Arts & Entertainment
10 Best Books To Read In July
From Elin Hilderbrand's new beach read to Taffy Brodesser-Akner's hilarious debut, these are books you won't be able to put down this month.
Summer is officially in full swing, and there's no time like the present to kick back and enjoy a great book. To help you find your perfect page-turner, we've put together the ultimate summer reading list — a mix of picks from Patch staffers and Amazon editors.
Whether you're looking for romance, humor, historical fiction, or anything in between, we've got you covered. So go ahead: Buy a book (or 10) and let it take you to another world. Happy reading!
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#1 "Summer of '69" by Elin Hilderbrand
Every year, the Levin siblings look forward to spending summer at their grandmother's historic home in Nantucket. But in 1969, things don't exactly shape up as planned. Blair, the oldest sister, is pregnant and unable to travel to the island. Kirby, the middle sister, is active in the civil rights movement and takes a summer job on Martha's Vineyard. Tiger, the only boy, has recently been deployed to Vietnam. That leaves Jessie, the youngest sister, alone in Nantucket with her worried mother and increasingly out-of-touch grandmother. As the summer heats up, Jessie learns that her mom and grandmother are both hiding a troubling secret. Without the support of her siblings, she has to deal with it on her own. The ultimate beach read, this novel is a compelling family drama set against the historic backdrop of a pivotal summer in American history.
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#2 "Fleishman Is in Trouble: A Novel" by Taffy Brodesser-Akner
After separating from his wife of 15 years, Toby Fleishman is enjoying a "summer of sexual emancipation." He's on dad duty for weekends with the kids, but the rest of time, he's embracing his newly single status. Then one day, Toby's ex, Rachel, drops the kids off at his place and doesn't return. He isn't sure where she went or why she left, and he's left alone to juggle work, solo parenting duties and his "new app-assisted sexual popularity." In this smart, funny and at times heartbreaking novel, Toby flounders as he seeks answers while trying to maintain the appearance of balance.
#3 "Big Sky: A Novel" by Kate Atkinson
When Detective Jackson Brodie is tasked with gathering proof of an unfaithful husband for his suspicious wife, everything seems fairly standard-issue. Then Brodie has a chance encounter with a desperate man that leads him back to his questionable old friend, Reggie. Soon, Brodie is caught up in a dark, behind-the-scenes world where old secrets and new lies intersect. If you're looking for a crime thriller with romance, humor and wit, this is it.
#4 "The Nickel Boys: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
Elwood Curtis is a young black man coming of age at the height of the Civil Rights movement. He has a promising future ahead and plans to enroll in the local black college, but then one innocent mistake derails his future. Elwood is sentenced to a juvenile reformatory called the Nickel Academy where boys are abused physically and sexually. He tries to remain optimistic, but his friend Turner thinks he's hopelessly naive. The tension between Elwood and Turner results in a decision with repercussions that echo for decades. Both boys' fates are shaped by what they endured at the Nickel Academy, but will Elwood's hopeful spirit triumph over the abuse he endured?
#5 "The Most Fun We Ever Had: A Novel" by Claire Lombardo
When Marilyn Connolly and David Sorenson fell in love in the 1970s, their lives were blissfully uncomplicated. Fast forward to 2016, and the couple is dealing with four radically different grown daughters, each one in an apparent state of unrest. Wendy, a young widow, self-medicates with booze and younger men. Violet, a litigator turned stay-at-home mom, battles anxiety when the darkest part of her past resurfaces. Liza, a neurotic professor, becomes pregnant with a baby she's not sure she wants by a man she's not sure she loves. And Grace, the youngest daughter, begins living a lie no one in the family suspects. All four wayward daughters fear they'll never find a love like that of their parents'. This novel spans over half a century against the backdrop of Chicago's wealthy suburbs, and explores the lives of a fascinating family grappling with their own series of riveting yet relatable highs and lows.
#6 "The New Girl: A Novel" by Daniel Silva
At an exclusive private school in Switzerland, mystery surrounds the wealthy new girl who arrives each day with a motorcade fit for a president. Rumors swirl that her dad is an exorbitantly wealthy businessman, but in truth, her dad is Khalid bin Mohammed, the much-maligned crown prince of Saudi Arabia. Prince Khalid was once celebrated for his religious and social reform, but public opinion quickly turned after he allegedly had a role in the death of a prominent journalist. When Khalid's daughter is kidnapped, he hires Gabriel Allon, the chief of Israeli intelligence, to help find her. Together the two men embark on a journey to save Khalid's daughter's life and his throne.
#7 "Searching for Sylvie Lee: A Novel" by Jean Kwok
From the author of "Girl in Translation," this riveting novel begins when the Lee family's beautiful, successful older daughter Sylvie vanishes after flying to the Netherlands for a final visit to her dying grandmother. Her parents and younger sister, Amy, are desperate for answers. Amy is too young to remember the time when her parents had newly immigrated and were too poor to keep Sylvie. The family left Sylvie behind in China with a distant relative, and she didn't join her Amy or her sisters in America until she was nine. It's only when Sylvie disappears that Amy really begins to look into what happened to her sister during those formative years. Her search for answers unearths family secrets more painful than anything Amy could have imagined.
#8 "Drive-Thru Dreams: A Journey Through the Heart of America's Fast-Food Kingdom" by Adam Chandler
If fast food is your guilty pleasure, this is the book for you. In "Drive-Thru Dreams," Adam Chandler explores the link between fast food and America over the past century. It's an industry that's been heavily criticized as greedy, corporate and downright dangerous, but it continues to thrive at home and abroad. This nuanced, humorous book looks into the innovations and failures of the biggest fast-food empires and how the people behind these businesses continually evolve.
#9 "In the Valleys of the Noble Beyond: In Search of the Sasquatch" by John Zada
The Great Bear Rainforest borders the central and north coast of British Columbia. It's the largest intact temperate rainforest in the world, but that's the only thing that's majestic about it. For years, local residents have reported encounters with Sasquatch, a mysterious species of hairy man-apes said to inhabit this area. Author John Zada, fascinated by the lore, sets into the forest himself in search of Sasquatch and answers. In this book, he interviews a diverse cast of characters who claim to have come face-to-face with the more than likely mythical creatures. This is a fascinating look into the curious nature of humans and invites the reader to welcome wonder back into their own life.
#10 "The Need" by Helen Phillips
Molly, a mother of two children, has been hearing footsteps and occasional loud noises in the house for days. She tries to convince herself it's the result of sleep deprivation, but then she catches a glimpse of movement. Suddenly, Molly finds herself face-to-face with an intruder who knows far too much about her family. As she tries to protect to the ones she loves, she quickly finds herself spiraling out of control. This speculative thriller will keep you guessing until you reach its mind-bending conclusion.
Looking for even more great books? Check out last month's reading list!
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All prices and savings listed in this post are as of publication and could change. Patch may earn a commission on products purchased.
Photo Credit: All images via Amazon
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