Childhood, mystery, and friendship: Our 10 favorite July reads

1. Small Worlds
by Caleb Azumah Nelson

How does one claim one’s individuality in the midst of others’ expectations? Caleb Azumah Nelson’s novel focuses on Stephen, a London-born teen of Ghanaian immigrant parents, who walks away from a university education to pursue his love of music. Written in exquisite prose infused with lyricism, the book examines the unexpected repercussions of life decisions and explores such themes as faith, friendship, and authenticity.

2. Excavations
by Kate Myers

In Kate Myers’ funny, flinty debut, four women converge at a Greek archaeological dig led by a preening professor. As the crew toils, they unearth the truth about the site – and their unscrupulous leader. Pocked with absorbing details, the novel applauds intellectual honesty and the thrill of discovery.  

3. One Summer in Savannah
by Terah Shelton Harris

Terah Shelton Harris’ novel is an astonishing work of art about forgiving the unforgivable and finding redemption. When Sara returns to her hometown with her daughter, the product of a rape eight years earlier, she befriends her assailant’s twin brother, introducing him to his gifted niece. Together, they find a path toward healing and peace.

4. Promise
by Rachel Eliza Griffiths

Rachel Eliza Griffiths’ luminescent novel centers on the Kindreds, one of two Black families living in Salt Point, Maine, in 1957. Haunted by past injustices, and facing increasing threats to their safety, 13-year-old Cinthy, her sister Ezra, and their resolute parents rely on the sustaining love of family – present and past. It’s a devastating story of remarkable resilience.  

5. After the Funeral and Other Stories
by Tessa Hadley

These extraordinarily well-crafted short stories reveal the profound interior lives of the characters. Tessa Hadley’s gift for immersing readers into fully drawn surroundings is captivating. 

6. The Last Dance
by Mark Billingham

Deputy Sgt. Declan Miller – a recent widower, ballroom dancer, and devoted smart aleck – has a full plate. He’s investigating a double murder with new colleague Sara Xiu while quietly probing his wife’s unsolved homicide. Mark Billingham brings deadpan prose to the propulsive story, which champions partnership in its myriad forms.

7. Owner of a Lonely Heart
by Beth Nguyen

Beth Nguyen’s poignant memoir begins with her childhood in Michigan, where most of her family resettled after fleeing Vietnam just before the fall of Saigon. Her mother was left behind, and in spare prose, Nguyen grapples with her absence and its impact on her own identity as a mother.

8. Under the Eye of Power
by Colin Dickey

This provocative nonfiction book insists that conspiracy theories are not fringe to American society but have been a central feature of U.S. democracy. From the Salem witch trials to QAnon, Colin Dickey argues that irrational paranoia reflects anxiety at key moments of political and cultural transition.

9. No Ordinary Assignment
by Jane Ferguson

War correspondent Jane Ferguson’s courage and grit come through in this memoir, as she charts her lonely childhood in Northern Ireland and her determination to pursue journalism. The descriptions of her wartime reporting provide a dramatic view of conflicts in Yemen, Syria, and Afghanistan. 

10. The Red Hotel
by Alan Philps

Shortly after the Nazis invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941, a small group of Anglo-American reporters traveled to Moscow to cover the conflict. Assigned to live and work in the legendary Metropol Hotel, they found their movements curtailed and their efforts thwarted by Soviet officials. A fascinating, insightful, and disturbing portrait of Western reporters working in a police state and how the experience changed their lives.