We’re Novellic 👋 Expert book recommenders and book club community-builders since 2020 — and now we’re on Substack. Alongside our mobile app (download here!), we’ll be sharing thoughtfully curated collections of new releases across literary fiction, genre fiction, and non-fiction — for real readers, not algorithms. If you’re overwhelmed by BookTok and craving something more personal, you’re in the right place.
🌊 Saying Hello to July 🌊
July is the month for long evenings and longer books — and this list has both covered. We’ve got obsession and ego in the London art world, decades-old secrets unravelling under the French sun, a New England summer that’s all houseboats and bad decisions, and a Korean fantasy epic that’s been waiting years for an English-language audience.
Your TBR isn’t going to fill itself — here’s where we think you should start!
Exhibition — Alex Hyde — July 2 (Contemporary Fiction)
In the heady rebellion of London's Young British Artists scene, photographer Rabble Stone rents a room from a painter in Brixton and is quickly pulled into a new world: the run-down glamour, the debauched gallery openings, the beautiful and lost figures in the artist's orbit. Above all, she is drawn to the artist's raw, startling self-portraits — and to the artist herself. But as longing tips into obsession, Rabble's pursuit of the painter's fame, wealth, and life threatens to consume her. From London to Algiers to Berlin to New York, a story of ego, desire, and the dark relationship between artist and muse.
The Heart of the Nhaga — Lee Young-do — July 2 (Epic Fantasy)
A landmark of Korean SFF, now in English for the first time. The world is divided by the Line of Limit: to the north, flame-wielding Tokkebi, giant warrior birdmen called Rekon, and fractious humans; to the south, the immortal, heartless Nhaga. When a Nhaga is dispatched north on a mysterious mission, an unlikely trio — one from each northern race — is sent to protect him. The problem: a scholar who’s never adventured, a Rekon terrified of water, and a human who eats Nhaga. This one is epic, classic, and utterly compelling.
The Shampoo Effect — Jenny Jackson — July 2 (Contemporary Fiction)
When writer Caroline arrives in a charming New England town, she falls hard for the scenery — and harder for Van, a gorgeous, litter-collecting kayak enthusiast. She's quickly absorbed into his circle: uptight old-money Augusta, over-stretched Fran, and Bailey, who is sexy, confident, and inconveniently pregnant with Van's child. What follows is one long, dazzling summer of houseboats and beach gossip and risky games — until the decades-old secrets holding this group together start to surface.
Main Characters — Bobby Palme — July 2 (Contemporary Fiction, Romance)
Clara wants to be a director. Seb is an actor who doesn't know what he wants. Everyone around them can see they're falling in love — except them. Told through the eyes of friends, flatmates, exes and strangers, this is a love story about two people seen from every angle, from first date to gut-wrenching betrayal. But only Clara and Seb get to decide how it ends.
Family Friends — Chloë Ashby — July 9 (Contemporary Fiction)
Two families, twenty years of friendship, and a cherished annual fortnight in France — but this year, something is off. Will is hiding a secret from his wife. Maggie is worried about their teenage son. Roland is grieving, and Lydia is trying to ignore a pull towards someone she shouldn't. Then Roland's beguiling daughter from his first marriage arrives, and the fault lines begin to show. Deeply atmospheric and quietly devastating, a novel about what happens when loyalty is stretched to breaking point.
Hot Girl Murder Club — Ashley Winstead — July 14 (Thriller)
Wronged women always want revenge. But how far is too far? When powerful men start turning up dead across Los Angeles, suspicion falls on pop star Scout Sage — still reeling from her sister's mysterious death. Assigned to the case is Detective Grey Holloway, whose own history makes every judgement personal. As she digs deeper, she uncovers whispers of a covert sisterhood of ambitious Hollywood women who are done waiting for justice to be served. But are they fixing a broken system, or building a more dangerous one? Sharp, propulsive, and impossible to put down.
Getting Away With Murder — Shari Lapena — July 16 (Thriller)
Jill and Ted love their New York brownstone the way others love their children — every inch of it carefully, expensively their own. When a bad investment threatens to take it all away, they land on an obvious solution: the death of one wealthy family member. Together, they're sure they can get away with it. As long as they trust each other. A deliciously twisty, playfully dark thriller from the queen of the page-turner.
The Good Parts — Evann Normandin — July 28 (Contemporary Fiction, Romance)
When Landon receives a letter from Rose — the woman he planned forever with — he learns she's undergone a memory-erasing treatment, leaving behind her grief, her past, and him. Unable to let go, he re-enters her life as a stranger. But Rose isn't as blank as she seems, and remembering could come at a devastating cost. Told in alternating timelines, The Good Parts is an achingly poignant novel about the people we become across a lifetime, and whether love can survive being lost twice.
We hope you’ve found something that piques your interest! Let us know in the comments. And be sure to download the Novellic app to peruse all of our curated collections.
Happy reading, book friends!