What To Read

Every month, we share the books we can't wait to read. Our June staff picks include: the sophomore novel from the Booker Prize-nominated Leila Mottley, a new release from the critically acclaimed Jess Walter, and the definitive story of the Talking Heads and the 1970s New York City rock scene.

FICTION

So Far Gone by Jess Walter (June 10)

Selected by Emmanuel Hidalgo-Wohlleben

Remember when those NASA astronauts got delayed coming back to Earth? Everyone joked about how skipping part of 2025 didn't sound so bad. That's basically the premise of Jess Walter's new book—a journalist comes back to society after living off-grid for years to escape all the 2020s nonsense we're drowning in. It's a story about someone getting that new perspective with fresh eyes on the crazy time we're living in, and that's a pretty intriguing set up to me.

Among Friends by Hal Ebbott (June 24)

Selected by Fernanda Gorgulho

Publishers went full Hunger Games to snag rights for this novel, which got my attention with the killer blurbs from heavyweights like Richard Ford, John Irving, and John Banville. The story follows two close-knit families spending a seemingly perfect weekend in upstate New York...until the polished surface of their friendship starts to crack with long simmering envy and betrayal. Sounds like a smart, layered domestic drama that’s perfect for sinking into this summer.

The Girls Who Grew Big by Leila Mottley (June 24)

Selected by Iliyah Coles

Leila Motley is such an icon and literary trailblazer for young Black women living in these times. At just 23 years old, this is her second novel and she's chosen to highlight a disenfranchised group that often gets persecuted by society – young teenage mothers. I'm excited to see her tell this story in a way we haven't heard, pushing the boundaries of what's expected to reveal what is.

The Catch by Yrsa Daley-Ward (June 3)

Selected by Romina Raimundo

In this surreal story by Yrsa Daley-Ward—the first of the new Well-Read Black Girl series of debuts—twin sisters spot their supposedly dead mom on the streets of London—except she hasn't aged and apparently has lived her best childless life without them. I think this twisted magic will mess with my head in the best way possible.

The Passengers on the Hankyu Line by Hiro Arikawa (June 3)

Selected by Emmanuel Hidalgo-Wohlleben

The lovely red train on the beautiful cover of this novel, already a bestseller in Japan, immediately stopped me in my tracks. I love traveling by rail and have always found it to be the best way to get a front-row seat to the landscape, with prime people watching opportunities on the inside if you can keep it discrete. I devoured Italian Ways by Tim Parks, and I hope this offers a similarly illuminating experience about train travel in Japan.

We Are Green and Trembling by Gabriela Cabezón Cámara (June 3)

Selected by Fernanda Gorgulho

I was already hooked by the premise of We Are Green and Trembling—a story that sounded wild from the start—but what really surprised me was learning it’s based on a true story. Gabriela Cabezón Cámara, an International Booker Prize finalist and co-founder of Argentina’s Ni Una Menos feminist movement, reimagines the extraordinary life of Antonio de Erauso—born Catalina de Erauso—a Basque nun who escaped a convent in 1600s Spain and journeyed to the Americas disguised as a man. The whole novel is written as a letter from Antonio, hiding out in the jungle again, this time protecting two Guaraní girls while reflecting on a life that's been one epic escape after another.

NONFICTION

Burning Down the House: Talking Heads and the New York Scene That Transformed Rock by Jonathan Gould (June 17)

Selected by Emmanuel Hidalgo-Wohlleben

Similar to when I first listened to the Velvet Underground and the Pixies, I had that "Oh, so THAT'S where everyone got it from" reaction to the Talking Heads. They were so ahead of their time. As a massive music fan, history nerd, and adopted New Yorker, Jonathan Gould's definitive biography of the Talking Heads and the era, and city that made them, is a must read for me.

Culture Creep: Notes on the Pop Apocalypse by Alice Bolin (June 3)

Selected by Romina Raimundo

I'm obsessed with Alice Bolin's takes on the cultural phenomena of my (millennial) generation—she's connecting diet apps to feminism, Animal Crossing to capitalism, and Hamilton to tech bros in ways that really resonate for me. I'm ready to jump into this intense rabbit hole of a book, with the hope she'll have some fun but challenging explanations for why we're all so weird about everything.

Claire McCardell: The Designer Who Set Women Free by Elizabeth Evitts Dickinson (June 17)

Selected by Fernanda Gorgulho

If you’ve ever loved a dress with pockets, you’ve got Claire McCardell to thank. This biography tells the story of the woman who revolutionized how American women dress—quietly, radically, and with purpose. In the wake of WWII, McCardell rejected the era’s restrictive, hyper-feminine silhouettes in favor of elegant, practical designs made for real life. She gave us ballet flats, wrap dresses, hoodies, leggings, denim—and zippers women could reach themselves, because, as she put it, a woman “may live alone and like it.” A fun, fierce tribute to a true fashion rebel.

Joy Goddess: A'Lelia Walker and the Harlem Renaissance by A'Lelia Bundles (June 10)

Selected by Iliyah Coles

If I ever had the chance to pick a time and place to be a young adult, it would've been 1920s Harlem. You can still feel some of that rich history walking down 125th street just after the sun sets. With the Walker dynasty in particular, the world was their oyster. I know a lot about Madame CJ Walker, but nowhere near enough about A'Lelia and I'm excited to see her story dance on the page.