TBR & TBD | June 2018
There is something special about summer new releases. There are so many good books that have been catching my eye lately, so I'm going to change up my usual format of 2 books I'm excited for (TBR) and 1 I'm interested to read but skeptical about (TBD) and give you a nice long list of books to keep your eye on!
Us Against You | Fredrik Backman | Fiction
Of course I have to open with Us Against You, book two in the Beartown series. We catch up with some of the characters we feel in love with in Beartown and see how they cope when new loyalties are formed. The town continues to be challenged and are coming into their new identity. You definitely need to read these in order. If you've read Beartown, I know you're as excited to dip back into the story as I am. Out June 5th.
Florida | Lauren Groff | Short Stories
From the author of the best-selling Fate and Furies comes a new story collection with the state of Florida at its center. The characters, plot, and time period change from story to story, but the climate, landscape, and culture remain. The writing will propel these stories forward. Out June 5th.
Sex and the City and Us: How Four Single Women Changed the Way We Think, Live, and Love | Jennifer Keishin Armstrong | Non-fiction
From the author of Seinfeldia, Sex and the City and Us delves into the world of SATC and its affect on culture. This show was, and still is, so groundbreaking. Prior to this, you rarely heard women on TV so openly talking about sex and I can't wait to read more about the show. If it's anything like Seinfeldia, we'll get a bit of behind the scenes of the development of the show mixed in with social commentary. SATC was too much of a part of my early 20s to pass this one up! Out June 5th.
Bruja Born | Zoraida Cordova | Young Adult Fantasy
Young Adult Fantasy isn't always on my radar, but the plot here has gotten me intrigued. It opens with a horrific bus crash, where everyone on it dies. But Lula Moritz is a healer, and decides to bring her boyfriend back, no matter the cost. She learns that magic like this has consequences and she brings back more than she bargained for. This is book 2 in the Brooklyn Bruja series, so if you're a linear reader you'll want to start with Labyrinth Lost. Out June 5th.
Still Lives | Maria Hummel | Mystery, Thriller
The premise of this one made me gasp. Avant-garde artist Kim Lord has outdone herself with her latest exhibition: she's created self-portraits depicting herself as famous, murdered woman such as Nicole Brown-Simpson and the Black Dahlia. Its set to be an event that could turn the tides on the Museum's failing finances, until Kim Lord herself fails to show up that night. Because she herself is now missing. Everyone in the art world is a suspect and people are wondering if Kim could be the latest addition to the collection. Out June 5th.
There There | Tommy Orange | Fiction
You know I love a debut novel, and when it is a story from a perspective that has limited representation in publishing, all the better. A powwow is taking place in modern day Oakland, California. We're introduced to a ton of different characters with a variety perspectives on their heritage. These are the stories of Native Americans in modern day society and the unique and sometimes devastating problems they face. Out June 5th.
Social Creature | Tara Isabella Burton | Thriller
This is being marketed as "for readers of Gillian Flynn and Donna Tartt" and the "Talented Mr. Ripley" for the digital age. Say no more. This reminds me a bit of another 2018 release I enjoyed, Tangerine. Out June 5th.
When Life Gives You Lululemons | Lauren Weisberger | Fiction
Yes! A new Lauren Weisberger. This is the follow up to The Devil Wears Prada. We get to catch up with Emily Charlton, Miranda Priestly's first assistant. She's just moved to the suburbs, against her will, and her career as an Image Consultant has stalled. Her latest client, a supermodel who has fallen from grace, could help her rebuild but she's going to need to pull in old favors to get things done. Sounds like a great beach read to me! Out June 5th.
A Place For Us | Fatima Farheen Mirza | Fiction
This is the first new novel from Sarah Jessica Parker's Imprint, SJP for Hogarth! The author is amazing- at only 27 years old, she's been writing this book for 8 years. The book centers around an Indian wedding. The family is fractured and the youngest brother, Amal, is returning after having been estranged for years to take his place as brother of the bride. The book then delves into what made this formerly close knit family split and questions whether or not things can be put back together. Another #ownvoices book I'm happy to add to my list! Out June 12th.
