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BuzzFeed Staff

Beat the heat with one of these cool new books.

We Know What New Book You Should Read This Summer

In Ramona Ausubel’s novel _Sons and Daughters of Ease and Plenty_, a wealthy New England family in the 1970s is shocked to discover there is no money left in the family fortune. Married couple Fern and Edgar cope by going their separate ways (a road trip and sailing, respectively) while their three young children are left to themselves with no adult supervision. A wonderfully whimsical tale of privilege and class and what happens when you lose everything you’ve come to take for granted, _Sons and Daughters of Ease and Plenty_ is the escape you need this summer.  
Publication date: June 14

"Sons and Daughters of Ease and Plenty" by Ramona Ausubel

Take some time to reflect this season with Whitney Terrell’s novel _The Good Lieutenant_, which unfolds backward in time from a tragically botched operation in Iraq that results in the death of Lt. Emma Fowler’s secret lover and many others. More than just your typical war story, _The Good Lieutenant_ traces the backstories of soldiers and Iraqis involved alike, bringing out a very human, intimate side of the Iraq War.  
Publication date: June 7

"The Good Lieutenant" by Whitney Terrell

Go on a wild adventure with Dave Eggers' novel _Heroes of the Frontier_, following a divorced woman named Josie as she flees from her life in suburban Ohio to Alaska with her two kids in tow. Dark yet often funny, _Heroes of the Frontier_ is the story of a family trying to escape the disappointments and mistakes of the past while facing a natural world that is surprisingly violent.  
Publication date: July 26

"Heroes of the Frontier" by Dave Eggers

Natashia Deón’s novel _Grace_ looks at the lives of slaves in the South in the 1840s — focusing on a girl named Josephine who was born to a white father and who stands out with her blonde hair and light skin, and her mother who was murdered as she was born. Gripping and deeply affecting, _Grace_ is an examination of injustice, violence, love, legacies, and survival that you'll be still be thinking about long after summer is over.  
Publication date: June 14

"Grace" by Natashia Deón

Garrard Conley’s memoir traces his struggles with his sexuality as a young man and the son of a pastor in a small Arkansas town. When Conley was outed to his parents at 19, he underwent a conversion-therapy program intended to “cure” his “illness” and impure urges but instead came out more resilient than ever. A brave, powerful meditation on identity and faith, _Boy Erased_ is the story of one man’s journey to accepting himself and overcoming shame and trauma in the midst of deep-rooted bigotry.  
Publication date: May 10

"Boy Erased" by Garrard Conley

In Nicole Dennis-Benn’s vibrant debut novel, _Here Comes the Sun_, three Jamaican women and their community come together to fight for their village when it is threatened by plans for a new hotel, but must reckon with their pasts along the way. A compelling exploration of exploitation, sacrifice, tourism, poverty, and the drive for freedom, _Here Comes the Sun_ will transport your mind — and heart — this summer.  
Publication date: July 19

"Here Comes the Sun" by Nicole Dennis-Benn

Yaa Gyasi’s epic novel _Homegoing_ is a sweeping account of two half sisters in 18th-century Ghana and the lives of their many generations of descendants in America. A stunning, unforgettable account of family, history, and racism spanning three centuries, _Homegoing_ is one of the most ambitious books of the season.  
Publication date: June 7

"Homegoing" by Yaa Gyasi

Get real this summer with Jade Sharma’s debut novel, _Problems_, which takes an unflinching look at addiction through the lens of Maya, a young woman in New York with a heroin habit whose life begins to unravel after her husband leaves her. Bold and honest, _Problems_ is a fresh look at recovery, redemption, and one woman’s increasing nest of problems.  
Publication date: July 5

"Problems" by Jade Sharma

Emma Cline’s debut novel, _The Girls_, will thrill you in the all the right ways this summer. Set in late 1960s Northern California, where lonely 14-year-old Evie Boyd is drawn to a group of girls who belong to an infamous cult (loosely based on Charles Manson’s), _The Girls_ is the dark, seductive coming-of-age story of a young woman getting sucked into a terrifying world.  
Publication date: June 14

We Know What New Book You Should Read This Summer

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