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

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.

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)

«His grandmother didn’t speak at first, just watched him. "We are all weak most of the time," she said finally. "Look at the baby. Born to his mother, he learns how to eat from her, how to walk, talk, hunt, run. He does not invent new ways. He just continues with the old. This is how we all come to the world, James. Weak and needy, desperate to learn how to be a person." She smiled at him. "But if we do not like the person we have learned to be, should we just sit in front of our fufu, doing nothing? I think, James, that maybe it is possible to make a new way."» ••• This book is everything. I'm only halfway through, but I'm 100% sure it'll be one of my favorites this year. Wholeheartedly recommend it ? #books #bookgram #bookstagram

A post shared by MQV? (@joiedeslivres) on Jul 13, 2016 at 9:01am PDT

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)

Started a new book on our way back from Vancouver! Fashion ✔️ NYC ✔️ Twenty-somethings finding themselves ✔️ AN INNOCENT FASHION checks a lot of my boxes and I'm enjoying it so far!

A post shared by Nnenna (@scsreads) on Jul 18, 2016 at 11:07am PDT

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)

PROBLEMS by Jade Sharma is here! We can't wait to start sending out these beauties in July!#problems #bookstagram #readwomen

A post shared by Coffee House Press (@coffeehousepress) on Apr 4, 2016 at 12:37pm PDT

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)

I love this book. I think you will too. @hhavrilesky is a hilarious mad genius and a deep, dear heart. #bookcrush

A post shared by Cheryl Strayed (@cherylstrayed) on Jul 17, 2016 at 9:53am PDT

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)

Ah! Can't believe it's coming out next week! #tryingtofloat #scribnerbooks

A post shared by Nicolaia Rips (@nrips) on Jul 4, 2016 at 1:47pm PDT

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)

Jumping into #sammyreadsjuly16 a bit late. My one word title for day 13 is "Citizen" by Claudia Rankine. // Her sentence structure is beautiful, and the stories are important especially in light of the tragedies that happened last week in America . . . . #onewordtitle #bookstagram #bookishfeatures #bookish #readmore #booksofinstagram #booklover #bookaddict #vscocam #vscoreads #igreads #bookworm #minimalist #minimalism #bibliophile #booklove #becauseofreading #bookstagrammer #citizen #blacklivesmatter #claudiarankine #vscobooks #afterlight #reading

A post shared by Sarah • Michigan, USA (@thisgoodbook) on Jul 13, 2016 at 9:45am PDT

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