What to read in July, from David Sedaris to Colson Whitehead's Harlem Trilogy

What to read in July spotlights books ranging from media metrics to disease, politics, and debut fiction. The selection begins with Benji Wilson’s Rate This Book: How Star Ratings Took Over the World (New Modern Arcade), which explores how star ratings took over everyday decision-making and questions what those symbols really measure. It then turns to Richard Coker’s Timor Mortis: How We Live with Death, also from New Modern Arcade and rooted in end-of-life themes, combining humor with discussions of grief, ageism and the practical realities surrounding death. James Dale’s The Future of Bananas (Melville House) is highlighted for its warning that the banana as known may face commercial extinction due to Panama Disease TR4. The list also includes Robert Barrington’s Corrupted Kingdom: Britain’s Disappearing Integrity, naming Peter Mandelson, Boris Johnson, Nigel Farage and former Prince Andrew among figures linked to the book’s concerns. Other recommendations feature foreign fiction by debut novelists with specific translators and publishers.