01
Ummath: A Novel of Community and Conflict
Sharmila Seyyid, Gita Subramaniam (Tr.)
Translated from Tamil, Ummath is poised to be a beautiful novel covering three decades of the Sri Lankan civil war. Different viewpoints on the war and the treatment of women in Sri Lanka are explored through the stories of three women from different backgrounds- a social activist, a Tamil Tiger, and an Eelam fighter. When released in Tamil, this book courted controversy as it was believed that Seyyid wrote that there was a ‘Talibanism’ of Sri Lankan Muslims, a claim she firmly denied, but none-the-less she had to flee Sri Lanka due to persecution.
Available from July 2018. Buy it here.
02
So Much Life Left Over
Louis de Bernières
A sequel to the 2015 hit novel The Dust That Falls From Dreams, this book is set in the period between both the World Wars. Rosie and Daniel have moved to Ceylon with their young daughter in an attempt to save their troubled marriage. However, their continuous quest for fulfilment is still left incomplete and their marriage suffers even more. At the same time, the book also tells of the lives of Rosie’s sisters back in England as they also go through their own struggles. Exciting the reader’s imagination with scenes set in olden-day India, Sri Lanka, and the UK, this romantic book promises to be a must-read.
Available from July 5, 2018. Buy it here.
03
Notes On A Nervous Planet
Matt Haig
In an increasingly connected world, we are feeling more alone than ever before. While it would be hard to slot this book into a particular genre, it can definitely be called a ‘feel-good’ book which is ultimately its purpose. Coming from a personal place as a sufferer of anxiety and panic attacks, Haig talks about how to be happy and feel human in a world where loneliness is a true problem. He discusses how various social, commercial and technological changes have shaped the world we live in and keep us from being happy. He looks at social media, news and even how we sleep and exercise to teach us how to live a better life. Of all anticipated books releasing in July, this book could be the most useful to a reader.
Available from July 5, 2018. Buy it here.
04
The Prison Letters of Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela, Sahm Venter (Ed.)
July 2018 is the perfect month to release this book as, on July 18, we celebrate Nelson Mandela’s 100th birthday. This collection of letters written to his family during his incarceration at Pretoria, Robben Island, Pollsmoor, and Victor Verster prisons reveal his human side and the sacrifices he had to make during his heroic fight against apartheid. From not being there through his daughter’s growing years to missing his mother’s funeral, Mandela still maintained an optimistic view of life despite his personal struggles.
Available from July 10, 2018. Buy it here.
05
My Year of Rest and Relaxation
Ottessa Moshfegh
We are in a time when depression is rampant and of all the anticipated books releasing in July, this could be the most relevant. My Year Of Rest And Relaxation is the story of a young, pretty, vivacious college graduate with a sizeable inheritance, a steady boyfriend, and the seemingly perfect New York life. The only problem: She is terribly depressed. To treat her depression, she tricks her psychiatrist into continuously prescribing her strong sleeping pills and she effectively spends an entire year sleeping, only to be in a state of delirium when intermittently awake. This statement on depression in today’s age disturbs the reader.
International edition available from July 10, 2018. Buy it here.
Indian edition available from July 26, 2018. Buy it here.
06
I Can’t Date Jesus: Love, Sex, Family, Race, and Other Reasons I’ve Put My Faith in Beyoncé
Michael Arceneaux
At a time when the U.S. is grappling with the treatment of people of colour and those from different minorities, Arceneaux’s collection of personal essays is incredibly timely. He is an extremely outspoken gay black man, which gives him the opportunity to observe a less than pleasant side of human nature. While humorous, his essays touch upon his struggles with his own identity and the reactions of people around him. This collection appears to be a must read.
Available from July 24, 2018. Buy it here.
07
Give Me Your Hand
Megan Abbott
Megan Abbott’s modern take on a friends-turned-foes story promises to be a thrilling ride. Kit Owens and Diane Fleming are high-school friends and stars of the chemistry lab. However, Diane confides a deadly secret in Kit that ends their friendship. Many years later fate throws them together again, both working in the same lab, vying for the same position which only one of them can get. Give Me Your Hand combines many genres- part young adult, part thriller, part chick-lit; this book was also named one of the most anticipated books of 2018 by a number of websites and magazines.
Available from July 26, 2018. Buy it here.
08
CoDex 1962
Sjón, Victoria Cribb (Tr.)
A mix of science fiction, love story, and crime thriller, each part of this trilogy will leave you wanting more. Beginning in World War II Germany, and ending in current day Reykjavík, Leo and Josef Lowe’s story is heartbreaking and thrilling at the same time. This book explores a father-son relationship with as much deftness as it does modern genetics and medicine through Leo’s quest to save Josef’s life.
Available from July 26, 2018. Buy it here.
09
The Incendiaries
R. O. Kwon
A haunting love story, a chilling take on religion, fundamentalism, and extremism, and a nail-biting thriller, The Incendiaries is not only one of the most anticipated books of July but is also likely to be the unputdownable novel of summer. Phoebe Lin is a Korean American woman studying at a prestigious American university where she meets and falls in love with Will Kendall. But, Lin ends up falling in with a religious cult that is involved with North Korean terrorism and disappears after the group bombs the university. The rest of the novel covers Kendall’s hunt for Lin and his own struggles with his religious beliefs.
Available from July 31, 2018. Buy it here.
Disclaimer: Some of these books were previously available on Kindle or as international editions which were available for import. This list features Indian editions of these books, which tend to be more affordable. The information featured here is accurate as of June 20, 2018.
