The 11 best new books to read in July, either by the pool or in front of the air conditioner

Once upon a time, we dreaded summer reading. Why would we want to spend our precious sunny days off from school doing required reading when we could be swimming, playing, or making friendship bracelets with our BFFs? But now, relaxing with a book is about the only thing on our summer agendas. Just give us a nice cold beverage and we’re good to go. If you’re the same way, dive into the 11 best new books to read in July.

1Whisper Network by Chandler Baker, out July 2nd

Unfortunately, we’ve all worked at a company where there are whispers about a boss that everyone hears but ignores. In Whisper Network, four female employees grow tired of ignoring the whispers and decide to do something about them, even though it will dramatically disrupt their own lives and relationships. It’s a painfully timely #MeToo mystery novel that you won’t be able to put down.

2What Do We Need Men For?: A Modest Proposal by E. Jean Carroll, out July 2nd

Speaking of books to read in the #MeToo era, you should also pick up E. Jean Carroll’s latest. You’ve probably already read an excerpt from it; on June 21st, The Cut published an essay in which Carroll accuses President Trump of attacking her in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room. This will be the book that everyone is talking about this summer. Because really, what do we need men for?

3Lock Every Door by Riley Sager, out July 2nd

It wouldn’t be summer without a bone-chilling Riley Sager thriller. Much like Final Girls and The Last Time I Lied, Lock Every Door will keep you up all night long.

4American Predator: The Hunt for the Most Meticulous Serial Killer of the 21st Century by Maureen Callahan, out July 2nd

Attention, true crime lovers: If you still have a book hangover after reading I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, this is what you should pick up next.

5The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman, out July 9th

Abbi Waxman never fails to write characters that are both deeply relatable and best friend material. Her latest is Nina, an introverted bookworm who is forced to come out of her shell when she’s introduced to a set of family members she didn’t know existed. You’re going to love her.

6Three Women by Lisa Taddeo, out July 9th

Lisa Taddeo followed the sex lives of three women for nearly a decade. The result is Three Women, the most honest accounts of real American women’s sex lives and desires you’ll ever read.

7If You Want to Make God Laugh by Bianca Marais, out July 16th

Once again, Bianca Marais writes beautifully about her home country. This time, her story centers around three unique women—one homeless, one rich, and one a disgraced former nun—and how their stories bind together in post-apartheid South Africa. It’s not a sequel to Hum If You Don’t Know the Words, but Robin and Beauty do make an appearance.

8The Wedding Party by Jasmine Guillory, out July 16th

Now that it’s officially wedding season, you’ll be needing some good books for your flights to and from all the bridal showers, bachelorette parties, and weddings on the calendar. And what better subject matter than a novel about a wedding? The third book in Jasmine Guillory’s The Wedding Date series is here, and it’s the most sweet, charming, and fun title yet.

9Costalegre by Courtney Maum, out July 16th

Courtney Maum is a genre wizard. She covered women’s fiction with I Am Having So Much Fun Here Without You and went contemporary with Touch. Her latest, Costalegre, is a historical fiction novel about artists escaping World War II that proves she really can do it all.

10The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead, out July 16th

The wait for Colson Whitehead’s follow-up to The Underground Railroad is finally over. The Nickel Boys is an affecting novel about a young man attending reform school in the Jim Crow south.

11Semicolon: The Past, Present, and Future of a Misunderstood Mark by Cecelia Watson, out July 30th

Be honest: Have you ever confidently used a semicolon? We didn’t think so. Semicolon is a deep dive into the history of the elusive punctuation mark. It examines the fact that the more rules we made around its usage, the harder they became to follow. Your inner word nerd will love it.