A Spellshop Novel by Sarah Beth Durst (July 28) 

Marin runs from heartbreak by taking to the sea, ferrying goods between magical islands with a sea serpent and a sailor shrub as her crew. When a revolution erupts, she must rescue her friend Dax, a charming composer, and he comes aboard, posing as her pretend boyfriend. Get the gorgeous hardcover edition! 

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

The Felicity Complex by August Clarke (July 28) 

Set in a luxury fallout center, Hallelujah and her sister specimens are six women created in a lab to provide hospitality to the billionaires of the future. But behind their wide smiles, some violent intentions are brewing. This dystopian satire delivers a laugh-out-loud sendup of traditional womanhood. 

What to read while you wait: Annie Bot by Sierra Greer 

Historical fiction

Single Girls by John Searles (July 7) 

 An infectious and utterly charming fictionalization of the iconic Helen Gurley Brown's early years at the helm of Cosmopolitan, and the intrepid group of women she took under her wing to create one of the most talked about magazines of all time. 

What to read while you wait: City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert 

An Infinite Love Story by Chanel Cleeton (July 7) 

It's 1968. Joe Mitchell launches into space as the world watches, primed for another successful mission. But when his spacecraft loses contact, his wife, Vivian, relives their story, unable to accept that this is the end to their epic love. At the same time, she works to unravel what really happened to her husband 

What to read while you wait: The Astronaut Wives Club by Lily Koppel 

The Half Life by Rachel Beanland (July 14) 

When twenty-three-year-old Eileen meets charismatic naval officer Paul, she falls hard. Soon, she's got a ring on her finger, following him to the tiny, sun-drenched Mediterranean island of La Maddalena. Eileen joins a community of navy wives as she confronts the complexities of being an American abroad. 

What to read while you wait: Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall 

Meet Me in Paris by Kristin Harmel (July 28) 

Love Actually meets The Notebook in a tale of love, loss, and finding your way home, all set over the course of one life-changing week in the City of Light. Seven intertwined love stories unfold over a few spring days, as an unforgettable group of Americans in Paris find their own versions of happily ever after. 

What to read while you wait: The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles 

Romance

Love You More by Emily Giffin (July 7) 

Billie is newly engaged to a man she adores. Then one morning, just after she's accepted Dean's romantic marriage proposal, Billie's phone rings. It's her first love, Mick, calling for the first time in nearly a decade. His news is urgent and in a moment, everything changes.  

What to read while you wait: One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid 

Heartstopper, Vol. 6 by Alice Oseman (July 7) 

Boy meets boy. Boys become friends. Boys fall in love. Charlie and Nick balance love with new independence as they face the challenge of a long-distance relationship. Read the final chapter of this heartwarming graphic novel series in advance of the July 17 premiere of Netflix's Heartstopper Forever. 

What to read while you wait: Loveless by Alice Oseman 

The MASH Up by Laura Marie Meyers (July 7) 

Ruby Wynne is a staunch rule follower who lives by the rules. But when a surprising breakup ruins all her well-laid plans, Ruby makes an impulsive wish. The next day, she wakes up inside a seventh grade M.A.S.H. game. Her childhood dreams have come true, but with one annoyingly handsome exception. 

What to read while you wait: This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub 

Extracurricular by Rachel Lynn Solomon (July 14) 

Ramona Wilder has spent her whole life in the spotlight. After a hit kids' TV show, she transitioned to pop superstardom. Now at twenty-six, exhausted by fame, she wants a chance at normal, starting with college. The last thing she expects is A-plus chemistry with her psychology professor. 

What to read while you wait: Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld 

Just a Highland Fling by Naina Kumar (July 21) 

Neelu Pillai makes a last-minute decision to fly to Scotland for her estranged father's wedding. But when her tipsy tirade at the rehearsal dinner leads to a runaway bride, she agrees to help her father track her down. Unfortunately Jacob, Neelu's recent one-night-stand is also along for the ride.  

What to read while you wait: The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren 

The Good Parts by Evann Normandin (July 28) 

When Landon receives a letter from Rose, he learns their love story is over. She's undergone a radical memory-erasing treatment, leaving behind her grief, her past—and him. But Landon can't bear to lose the love of his life. If she fell for him once, couldn't she fall for him again? 

What to read while you wait: In Five Years by Rebecca Serle 

New or coming soon in paperback!

• Meet Me at the Seaside Cottages by Jenny Colgan—A delightful mother-daughter story about second chances in love, life, and home renovations. 
• What We Can Know by Ewan McEwan—From the Booker Prize–winning, bestselling author of Atonement, a genre-bending novel full of secrets and surprises. 
• The Griffin Sisters' Greatest Hits by Jennifer Weiner—A captivating family saga filled with heart, humor, secrets, and second chances. 
• Strangers in Time by David Baldacci—In 1940s London, a bereaved bookshop owner and two teenagers scarred by the Second World War find healing and hope in one another. 
• The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami—From a Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award finalist comes a riveting and utterly original novel about one woman’s fight for freedom, set in a near future. 
• The Woman in Suite 11 by Ruth Ware—The follow-up to the multi-million copy mega-hit The Woman in Cabin 10. 
• JFK: Public, Private, Secret by J. Randy Taraborrelli—From the New York Times bestselling Kennedy historian and author of Jackie: Public, Private, Secret comes the other side of the story. 
• Swordheart by T. Kingfisher—The Princess Bride meets From Blood and Ash in this cozy fantasy romance. 

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