JORDY'S 15 MOST-ANTICIPATED JULY 2024 READS
Summer gets sizzling with some hotly-anticipated new titles...
Happy First Day of July, book friends! Hard to believe, but we’re already halfway thru 2024, and there is still so much year left…and so many amazing books to look forward to. Especially this month. Two of my favorite books of the year come out this month: Liz Moore’s GOD OF THE WOODS, and Taffy Brodesser-Akner’s LONG ISLAND COMPROMISE. I guarantee you’re going to hear people talking about both books all summer, so definitely prioritize those if you’re looking for immediate recommendations. Other than that, I’m including 13 other books I’m really excited about this month from a broad range of genres and authors.
More on all these books below, and also flagging that this is my first of MANY newsletters this week. Yesterday I shared my favorite books of the year (so far), and later this week I’ve got my June Reading Recap, #pubday post, and a transcript from my interview with LULA DEAN author Kirsten Miller. If you haven’t already, please consider a paid subscription to JBC. It takes a lot of work to consistently post on Substack and Instagram, and your support (both socially and financially) is always appreciated.
Happy Reading!!
ALL THIS AND MORE by Peng Shepherd (JULY 9):
SYNOPSIS: Meek, play-it-safe Marsh has just turned forty-five, and her life is in shambles. Her career is stagnant, her marriage has imploded, and her teenage daughter grows more distant by the day. Marsh is convinced she’s missed her chance at everything—romance, professional fulfillment, and adventure—and is desperate for a do-over.
She can’t believe her luck when she’s selected to be the star of the global sensation All This and More, a show that uses quantum technology to allow contestants the chance to revise their pasts and change their present lives. It’s Marsh’s only shot to seize her dreams, and she’s determined to get it right this time.
But even as she rises to become a famous lawyer, gets back together with her high school sweetheart, and travels the world, she begins to worry that All This and More’s promises might be too good to be true. Because while the technology is amazing, something seems a bit off.…
Can Marsh really make her life everything she wants it to be? And is it worth it?
WHY I’M EXCITED: Shepherd has been an auto-buy author for me since her 2018 post-apocalyptic masterpiece THE BOOK OF M. She’s one of the coolest genre authors working today, and I’m so excited about her latest, an adult “choose-your-own-adventure” story about a woman who gets a second chance to relive some of the biggest past decisions in her life. Big swing for the fences, and I’m excited to see if Shepherd is able to execute.
THE BRIGHT SWORD by Lev Grossman (JULY 23):
SYNOPSIS: A gifted young knight named Collum arrives at Camelot to compete for a spot on the Round Table, only to find that he’s too late. The king died two weeks ago at the Battle of Camlann, leaving no heir, and only a handful of the knights of the Round Table survive.
They aren’t the heroes of legend, like Lancelot or Gawain. They’re the oddballs of the Round Table, from the edges of the stories, like Sir Palomides, the Saracen Knight, and Sir Dagonet, Arthur’s fool, who was knighted as a joke. They’re joined by Nimue, who was Merlin’s apprentice until she turned on him and buried him under a hill. Together this ragtag fellowship will set out to rebuild Camelot in a world that has lost its balance.
But Arthur’s death has revealed Britain’s fault lines. God has abandoned it, and the fairies and monsters and old gods are returning, led by Arthur’s half-sister Morgan le Fay. Kingdoms are turning on each other, warlords lay siege to Camelot and rival factions are forming around the disgraced Lancelot and the fallen Queen Guinevere. It is up to Collum and his companions to reclaim Excalibur, solve the mysteries of this ruined world and make it whole again. But before they can restore Camelot they’ll have to learn the truth of why the lonely, brilliant King Arthur fell, and lay to rest the ghosts of his troubled family and of Britain’s dark past.
WHY I’M EXCITED: the mastermind behind THE MAGICIANS is back with his first standalone in some time. I was lucky enough to read half of this last year when it was circulating for TV and film, and it was EXCELLENT. this is a very well-written “remixed” version of King Arthur, told from the POV of some of the lesser-known members of The Round Table. There are flashbacks to their origins, featuring cameos from some of your favorite Arthurian characters, and a new quest that I was seriously invested in. I can’t wait to find time to read the rest of this one, and think it’s something special.
THE CLIFFS by J. Courtney Sullivan (JULY 2):
SYNOPSIS: On a secluded bluff overlooking the ocean sits a Victorian house, lavender with gingerbread trim, a home that contains a century’s worth of secrets. By the time Jane Flanagan discovers the house as a teenager, it has long been abandoned. The place is an irresistible mystery to Jane. There are still clothes in the closets, marbles rolling across the floors, and dishes in the cupboards, even though no one has set foot there in decades. The house becomes a hideaway for Jane, a place to escape her volatile mother.
