Need a book? 15 new releases to read right now, from romance to memoir
Got your sunscreen? Sunglasses? Water bottle? Those may be warm-weather essentials, but what we really care about is what books you're packing.
If you're looking for a new title from your local bookstore or library, you're in luck – we've got recommendations for every type of reader. Check out our guides to the best new thrillers and celebrity memoirs to binge, or pick a romance from our recent roundup. There are also plenty of new LGBTQ+ books to continue Pride Month celebrations all year long. For parents, check out some of the best books to keep kids engaged this summer.
What to read next: 15 new releases to check out now
From found family stories to 'Love Island'-esque dystopian novels, juicy memoirs to snail-hunting adventures, here are 15 new books from June we recommend checking out.
'The Girls Who Grew Big' by Leila Mottley
A group of outcast teen mothers in the Florida panhandle fiercely protect each other and their children, despite judgmental eyes, in this brilliant novel. 'Girls' follows three young women straddling girlhood and motherhood: 16-year-old swim prodigy Adela, who has been banished from Indiana to live out her pregnancy at her grandmother's home; Emory, determined to graduate by bringing her newborn to high school; and Simone, the group's leader.
'A Language of Limbs' by Dylin Hardcastle
A wholly original novel akin to Sylvia Plath's 'fig tree' analogy, 'A Language of Limbs' alternates narratives based on two different outcomes of one summer night in 1972. In one, a teenage girl caught kissing her neighbor is brutally shunned by her family. She finds solace in a queer community home. In the other, a teenage girl suppresses her feelings for her best friend and studies literature at a university. In the end, the two timelines collide. 'A Language of Limbs' is heartbreaking and poignant, not to be forgotten.
'Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil' by V.E. Schwab
'The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue' author Schwab declares it 'toxic lesbian vampire summer' in this new novel. Blending fantasy, historical fiction and romance, 'Bones' follows three vampires, one in 16th-century Spain, one in London in the 1800s and another in Boston, circa 2019. It's a toxic love triangle, a cautionary tale of vengeful exes and a thrilling, genre-defying ode to queerness.
'How to Lose Your Mother' by Molly Jong-Fast
'How to Lose Your Mother' is Jong-Fast's intimate and honest memoir of her life as the only child of the famous feminist writer Erica Jong. In it, Jong-Fast brings readers into a transformative year grappling with her husband's rare cancer diagnosis and mother's spiraling dementia. Especially in audiobook form, 'How to Lose Your Mother' feels like a confessional from a friend, a masterful meditation on narcissistic parents, fame, sobriety, legacy and aging.
'Don't Let Him In' by Lisa Jewell
Several women collide over one shady man in 'Don't Let Him In,' a quintessentially Jewell thriller through and through. It starts after restaurateur Paddy is murdered, leaving behind a grieving wife (Nina) and daughter (Ash). Soon after, Nina is swept off her feet by an enchanting friend of her late husband's. But Ash is convinced something sinister is at play. Meanwhile, in a neighboring town, florist and mother Martha tries to solve the mystery of her disappearing husband, whose "work" absences stretch longer and longer each week.
'Atmosphere' by Taylor Jenkins Reid
A love story set against the backdrop of NASA's space shuttle program in the 1980s, 'Atmosphere' follows the fictional Joan Goodwin, one of the first women admitted to the competitive trainee class. Reid's latest is brimming with a community of characters you grow to love and miss once you've turned the last page. Come for an action-packed space odyssey, stay for Reid's meditations on love, curiosity and humankind.
'Skipshock' by Caroline O'Donoghue
This YA fantasy romance from the author of 'The Rachel Incident' follows two fates inextricably linked on a train. Troubled Margo is on her way to a new boarding school after her father's death, and Moon is a traveling salesman. The pair collide on a mystical train that speeds and slows time – stopping at a "slow world' means living in lavish privilege, but the risk of death by 'skipshock' looms.
'Endling' by Maria Reva
Absurd and charming, 'Endling' follows a snail-breeding scientist in Ukraine who funds her rare species expeditions by guiding Western men looking for a docile bride on 'romance tours.' When she comes across a pair of sisters posing in the marriage industry to find their missing mother, the three set out on a cross-country journey with a last-of-its-kind snail amid the 2022 Russian invasion.
'King of Ashes' by S.A. Cosby
A Southern crime drama to the tune of 'The Godfather,' 'King of Ashes' follows three siblings in the aftermath of an accident that leaves their father in a coma – except it might not be an accident. Youngest brother Dante is reckless and indebted to dangerous criminals. Eldest son Roman, a finance whiz, is determined to save him. And their sister, Neveah, tries to uncover the mystery of their mother's disappearance while also holding the family business together.
'The Great Mann' by Kyra Davis Lurie
Calling all classics lovers – 'The Great Mann' is the latest retelling to add to your shelf. This historical fiction novel reimagines 'The Great Gatsby' within an extravagant Los Angeles community of wealthy Black elite. Here, Charlie Trammell is swept into his cousin's opulent lifestyle away from the rest of the Jim Crow-era country he knows, including the dazzling James 'Reaper' Mann.
'Florenzer' by Phil Melanson
History buffs will relish in 'Florenzer,' which is set in Renaissance-era Florence and reimagines the life of Leonardo da Vinci. Tapping into the historical speculation that da Vinci was gay, 'Florenzer' follows the young painter as he intersects with two men – one being the powerful patriarch of the world's wealthiest bank – amid an era of cultural and technological innovation.
'A Murder for Miss Hortense' by Mel Pennant
In line with recent octogenarian cozy mystery trends, 'A Murder for Miss Hortense' follows retired nurse Miss Hortense as she solves a murder that pushes her to revisit the haunting memories. Once the founder and leader of a local group of Black investors, now ousted from her community, Miss Hortense will dig into her buried past to uncover the murder of an unidentified man found at the home of one of the network's members.
'Plus Size Player' by Danielle Allen
Filled with banter and tension, 'Plus Size Player' follows a successful fashion influencer with a heavily maintained roster of jobs, hobbies and men. Nina is never convinced just one of anything will keep her satisfied. But when she finds herself falling for her 'fun guy' situationship Russell amid a big brand contract, she'll have to reexamine everything she thought she knew about herself.
'Of Monsters and Mainframes' by Barbara Truelove
Fans of 'Muderbot' will love this quirky sci-fi romp around the universe with paranormal creatures. 'Of Monsters and Mainframes' is narrated by spaceship Demeter, whose job is to shuttle humans between Earth and Alpha Centauri. When her humans turn up dead and Demeter suspects murder, she joins a cast of monsters on a revenge mission.
'The Compound' by Aisling Rawle
Like 'Love Island' set in a deranged dystopian desert, 'The Compound' follows a group of contestants competing to outlast each other on a popular reality TV show. These beautiful housemates must sleep around, vote each other out and win challenges for luxury rewards as well as communal necessities (see: a front door).
Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY's Books Reporter, where she covers buzzy releases, chats with authors and dives into the culture of reading. Find her on Instagram, subscribe to our weekly Books newsletter or tell her what you're reading at cmulroy@usatoday.com.
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