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—Sarah Layden, author of IMAGINE YOUR LIFE LIKE THIS and TRIP THROUGH YOUR WIRES

—Michael Decter, author of THE FULCRUM

—Barbara Shoup, author of ABOUT GRACE and A COMMOTION IN YOUR HEART: Notes on Writing and Life

July 15, 2025

In this newsletter, you will find books releasing the weeks of July 14th and July 21st that we think will be of interest to Bookreporter.com readers, along with Bonus News, where we call out a contest, feature or review that we want to let you know about so you have it on your radar.

This week, we are calling attention to our current Word of Mouth contest. Let us know by Friday, July 25th at noon ET what books you’ve read, and you’ll have a chance to win CULPABILITY by Bruce Holsinger and THE UNRAVELING OF JULIA by Lisa Scottoline, both of which will be Bookreporter.com Bets On picks.

July 15, 2025

This Bookreporter.com Special Newsletter spotlights a book that we think is a great summer reading selection. Read more about it, and enter our Summer Reading Contest by Wednesday, July 16th at noon ET for a chance to win one of five copies of THE UNRAVELING OF JULIA by Lisa Scottoline, which is now available and will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick. Please note that each contest is only open for 24 hours, so you will need to act quickly!

Sam Tanenhaus, author of Buckley: The Life and the Revolution That Changed America

In 1951, with the publication of GOD AND MAN AT YALE, a scathing attack on his alma mater, 25-year-old William F. Buckley, Jr., seized the public stage --- and commanded it for the next half-century as he led a new generation of conservative activists and ideologues to the peak of political power and cultural influence. Ten years before his death in 2008, Buckley chose prize-winning biographer Sam Tanenhaus to tell the full, uncensored story of his life and times, granting him extensive interviews and exclusive access to his most private papers. Thus began a deep investigation into the vast and often hidden universe of Bill Buckley and the modern conservative revolution.

Brad Thor, author of Edge of Honor

After six months abroad, America’s top spy returns to a new administration, a new set of global priorities, and a power struggle --- the likes of which the United States has never experienced. Drawn into a web of deceit and deadly politics, Scot Harvath is thrust into a high-stakes conspiracy that could change the course of history. A cabal of shadowy elites is maneuvering for control, and if they succeed, they will bring the country to its knees. When trust is fleeting and survival means making impossible decisions, Harvath finds himself at the precipice. The actions he takes will shape the future of America --- and might cost him everything he holds dear. With enemies at every turn, one wrong move could push the nation over the edge.

Adriana Trigiani, author of The View from Lake Como

In blue-collar Lake Como, New Jersey, family comes first. Recently divorced from Bobby Bilancia, Jess Capodimonte Baratta moves into her parents’ basement to hide and heal. Jess is the overlooked daughter, who dutifully takes care of her parents, cooks Sunday dinner and puts herself last. Despite her role as the family handmaiden, Jess is also a talented draftswoman in the marble business run by her dapper uncle Louie, who believes she can do anything (once she invests in a better wardrobe). When the Capodimonte and Baratta families endure an unexpected loss, the shock unearths long-buried secrets that will force Jess to question her loyalty to those she trusted. Fueled by her lost dreams, Jess takes fate into her own hands and escapes to her ancestral home, Carrara, Italy.

Ruth Ware, author of The Woman in Suite 11

When the invitation to attend the press opening of a luxury Swiss hotel --- owned by reclusive billionaire Marcus Leidmann --- arrives, it’s like the answer to a prayer. Three years after the birth of her youngest child, Lo Blacklock is ready to reestablish her journalism career and hopes she can snag an interview with Marcus. Unfortunately, he proves to be even more difficult to pin down than his reputation suggests. When Lo gets a late-night call asking her to come to Marcus’ hotel room, she agrees despite her own misgivings. She’s greeted, however, by a woman claiming to be Marcus’ mistress, and in life-or-death jeopardy. What follows is a thrilling cat-and-mouse pursuit across Europe, forcing Lo to ask herself just how much she’s willing to sacrifice to save this woman…and if she can even trust her.

Bruce Holsinger, author of Culpability

When the Cassidy-Shaws’ autonomous minivan collides with an oncoming car, 17-year-old Charlie is in the driver’s seat, with his father, Noah, riding shotgun. In the back seat, tweens Alice and Izzy are on their phones, while their mother, Lorelei, a world leader in the field of artificial intelligence, is absorbed in her work. Yet each family member harbors a secret, implicating each of them in the accident. During a weeklong recuperation on the Chesapeake Bay, the family confronts the excruciating moral dilemmas triggered by the crash. But Lorelei’s odd behavior tugs at Noah’s suspicions that there is a darker truth behind the incident --- suspicions heightened by the sudden intrusion of Daniel Monet, a tech mogul whose mysterious history with Lorelei hints at betrayal.