Books We Can’t Wait To Read In July 2021
Fiction
The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller - July 6 (Riverhead)
A story of summer, secrets, love, and lies: in the course of a singular day on Cape Cod, one woman must make a life-changing decision that has been brewing for decades. "This house, this place, knows all my secrets."
Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily Austin - July 6 (Atria Books)
A delightful blend of warmth, deadpan humor, and pitch-perfect observations about the human condition, Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead is a crackling exploration of what it takes to stay afloat in a world where your expiration--and the expiration of those you love--is the only certainty.
Wayward by Dana Spiotta - July 6 (Knopf)
Dana Spiotta's Wayward is a stunning novel about aging, about the female body, and about female difficulty--female complexity--in the age of Trump. Probing and provocative, brainy and sensual, it is a testament to our weird, off-kilter America, to reforms and resistance and utopian wishes, and to the beauty of ruins. Tremendous new work from one of the most gifted writers of her generation.
Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby - July 6 (Flatiron)
Ike Randolph has been out of jail for fifteen years, with not so much as a speeding ticket in all that time. But a Black man with cops at the door knows to be afraid. The last thing he expects to hear is that his son Isiah has been murdered, along with Isiah's white husband, Derek. Ike had never fully accepted his son but is devastated by his loss. Provocative and fast-paced, S. A. Cosby's Razorblade Tears is a story of bloody retribution, heartfelt change - and maybe even redemption.
Appleseed by Matt Bell- July 13 (Custom House)
Hugely ambitious in scope and theme, Appleseed is the breakout novel from a writer "as self-assured as he is audacious" (NPR) who "may well have invented the pulse-pounding novel of ideas" (Jess Walter). Part speculative epic, part tech thriller, part reinvented fairy tale, Appleseed is an unforgettable meditation on climate change; corporate, civic, and familial responsibility; manifest destiny; and the myths and legends that sustain us all.
The Startup Wife by Tahmima Anam - July 13 (Scribner)
Newlyweds Asha and Cyrus build an app that replaces religious rituals and soon find themselves running one of the most popular social media platforms in the world. In this gripping, blistering novel, award-winning author Tahmima Anam takes on faith and the future with a gimlet eye and a deft touch. Come for the radical vision of human connection, stay for the wickedly funny feminist look at startup culture and modern partnership. Can technology—with all its limits and possibilities—disrupt love?
A Touch of Jen by Beth Morgan - July 13 (Little, Brown)
Part millennial social comedy, part psychedelic horror, and all wildly entertaining, A Touch of Jen is a sly, unflinching examination of the hidden drives that lurk just outside the frame of our carefully curated selves.
Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder - July 20 (Triangle House)
In this blazingly smart and voracious debut, an artist turned stay-at-home mom becomes convinced she's turning into a dog. An outrageously original novel of ideas about art, power, and womanhood wrapped in a satirical fairy tale, Nightbitch will make you want to howl in laughter and recognition. And you should. You should howl as much as you want.
What Strange Paradise by Omar El Akkad - July 20 (Knopf)
From the widely acclaimed, best-selling author of American War, a new novel—beautifully written, unrelentingly dramatic, and profoundly moving—that looks at the global refugee crisis through the eyes of a child.
Intimacies by Katie Kitamura - July 20 (Riverhead)
A novel from the author of A Separation, an electrifying story about a woman caught between many truths.
Nonfiction
London's Number One Dog-Walking Agency: A Memoir by Kate MacDougall - July 6 (William Morrow & Company)
With sharp wit, delightful observations, and plenty of canine affection, Kate reveals her unique and unconventional coming-of-age story, as told through the dogs, and the London homes and neighborhoods they inhabit. One walk at a time, she journeys from a haphazard twentysomething to a happily--and surprisingly--settled adult, with love, relationships, drama, and home ownership along the way. But, as Kate says, "It's all down to the dogs" and what they taught her about London--and life.
This Is Your Mind on Plants by Michael Pollan - July 6 (Penguin Press)
From number one New York Times bestselling author Michael Pollan, a radical challenge to how we think about drugs, and an exploration into the powerful human attraction to psychoactive plants--and the equally powerful taboos.
Stories to Tell: A Memoir by Richard Marx - July 6 (Simon & Schuster)
Stories to Tell is a remarkably candid, wildly entertaining memoir about the art and business of music.
Well, This Is Exhausting: Essays by Sophia Benoit - July 13 (Gallery Books)
From GQ columnist and Twitter sensation, this hilarious, clever, and eye-opening memoir-in-essays explores the ins and outs of modern womanhood--from finding feminism, the power of pop culture, and how to navigate life's constant double standards--perfect for fans of Shrill and PEN15.
