Great reads for July

Waterstones has some great books for you to dive into this summer, whether you’re lounging by the pool on holiday, or just grabbing a quick half hour to yourself in the back garden!

From murder mysteries to long-awaited sequels and perfect page-turners, here’s Waterstone’s pick of the best new books for July.

Fiction

One for booklovers: More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop – Satoshi Yagisawa, £9.49

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop was a hit last year, and this sequel is a real treat. It continues the heartwarming tales from Satoru and Momoko’s Tokyo emporium, and finds niece Takako in charge as she covers for her holidaying aunt and uncle.

Exciting debut: Teddy – Emily Dunlay, £16.99

Set in glamorous 1960s Rome, Teddy Huntley Carlyle has a new husband and a new life on the horizon – but everything implodes when she is photographed in the arms of the American ambassador and she has to embark on a dangerous mission to the underbelly of the city to get them back.

Crime & thrillers

One for the beach bag: All the Colours of the Dark – Chris Whitaker, £20

Set to be the summer’s biggest thriller, this is a missing persons mystery, a serial killer thriller and an epic love story all in one.

Irresistible page-turner: One Perfect Couple – Ruth Ware, £18.99

A sun-soaked island reality show turns deadly in this addictive closed community thriller from the author of The It Girl and The Turn of the Key.

Children’s literature

For fun-loving thrill seekers (aged 9-12): The Last Life of Lori Mills – Max Boucherat, £6.49

Lori Mills, an 11-year-old home alone for the first time, finds herself trapped in a gaming adventure that is both very funny and absolutely terrifying.

For history lovers (young adult): The End Crowns All – Bea Fitzgerald, £14.99

The much-anticipated sequel to Girl, Goddess, Queen retells more Greek myths, as Helen navigates the Trojan court and Cassandra struggles to convince people her dramatic visions are real.

Picture book: Otto the Top Dog – Catherine Rayner, £12.99

Beautiful illustrations frame this heartwarming tale of loveable dog Otto, who shares his basket with the neighbourhood dogs with mixed results!

Fantasy

Serial thriller: The Black Bird Oracle – All Souls – Deborah Harkness, £19.99

The fifth instalment of the All Souls series finds Diana finally confronting her family’s dark past.

Surprise author: The Book of Elsewhere: Exclusive Edition – Keanu Reeves, China Mieville

Yes, you did read that right – Keanu Reeves combines his blockbuster instincts with the literary expertise of China Mieville to tell the story of a US special forces operative.

Home & lifestyle

For cooks: Paul Ainsworth’s For The Love of Food: Recipes for Delicious Moments, £26

This long-awaited book (18 years in the making) brings together restaurant-standard dishes with good home cooking to create a fantastic selection of mouthwatering dishes.

For a new direction: Real Healthy: Unprocess Your Diet with Easy Everyday Recipes – Melissa Hemsley, £26

Great recipes for a new way of eating, avoiding ultra-processed foods. A beautiful book with everything from one-pot lasagne to cherry Bakewell granola.

Biography

For fashion fans: Iconic: My Life in Fashion in 50 Objects, Signed Edition – Zandra Rhodes, £25

Zandra Rhodes looks back over her incredible life in fashion through 50 key objects.

For sports lovers: Searching For Novak: The Man Behind the Enigma – Mark Hodgkinson, £17.99

This well-researched biography peels back the layers of the 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic.

Nature writing

For treasure hunters: A Mudlarking Year: Finding Treasure in Every Season – Lara Maiklem, £18.99

The wonderful sequel to the bestselling Mudlarking takes us through a year scouring the banks of the River Thames for hidden treasures.

For big sky thinkers: Cloudspotting for Beginners – Gavin Pretor-Pinney, William Grill, £20

A fun-packed guide to the secrets of the sky, covering all the major cloud types.