10 Hot New Books to Take to the Beach This July

Scarlett Johansson has already signed on for the film adaptation of this Gone Girl-esque thriller, set in Morocco, which follows protagonist Alice Shipley and her husband as they vacation in Tangier—and the mysterious events following her unexpected reunion with a long-lost friend.

Against the sultry backdrop of Spain, Love and Ruin chronicles the torrid love affair between the already-married Ernest Hemingway and the then young international journalist Martha Gellhorn, who becomes utterly seduced by one of the great writers of her generation—and the generations to come. 

Humorist David Sedaris is at it again in his latest short story collection, which tackles some serious topics—addiction, suicide, getting older—with startlingly personal anecdotes and, of course, his signature wit.

The Sunshine State is a character all its own in this atmospheric short story collection, which explores the relationships between people (their dreams, realities, and vices), nature (specifically, Florida’s humid, dense landscape shared by snakes and panthers), and the threats each have on the emotional state.

Two families—millionaire Chicagoans and Southern peach farmers—could not be more different, yet must coexist for the marriage of their children. By Invitation Only is smart, funny, and full of character, both literally and figuratively.

Every year, Ruthie Beamish, along with her almost-ex-husband and teenage daughter, rent out their inherited summer house on Long Island’s North Fork in order to pay the rest of the year’s rent. This season’s guests, however, prove to be more than just your average tenants. A witty narrative that follows angsty teens, eccentric billionaires, and the divisions of societal class makes for one irresistible summertime novel.

On the heels of the women’s movement, The Female Persuasion follows recent college grad Greer Kadetsky as she falls under the wing of feminist icon Faith Frank. What follows is a classic struggle between ambition and what stands in the way of it—in this case, the love Greer holds for her long-time boyfriend.

If you loved The Devil Wears Prada, you won’t want to miss this fun follow-up starring Miranda Priestly's former head assistant, Emily Charlton. She’s just taken up a new life and career in Greenwich, Connecticut, working as an image consultant for supermodels and Hollywood elite. Learning the ropes of a surprisingly cutthroat suburban life becomes essential to her success, but not without a bit of help from her past.

This summer’s buzziest thriller reads like Rear Window: an alcoholic and agoraphobic former child psychologist believes she witnesses a crime from the window of her New York apartment, where she has holed herself away to drink, spy on neighborhoods, and watch classic noir films. The events that follow can only be described as, well, Hitchcockian.

It’s Greek mythology as you’ve never read it before—a vivid, entertaining reimagining of the story of Zeus’s daughter Circe, whose powers take on a more sympathetic air here than the sorcery that was depicted in The Odyssey.