8 Books We Can't Wait to Read in July

To the outside world, Sunshine Mackenzie has it all: she’s a lifestyle guru with bestselling cookbooks, a YouTube cooking show and millions of fans. Then, her Twitter is hacked and she’s exposed as a fraud (let’s just say her resume wasn’t entirely truthful) and her fall from grace is swift and complete. The real fun in this total beach read is watching her pick up the pieces and learn that redemption—even after a setback—is possible. 

Have you ever liked a Kardashian’s photo on Instagram? Or at least been intrigued by a Kardashian’s photo (but too embarrassed to like it)? In this funny and eye-opening new pop psychology book, Klam explores the ins and outs of our obsession with celebrities, including what it means to be famous in the Instagram age, what bargains celebs make to maintain their fame and what happens when child stars grow up and want to become normal. 

Joan and her four-year-old son are enjoying a day at the zoo. When she hears a noise crack through the air, she assumes it’s nothing, until she heads toward the exit and sees someone with a gun. The rest of the novel—set over the course of three hours—follows mother and son as they run for their lives and attempt to stay one step ahead of the killer. Our heart is racing already.

The daughter of two mixed-race parents, Thandi has always struggled to navigate the mostly white suburbs of Philadelphia, where she's mistaken for Hispanic, Asian and Jewish. Her questions of identity intensify with the death of her mother, her strongest link to family in South Africa. Stuck between two cultures and continents, she comes to terms with the loss while navigating issues like friendships, motherhood, race, identity and family roots.

In this chilling and emotionally charged memoir, Waite recounts finding out—while pregnant with her first child—that her husband was cheating on her (and had been for some time). Diving deeper into his apparent double life, she goes through every moment of their relationship, searching for warning signs she might’ve missed while chronicling the psychological damage caused by infidelity. 

This hilariously raunchy and absurd story (from the author of the equally hilarious and absurd Tampa)  is told from the perspective of a woman who moves into a trailer park for senior citizens, where her roommates are her father and Diane—an extremely lifelike sex doll.

In a classic horror movie, the "final girl" is the one young woman who makes it out alive--but barely, and usually not with all her clothes. In Sager's more subversive novel, Quincy, who survived a mass murder, refuses to play into the "final girl" trope. Instead, she creates a fulfilling life in New York City. Then, a woman like her dies of an apparent suicide, and Quincy's well-crafted facade begins to unravel. This one will keep you guessing until the very last page.

Miller, author of the excellent 2013 memoir Coming Clean (about growing up with parents who were hoarders), is back with another powerful book that’s part memoir, part social history. Here, the writer explores her complex and at times difficult relationship with food, eating and exercise and examines how and why we try to control our bodies.