--- description: From Isabel Kaplan's 'NSFW' to Julia Armfield's 'Our Wives Under the Sea,' here's what to read this month. title: Here Are the 9 New Books You Should Read in July image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt975fbda0c2655188/698a334747ca3879203b9bda/best-of-july2-1.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Books](/tag/books/) ## Books Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Here Are the 9 New Books You Should Read in July  by [Angela Haupt](/author/angela-haupt/)  ## Angela Haupt Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jun 29, 2022 2:51 PM CUT   by [Angela Haupt](/author/angela-haupt/)  ## Angela Haupt Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jun 29, 2022 2:51 PM CUT Exactly what constitutes a [beach read](https://time.com/6178938/best-books-summer-2022/ "undefined") has inspired much debate—but perhaps the answer is no more complicated than whether a book is easy to get lost in. Under that definition, the best new books coming in July are ideal for the beach (or the couch, the airplane, or the hammock). Isabel Kaplan’s novel _NSFW_, for example, is an intoxicating exploration of male-dominated workplaces, and [Bolu Babalola’s ](https://time.com/6189585/honey-and-spice-bolu-babalola-review/ "undefined")[_Honey & Spice_](https://time.com/6189585/honey-and-spice-bolu-babalola-review/ "undefined") will steam up your sunglasses. _Our Wives Under the Sea_, by [Julia Armfield](https://time.com/5684268/best-books-october-2019/ "undefined"), is a claustrophobic story centered on a queer couple’s fraying marriage after an undersea expedition goes wrong. These books and more will transport, distract, and absorb you this summer. Here, the nine best new books to read in July. ## **_Honey & Spice_** **, Bolu Babalola (July 5)**  Kiki Banjo is a young Black woman running a college radio show about women’s empowerment, dating, and relationships—a tad ironic, since she tends to avoid romantic attachments herself. After condemning a new student as a playboy over the airwaves, Kiki accidentally—and very publicly—ends up kissing him. To save their reputations, the pair take the only obvious course of action: fake a relationship. Look forward to sizzling chemistry and well-developed characters in this [debut novel from Bolu Babalola](https://time.com/6189585/honey-and-spice-bolu-babalola-review/ "undefined"), a pop-culture scholar who previously authored the short-story collection _Love in Color._ **Buy Now:** _Honey & Spice_ on [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/4973/9780063141483 "undefined") | [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Honey-Spice-Novel-Bolu-Babalola/dp/0063141485/ref=tmm%5Fhrd%5Fswatch%5F0?%5Fencoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=&%5Fencoding=UTF8&tag=time-books-22-20&linkCode=ur2&linkId=8e133015cfeda10963bb69dd7f41b495&camp=1789&creative=9325 "undefined") ## **_Fellowship Point_** **, Alice Elliott Dark (July 5)**  Agnes and Polly are octogenarians who have been best friends for their entire lives, though they’ve each made different choices: Agnes is a popular author who never married, while Polly’s identity revolves around being a wife and mother. They come together at Fellowship Point, a retreat in Maine—but the future of that land is now in limbo, and the women don’t agree on what should happen to it. When a pushy editor urges Agnes to write a memoir, long-buried secrets are unearthed, further testing Agnes’ and Polly’s friendship. _Fellowship Point_ is long—nearly 600 pages—but an utterly engrossing, sweeping work. **Buy Now:** _Fellowship Point_ on [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/4973/9781982131814 "undefined") | [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Fellowship-Point-Alice-Elliott-Dark/dp/1982131810/ref=sr%5F1%5F1?crid=1XFURU7OOZCDL&keywords=Fellowship+Point%252C+Alice+Elliott+Dark&qid=1656441495&s=books&sprefix=fellowship+point%252C+alice+elliott+dark%252Cstripbooks%252C90&sr=1-1&%5Fencoding=UTF8&tag=time-books-22-20&linkCode=ur2&linkId=f1dfc49ba2756f65bd1a9369212dadaa&camp=1789&creative=9325 "undefined") ## **_NSFW_** **, Isabel Kaplan (July 5)**  The unnamed female narrator in Isabel Kaplan’s adult debut—following the YA novel _Hancock Park_—recently graduated from Harvard and landed a coveted job at a TV network. Readers are dropped into the protagonist’s life as she realizes that her [workplace](https://time.com/6102911/inclusive-workplace-future/ "undefined") exemplifies