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It’s beach and vacation reading season. But what should you pack in your beach bag or carry on? One of the best sources for book recommendations is indie booksellers, and while I always recommend going in person, we also have a shortcut: the Indie Next List. Every month, the American Booksellers Association put together a list of the top 25 new book releases of the upcoming month as their Indie Next List Preview. These are books that were nominated by booksellers at independent bookstores across the country, and they cover all genres and categories.
These are passionate readers who have their finger on the pulse of the buzziest books of the moment — the ones they’re eager to get into readers’ hands. So, here are ten of the best books out in July, according to indie booksellers. Many of these we also recommend on Book Riot, so I’ve quoted our relevant recs when available. Be sure to click through to the ABA website for the full list, including six Indie Next Picks that are now out in paperback.
(A quick note: the American Booksellers Association seems to use a slightly different calendar than the rest of us, so many of these books came out at the end of June.)
The Girls Who Grew Big by Leila Mottley (June 24)
The author of Nightcrawling is back with a story about a group of teenage moms in Florida. When Adela gets pregnant at 16, her parents send her to her grandmother’s house in Padua Beach. There, she meets the Girls: a group of young moms and pregnant teenagers. Together, they try to navigate through graduation, love, friendship, and betrayal. This is already makings its way onto several Best Books of 2025 So Far lists! —Danika Ellis
The Compound by Aisling Rawle (June 24)
Outside, the world is falling apart. But inside the walls of the Compound, twenty-something Lily is doing just fine. She and the other 19 competitors on the reality TV show complete challenges to get luxuries, like a comb, as well as additions to their living space, like food. At first, these tasks are standard reality TV fare, but as the stakes rise and the producers start asking strange things of them, Lily soon realizes there’s no easy path to survival, inside or outside of the Compound. —Danika Ellis
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Sunburn by Chloe Michelle Howarth (July 8)
This sapphic literary novel made a big splash when it was published in the UK, and now it’s finally making its North American debut. In 1990s Ireland, teenage Lucy is slowly realizing her desires don’t match the life she is expected to live. She is falling in love with her best friend, Susannah, but she is determined to hide it. Just before graduation, she finally confesses to Susannah, and they start a beautiful, heart-wrenching, secret relationship. When Susannah wants to stop hiding, though, Lucy is forced to make an impossible choice. —Danika Ellis
Hot Girls with Balls by Benedict Nguyễn (July 1)
Hot Girls with Balls is the satirical debut novel from Benedict Nguyễn. Six and Green have a lot in common; they’re both trans Asian women who have launched into fame by playing professional men’s volleyball. When they started dating, the internet loved it. But how will Six and Green be able to manage their careers, their social media accounts, and their relationship? —Danika Ellis
The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (July 15)
Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s latest horror novel is a witchy tale exploring the story of women from three different areas who get caught up in witchcraft. Minerva is a graduate student, studying the history of horror. When she discovers that horror author Beatrice Tremblay’s most famous novel was inspired by a true story, Minerva becomes obsessed with finding out the truth behind the manuscript. Decades earlier, when Tremblay attended the same university as Minerva, a girl went missing under mysterious circumstances. —Emily Martin
The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst (July 15)
Cozy, wholesome—but equal parts intense and thrilling—The Enchanted Greenhouse tells the story of Terlu Perna, who we got to know a little bit about in the first novel, The Spellshop. Remember the magically sentient spider plant named Caz that Kiela has? Terlu is the one who created him! In this sequel, you’ll get to meet more fascinating characters while also trying to solve the mystery of the magical greenhouses. —Silvana Reyes Lopez
Sounds Like Love by Ashley Poston (June 17)
If you’re looking for your sparkling beachside read, you can never go wrong with a Posten novel, and this one sounds like it’ll deliver all the goods.
Joni is one of the most sought-after songwriters in Los Angeles, but her creative well has dried up. She’s hoping that by heading back to her hometown of Vienna Shores, North Carolina, she’ll be inspired by the beach, her family, her friends, and her family’s music venue, The Revelry.
But when Joni returns, nothing is as it was. Her bestie has a secret. Her mom’s memory seems to be challenged. Oh, and The Revelry is closing down.
Then, she hears a a melody and voice in her head. It’s something she can’t shake because it is good. So when she discovers it’s the voice of a very real man–one who is the exact opposite of that joyful melody–things get complicated for her. As for him? Well, he thinks he can break their telepathic connection if the two of them can write the song haunting them and get it out there.
Creativity isn’t simple or straightforward, and neither are the feelings the two begin to develop for each other. —Kelly Jensen
Party of Liars by Kelsey Cox (July 1)
This one is for fans of suspense, and multiple POV including adults and teens!
A cliffside mansion in Texas has long been believed to be haunted by a mother whose child died long ago. The house has since been renovated and the owner has a second—and younger—wife and a baby. The house is the setting for a sixteenth-birthday party celebration. The problem is everyone attending the party has secrets, and one person will plunge to their death… —Jamie Canaves
Read the full list of 25 books plus six paperback releases at the ABA website.
Find more news and stories of interest from the book world in Breaking in Books.
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