june books 2022 lead

If your summer vacation plans include plenty of time set aside to indulge in good books, June is your month. From fast-paced thrillers to candid memoirs to, of course, perfect beach reads, there are plenty of new releases to keep you occupied whether you’re on a plane, at the beach or in your favorite patio perch. We rounded up 20 new?highly anticipated June books to get your reading list started — all available to purchase or preorder on Amazon now.

From $14.99 at Amazon

‘James Patterson: The Stories of My Life’ by James Patterson
It’s no surprise one of the world’s master storytellers would have his own riveting life story to tell. The Alex Cross creator delivers a memoir you won’t want to put down, from being the son of a man who grew up in the poorhouse to writing the ad jingle “I’m a Toys ‘R’ Us Kid” to falling in love to becoming a bestselling author. If you’ve loved Patterson’s books over the years, this is yet another one to add to your collection.

From $14.99 at Amazon

‘Ordinary Monsters’ by J.M. Miro
If historical fantasy is up your alley, you’ll want to add Miro’s supernatural thriller to your reading list asap. Starting off in 1882 Victorian London, the tale follows two youngsters with powers (one is self-healing, the other shines with a blue light) and the detective recruited to protect them from a dark figure made of smoke as they traverse the world and meet other children like them.

From $14.99 at Amazon

‘The Omega Factor’ by Steve Berry
If you love Dan Brown and “The Da Vinci Code,” you’ll want to dive into bestselling author Berry’s latest that mixes history with some serious action. When a UNESCO investigator begins a hunt for the Ghent Altarpiece, stolen in 1934, he finds himself amidst a religious crusade dating back 2,000 years.

From $13.99 at Amazon

‘Cult Classic’ by Sloane Crosley
Rom-com meets humor meets satire meets fantasy in the latest from Crosley (“I Was Told There’d Be Cake”) in which protagonist Lola, newly engaged, suddenly runs into ex-boyfriend after ex-boyfriend and realizes it’s no coincidence. Will she get the emotional closure she needs at the hands of her BFF-turned-cult leader/guru who is leading these reunions? We’re ready to find out.

From $12.99 at Amazon

‘Tracy Flick Can’t Win’ by Tom Perrotta
Election” fans rejoice! It may have taken 24 years, but Perrotta has resurrected his overly ambitious character (played by Reese Witherspoon in the movie adaptation), who is now a mom and high school assistant principal. With a chance to take over the head principal mode, Tracy goes, well, full Tracy Flick, but nothing’s ever easy, right?

From $14.99 at Amazon

‘Counterfeit’ by Kirstin Chen
Fashion, friendship and a good caper all wrapped up in one fun summer read. Chen’s story of two Asian-American pals who reconnect and go all-in on a luxury handbag counterfeit scheme is rife with twists, glitz, glamor and cultural commentary. Count us in!

From $14.99 at Amazon

‘Aurora’ by David Koepp
Before the film version from Oscar-winning director Kathryn Bigelow hits Netflix, read this suspense thriller that combines terror with humor to deliver a real page-turner. Known as a screenwriter (“Jurassic Park,” “Carlito’s Way,” “The Paper”), Koepp sets his latest novel is set in Aurora, Illinois, where a solar storm causes most of the world to lose power, and the laws of survival kick in.

From $14.99 at Amazon

‘It All Comes Down to This’ by Therese Anne Fowler
Family dynamics are the focus of this beach read centered on three sisters whose widowed mother, close to death, intends for her daughters to sell the family’s Maine summer cottage and split the profits equally. Of course, all three women are at different stages in life and an ex-con who enters the picture is certainly not going to help the situation. Can you say perfect porch read?

From $14.99 at Amazon

‘Liking Myself Back’ by Jacey Duprie
Whether or not you’re a faithful follower of fashion influencer Duprie’s Instagram account and her Damsel in Dior lifestyle brand, you’ll appreciate the lessons she shares in her new memoir. From a troubled childhood to mental health issues to how she turned her love of fashion into an influencer career, she reveals how the glam photos you scroll through don’t always show the true picture.

From $14.99 at Amazon, available June 14

‘The Hotel Nantucket’ by Elin Hilderbrand
Here’s your next beach read from the bestselling author who specializes in the genre. Nantucket notable Lizbet scores a job as the new GM of the Hotel Nantucket, tasked with the job of putting the once-storied hotel back in stylish favor. But can she overcome the secrets, drama and past scandal that haunt the place?

