It’s June! And that means it’s time to kick off your 2020 summer reading list with some amazing new books coming out this month. And let me tell you, there are definitely some amazing June 2020 book releases!
From family life fiction, to WWII fiction, to some exciting YA releases, and even a few thrillers…these books coming out in June 2020 are sure to be enjoyable reads that you won’t want to miss!
Want to join a summer reading program with some cool prizes? Check out Bona Fide Bookworm’s Summer Reading Program for adults!
1. How the Penguins Saved Veronica by Hazel Prior
Release Date: June 16th, 2020
How the Penguins Saved Veronica is a charming and lighthearted read that has already been released in the UK, but is coming to the US this June…just in time for your summer reading list!
Veronica McCreedy is a wealthy eighty-five year old lady with no family and only her housekeeper Eileen to keep her company. But when Veronica starts considering where to leave her enormous wealth when she dies, she unexpectedly finds out she has an adult grandson! Only…he’s not at all the type of grandson she would have wished for.
So when she comes across a TV program about Adélie penguins, Veronica soon decides to leave her wealth to the penguin researchers in Antarctica. Of course, she simply must see the program for herself to make sure it’s worthy to receive her millions (unlike her grandson)! What follows is a delightful journey as Veronica sets out to visit the penguins in Antarctica…and, ultimately, learns how to open her heart to family and connection with others around her.
This was one of my favorite books from this month, so I definitely recommend picking it up as soon as possible!
I received a copy of this book from Berkley Publishing Group and Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Buy How the Penguins Saved Veronica now on Bookshop or Amazon!
2. Red Sky Over Hawaii by Sara Ackerman
Release Date: June 9th, 2020
If you’re looking for WWII fiction to pick up this month, then Red Sky Over Hawaii could be an interesting read!
This story is set in the early days of WWII on Hawaii and follows Lana Hitchcock as her life is turned upside down in the days following the attack on Pearl Harbor. And when Japanese and German neighbors are taken into detainment camps for being suspected sympathizers, Lana soon takes it upon herself to care for two young German girls who live nearby as well as hiding a Japanese friend and his son.
From the beautiful descriptions of Hawaii to the feeling of suspense throughout, this book is an intriguing read that offers a somewhat different perspective of WWII from the point of view of those living in Hawaii. There are lots of sad moments throughout, but lots of quotable moments about life as well!
Be aware there is a “magical” or “unexplained phenomena” aspect to this story (which was quite unexpected, and I felt detracted a bit from it as a whole). But that being said, this is still an excellent book to pick up!
I received a copy of this book from Harlequin Trade Publishing and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Buy Red Sky Over Hawaii now on Bookshop or Amazon!
3. Hood by Jenny Elder Moke
Release Date: June 9th, 2020
If you’re looking for a Robin Hood story, then Hood could be an entertaining read! This story is a continuation of the Robin Hood story, where you’ll discover new characters while also enjoying all the favorite characters from the original tale.
Isabelle of Kirklees has spent all her life in a convent with her mother, Marien. But when she’s arrested after helping the villagers, she soon becomes the target of a sinister man called the Wolf…and Marien sends her away to find the one person who can keep her safe: Robin Hood. Will Isabelle be able to escape the clutches of the Wolf? Or will she bring ruin down on them all?
There were some fun and funny moments throughout, and I really enjoyed the characters of Robin and Patrick. Plus, a female “Robin Hood” is pretty much everything I hope for out of life. But unfortunately, this book didn’t live up to my expectations and I had some pretty big issues with Isabelle (she seemed far too helpless and naive to be our heroine!). But many people have also loved this book, so if you’re looking for a lighthearted early YA Robin Hood read, this might still be an enjoyable book to pick up!
I received a copy of this book from Disney-Hyperion and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Buy Hood now on Bookshop or Amazon!
4. Nothing Bundt Trouble by Ellie Alexander
Release Date: June 30th, 2020
Another of the June book releases you might want to pick up is Nothing Bundt Trouble, the eleventh book in the A Bakeshop Mystery series of cozy culinary mysteries.
Juliet Capshaw has moved back to the small town of Ashland, Oregon to run her family’s bakery. And now that she’s officially here to stay, she’s finally moving back into her childhood home. But when she comes across a journal in the house that belonged to her deceased father, she discovers his notes about an unsolved murder case from the 1980s inside. Soon she’s chatting with her father’s old detective friend and trying to solve the cold case…will she be able to figure it out or will the murderer find her first?
