Best New Books July 2021

Skip navigation!

Begin Slideshow

Straight off the back of Hot Book Summer, we’re heading into July with a revitalised passion for reading. Having neglected our TBR lists over the last few months, Team R29 spent June working our way through the best new reads from in-demand authors including Lisa Taddeo, Taylor Jenkins Reid and Zakiya Dalila Harris.

If you're yet to explore our book bonanza, know that you are in for a treat, with lists covering everything from thrillers without female murder victims to stories centring around queer joy. For those in the Booktok sphere, we compiled a list of reads to match your internet aesthetic while also profiling helpful self-help books, memoirs and the best second-generation stories.

For a broader approach to choosing a title, there's our beach book guide to help you find an easy staycation read. Plus, our friends at Black Girls Book Club pulled together a list of groundbreaking books from Black female authors, meaning you have plenty to choose from when it comes to finding your 2021 holiday book.

And if you've already made your way through Hot Book Summer, you’ll be happy to know that Team R29 is getting stuck into a whole new set of books this month. From a darkly hilarious novel about the human connection to an intelligent exploration of the modern working world, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

Click through the slideshow ahead to see everything we’re reading this July.

At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn a commission.

More from Books & Art

The 57 Most Erotic Books You Will Ever Read

by Shannon Carlin

In Defence Of ‘Chick Lit’

Reading has always been a joyful experience for me. Since the moment I was old enough to sit still and read a book, I have spent many of my waking hours do

7 Books That Tell A Forgotten Black British History

The origins of Black British history (the who, what, why, when and where…) remain a constant source of confusion and contention in the UK, with many

These Feel-Good Photos Celebrate Friends & Their Clubbing Outfits

“Nothing could better signify the fashions of Glasgow than the club culture the city has to offer and the people who get dressed up to enter these sp

by Joanna Cresswell

Yomi Adegoke’s The List Is A Cautionary Tale For The Chro...

Yomi Adegoke refuses to look up reviews of her debut novel, The List, online — especially on TikTok, a side of the internet she openly admits she’s “

by L'Oréal Blackett

These Nostalgic Photos Celebrate The Girls Of Cornwall

Growing up in rural Cornwall, photographer Francesca Rowse often found herself questioning her place as a young woman. “It’s a very patriarchal cou

by Joanna Cresswell

8 Summer Reads For Every Type Of Holiday Destination

by Maybelle Morgan

These Photos Capture The Bond Between A Mother & Daughter Just 17...

by Joanna Cresswell

These Photos Tell The Love Story Of A Past Relationship (NSFW)

by Joanna Cresswell

Reflective Photos Of Daughters Who Have Lost Their Mothers

Berlin-based photographer Marina Hoppmann was just 17 years old when she lost her mum, Ria. The two of them had been exceptionally close and the experience

by Joanna Cresswell

Growing Up, My Mother and I Couldn’t Understand Each Other ...

I began writing my memoir without knowing how it’d end — a strange thing to say about a type of book that’s literally comprised of the memories that

In Pictures: Young People Living With ADHD

London-based Norwegian photographer Nora Nord was diagnosed with ADHD in 2018, when she was in her early 20s. It was an immensely freeing feeling, she says

by Joanna Cresswell