Our Most Anticipated Books of June 2023

Ali Hazelwood returns with another A-plus academic romance. Elsie is an adjunct professor with a side gig as a fake girlfriend. She’s managed to keep her two lives separate until she meets the older brother of her favorite client — who just so happens to be the experimental physicist standing between her and her dream job. A sizzling experiment of being unapologetically yourself, Love, Theoretically displays all the laws of (romantic) attraction.  

Ashley Poston first made us swoon with The Dead Romantics, a prior Monthly Pick, and now we go from paranormal to time travel. Clementine’s carefully plotted life is set in a tailspin when she returns home one day to find a strange man standing in the kitchen. He’s the exact type of man that she would have fallen for before, but she can’t this time… he exists in the past, seven years ago to be exact. The Seven Year Slip spins an emotional love story that will leave readers lost in time. 

Perfect for fans of Something New Under the Sun, this stellar debut has pulled us into its orbit. While Amber joins a reality show to compete for the chance to join a billionaire’s human-led mission to Mars — the first of its kind, her ex-boyfriend tunes in to discover why his love would want to leave the entire planet with no hope of return. A striking satirical look at humanity’s pursuit of fame in the face of environmental crisis, Girlfriend on Mars is an unforgettable tale of love, grief, greed, and crisis. 

An absolute marvel of a book, Open Throat packs a serious punch in its 160 unforgettable pages. Both a literal and emotional journey told in the completely original voice of a mountain lion living beneath the Hollywood sign, this is unlike anything you’ve ever read.

Caroline O’Donoghue’s debut adult novel is an outstanding coming-of-age story that is perfect for fans of Trespasses by Louise Kennedy or any of Sally Rooney’s books. Driven by Rachel’s friendship with James, this story traverses their relationship as a financial crash looms and Rachel falls for her married professor… and she’s not the only one. A triumphant tale of unrequited love, messy friendships, and early adulthood, The Rachel Incident is a must-read.  

Lisa See has dazzled us with her previous novels, and her upcoming title is no exception. Yunxian is raised by one of the few female doctors in China, and she learns those skills during her upbringing. When sent into an arranged marriage, she’s prohibited from practicing with specific instructions to become a proper wife, but she’s determined to figure out ways to break free from these expectations. A remarkable story of female empowerment, Lady Tan’s Circle of Women is a stunning story of friendship and tradition. 

Isabel Allende returns with a stunning historical epic about the separation of families in times of desperation. Following two children — Samuel Adler in 1938 and Anita Díaz in 2019 — as they find themselves suddenly thrust into independence, this is a beautiful display of resiliency and sacrifice as both children flee from war and unrest. Grab your nearest tissue box as you dive deep into this heartbreaking novel of loss and love.  

If you liked Mrs. Lincoln’s Sisters, then The House of Lincoln is the perfect story to pick up next. When a Portuguese immigrant starts working for Mary Lincoln, she and her friend Cal observe the things that influenced Lincoln’s worldviews. Building up to an account of the seldom-mentioned Springfield race riot of 1908, Nancy Horan explores the historic changes and racial divisions that have shaped our present.  

A breathtaking tale that manages to touch on painful themes while remaining a fun story of creativity, Loot follows Abbas, a young woodcarver whose fate is mirrored by his creation of a mechanical tiger. He hones his craft while working alongside a legendary French clockmaker, but when the clockmaker returns to Europe and the tiger automaton has travelled to Britain with their army, Abbas seeks to retrieve the tiger. In this dazzling story of invention, colonization, displacement, and class, Tania James has written an imaginative historical fiction novel with whispers of an ever-present urgency. 

S. A. Cosby first wowed us with Blacktop Wasteland, a previous Monthly Pick, so we are thrilled for his latest book. When Titus Crown returns to his hometown, he becomes the county’s first Black sheriff and works to reform a bigoted police force. After his deputies fatally shoot a young Black man, Titus follows the truth — and it leads to shocking discoveries and secrets hidden in plain sight. All the Sinners Bleed is an addictively fast-paced crime story, holding a magnifying glass to issues surrounding race, class, and religion. 

