The best new books coming out in June 2023
Looking for a new book to accompany you on those sunny trips to the park? Here are the best books coming out in June
June marks the start of the summer season in London, and what better way to while away those warm, hazy days than with a great book? From highly-anticipated memoirs, such as My Friend Anne Frank, to debut novels like time-travelling masterpiece The Moon Represents My Heart and witty beach read Bad Summer People, here are our favourite titles hitting the shelves this month.
The Moon Represents My Heart by Pim Wangtechawat
First up this month, having been published on 1 June, Wangtechawat takes readers back to East London in 1927 and follows the lives of a Chinese-British family of time-travellers as they transcend borders and centuries. When the youngest son, Tommy Wang, falls in love with a woman in London’s Chinatown in the 1930s, his time-travelling abilities are threatened and he has to make a life-defining choice. This is a moving but warm debut novel, and one that fans of The Immortalists will love.
My Friend Anne Frank by Hannah Pick-Goslar
One of the most highly-anticipated books of the year, My Friend Anne Frank is the long-awaited memoir of Holocaust survivor Hannah Pick-Goslar, and we can finally get our hands on it on 6 June. When she was just five years old, Pick-Goslar’s family fled to Amsterdam to escape the Nazi regime, and she soon struck up a friendship with the neighbouring family and their daughter, Anne Frank. The 320-page book follows Pick-Goslar as she discovers the Frank family has vanished and been taken to a concentration camp – and also highlights how she risked her own life to help her friend Anne.
Bad Summer People by Emma Rosenblum
Looking for a light-hearted beach read? Pick up this witty debut novel which follows a number of wealthy families as they enjoy a summer holiday on the exclusive Fire Island. However, friendships are questioned when a body is mysteriously discovered beneath the island’s boardwalk. But, when everyone knows everyone, secrets don’t stay secret for too long, and the characters take it upon themselves to find the killer. Darkly comedic and mysterious, we predict you’ll speed through this book once it hits the shelves on 8 June.
Everything's Fine by Cecilia Rabess
While this may not be your typical romance novel, we definitely recommend Everything’s Fine by Cecilia Rabess, which is also out in shops on 8 June. Set against the backdrop of an American Ivy League college, Jess and Josh’s love story is not exactly love at first sight; she can’t stand the stuck-up guy who won’t accept his life is easier because he’s white, while she’s always the only Black woman in her class. When their rocky friendship blooms into an electrifying romance, Jess begins to question what she will compromise for love.
The Quiet Tenant by Clemence Michallon
Moving onto crime thrillers, they don’t get much better than The Quiet Tenant. Another awaited release from a major literary talent, Michallon’s story focuses on serial killer and kidnapper, Aidan Thomas, who has murdered eight women and has imprisoned his ninth, Rachel, in a backyard shed where she fears for her life. When Aidan is forced to move house, he has no option but to bring Rachel with him and his secrets slowly unravel as he attempts to start a new life. In 320 pages, Michallon delves deeply into the psychological impact of Aidan’s crimes and studies the depths of trauma and survival. Be quick when this comes out on 20 June.
The Five-Star Weekend by Elin Hilderbrand
Named the ‘queen of beach reads’ by the New York Times, Hilderbrand takes her cult-following to Nantucket for a weekend of unforgettable drama with protagonist Hollis Shaw. When Hollis gets five of her best friends from each stage of her life together for a girly weekend after the death of her husband, will it be smooth sailing or will there be a cat fight? Hilderbrand’s character development is exemplary in this new book, while promising a jam-packed narrative of a weekend you won’t forget in a hurry.
Old Enough by Haley Jakobson
Perfect for Pride Month, Hayley Jakobson’s debut novel Old Enough explores queer love, school and friendships. Savannah ‘Sav’ Henry has come out as bisexual and cautiously optimistic that her life is about to begin. However as she navigates new crushes and past traumas, Sav discovers the importance of friendship and what it’s like to find your tribe.
The Art Thief by Michael Finkel
From the bestselling author of The Stranger in the Wood comes a fresh take on the true story of the world’s most prolific art thief, who accumulated a collection of iconic works worth more than $1.4bn. Stephane Breitwieser carried out more than 200 heists across Europe over the course of a decade until it all fell apart in spectacular fashion. Here, Finkel delves into Breitwieser’s strange world, examining how and why he pulled off such a feat – and what triggered the beginning of the end.
The Illusions by Liz Hyder
Liz Hyder invites readers into a fantastical world in her new book, The Illusions, which will be published on 22 June. Set in Bristol in 1896, the 400-page novel follows two women, Cecily and Eadie, who are desperately trying to find their way in the male-dominated world of early cinema. When the duo discover a group of illusionists who are changing the cinema game, they begin to hone their talent while being swept into a world where anything is possible and nothing is quite as it seems.
Banyan Moon by Thao Thai
Thao Thai’s evocative debut novel focuses on three generations of Vietnamese women during the aftermath of the death of the family’s matriarch. As daughter Ann and mother Hu’ong try to respectively grieve the one person who has held them together as a family, they uncover long-buried past tensions and wounds which will affect their lives forever. Banyan Moon is a deeply moving and thoughtful story about family, inheritance and mothers and daughters – and it’s one we can’t put down.