From $14.99 at Amazon, available June 14

‘Rough Draft’ by Katy Tur
The bestselling author and MSNBC anchor (who detailed her time on the Trump campaign in “Unbelievable”) shares her life story in this new memoir that delves into her chaotic California upbringing as the daughter of helicopter journalist parents, her rise from local reporter to national anchor and the lessons she has learned from covering the news.

From $13.99 at Amazon, available June 14

‘How to Raise an Antiracist’ by Ibram X. Kendi
Kendi (“How to Be an Antiracist”) returns with this guide for parents on how to talk to their kids —?from elementary school age to teenagers —?about racism, citing scientific research as well as his own experiences. “If you want to raise empowered, antiracist children, read this book, take a deep breath, and start talking,” says author Beverly Daniel Tatum.

From $13.99 at Amazon, available June 14

‘Flying Solo’ by Linda Holmes
She hit a homer with her debut “Evvie Drake Starts Over” and now, Holmes, co-host of NPR’s “Pop Culture Happy Hour,” is back with the story of a woman who returns to her hometown in Maine to settle her great-aunt’s estate when she is drawn into a caper to decipher her relative’s secrets. Throw in some romance, self-empowerment and humor and we think Holmes has another hit on her hands.

From $14.99 at Amazon, available June 14

‘Horse’ by Geraldine Brooks
If the combination of historical fiction, artwork, race and horse racing piques your interest, pick up the new book from the Pulitzer Prize-winning Brooks (“March”). Based on the true story of the 19th-century racehorse Lexington, the story shifts from 1850 Kentucky horse racing to 1954 New York art world to 2019 Washington, DC, and the work of a scientist and art historian who work to unearth the story of the famous horse and enslaved man who was key to its victories.

From $9.99 at Amazon, available June 14

‘The Friendship Pact’ by Jill Shalvis
In book two of Shalvis’s bestselling Sunrise Cove series, Tae seeks information about her father, who she has never known but wants to find. But when her mom, April, refuses to help, she turns to a high school boyfriend, who is a former Marine, and, together, they embark on an unexpected journey.

From $14.99 at Amazon, available June 14

‘I’d Like to Play Alone, Please’ by Tom Segura
The standup comedian and podcast host (“2 Bears 1 Cave,” “Your Mom’s House”) is out with a collection of essays that cover everything from parenting young kids to time spent with his own dad to celebrity encounters to what it’s like to tour on the road. Say you could use something funny in your life? You’re welcome.

From $14.99 at Amazon, available June 21

‘The House Across the Lake’ by Riley Sager
Ready for your next creepy tale? Sager fans (“Final Girls,” “Survive the Night”) have a new plot-twister perfect for summer reading anywhere. In a modern take on “Rear Window,” newly widowed actress Casey heads to her family’s Vermont lake house where she takes up the hobby of peeping on her neighbors with binoculars. But when the wife goes missing, Casey assumes it was at the hands of the husband, but the suspense at hand leaves everyone a suspect.

From $10.99 at Amazon, available June 21

‘Learning to Talk’ by Hilary Mantel
Wish Mantel’s “Wolf Hall” award-winning, bestselling trilogy had never come to an end? You’ll enjoy her new collection of short stories, based loosely on her own life and childhood. With themes of empowerment, loss, friendship, faith, reinvention and belonging, like “Wolf Hall,” we plan to devour every page.

From $14.99 at Amazon, available June 21

‘Lapvona’ by Ottessa Moshfegh
Bestseller Moshfegh (“My Year of Rest and Relaxation”) delivers a historical fiction tale set in a medieval fiefdom where a motherless shepherd boy becomes part of a struggle involving the village’s rulers. Class, faith, abuse of powers, family, natural disasters...its themes endure today.

From $12.99 at Amazon, available June 28

‘The German Wife’ by Kelly Rimmer
Rimmer (“The Warsaw Orphan”) returns with a historical fiction novel based on the actual events surrounding Operation Paperclip, a secret US program that pardoned Nazis and employed them to work for the American government. Set in both 1930 Berlin and 1950 Alabama, it follows a German family hoping to leave their past behind — until their neighbors discover who they really are.