Wondering what to read now? Here are all the hot new June 2021 book releases for you. I’ll let you know what I’ve read, what I can’t wait to read, and what’s getting all the attention this month.
In case you’re new to Booklist Queen, every month I cover all the hottest new book releases. I try to read as many new book releases as I can to give you an honest perspective on what to read and what to skip.
However, I realize that my to-read list might not exactly match yours. That’s why, this year, I’ve decided to also include some of the most popular June 2021 book releases from your favorite authors.
Enough from me. Let’s get on to the June 2021 book releases so you can fill up your to-read list.
The highlights of the month:
- A Spectacular 1980s Family Drama
- Five Intense Summer Thrillers
- A Coming-of-Age Black Memoir
- Two Gorgeous Historical Fiction Novels
Have I got you interested? Then keep scrolling to see our picks for the best of the June 2021 book releases.
Top June 2021 Book Releases
Malibu Rising
Taylor Jenkins Reid
Taylor Jenkins Reid has done it again with the must-read book of the summer. In 1983, four famous siblings throw an epic summer party at their Malibu mansion. Secrets come out, the party gets out of control, and a fire will burn it all down by dawn. Malibu Rising is a gorgeous family drama that surpasses a simple beach read. The story of the Riva children abandoned by their famous rockstar father is heartbreakingly sad and yet still hopeful. The characters come alive as each sibling ponders if they can escape their parents’ fates. An all-around brilliant read that belongs on your summer reading list.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Ballantine Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 01 June 2021
Amazon | Goodreads | More Info
Survive the Night
Riley Sager
After her roommate is murdered on campus, Charlie is desperate to get away. She posts a notice on her college rideshare board and snags a ride back to Ohio from a handsome stranger. However, Charlie quickly realizes that Josh is not whom he seems. Charlie’s fragile state of mind kept me gripped to this cat-and-mouse game. With plenty of twists and turns and a little over-the-top theatricality, Sager’s latest psychological thriller will keep his fans content and rightly make its way onto many summer reading lists.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Dutton Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 29 June 2021
Amazon | Goodreads | More Info
The Maidens
Alex Michaelides
When her niece’s roommate is gruesomely murdered, Mariana, a therapist still grieving her husband’s tragic death, returns to Cambridge University, her alma mater, to investigate. Quickly, she suspects Edward Fosca, the charismatic professor of Greek tragedy and leader of a secret society of female students called The Maidens. With a convoluted plot that has gaping holes and contrived characters, The Maidens strained to keep even a semblance of realisticness. If you loved The Silent Patient, you can try this one, just don’t get your hopes up too high.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Celadon Books. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 15 June 2021
Amazon | Goodreads | More Info
One Last Stop
Casey McQuiston
Cynical August doesn’t believe life will ever change until she develops a crush on a girl from her subway commute. Jane is perfect and the highlight of August’s every day. But when August and Jane finally meet, August realizes that somehow Jane actually lives in the 1970s. A time-defying romance just in time for summer from the author of Red, White, & Royal Blue.
Somebody’s Daughter
Ashley C. Ford
A coming-of-age memoir about growing up a Black girl with an incarcerated father and the path to truly understand and overcome our origins. While Ashley idolized her father she barely knew, her life was shaped by her mother and grandmother. As she ages, she eventually learns why her father is in prison and must reconcile her own identity with her family’s past.
Although the book is marketed as Ford’s relation with her father, it’s really about her relationship with her quick-tempered and emotionally detached mother. Ford is an excellent writer and she does an excellent job convey the emotions and thoughts that influenced her decisions. However, I would have loved for her to consider why her mother and grandmother made the decisions they made.
For me, Somebody’s Daughter was just shy of being phenomenal. The pacing was a bit off: Ford delves so much on her experiences as a very young child, then rushes through her college years. Similarly, Ford fails to ponder how her experiences connected to what other women and girls, especially Black girls, face. In all, Somebody’s Daughter is an interesting memoir without a memorable message.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Flatiron Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 1 June 2021
Amazon | Goodreads | More Info
Book of the Month – June 2021
Receiving my blue box from Book of the Month Club is a highlight of every month.
Here’s how it works – each month, they pick 5 books and you get to choose one book or skip until the next month. If you want to add any extra books, then you get them at a discounted price.
Each month is usually a mix of new releases and advance copies of unreleased books. If you are interested in joining, right now you can use my Book of the Month Club affiliate link to get your first book for $5!
The June Book of the Month selections are:
See the Complete List of Upcoming Releases!
Exciting New June 2021 Book Releases
The Other Black Girl
Zakiya Dalila Harris
Tired of being the only Black woman at Wagner Books, Nella Rogers is thrilled when Harlem-born Hazel moves into the cubicle next to her. When Hazel becomes the office darling, Nella starts receiving threatening notes. Could Hazel be trying to force out Nella, or is there much more going on in their workplace?
