By John R. PlattSummer is officially upon us, which means it's time to pick the season's best beach reads. And there's no rule that says beach reads have to be frothy and lightweight. Why not choose compelling and informative instead? We've picked the best new environmentally themed books coming out this July, with titles covering everything from insects and salmon to climate change and plastic pollution. There are even a few eco-poetry collections for those of you who'd like a little art with your inspiration.Our full list — an amazing 13 titles — appears below. Links are to publishers' websites, but you can also buy many of these titles at your favorite bookstore. We hope you find one near a beach.Wildlife & Conservation:Buzz, Sting, Bite: Why We Need Insects by Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson — An ecologist provides an entertaining look at "the little creatures that make the world go round," something that's severely needed in this era of worryingly dangerous insect declines.Stronghold: One Man's Quest to Save the World's Wild Salmon by Tucker Malarkey — The true and inspirational story of Guido Rahr, who fought everyone from fossil fuel developers to Russian oligarchs to help save Pacific salmon from extinction.Humans and Lions: Conflict, Conservation and Coexistence by Keith Somerville — Cecil the lion wasn't an isolated occurrence. Humans and lions have been living together (and clashing) for millennia, and the existence of these two species will forever be intertwined — unless lions get crowded off the planet. Somerville looks at history and the state of Africa today to explore how they can be saved from extinction.In Oceans Deep: Courage, Innovation and Adventure Beneath the Waves by Bill Streever — A vivid portrait of the pioneering explorers and scientists who broadened our understanding of the oceans' depths. Along the way, the book also shows how humans threaten these remote and important parts of the world.