This particular book is a little different from the others as the majority of the story takes place in the past through Juliet’s father’s journal, but if you don’t mind a slightly slower pace and want to take a trip back to the 80s then you will definitely soon be hooked on this fun cozy mystery series.
I received a copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Buy Nothing Bundt Trouble now on Bookshop or Amazon!
5. My Calamity Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows
Release Date: June 2nd, 2020
My Calamity Jane is the third installment in The Lady Janies series, which follows different historical/literary Janes in alternate histories. This particular book is about Calamity Jane and is set in 1876 America.
Unlike the Calamity Jane we know, this Calamity Jane hunts garou (aka werewolves) when she’s not in Wild Bill’s Traveling Show…and when a garou hunt goes wrong and Jane is bit, will she be able to find a cure before it’s too late?
If you’re looking for a funny read among the book releases June 2020 has to offer, then this book and its Western setting will definitely be one to pick up and enjoy!
Buy My Calamity Jane now on Bookshop or Amazon!
6. The Guest List by Lucy Foley
Release Date: June 2nd, 2020
If you’re looking for a thriller/mystery to read this month, then The Guest List could be one of the most exciting new book releases June 2020 brings!
This story follows celebrity couple Julia Keegan and Will Slater as they invite their friends and family to join them for their wedding on a remote island off the Irish coast. But on the dark and stormy night of the wedding, something goes drastically wrong: murder! And everyone on the guest list has a reason for wanting this particular person dead. In an eerie world of secrets on this frightening remote island, who committed the murder?…and what secrets are about to be revealed?
This book is officially released on June 2nd, but was also an early release from Book of the Month for April. But if you haven’t yet read it, now could be the perfect time to pick it up!
Buy The Guest List now on Bookshop or Amazon!
7. A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Rosanne A. Brown
Release Date: June 2nd, 2020
A Song of Wraiths and Ruin is the first in a new YA fantasy duology, and it sounds like an incredible read. You’ll definitely want to add it to your list of new books June 2020 brings!
Malik is a refugee from a war-stricken city, and Karina is the Crown Princess of Ziran. What do the two have in common? Their deadly aspirations! Malik’s sister has been abducted and can only be freed if he kills the crown princess, and Karina seeks to resurrect her mother…which she can only do through acquiring the beating heart of a king! Of course, all she has to do to find the heart of a king is get married and then take his heart… But when Malik joins the contest for Karina’s hand, their aims are in direct opposition at the same time as they begin to fall in love. Will either of them be able to see their tasks to the end?
This tale is inspired by West African folklore, and sounds like an intriguing and exciting story. So you’d better believe it’s on my TBR list this month!
Buy A Son of Wraiths and Ruin now on Bookshop or Amazon!
8. The Second Home by Christina Clancy
Release Date: June 2nd, 2020
The Second Home is one of the books released June 2020 that has had a lot of good reviews and a lot of buzz about it, so if you’re interested in this type of fiction then this is a book you won’t want to miss!
This novel is set at a summer home on Cape Cod, where the Gordon family spent one disastrous summer that left the three siblings harboring secrets. Now, after fifteen years and the death of their parents, Ann and her sister Poppy have to decide the fate of the summer home that’s been in their family for generations. They decide to sell…but their adopted brother Michael suddenly re-appears. And he wants the house.
Throughout these upsets and their time together looking back on memories, will the three siblings be able to set the record straight from that disastrous summer and find a way to be a family after all these years?
Buy The Second Home now on Bookshop or Amazon!
9. Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Another book releasing in June 2020 that’s been receiving a lot of hype is Mexican Gothic. If you love historical fiction and Gothic/horror genres, then this is definitely a book to pick up this month!
When Noemí Taboada receives a distraught letter from her newlywed cousin begging for help, Noemí soon sets out to High Place in the Mexican countryside to rescue her cousin from the mysterious doom hinted at in the letter.
But what does Noemí find when she arrives? Her cousin’s husband is menacing and alluring. His father is fascinated by her. And the house begins to invade her dreams… Meanwhile, the youngest son, well…he seems shy, but is he actually hiding dark secrets about his family?
This story has been called both terrifying and glamorous, so if you’re a fan of this genre or of classic Gothic novels then this could be an amazing book to read! I like mysteries but practically never enjoy horror or thrillers, but even I have to admit this book sounds intriguing…
Buy Mexican Gothic now on Bookshop or Amazon!
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