Books of the Month: What to read in July, from David Sedaris to the stylish finale of Colson Whitehead's Harlem Trilogy

Books of the Month for July highlights a wide reading mix, starting with Benji Wilson’s Rate This Book: How Star Ratings Took Over the World (New Modern Arcade). The review examines how star ratings spread through modern consumer life and questions the value and psychology behind such systems. It also points to Richard Coker’s Timor Mortis: How We Live with Death, published by New Modern Arcade and described as blending humor with reflections on grief and end-of-life issues. The selection further includes James Dale’s The Future of Bananas (Melville House), warning of commercial extinction risk driven by Panama Disease tropical race 4 (TR4). Robert Barrington’s Corrupted Kingdom focuses on Britain’s rising corruption threats, naming Peter Mandelson, Boris Johnson, Nigel Farage, and former Prince Andrew. The roundup also recommends foreign debut fiction and notes titles from publishers and translators such as Faber, Sceptre, and Profile Books.