The Goodreads Editors' Picks for June Reading

Posted by Cybil on May 31, 2024
 

Here at Goodreads World Headquarters, we sort through a lot of books each month. Our monthly Readers' Most Anticipated Books feature is exactly that—selections based on the data about the books that Goodreads members are placing on their Want to Read shelves. Essentially, these are the books that your fellow Goodreads regulars are excited about.
 
Of course, the Goodreads editorial staff gets excited about books, too. And we regularly come across specific new releases that we can’t wait to read—or “won’t shut up about,” to borrow a phrase from the colleagues who sit right next to us.
 
As to be expected, there are always way more great books each month than we have time to read, so we're passing our findings along to you, complete with genre tags, our unhinged commentary, and general enthusiasm. Think of this list as our intel on the books you might not be hearing about absolutely everywhere else, from two people who really, really want to help you find a great read.
 
On the docket for June: An intergalactic art thief fights back against space colonialism. A tenacious lawyer uncovers an old (and actual) historical conspiracy. And a potential meet-cute romance is derailed by the enduring tragedy of a one-star book review. Bonus pick: A locked-room mystery in the Himalayas. Shocking! Perplexing! Cold!
 
 


Cybil can't wait to read this book because: In this mysterious fantasy, the 19th century is awash in marvels, with the Wastelands—a terrain of terrible miracles that lies between Beijing and Moscow—holding the most mystery. The only way to get there? Aboard the Great Trans-Siberian Express, where passage might cost you your sanity. This premise is pure catnip to a reader like me!

Genre: Fantasy/Historical Fiction 


Cybil can't wait to read this book because: Following the success of Thomas' memoir Sink, he's back with his highly anticipated debut novel: a tale about a veteran of the Iraq War fighting to find his footing as a civilian again. Back home in Philadelphia, our protagonist struggles to rebuild connections in a novel early reviewers are calling a boisterous story of modern Black life. 

Genre: Contemporary Fiction


Cybil can't wait to read this book because: Being a famous female pop star in the 1990s…well, I think we've all heard that maybe that wasn't the glamorous gig we thought it was. Also, a great premise for a coming-of-age novel, yes? Relive the '90s with this trip back in time through our "Free Britney!" lens of that decade.

Genre: Historical Fiction


Cybil can't wait to read this book because: A multigenerational epic following a family of Luchadores? Yes, please. This novel from the author of Still Water Saints spans 1960s Mexico City to contemporary Los Angeles, as our hard-hitting family contends with forbidden love and family secrets.

Genre: Historical Fiction


Cybil can't wait to read this book because: My Netflix "watched" queue is full of documentaries chronicling the falls of the "girl boss turned bad," from tech darlings turned fabricators to businesswomen turned swindlers. So, I shall be checking out this thriller "ripped from the headlines" about a company's CEO doing some shady business ahead of a huge IPO.

Genre: Thriller


Sharon can't wait to read this book because: Natalie lives every struggling writer's worst nightmare when she's forced to walk down the aisle at her best friend's wedding on the arm of a man who gave her newest book a one-star review. One! Star! How dare he! Could the course of true love ever run smooth under these circumstances?

Genre: Romance
 


Sharon can't wait to read this book because: I've been on tenterhooks for this book ever since Yume Kitasei called it her "anti-colonial Indiana Jones in space" novel in an interview with us last year. A reformed art thief turned graduate student is convinced to take One Last Job to recover an alien relic that hasn't been seen in living memory. That's basically a description at the exact center of the Venn diagram of my interests.

Genre: Science Fiction
 


Sharon can't wait to read this book because: I'm on the record as being a huge scaredy-cat when it comes to horror books, but this one looks too cool to pass up. Here's the premise: After sleeping with the devil on Halloween night in 1999, a writer pens a series of short stories for him over the ensuing years. I'm sure this will be a Totally Fine reading experience that will not lead to my being too scared to turn off the light…

Genre: Horror
 


Cybil can't wait to read this book because: Morris burst onto the mystery & thriller scene in 2021 with All Her Little Secrets and has been one of my top authors to watch ever since. This June, she's back with her third novel, What You Leave Behind, a thriller about a lawyer who returns to her home on the Georgia coast after suffering personal tragedies, only to uncover a conspiracy that dates back to Reconstruction.

Genre: Thriller


Cybil can't wait to read this book because: This debut locked-room mystery takes us to the foothills of the Indian Himalayas to a very posh and exclusive spa that tends to the needs of the world's wealthy. Sadly for guests expecting some R&R, there appears to be a murderer among them—and perhaps more than one. 

Genre: Mystery 
 


Sharon can't wait to read this book because: Featuring three titular sisters who are summoned to the deathbed of their abusive father to vie over his fortune, this retelling of The Brothers Karamazov also gives me big King Lear vibes. I'm planning to make my way through Dostoevsky's classic for the first time this summer, so this book will be a perfect contemporary pairing!

Genre: Literary Fiction
 


Sharon can't wait to read this book because: Summer tends to be the season when I catch up on my romance reading, and this adult debut by YA powerhouse Riss M. Neilson looks like a great one to add to my WTR stack. A homebody who loves her privacy and her childhood best friend who happens to be internet famous find themselves fake-dating over the course of three sizzling summer months.  

Genre: Romance
 


Sharon can't wait to read this book because: In this moody debut set in the Pacific Northwest, a failed novelist’s murder mystery is mirrored in real life, with the author as the prime suspect. I love a mystery where a writer has to prove that all those suspicious Google searches really were just for research! Really!   

Genre: Mystery


Which new releases are you looking forward to reading? Let's talk books in the comments!


Comments Showing 1-6 of 6 (6 new)

dateDown arrow    newest »

message 1: by Law (new)

Law There's so much choice, except there's no YA or middle grade. Where to start?


message 2: by Carole (new)

Carole Law wrote: "There's so much choice, except there's no YA or middle grade. Where to start?"

A Love Like the Sun is YA.


message 3: by Jeanette (new)

Jeanette God Bless You, Otis Spunkmeyer


message 4: by Rainbow Goth (new)

Rainbow Goth The 90s being labelled as historical fiction is making me want to cry. 😭 When did I get so old?!

A fantastic list though lots to add to my ever growing "to read" list.


message 5: by Shanice (new)

Shanice Lopez Not the 90’s being “historical fiction” 😫


message 6: by Lisa (new)

Lisa Carole wrote: "Law wrote: "There's so much choice, except there's no YA or middle grade. Where to start?"

A Love Like the Sun is YA."


It’s it written by a young adult writer, but it is an adult book according to the library system.


back to top