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Best Of Bookstagram: The 7 Most Instagram-Friendly Reads of July

by  | July 19

We’ve hit the point in the summer when it’s too hot to do anything besides relax a) on the beach b) in a shaded hammock or c) in any air-conditioned space, with fantastic reading material in hand. There’s an outrageously good crop of new books this month, especially if you want to get in on the conversation on #bookstagram—and you should! Pair with a pink drink, ‘gram it, and get reading.

(Related: The 8 Most Instagrammable Books of June) 

And while you’re at it, report back: are pink drinks really that good? The world needs to know.

1. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi (Knopf)

Homegoing is quickly becoming one of those must-read books of the season, and possibly of the year—Elle wrote that it “may just be one of the richest, most rewarding reads of 2016.” It’s the perfect sweeping, unforgettable story for a long weekend away from it all.

Get your copy: Barnes & Noble / Amazon / Indiebound 

2. An Innocent Fashion by R. J. Hernández (Harper Perennial)

I love love love the hook of this fashionable tome: it’s The Devil Wears Prada meets The Bell Jar, written by a former Elle assistant and Vogue intern. So yeah, it’s juicy AF but also smart, gorgeously written, and sometimes heartbreaking (in the best way).

Get your copy: Barnes & Noble / Amazon / Indiebound 

3. Problems by Jade Sharma (Emily Books)

First off: did you read the Brooklyn Magazine piece on Emily Books? If not, do it now, because you’ll understand immediately why this made the list. Not only is the cover visually striking, it’s the first book from the new Emily Books imprint with Coffee House Press. They’re calling it “Girls meets Trainspotting,” which is delightfully spot on.

Get your copy: Barnes & Noble / Amazon / Indiebound 

4. How To Be a Person In The World by Heather Havrilesky (Doubleday)

Craving something akin to Tiny Beautiful Things, approved by Dear Sugar herself? Here’s your fix: Heather Havrilesky‘s “Ask Polly” turned into a beautiful, hilarious, and thought-provoking new book. It’ll help you navigate life’s toughest questions while also providing you with the literary equivalent of a warm hug (and we could all use more of those, right?).

Get your copy: Barnes & Noble / Amazon / Indiebound 

5. Here Comes The Sun by Nicole Dennis-Benn (Liveright)

https://www.instagram.com/p/BHff1ouBSTD/?taken-by=authorcppatrick

Set in Jamaica, Here Comes the Sun is no vision of paradise; rather, it’s a gut-punching look behind the curtain. But you’ll be glad you looked—the two sisters of this debut novel will stick with you for long after you reach the last page.

Get your copy: Barnes & Noble / Amazon / Indiebound 

6. Trying to Float by Nicolaia Rips (Scribner)

The author, who provided this fabulous ‘gram of her very own book, is publishing her first memoir at the ripe old age of seventeen. And yes, it’s a memoir you’re going to want to read. Nicolaia chronicles her unusual childhood in the famed Chelsea Hotel, home to artists like Patti Smith, Leonard Cohen, and Andy Warhol, for starters. It’s the bohemian, New York-centric Eloise of your dreams.

Get your copy: Barnes & Noble / Amazon / Indiebound 

7. Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine (Graywolf Press)

When you desperately need a break from the news, but aren’t sure where to turn, might I suggest this incredible book by the incomparable Claudia Rankine (you might remember her recent piece on Serena Williams). Citizen is a book-length poem published in October 2014, but it’s still very much a part of the current conversation. Get in on this one.

Get your copy: Barnes & Noble / Amazon / Indiebound