Twenty years later, now a Harvard archivist, she returns home to Maine following a terrible mistake that threatens both her career and her marriage. Jane is horrified to find the Victorian is now barely recognizable. The new owner, Genevieve, a summer person from Beacon Hill, has gutted it, transforming the house into a glossy white monstrosity straight out of a shelter magazine. Strangely, Genevieve is convinced that the house is haunted—perhaps the product of something troubling Genevieve herself has done. She hires Jane to research the history of the place and the women who lived there. The story Jane uncovers—of lovers lost at sea, romantic longing, shattering loss, artistic awakening, historical artifacts stolen and sold, and the long shadow of colonialism—is even older than Maine itself.
WHY I’M EXCITED: a story set against the backdrop of the seaside Maine cliffs sounds extremely summer-coded, and I’m here for it. Throw in glowing blurbs from some of my favorite authors, including Ann Napolitano (“A stunning achievement…that’s fascinating and thought-provoking”), and I’m sold on the latest book from the author of FRIENDS AND STRANGERS (a Read with Jenna pick!).
DISHONESTLY YOURS by Krista & Becca Ritchie (JULY 2):
SYNOPSIS: Phoebe Graves grew up in a family where deception and seduction are as commonplace as breathing. The Graves and her best friend Hailey’s family have been on the run their whole lives, but after a high-stakes con job goes south, Phoebe and Hailey decide to run away and start over. The small Connecticut town they settle in seems too good to be true.
The biggest flaw in their plan is Hailey’s frustratingly handsome brother, Rocky, who insists on coming with them. Living honestly isn’t in his DNA, and his past with Phoebe is downright messy. He’s everything she wants, but nothing she can have.
Phoebe worries that Rocky will tempt them back into their old ways, where lying is second nature. She doesn’t want Rocky to mess up the new life she’s begun for herself. The longer she stays in town, the more she realizes what it means to have a reputation—and what a normal life with the man she loves could look like.
WHY I’M EXCITED: the first in a sexy new con artist series that’s giving me FIRST LIE WINS meets BUTCHER AND BLACKBIRD vibes (with a touch of DONE & DUSTED)? Also, that cover is **fire**. I’ve heard nothing but glowing reviews for this book from some very-trusted colleagues, and am excited to hopefully prioritize this one in July!
THE DISSONANCE by Shaun Hamill (JULY 23):
SYNOPSIS: "You can never go home again," the saying goes—but Hal, Athena, and Erin have to. In high school, the three were students of the eccentric Professor Marsh, trained in a secret system of magic known as the Dissonance, which is built around harnessing negative emotions: alienation, anger, pain. Then, twenty years ago, something happened that shattered their coven, scattering them across the country, stuck in mundane lives, alone. But now, terrifying signs and portents (not to mention a pointed Facebook invite) have summoned them back to Clegg, Texas. There, their paths will collide with that of Owen, a closeted teenager from Alabama whose aborted cemetery seance with his crush summoned something far worse: a murderous entity whose desperate, driving purpose includes kidnapping Owen to serve as its Renfield. As Owen tries to outwit his new master, and Hal, Athena, and Erin reckon with how the choices they made as teens might connect to the apocalyptic event unfurling over the Lone Star State, shocking alliances form, old and new romances brew, and three unsuccessful adults and one frightened teen are all that stand between reality and oblivion.
WHY I’M EXCITED: I didn’t love Hamill’s last book, A COSMOLOGY OF MONSTERS (too slow for me), but I’m hearing good things about his latest, which is earning comps to IT and THE MAGICIANS. I feel like every summer I’m craving some big piece of scifi/horror (Chuck Wendig’s WANDERERS, Grady Hendrix’s HOW TO SELL A HAUNTED HOUSE), and this definitely falls into that bucket. I’ve got it packed for my summer vacation reading!
THE GOD OF THE WOODS by Liz Moore (JULY 2):
SYNOPSIS: Early morning, August 1975: a camp counselor discovers an empty bunk. Its occupant, Barbara Van Laar, has gone missing. Barbara isn’t just any thirteen-year-old: she’s the daughter of the family that owns the summer camp and employs most of the region’s residents. And this isn’t the first time a Van Laar child has disappeared. Barbara’s older brother similarly vanished fourteen years ago, never to be found.
As a panicked search begins, a thrilling drama unfolds. Chasing down the layered secrets of the Van Laar family and the blue-collar community working in its shadow, Moore’s multi-threaded story invites readers into a rich and gripping dynasty of secrets and second chances. It is Liz Moore’s most ambitious and wide-reaching novel yet.
WHY I’M EXCITED: I liked Liz Moore’s LONG BRIGHT RIVER. It was a solid crime thriller with a compelling sister story at the center. But Moore’s new book, THE GOD OF THE WOODS…well. I loved it. LOVED it. I know, I know. You’re all thinking: “Jordy, what books don’t you love lately?!” It’s a good question. And one I’m happy to answer. I love so many books, and how lucky for us that we are in a position to be overwhelmed by so many incredible sizzling summer reads. And this is easily one of them. I mean, this is one of the best books of the year, and it’ll be a photo finish to see what ends up being my favorite of 2024…ALL THE COLORS, or…this. That’s right. That’s how much I love this book. 2024 is officially the year I fell in love with missing kid books, hahaha. This is part missing person mystery, part multigenerational family drama, part coming-of-age story. Set against the backdrop of a 1970s summer camp, the book follows multiple characters and timelines as the search for a missing camper takes several twisty turns. The writing is top-tier, the characters murky and complex, the overall narrative is fast-paced and propulsive, and this is one of the few books that immediately captured my attention and didn’t let go until I finished late into the night. All the stars.