We Are All the Same in the Dark was one of Our Monthly Picks, and we’re thrilled that Julia Heaberlin is now returning with another expertly written mystery with emotional depth. An astrophysicist remembered for making an impossible psychic prediction is forced to team up with a skeptical detective to help with a cold case. Walking the tightrope between science and the unexplainable, Night Will Find You is a mesmerizing thriller that you won’t be able to put down. 

Travel to Maine for a dark and eerie tale that will leave your spine tingling. A young caregiver becomes a home health aide for Lenora — the lone survivor of a massacred family (and the prime suspect), but it takes an unexpected turn when she starts to uncover the truth about what happened that fateful night and why her predecessor departed. This tale of revenge, mystery, and a not-so-harmless elderly woman will delight fans of Sager’s previous books. 

Tender is the Flesh first horrified us, and now Agustina Bazterrica brings the full body shivers to the nineteenth degree. These terrifying and darkly funny short stories explore fears and fantasies, revealing the human experience of relationships and desires in unsettling and thrilling ways. Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird is an intense and wildly imaginative collection of short stories that will leave you sleeping with the lights on. 

Last June’s Speculative Fiction Pick, Her Majesty’s Royal Coven, stole our hearts, and we’re excited to dive back into this immersive world with The Shadow Cabinet. As Ciara tries to survive while suffering from amnesia, she must try to fool everyone from her past. As the witches try to discover what her former lover — and renegade warlock — is up to, the entire fate of magic and humanity is on the line. A stunning story of sisterhood and courage, Juno Dawson’s newest installment of the series is a triumph.  

Perfect for fans of The Night Circus, J. R. Dawson’s debut is a whimsical time-travel fantasy of courage and found family. Rin is the ringmaster of a circus full of magical misfits and outcasts that provides a respite to anyone who attends, but with threats coming from her past and an impending war, will they prevail? The First Bright Thing is a genre-bending and wholly absorbing tale that will envelop readers in its exploration of light and dark.   

Beatles fans, rejoice! This stunning book features largely unseen photographs taken by Sir Paul McCartney from the end of 1963 to the beginning of 1964. Capturing the moments when the band became an international sensation and accompanied by McCartney’s personal account, 1964: Eyes of the Storm is a candid and dramatic depiction of these iconic moments.  

If you’re a musician or love the grunge scene, then Mud Ride is the book for you. Written by the lead guitarist of Mudhoney, a legendary alternative rock band, this book will take readers through the birth of grunge in 80’s and 90’s Seattle with stories of key moments, musicians, and albums that led to its global success. A music memoir full of humor and history, this is a one-of-a-kind insider’s perspective on the heyday of grunge music.  

Pageboy is a memoir perfect for fans of Elliot Page and I’m Glad My Mom Died. Page pulls back the curtain on the life of Hollywood stars and his journey towards self-discovery. Exploring the pressures and expectations set on him after Juno’s massive success, this beautifully written story is a reminder to any reader to embrace their whole selves.  

In this illuminating personal account, you’ll embark on a project of preserving and staying the night in former slave dwellings alongside Joseph McGill Jr. This unique experience helps open the door to difficult conversations about the distorted history of slavery, and in this book, McGill digs even deeper into the past and the discussions that have come from the project. Sleeping with the Ancestors is an account that will spark soul-searching and reconciliation among anyone who picks it up.  

A compelling and true story of an insatiable hunger for the beauty of art following Stéphane Breitwieser, one of the most successful art thieves of all time. He performed hundreds of heists with the help of his girlfriend until the night it all came crashing down. An extensively researched narrative of a complex man, Michael Finkel’s latest book is a fast-paced and suspenseful account that will keep you on the edge of your seat. 

Atticus has become well known as an internet poet whose heart has traveled far and wide through his words. With this new journal, you can speak the words of your heart with its engaging prompts, space for writing, and his own original poems interspersed throughout. Rediscover what sets your soul on fire with Spark: The One-Sentence Journal.