misogyny, and sexual misconduct is rampant. As she weighs what to do, she’s also balancing unhealthy relationships with food and with her mother. _NSFW_ is gripping, with a lot to unpack, making it excellent book-club fodder. **Buy Now:** _NSFW_ on [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/4973/9781250822895 "undefined") | [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/NSFW-Novel-Isabel-Kaplan/dp/1250822890/ref=sr%5F1%5F1?crid=2U6SCJ0GGU3OX&keywords=NSFW%252C+Isabel+Kaplan&qid=1656442009&s=books&sprefix=nsfw%252C+isabel+kaplan%252Cstripbooks%252C139&sr=1-1&%5Fencoding=UTF8&tag=time-books-22-20&linkCode=ur2&linkId=730d1357241cc67e4d83b608fc1bb55b&camp=1789&creative=9325 "undefined") ## **_Night of the Living Rez_** **, Morgan Talty (July 5)**  Morgan Talty grew up as part of the Penobscot Indian Nation, a small community in Maine—and that’s where the 12 stories in his debut collection are set. _Night of the Living Rez_ offers a hypnotizing glimpse into the lives of people figuring out what it means to survive in the wake of inherited tragedies. There’s pain and addiction in these stories, but there’s also friendship and family, beautifully tinted with both sadness and humor. **Buy Now:** _Night of the Living Rez_ on [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/4973/9781953534187 "undefined") | [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Night-Living-Rez-Morgan-Talty/dp/195353418X/ref=sr%5F1%5F1?crid=2I61HGP2DM0GT&keywords=Night+of+the+Living+Rez%252C+Morgan+Talty&qid=1656442084&s=books&sprefix=night+of+the+living+rez%252C+morgan+talty%252Cstripbooks%252C117&sr=1-1&%5Fencoding=UTF8&tag=time-books-22-20&linkCode=ur2&linkId=b7770232a69338535b3d791723017ce4&camp=1789&creative=9325 "undefined") ## **_Our Wives Under the Sea_** **, Julia Armfield (July 12)**  Marine biologist Leah’s submarine recently sank—and though she survived, she’s irreparably changed. Leah’s wife, Miri, who had assumed herself a widow, is desperate to understand what happened in that vessel. As the relationship between the two women deteriorates, Julia Armfield—the author of the short-story collection _Salt Slow_—alternates between two voices: Leah’s, in the form of journal entries she wrote while stranded in the deep, dark sea, and Miri’s, in the present day. _Our Wives Under the Sea_ is a haunting, evocative novel that juxtaposes the horrors beneath the waves with the life and love that exist on land. **Buy Now:** _Our Wives Under the Sea_ on [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/4973/9781250229892 "undefined") | [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Our-Wives-Under-Julia-Armfield/dp/1250229898/ref=sr%5F1%5F1?crid=1CZYANWVGHXEO&keywords=Our+Wives+Under+the+Sea%252C+Julia+Armfield&qid=1656442115&s=books&sprefix=our+wives+under+the+sea%252C+julia+armfield%252Cstripbooks%252C113&sr=1-1&%5Fencoding=UTF8&tag=time-books-22-20&linkCode=ur2&linkId=0362869bf1ef0ea6c2e71343f3d61ac5&camp=1789&creative=9325 "undefined") ## **_Hollywood Ending: Harvey Weinstein and the Culture of Silence_** **, Ken Auletta (July 12)**  Two decades ago, and long before the [MeToo movement](https://time.com/6184702/tarana-burke-time100-summit/ "undefined") took off in 2017, journalist Ken Auletta wrote a _New Yorker_ profile that exposed some of [Harvey Weinstein](https://time.com/5790388/harvey-weinstein-verdict-reaction/ "undefined")’s violent and volatile tendencies. In this nearly 500-page biography, Auletta goes even deeper into the Hollywood mogul’s life, examining the forces that allowed him to become a convicted sexual abuser. _Hollywood Ending_—Auletta’s 13th book, following titles like _World War 3.0: Microsoft and Its Enemies_—is a difficult but important read. **Buy Now:** _Hollywood Ending_ on [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/4973/9781984878373 "undefined") | [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Hollywood-Ending-Weinstein-Culture-Silence/dp/1984878379/ref=tmm%5Fhrd%5Fswatch%5F0?%5Fencoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=&%5Fencoding=UTF8&tag=time-books-22-20&linkCode=ur2&linkId=67f2170ece4b8568c9c0a7358ebcaa60&camp=1789&creative=9325 "undefined") ## **_Any Other Family_** **, Eleanor Brown (July 12)**  Three sets of parents adopted four biological siblings and pledged to keep their kids as connected as possible. It’s as complicated as it sounds. In Eleanor Brown’s novel, each of the adoptive mothers is dealing with her own insecurities and expectations about parenting when the group goes on a summer vacation to Aspen. While there, the kids’ birth mother calls with the news that she’s pregnant again, so the parents begin sorting through applications from potential adopters to figure out who will join their makeshift family. Brown, who previously wrote _The Weird Sisters_ and _The Light of Paris_, delivers a character study that digs into boundaries and belonging. **Buy Now:** _Any Other Family_ on [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/4973/9780593328545 "undefined") | [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Any-Other-Family-Eleanor-Brown/dp/059332854X/ref=sr%5F1%5F1?crid=3287TAZC11RII&keywords=Any+Other+Family%252C+Eleanor+Brown&qid=1656442184&s=books&sprefix=any+other+family%252C+eleanor+brown%252Cstripbooks%252C105&sr=1-1&%5Fencoding=UTF8&tag=time-books-22-20&linkCode=ur2&linkId=7fd38c80e5ba5329e4007ffe5e1a7940&camp=1789&creative=9325 "undefined") ## **_Big Girl_** **, Mecca Jamilah Sullivan (July 12)**  Mecca Jamilah Sullivan’s debut novel transports readers to 1990s [Harlem](https://time.com/6104381/lgbtq-history-harlem-renaissance/ "undefined"), where Malaya—an 8-year-old, obese Black girl—is longing for lots of things: to be able to eat what she wants instead of being dragged to Weight Watchers meetings; to fit in at her predominantly white Upper East Side prep school. To be accepted no matter what she looks like. Over the course of about 10 years, Malaya grows up, all the while seeking freedom from the constraints of her body. **Buy Now:** _Big Girl_ on [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/4973/9781324091417 "undefined") | [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Big-Girl-Mecca-Jamilah-Sullivan/dp/132409141X/ref=sr%5F1%5F1?crid=2W7JUZ1WVDNN3&keywords=Big+Girl%252C+Mecca+Jamilah+Sullivan&qid=1656442232&s=books&sprefix=big+girl%252C+mecca+jamilah+sullivan%252Cstripbooks%252C106&sr=1-1&%5Fencoding=UTF8&tag=time-books-22-20&linkCode=ur2&linkId=4de4bdf34d62f1fd793496d7a21810d9&camp=1789&creative=9325 "undefined") ## **_Calling for a Blanket Dance_** **, Oscar Hokeah (July 26)**  Each chapter in Oscar Hokeah’s debut novel is told through the point of view of a family member—one of several generations of Native people whose lives are deeply intertwined. At the center of it all is Ever Geimausaddle, an angry young man with a propensity for violence. Hokeah skillfully recreates the years leading up to and following Ever’s birth, capturing the traumas and complexities that shaped him into who he is and may determine who he becomes. **Buy Now:** _Calling for a Blanket Dance_ on [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/4973/9781643751474 "undefined") | [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Calling-Blanket-Dance-Oscar-Hokeah/dp/1643751476/ref=sr%5F1%5F1?crid=VIARXIAJJUH3&keywords=Calling+for+a+Blanket+Dance%252C+Oscar+Hokeah&qid=1656442262&s=books&sprefix=calling+for+a+blanket+dance%252C+oscar+hokeah%252Cstripbooks%252C119&sr=1-1&%5Fencoding=UTF8&tag=time-books-22-20&linkCode=ur2&linkId=8ec8af17f1dbf68d3fd28f631e600a62&camp=1789&creative=9325 "undefined") These are independent reviews of the products mentioned, but TIME receives a commission when purchases are made through affiliate links at no additional cost to the purchaser. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/6191971/best-books-july-2022/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/6191971/best-books-july-2022/"},"headline":"Here Are the 9 New Books You Should Read in July","datePublished":"2022-06-29T14:51:29.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:48:59.198Z","description":"From Isabel Kaplan's 'NSFW' to Julia Armfield's 'Our Wives Under the Sea,' here's what to read this month.","url":"https://time.com/6191971/best-books-july-2022/","keywords":["Books","E-Commerce","list","culturepod"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt975fbda0c2655188/698a334747ca3879203b9bda/best-of-july2-1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Angela Haupt","jobTitle":"","url":"https://time.com/author/angela-haupt/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt975fbda0c2655188/698a334747ca3879203b9bda/best-of-july2-1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"best-of-july2","caption":"","creditText":"","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/books/","name":"Books"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/6191971/best-books-july-2022/","name":"Here Are the 9 New Books You Should Read in July"}}]}] ```