THE HOLLYWOOD ASSISTANT by May Cobb (JULY 16):
SYNOPSIS: Cassidy Foster is heartbroken, stuck in life, and getting a little too obsessed with plants. Then when a well-connected friend becomes sick of Cassidy’s moping and gets her a gig with famous Hollywood couple, Marisol and Nate Sterling, Cassidy jumps at the chance to move to sunny LA.
The Sterlings are warm and welcoming. A perfect couple. All Cassidy has to do is be available a few hours a week for errands. In return, she has access to luxury: Designer clothes. A sparkling pool. Great pay.
When Nate takes interest in her, asking her to read scripts he’s written, Cassidy thinks this could be the key to kickstarting her writing dreams. As their business relationship grows, so does their attraction. Nate is sexy and talented, and Cassidy can’t believe her luck. Clearly, Marisol doesn’t know what she has. Maybe that’s why the two are always fighting when they think Cassidy isn’t around.
But Cassidy learns she was hired for a different purpose. The Sterlings aren’t the perfect couple. Marisol isn’t the perfect wife. And when one of them is found dead, Cassidy becomes the perfect suspect.
WHY I’M EXCITED: If you’re looking for juicy, soapy, twisty thrillers, look no further than May Cobb. Her HUNTING WIVES is delicious fun, and sometimes you just want something entertaining and fun. Cobb delivers that. A perfect beach read recommendation if you’re looking for something to breeze through in a day.
IT HAD TO BE YOU by Eliza Jane Brazier (JULY 16):
SYNOPSIS: When Eva and Jonathan hook up on the sleeper train from Florence to Paris, they think they’ll never see each other again. Which is too bad, because neither has ever felt a spark like this for another person. But love isn’t on the agenda in their line of work.
Six months later, they run into each other in the Hall of Mirrors in Versailles. This encounter is not by chance, because Eva has been hired to kill Jonathan. She’s a contract killer, but what she doesn’t know is that he is too.
Their meeting kicks off a high-stakes adventure across Western Europe. There will be tourism. There will be bodies. Eva and Jonathan might even fall for each other.
As the two get closer to completing their assignments, it becomes clear that they are also being hunted—by something even more dangerous than love. .
WHY I’M EXCITED: I always have a good time with Eliza Jane Brazier books. IF I DISAPPEAR, GIRLS AND THEIR HORSES, and GOOD RICH PEOPLE are all a lot of dark and twisty fun. Her latest is a lot lighter, a MR & MRS SMITH knock-off that is steamy and violent and a lot of fun. I’ve found that with this book and Rob Hart’s ASSASSIN’S ANONYMOUS that I struggle a bit with novels set in the world of hitmen (it’s a lot of double-crossing and shooting), but the romance between the two leads here helps elevate it beyond a standard action thriller, and there’s a third act twist that I really loved (though wish they would have leaned into a bit more).
LONG ISLAND COMPROMISE by Taffy Brodesser-Akner (JULY 9):
SYNOPSIS: In 1980, a wealthy businessman named Carl Fletcher is kidnapped from his driveway, brutalized, and held for ransom. He is returned to his wife and kids less than a week later, only slightly the worse, and the family moves on with their lives, resuming their prized places in the saga of the American dream, comforted in the realization that though their money may have been what endangered them, it is also what assured them their safety.
But now, nearly forty years later, it’s clear that perhaps nobody ever got over anything, after all. Carl has spent the ensuing years secretly seeking closure to the matter of his kidnapping, while his wife, Ruth, has spent her potential protecting her husband’s emotional health. Their three grown children aren’t doing much better: Nathan’s chronic fear won’t allow him to advance at his law firm; Beamer, a Hollywood screenwriter, will consume anything—substance, foodstuff, women—in order to numb his own perpetual terror; and Jenny has spent her life so bent on proving that she’s not a product of her family’s pathology that she has come to define it. As they hover at the delicate precipice of a different kind of survival, they learn that the family fortune has dwindled to just about nothing, and they must face desperate questions about how much their wealth has played a part in both their lives’ successes and failures.
Long Island Compromise spans the entirety of one family’s history, winding through decades and generations, all the way to the outrageous present, and confronting the mainstays of American Jewish life: tradition, the pursuit of success, the terror of history, fear of the future, old wives’ tales, evil eyes, ambition, achievement, boredom, dybbuks, inheritance, pyramid schemes, right-wing capitalists, beta-blockers, psychics, and the mostly unspoken love and shared experience that unite a family forever.
WHY I’M EXCITED: