GirlsGuideTo | On Our Bookshelf {July}

July is the peak of summertime and boy, it is hot. If you're brave enough to bear the heat, then grab one of our picks to keep you entertained under your beach umbrella. But what sounds even better is curling up on the couch in the comfort of your AC. Either way, you'll find the perfect company within our selection of books.

Here are our picks for July:

1. Heartburnby Nora Ephron
Nora Ephron left an amazing legacy when she passed earlier this month. She gave us not only Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail, but she wrote some wonderful collections of essays and novels too. Heartburn is loosely based on Ephron’s own husband’s affair and its aftermath. The novel begins with a woman discovering her husband’s affair when she is seven months pregnant. What follows is both heartbreaking and sometimes, downright hilarious.

2. How to Be a Womanby Caitlin Moran
I have not-so-patiently been waiting for this book to be released in the US for what seems like ages. As the overview says, “Though they have the vote and the Pill and haven't been burned as witches since 1727, life isn't exactly a stroll down the catwalk for modern women. They are beset by uncertainties and questions: Why are they supposed to get Brazilians? Why do bras hurt? Why the incessant talk about babies? And do men secretly hate them?” Caitlin Moran is funny and insightful in her attempt to jump-start a new conversation about feminism. I can’t wait to pick this one up!

3. Where We Belongby Emily Giffin
Anything Emily Giffin is the perfect beachside companion. The stories are always sweet, albeit predictable, and her latest packs an emotional punch. Marian Caldwell is living her dream as a television producer in New York City when an unexpected guest knocks on her door. This encounter breaks open a past Caldwell has tried to forget, causing her to reevaluate if she is really as happy as she thinks.

4. Bared to You: A Crossfire Novelby Sylvia Day
Still need your 50 Shades of Grey fix, but you’ve finished the entire trilogy? Don’t fret; Sylvia Day is here to fill the void with the Crossfire novels. The couple, Eva and Gideon, is the new Anastasia and Christian, but this time, they’ve both got a dark past. You’ll be intrigued from the first page to learn of their past secrets, and the steamy sex scenes are just as hot as 50 shades, but without the bondage. You’ll definitely find your new guilty pleasure with this series.

5. The Imperfectionistsby Tom Rachman
Set in a newspaper office in Rome, The Imperfectionists follows the staff through their topsy-turvy lives. It’s set up sort of like Love Actually, where you meet the cast of characters and then are shown how their lives intertwine both in and out of the office. Without the background history of the quirky international newspaper that serves as a common connection -- from the motivation of its founder, then its heyday, to the declining influence of the print media in our time -- it could be a collection of short stories, but that’s what I liked about it. As soon as you start to get sick of a certain character (which trust me, you will get sick of some of these) you’re on to someone new! It’s funny and thoughtful and sometimes sad and I never wanted to put it down.

What books are on your to-read list this month? Share your favorites with us below!