Wondering what to read now? Here are all the hot new July 2021 book releases for you. I’ll let you know what I’ve read, what I can’t wait to read, and what’s getting all the attention this month.
In case you’re new to Booklist Queen, every month I cover all the hottest new book releases. I try to read as many new book releases as I can to give you an honest perspective on what to read and what to skip.
However, I realize that my to-read list might not exactly match yours. That’s why, this year, I’ve decided to also include some of the most popular July 2021 book releases from your favorite authors.
Enough from me. Let’s get on to the July 2021 book releases so you can fill up your to-read list.
The highlights of the month:
- Twisty Summer Thrillers
- A Bold Queer Historical Fantasy
- World War II Historical Fiction
Have I got you interested? Then keep scrolling to see our picks for the best of the July 2021 book releases.
Top July 2021 Book Releases
The Forest of Vanishing Stars
Kristin Harmel
After being kidnapped as a toddler and raised in isolation in the German woods by a mysterious Jewish woman with powerful foresight, a young woman is shocked to find out that the world is at war. When she stumbles upon a group of Jews trying to escape the Nazi regime, she teaches them the survival skills that have kept her alive. After she is betrayed, she ends up in a German-occupied town where her past comes back to haunt her.
The Forest of Vanishing Stars is the type of historical fiction that makes you roll your eyes with how unrealistic it is. As a heroine, Yona was completely unbelievable, a girl with no character flaws but who was expertly taught in all matters – languages, medicine, religion, etc. – despite growing up in near isolation in the woods. In all, Harmel’s latest is an over-the-top story that steals its best moments from inspiring real events without adding enough strength into her fictional narrative to bring it all together.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Gallery Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 6 July 2021
Amazon | Goodreads | More Info
False Witness
Karin Slaughter
After a tumultuous childhood, Leigh Coulton has built a completely ordinary life as a defense attorney. When she lands a career-changing case defending a wealthy man accused of rape, she realizes that she knows him. And he knows what happened all those years ago. Now she must get him acquitted her risk losing everything.
The Stranger in the Mirror
Liv Constantine
As her wedding approaches, Addison isn’t sure if it’s the right thing to do. Years ago, she was discovered on the side of the road with amnesia, and she worries that her past could come back to haunt her. Meanwhile, Julian has never given up searching for his wife who mysteriously vanished. As the two storylines converge, Constantine’s psychological thriller takes some twists that, while completely unbelievable, are at least unpredictable. A quick and easy summer read that didn’t particularly stand out but was still enjoyable.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Harper Books. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 6 July 2021
Amazon | Goodreads | More Info
Such a Quiet Place
Megan Miranda
Harper Nash’s life is completely thrown off track when her former roommate Ruby walks through the door. A year and a half ago, Ruby was sentenced to twenty years for the murder of their neighbors. With her conviction overturned, Ruby has returned, determined to get revenge on the idyllic neighborhood who all testified against her. Although I’ve enjoyed her previous books, Miranda’s newest domestic thriller missed the mark. With few plot twists and very little suspense, the story was much too slow to hold my attention.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Simon and Schuster through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 13 July 2021
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The Therapist
B. A. Paris
When Alice and Leo move into a gated community, they think their dreams have come true. Alice begins to feel a strong connection to Nina, the therapist who used to live there. Quickly, Alice becomes obsessed with figuring out what happened to Nina, for no one in the neighborhood wants to talk about her.
Not a Happy Family
Shari Lapena
The night after having Easter dinner with their three grown children, a wealthy couple is murdered. Of course, the Merton children are devastated. Or are they? They stand to inherit millions. Was it a random act of violence or was the perpetrator someone much closer to home?
Book of the Month – July 2021
Receiving my blue box from Book of the Month Club is a highlight of every month.
Here’s how it works – each month, they pick 5 books and you get to choose one book or skip until the next month. If you want to add any extra books, then you get them at a discounted price.
Each month is usually a mix of new releases and advance copies of unreleased books. If you are interested in joining, right now you can use my Book of the Month Club affiliate link to get your first book for $5!
The July Book of the Month selections are:
See the Complete List of Upcoming Releases!
Exciting New July 2021 Book Releases
For Your Own Good
Samantha Downing
At the prestigious private school Belmont Academy, Teddy Crutcher has been named Teacher of the Year. Teddy will do anything to help his students succeed, and won’t let bothersome colleagues, pesky parents, personal questions, or even the suspicious death of a parent, stand in his way.
China Room
Sunjeev Sahota
In 1929, three brides are married to three brothers in a single ceremony in rural Punjab. As Mehar tries to discover which of the three brothers is her husband, a misunderstanding causes lasting consequences. Years later, Mehar’s great-grandson returns to India hoping to recover from his drug addiction.
As the two main characters struggle to find freedom in two different time periods, Sahota’s novel (based somewhat on his family’s history) uses sparse descriptions and limited glances, letting the reader fill in the gaps. Often the fragmentation as the perspective changed confused me, and I wish transitions had been smoother. However, this literary style is gorgeous in its own way but is not the lushly detailed writing I typically expect from historical fiction.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Penguin Random House. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 13 July 2021
Amazon | Goodreads | More Info
The Book of Accidents
Chuck Wendig
Although haunted by their traumatic childhoods, Nathan and Maddie still move back to their hometown. Their young son Oliver quickly befriends a local boy, a boy with plenty of secrets and a penchant for dark magic. When strange things begin happening to Oliver, Nathan and Maddie must fight inner demons and outer foes.
She Who Became the Sun
Shelley Parker-Chan
In 1345, two children of the Zhu family are given opposite destinies: for the boy, greatness; for the girl, nothingness. After her brother dies, the girl takes on his identity, joining the monastery and aiding in the rebellion against the Mongols. A bold queer reimagining of the rise of the Ming Dynasty perfect for fans of historical fantasy.
Love People, Use Things
Josh Millburn Fields and Ryan Nicodemus
How might your life be better with less? Josh Millburn Fields and Ryan Nicodemus, known as The Minimalists, go beyond decluttering to talk about our relationships with self-care, money, values, creativity, and those around us.
Love People, Use Things has a bit of an identity crisis, wanting to be more of a relationship book than a minimalism book, yet peppering each chapter with random decluttering tips. Even though they do a good job with the topics that strongly correlate with minimalism (money, stuff, creativity), they aren’t as strong when talking about relationships, veering more into cheesy self-help with some very opinionated tangents.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Celadon books. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 13 July 2021
Amazon | Goodreads | More Info
The Bone Code
Kathy Reichs
In the twentieth book in the Temperance Brennan series (the basis for the popular tv series Bones), forensic anthropologist Tempe gets called to investigate remains found washed up on a South Carolina beach in a medical waste container. The case is eerily similar to one she and her longtime beau Detective Andrew Ryan investigated fifteen years ago in Montreal.
If you haven’t read the Temperance Brennan series, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it. The writing isn’t stellar, leaning too hard on cliches and formulaic plots that always end with a damsel in distress moment. Yet, sometimes the predictable nature of a detective series can be comforting. Having read all of the Temperance Brennan series (except book 19 which I somehow missed), I can say that The Bone Code is par for the series, not as good as many of the early novels, but much better than some of the recent ones.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Scribner Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 6 July 2021
Amazon | Goodreads | More Info
Popular July Upcoming Releases
What July 2021 Book Releases are You Most Excited to Read?
What books can you not wait to get your hands on this month? Did I miss any July 2021 book releases that you are anticipating? As always, let me know in the comments!
More New Book Releases:
