The Best Books to Read This July

The Fletcher family seems to have everything that anyone could want. There are sprawling houses, well-educated children, and a sterling reputation among friends and neighbors. But, of course, there's a dark spot: the long-ago kidnapping (and eventual, mostly safe return) of patriarch Carl has cast a shadow over the family for generations. In this smart, sprawling, darkly comic novel, the author of Fleishman Is In Trouble tells the tale of the Fletchers across the years, giving readers an intricate, unforgettable story of family, money, and faith, and how all three can wreak havoc even when it's least expected.

Much has been written and said about John F. Kennedy, Jr., though not all of it by people who actually knew him. In this new oral biography from RoseMarie Terenzio and Liz McNeil, JFK Jr.'s closest friends open up about who he was outside of the spotlight and what made him such a compelling figure that we're still besotted even 25 years after his untimely death.

How complicated can a trip to Greece get? Very, if you're art historian Elizabeth Clarke, who's headed to a Mediterranean island to acquire a rare sculpture but finds herself in a much more complicated—and possibly dangerous—situation that any traveler might expect. The gripping, delicious debut novel by C. Michelle Lindley brings together ideas about art, ethics, gender, power, and the economy of culture and somehow makes them into a novel that's just beginning to be read beneath an umbrella by the sea.

August Thompson's debut novel follows David, a New Hampshire teenager working at a convenience store, as he meets Jake, a cool, slightly older coworker, and his world is expanded. The friendship the two form is complicated and life-changing, and Thompson's touching, unforgettable story follows the two across the years as their relationship changes, but their shared history continues to hold them together.

When one thinks of an Egyptologist, the idea that comes to mind might be of an Indiana Jones type academic, sprung from the classroom to dig for artifacts. In Kathleen Sheppard's fascinating new book, however, the world of women who helped uncover the secrets of Ancient Egypt is explored. Using travelogues, diaries, and maps, the rarely told stories of the women who helped create our understanding of the history of the world are brought to the forefront here, both correcting a lacking historical record and also sharing thrilling tales of adventure and discovery.

If you've watched the trailer for Jon M. Chu's Wicked as many times as we have, you know that the filmmaker has a flair for storytelling. This new memoir proves that it's just as effective off screen as it is on. In Viewfinder, Chu shares the story of growing up as a first-generation Chinese American in Silicon Valley, working at his parents' restaurant before attending USC and making his way to become one of the most lauded directors of his generation. Chu's story about finding your voice and learning how to use it will resonate with longtime fans and newcomers alike, and will certainly help to tide us over until Wicked hits the big screen in November.

Composer Ricky Ian Gordon, whose operas have included The Remembrance of Things Past and The Garden of the Finzi-Continis, can write for more than just the stage. In this memoir, Gordon shares stories from a life marked by creative milestones and devastating loses, shedding light on the trials that happen behind the scenes of the beautiful performances for which he's known.

In The Bright Sword, Lev Grossman turns his eye to the knights of the Round Table—and conjures up a Camelot that you've never read before. In this Arthurian epic, Grossman tells the tale of a young night named Collum, who arrives in Camelot hoping for a spot at the legendary Round Table. When he gets there, he learns he's too late: King Arthur died two weeks ago, and there's just a handful of lesser-known knights left—like Sir Palomides—and Merlin's apprentice, Nimue. Still, the rag-tag group sets out to attempt to reclaim Excalibur and rebuild Camelot. It's a magical, enthralling tale that you won't be able to put down.

If you were the type of kid who loved the choose-your-own-adventure books, Peng Shepherd's newest, All This and More, has to be on the top of your summer reading list. In the story, 45-year-old Meek's life is in shambles. She wins the opportunity to star in a groundbreaking new reality TV show called The Bubble, where contestants can chose different life choices—and their memories will adjust accordingly. So, she begins to reconstruct her life, but glitches begin to appear in the show. A powerful, thought-provoking story about the choices we wish we made.

Catalina, Karla Cornejo Villavicencio's debut novel (following her nonfiction work, The Undocumented Americans) follows Catalina Ituralde, an undocumented college student who is navigating the world of Harvard and elite education as her grandfather faces deportation. As Random House notes, Catalina is "part campus novel, part pop song" and "unlike any coming-of-age novel you’ve ever read—and Catalina, circled by a nimbus of chaotic energy, driven by a wild heart, is a character you will never forget." It's true: Once you finish Catalina, you won't be able to stop thinking about Catalina, or her story.

It's 1087, and there's a plague devastating Bari, a coastal Italian town. When a lowly monk, Brother Nicephorus, starts to have dreams featuring Saint Nicholas, he interprets them as a call to action. He soon teams up with Tyun, a charismatic treasure hunter, and they set out to steal the 700 year old bones of the long-dead Saint to save the city. It's a deeply entertaining work of historical fiction—and we can never resist a good heist story.

Judy Blume's life and work has been back in the spotlight recently (with last year's adaptation of Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret and the documentary Judy Blume Forever), and Rachelle Bergstein's biography is a welcome addition to the Judy Blume-issance. Per the publisher, "This is the story of how a housewife became a groundbreaking artist, and how generations of empowered fans are her legacy, today more than ever."

In Lauren Aliza Green's debut novel, Brooklynites Morgan and Benjamin surprise their families with the news they're getting married—and soon gather everyone in Maine for the nuptials. There's history between their families: 12 years ago, Benjamin's sister Alice, who was also Morgan's best friend, jumped off a bridge and her body was never found. That past timeline is intertwined with the present of their marriage, and the fraught relationships between the families come to the fore as they navigate the lasting grief and bitterly held secrets. As Ann Napalitano wrote in her blurb, The World After Alice "glimmers with fine writing and notes of human insight."

Juno Dawson's fantasy series, Her Majesty's Royal Coven, continues to delight in this short prequel novel which brings readers to the reign of Henry VIII and the start of the coven other none other than Anne Boleyn. Even if you haven't read the other books in this series, this imagining of witchy Anne Boleyn—full of magic, courtly intrigue, and more—is an absolute delight.

At the beginning, Jane and John seem to be a perfect match. Each complements the other, and as a pair they'd like to think they're stronger than the sum of their parts. But as their relationship develops—they move and move again, they have a child, they cope with the ups and downs of life—that early promise becomes more difficult to recall. In Sarah Manguso's difficult, impossible to put down novel, their relationship is laid bare and the ways in which we try to find contentment, or even just muddle through, are examined with searing skill. Yes, everyone will be talking about this one, but please don't share it with any friends still in a honeymoon phase.