Tell Me Lies | Carola Lovering | Suspense
This is about the person that you think got away. Lucy goes to college and is immediately captivated by Stephen, who's self- confidence and attention makes her see things in herself that she didn't know were there. It's about toxic love, obsession, and the inability to let certain people go. Out June 12th.
The Book of Essie | Meghan Maclean Weir | Literary Fiction
This was my Book of the Month pick. A 17 year old girl who has spent her whole life on a reality show finds out that she's pregnant. This threatens her Evangelical family's brand, so her controlling mother works to find the right angle. Abortion? Pretending the baby is her sister? An attached marriage? But Essie has idea of her own. I'm a sucker for any book with a reality TV angle. Out June 12th.
90s Bitch | Allison Yarrow | Non-fiction, Feminist
I can't read this title without the Icona Pop song getting stuck in my head. 90s Bitch explores feminism in the 90s and how the introduction of the 24 hour news cycle was used to malign "loud" women: Lorena Bobbitt, Tonya Harding, Hillary Clinton, and many others. The author uses this to examine the 90s "bitchification" that still exists today. Out June 19th.
Bring Me Back | B. A. Paris | Mystery, Thriller
I was sent a free copy of this by the publisher (thank you St Martin's Press) and ho-ly hell was it addicting. Finn and Layla are young and in love. Until Layla goes missing while on vacation, never to be seen again. Brought together by grief, Finn eventually falls in love with Layla's sister, Ellen. And they're happy, until months before their wedding clues begin to surface that suggest Layla might still be alive. And she might want Finn back. I found this to be a total page turner. Out June 19th.
When Katie Met Cassidy | Camille Perri | Fiction, LGBT
Katie is a Kentucky transplant who has recently relocated to NYC, after her engagement has been called off. She meets Cassidy in the boardroom and can't take her eyes off her- never mind that she's her complete opposite. I'm regretting not adding this to my BOTM box. Out June 19th.
Providence | Caroline Kepnes | Mystery, Thriller
Thanks to Netgalley, I was able to get my hands on this early. I can confidently say this book is unlike anything else I've ever read. Jon and Chloe are the best of friends. She is the only one that understands him, and just as he's about to formally declare his love for her, he gets kidnapped. Flashing forward, we see Jon is a grown up by the time he escapes, and now he's very, very different. Keep an open mind with this one and don't go in expecting another Joe Goldberg story. Full review here. Out June 19th.
The Cabin at the End of the World | Paul Tremblay | Horror
You know those authors that are on your WHY HAVEN'T I READ THEM YET list? Yeah. That is Paul Tremblay for me. He wrote A Head Full of Ghosts (a book that appeared on Stephen King's list of books that really scared him). The Cabin at the End of the World is about a young girl who is traveling with her family to a cabin in New Hampshire. When she's outside playing, she meets a stranger who tells her that "nothing that is about to happen is your fault" and chaos ensues. Ruth Ware's In a Dark, Dark Wood meets Stephen King's Misery. Yes. Out June 26th.
All We Ever Wanted | Emily Giffin | Fiction
This was another one that I had the pleasure of getting early, thanks to Netgalley. This was a surprisingly deep and touching book. I've been a long time fan of Emily Giffin, but her last few have left me wanting. All We Ever Wanted starts off like a standard "rich people problems" book but evolved into a rich discussion that forces the reader to examine moral and ethical dilemmas in the digital age. What do you do when what is right and what is probably best for your family are at direct odds with each other? For fans of You Will Know Me or Anatomy of a Scandal. Out June 26th.
That's everything for June! See what I meant about it being a bananas release month?
Use this list to pre-order or to get ahead in the holds line at your library. If you don't use the holds list and prefer to just browse and pick up what's on the shelf (hi mom!) here are my recommendations from the last 2 years.
TBR & TBD June 2017- I read and recommend The Seven Husband of Evelyn Hugo and Every Last Lie. Still haven't picked up the other two, but I still may!
TBR & TBD June 2016- I ended up really disliking the first book listed and being neutral about the last. The cookbook was great, though!
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