Top Ten Reads for June
June might be prime paperback season, but there's a basketful of glorious new publishing coming too. From a long overdue reevaluation of partition to a novel of human drama that is literally out of this world. A cosy, but poignant Korean bestseller to the perfect memoir for pride month (with a very fetching tote bag addition*). Find your must-read(s) for the month with our Top Ten Reads for June.
*While stocks last!
Atmosphere
Atmosphere
03/06/2025
The bestselling author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones and the Six delivers a sweeping epic of love and ambition set against the backdrop of the 1980s US space shuttle programme. Atmosphere is Taylor Jenkins Reid at her very best—thrilling, fast-paced and bursting with emotional drama and intimate character study.
Deep House
Deep House
05/06/2025
From the author of Gay Bar, a stunning combination of memoir and social history—tracking Lin's own love story with the modern story of gay marriage. Lin's writing is gloriously personal, irreverent and refreshingly candid. Available signed with a Foyles Exclusive tote bag while stocks last.
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Daughters of the Bamboo Grove
Daughters of the Bamboo Grove
05/06/2025
Telling the horrifying story of separated twins, their respective fates in China and the USA, and Demick's own role in reuniting them against huge odds, Daughters of the Bamboo Grove is a shocking, heart-rending study of China's one-child policy, the ethics of international adoption, and, ultimately, the assumptions and narratives we hold about the quality of lives lived in the East and the West.
I Gave You Eyes and You Looked Toward Darkness
I Gave You Eyes and You Looked Toward Darkness
05/06/2025
Nestled among rugged mountains, in a remote part of Catalonia frequented by wolf hunters, bandits, deserters, ghosts, beasts and demons, sits the old farmhouse called Mas Clavell. Inside, an impossibly old woman lies on her deathbed while family and caretakers drift in and out. All the women who have ever lived and died in that house are waiting for her to join them. A formally daring and entrancing novel in which Irene Solà explores the dualities of light and darkness, life and death, oblivion and memory.
We Are Green and Trembling
We Are Green and Trembling
12/06/2025
A reimagining of the life of Antonio de Erauso, a Basque nun turned war lieutenant during the Spanish Conquista in 17th-century Argentina and one of South America’s best-known trans men. Cámara's novel is a searing criticism of conquest and colonialism, religious tyranny and the treatment of women and indigenous people; a queer reclamation set in the rainforest—a magical, surreal space for transformation.
Shattered Lands
Shattered Lands
19/06/2025
A fascinating, and timely examination of the partitions of the Indian empire. India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Burma, Nepal, Bhutan, Yemen, Oman, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait were all known officially as the ‘Indian Empire’, or more simply as the Raj, encompassing the largest Hindu, Muslim, Sikh and Zoroastrian communities on the planet. Dalrymple's book shows the often brutal process of empire shattering, carving out new nations, redrawing maps, and leaving behind a legacy of war, exile, and division.
The Second Chance Convenience Store
The Second Chance Convenience Store
19/06/2025
More than just the latest feel-good novel from Korea, The Second Chance Convenience Store is one of their bestselling novels of the last decade. Kim Ho-Yeon's story of retired teacher and shop owner Mrs Yeom who offers a homeless man a part-time job after he returns her misplaced purse one afternoon is bursting with humanity, revelation and warmth.
The Genius Myth
The Genius Myth
19/06/2025
The journalist and author of Difficult Women returns with a provocative interrogation of the myth of genius, exploring the surprising inventions, inspirations, and distortions that elevate some lives to greatness and not others. With whip-smart wit and charm, Lewis challenges assumptions about creativity, productivity, and innovation—forever altering the premise of genius.
The Lost Folk
The Lost Folk
19/06/2025
From pub signs, to Morris dancing, to collecting and charity shopping, model villages and village fairs, church kneelers to seasonal traditions like Boxing day, The Lost Folk is a wonder of a book. A museum-like celebration of what British folk is, was, will, and should be.
Among Friends
Among Friends
26/06/2025
On an autumn weekend at a comfortable New York country house, two families have gathered to mark the host’s fifty-second birthday. What follows is a masterful psychological drama—families and friendships are devastated, whole lives reassessed, all because of one unspeakable act that surfaces decades of resentment, envy and bitterness. Tipped as the literary debut of the summer, Ebbott's wonderful book could well become this year's most talked about novel.
