The best new books coming out in July 2023
We've found the best books coming out in July to accompany you on your sunbed, whether you're at home in the city or travelling to sunnier spots
Heading off to tropical climes this month? Or perhaps you’ve blocked out an afternoon in your diary to bask on your sun-trapped balcony? There’s no better way to while away the hazy hours of July than with a juicy book in hand. And luckily, this month marks a number of notable releases – from highly-anticipated final installments to exciting debut novels – so you’ll have plenty to sink your teeth into. Here are the best new books coming out in July 2023 that we recommend for your summer bookshelf.
The Librarianist by Patrick deWitt
Released on 6 July, deWitt’s powerful new story centres around Bob Comet: a retired librarian passing his lonely days surrounded by books at home in Portland, Oregon. During his one daily walk, he encounters a confused elderly woman lost in a market and returns her to the care home where she lives, and where he soon starts volunteering. As he meets more people and encounters more life stories, details of Bob’s character are revealed, highlight his past as an unhappy child runaway during the Second World War, and of the purpose and pride he found in his librarian vocation. A life story that’s anything but ordinary, this is a beautifully written novel tinged with soft humour.
The St Ambrose School for Girls by Jessica Ward
Next up, with a publication date of 11 July, Jessica Ward has delivered a deliciously dark novel where Mean Girls and We Were Liars combine to create a page-turning thriller. Set in 1991 at the New England boarding house of St Ambrose School for Girls, rich and beautiful head girl Greta Stanhope reigns. When Sarah Taylor arrives, she struggles to fit in, an effort hindered further by Greta who never lets Sarah forget that she’s not like them – not that Sarah gives her the satisfaction of breaking her. But when someone ends up dead, how far will Sarah go to keep up the facade?
Crook Manifesto by Colson Whitehead
From the Pulitzer Prize winning author of The Underground Railroad is an incredible sequel to the best-selling Harlem Shuffle. Published on 18 July, Crook Manifesto – set in the turbulent New York of 1971 where crime is high and the city is on the verge of bankruptcy – focuses on furniture store owner Ray Carney, who is trying to keep his head down and his business on the up. His immediate concern is getting his hands on sought-after Jackson 5 tickets for his daughter May, leading him to get in touch with an old police contact. Soon, Ray realises staying out of the criminal game can be deadly, forcing him to battle his way through a city run by the shady, the violent and the utterly corrupt.
Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
A gothic thriller set in 1950s Mexico, with Silver Nitrate, Moreno-Garcia has done an excellent job of keeping her readers guessing. Having made a name for herself with her well-received novel, Mexican Gothic, Moreno-Garcia fans can expect an equally enticing story which focuses on lifting a curse from an unfinished movie. Cult horror film director Abel Urueta is convinced his magic film eventually cursed his life, leading his career to vanish overnight. Aiming to put this right, he recruits editors Montserrat and Tristan to help him shoot the missing scene and lift the curse but soon they all notice a dark presence…
One Tough Cookie by Delise Torres
For fans of Fleabag, Delise Torres puts a new spin on finding love in this humorous and heartfelt fiction set at a cookie company. 27-year-old Karina Cortés doesn’t believe in love and, for her, a simple life with no attachments is a good life. However, work and pleasure collide when she meets the company’s new mechanic, Ian Feliciano, who stirs up feelings she tends to avoid. If you love a good romance novel, this one is for you.
Must Love Flowers by Debbie MacOmber
Uplifting and heartwarming, Must Love Flowers is about the bond formed by two different women during hard times and reflects on the importance of friendship. Joan Sample has been content being a recluse, but after she spends yet another birthday alone, she slowly starts taking care of her overgrown lawn, adopts a puppy, and even rents out her spare room. Her new housemate, Maggie Herbert, is quite the opposite of Joan, splitting her time between working as a barista, studying to become a nurse and avoiding her alcoholic father. Despite a rocky start, a friendship blooms between the two women and they wonder if they’ve found the home they’ve both been searching for…
The Sun and the Void by Gabriela Romero Lacruz
If series are more your bag, don’t miss the first installment of new fantasy epic The Sun and the Void, which follows two young women on a quest for belonging. Set in a lush world inspired by the history and folklore of South America, Reina and Eva navigate family ties, religion and inherent magic powers which they struggle to keep under control. They’re both walking a dangerous path and, in the end, they’ll become something they never imagined. Fans can expect plenty more from Gabriela Romero Lacruz’s new series in the future so we recommend you start reading this now.
The Weaver and the Witch Queen by Genevieve Gornichec
Historical fantasy fans should look no further than The Weaver and The Witch for their summer bookshelf. In this moving novel from the acclaimed author of The Witch’s Heart, two stepsisters, Oddny and Gunnchild, encounter the gods and giants of Norse mythology as they face their intertwining destinies. After visiting a wise woman who makes an ominous prophecy that involves them both, the girls take a blood oath to help each other whatever it takes – and soon, that bond and sworn sisterhood is tested beyond their imaginations.
Her Little Flowers by Shannon Morgan
Francine Thwaite has lived in her family’s ancestral home – a rambling Elizabethan manor in the Lake District, no less – her whole life. She’s well aware of the harmless ghosts and her favourite is Bree, the mischievous ghost girl who has been Francine’s companion since childhood. But when Francine’s estranged sister returns to the manor, she brings with her a cruel story that threatens everything Francine has always believed. As she learns more about the darkness in her family’s past, and the role she may have played in it, she realises that confronting the truth may mean losing everything.
One of Us is Back by Karen McManus
From international best-seller Karen McManus comes the explosive third and final thrilling installment in the acclaimed One of Us series. We’re back with the crew at Bayview High School, who have had a hard time of late; first, they had to prove they weren’t killers, then they had to outwit a vengeful copycat. But when a member of the crew disappears, it’s clear this deadly game the group keeps playing is getting more serious – and no-one understands the rules.
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