The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot
Marianne Cronin
Just in time for summer comes a touching novel perfect for fans of Five Feet Apart or A Man Called Ove. When Lenni, a dying 17-year-old girl, meets Margot, an 83-year-old woman awaiting heart surgery, at the art room of a Glasgow hospital, an unlikely friendship blooms. Together, they decide to make 100 paintings to celebrate the 100 years they have lived between them. Cronin’s debut novel is heartwarming and sweet, playing on your emotions as it weaves between grief and joy, loss and love, and all the things that make up a life.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Harper. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 1 June 2021
Amazon | Goodreads | More Info
The Secret Keeper of Jaipur
Alka Joshi
In the sequel to The Henna Artist, the May 2020 Reese Witherspoon’s book club pick, Lakshmi arranges for Malik to intern at the Jaipur Royal Palace. When the balcony of a state-of-the-art cinema collapses, Malik refuses to accept the official explanation, suspecting a far darker secret that the wealthy upper class wants to remain hidden.
The Disappearing Act
Catherine Steadman
While auditioning for Hollywood roles, British actress Mia Eliot finds a kindred spirit in Emily, another actress from out of town. After a simple favor, Emily disappears. The next time they meet, Mia swears that Emily is a completely different woman, and no one believes her.
An Emotion of Great Delight
Tahereh Mafi
In the months after the US declares war on Iraq, an American Muslim teenage girl and her family must navigate identity, friendship, love, and heartache. Shadi has enough going on to have to deal with bigotry, too. Her brother is dead, her father is dying, her mother is falling apart, and her best friend has disappeared. She tries to keep it all inside, but when her heart is also broken, she finally explodes.
Our Woman in Moscow
Beatriz Williams
In 1948, the US is shocked when an American diplomat, his wife Iris, and their two children vanish from London. Four years later, Ruth Macallister receives a note that her estranged twin sister Iris is in Moscow. Now Ruth must pose as the wife of a counterintelligence agent to retrieve Iris’s family from behind the Iron Curtain, while evading a dogged Soviet KGB officer.
Popular June Upcoming Releases
What June 2021 Book Releases are You Most Excited to Read?
What books can you not wait to get your hands on this month? Did I miss any June 2021 book releases that you are anticipating? As always, let me know in the comments!
More New Book Releases:
Aubrie Wancata says
Oh my goodness, I feel like may is a HUGE month for books I’m interested in. Like nearly everyone I cannot wait for Malibu Rising. Also looking forward to The Maidens, though your review makes me pause. Also interested in Somebody’s Daughter, One Last Stop (I adored red white and royal blue) and 100 Years of Lennon and Margot. Plus I think The Plot also comes out this month, though not on your list. Holy cow!
Aubrie Knight Wancata says
Oops I meant June there obviously. Lol
Rachael says
Publishers love to do big June releases just in time for summer. I have to say, Malibu Rising won’t disappoint!
Ann says
This has been a busy morning for me, perusing all the June releases!!!!! When really, I probably should have been reading or walking (between breaks in the rain).
I am on the brink of selecting Malibu Rising as my BOTM, but I tend to get burned when there is too much hype around a book. I may already have too many advance context clues on this one.
Also, I need to fill my book of the month Debut Darling and Genre badges. Malibu Rising is Historical Fiction. The 80s is Historical Fiction. That makes me Ancient History, lol. I am missing Mystery, Thriller & Romance.
I am pleased that it is a ReadwithJenna pick & BOTM selection. I have better luck with her books than Reese’s, to be honest. It is a Win Win for that reason.
So hope I will like it. I’ve had my eye on it for a while.
Currently reading Margreete’s Harbor and liking it. It is kind of off the radar, which is fine by me. Interesting family dynamics.
Happy reading to all, now that the morning’s excitement is settling down!!
Ann says
P.S. I forgot to add to my long-winded response (I had coffee just now!), that I am trusting Rachael’s 4 1/2 star rating on Malibu Rising!!!!!!!!
Rachael says
Oh, I hope you enjoy Malibu Rising. I really enjoyed the family dynamic between the sibings. I think I would have rated it 5 stars, but in the middle TJR follows too many tangents with side characters at the party, which definitely dragged the story down a bit.
Michelle says
Rachel
Hi. What about James Patterson and Bill Clintons book The Presidents Daughter? I just saw them on Kelly and Ryan Show today advertising it. I definitely want to read The Presidents Plane is Missing, their first collaboration.
Rachael says
Yes, it came out on the 7th! I can only spotlight so many books a month, and it didn’t make the cut this time. However, it’s included in the “More Popular Releases” section because it definitely deserves a mention. If you read it, be sure to let me know what you think!