June Reading Wrap-Up

Everything I read in June, nerdy stats, favorite books of the month, plus my beach reading recap and Weekly What

Jul 11, 2026

Hi, hello, how are you? We’ve got a lot to get to in this week’s newsletter! Because I took two weeks off due to travel I now have three weeks worth of reading to share, including a full week of carefully curated beach reads, this on top of my monthly reading recap for June.

Let’s get into it!

Everything I Read In June

I read 23 books in June. Here’s a little breakdown of my reading month:

16 library/Libby borrows
6 gifted (Where the Girls Were, Evil Genius, American Fantasy, The Top of the World, Summerland Cove, An Infinite Love Story)
1 owned (Whistler)
4 backlist titles (17%)
4 non-fiction (17%)
9 print (39%), 7 audio (30%), 4 ebooks (17%), 3 hybrid (print + audio)(13%)

June Favorites

Tell me:

What did you enjoy reading in June?

Reading

Everything I Read at the Beach 🏖

Whistler by Ann Patchett. I’m a fan of Ann Patchett as both a person and writer and have been since I was introduced to her by way of a 2014 book club selection when we read Patchett’s debut novel, The Patron Saint of Liars (1992). Patron Saint is not my favorite Patchett, but it captured my interest enough to continue exploring her books. Favorite author status was cemented by way of Commonwealth (2016) and The Dutch House (2019).1

Whistler was a very highly anticipated release for me. So much so, that I pre-ordered a hardback copy (an extreme rarity) of the June release as an early birthday gift to myself and then saved it to read while on vacation (a high honor).

I kicked off my vacation reading with Whistler and it did not disappoint! A quiet story about a woman in her fifties who reconnects via chance encounter with a man who was only briefly her stepfather, but who had an outsized impact on her life despite their decades of estrangement. Rich, warm, quietly profound; just a beautiful hug of a book and a testament of Patchett’s skill as a writer. A truly lovely reading experience.
American Fantasy by Emma Straub. A recently divorced, middle-aged woman ends up going stag on a themed cruise with five members of a (now aged) 90s boyband alongside three thousand of their adoring (also aged) fans. The band is along the lines of New Kids on the Block (before my time), Backstreet Boys, or N’SYNC (right in my time)—you get the idea. I’m an Emma Straub fan, I’ve read nearly all her novels. (I actually just realized I never read her debut!) American Fantasy is not my favorite of her books, but I was happy to sit back and enjoy the relevance of this romp exploring middle-age, nostalgia, fandoms, and the complications of celebrity.
Make Me Better by Sarah Gailey. Another situation where I’m a fan of the author, but this isn’t my favorite of their books. Make Me Better is about a young woman who travels to an isolated island community to take part in an annual event promising profound healing. What I liked: the setting, atmosphere, creepy, culty vibes, and horror elements were all excellent. What I didn’t like: frequent shifts between points of view among a wide cast of characters and across time was so disorienting I never felt like I properly found my footing.

While this would not be the book I’d recommend new Gailey readers start with, I’m glad I read it as a fan. What I love about Gailey’s writing is the way they use horror (also sometimes fantasy and sci-fi) to effectively explore deep themes. Make Me Better delves into the dark side of self improvement and the way people can be manipulated and/or exploited by their desire to “fix” what’s “broken” inside them.
The Top of the World by Ethan Joella. Set at a Poconos resort over two summers—1974 and 1975—The Top of the World follows two siblings: Chip, a recent high school grad with a terminal health condition, and his sister, Maggie, just one year younger, who follows in her brother's footsteps after his death to find what drew him to spend some of his remaining months at a mountaintop inn. Once there, Maggie finds solace in previously unknown people who were touched by her brother, people who are dealing with their own individual struggles as well as share something of her personal loss.

I can't think of an author whose books are more deserving of the "life affirming" label than Ethan Joella. His stories are always warm, tender, thoughtful, a little bittersweet, but ultimately hopeful. I've read all of Joella's novels and his stories are just a nice escape. I especially appreciated the setting of The Top of the World at this mountaintop inn that's perhaps past its prime, populated by something of a found family. Excellent summer reading!
Summerland Cove by Ellen Baker. A multigenerational family novel told from the point of view of three women: Greta, the matriarch, secretly navigating the loss of her husband to dementia; Greta's only child, Lindy, a middle-aged mother of four young adult children; and Hailey, Lindy's oldest child, at a personal and professional crossroads in her own life.

Lindy has big plans for the summer hosting three important events at their beloved Maine family cottage in Summerland Cove over the course of just a few weeks: her husband David's 50th birthday party, her oldest daughter Lindy's wedding, and her parents' 50th wedding anniversary celebration. But nothing goes according to plan, beginning with David not showing up to his own birthday party. Did something terrible happen to David while en route? Is he having a midlife crises, an affair, abandoning their family? As Lindy and her adult children mobilize to locate David, the story flashes back to the early days of David and Lindy's relationship when they meet as teens at Summerland Cove in the '70s. In present day, the chaotic situation finds Hailey reevaluating her own choices in partner and career, and long buried family secrets are brought to light.

This is a juicy family drama with a dreamy Maine coastal setting—summer reading perfection! I found some points of view more compelling than others, but there was plenty here to make for an effortless page turner.
An Infinite Love Story by Chanel Cleeton. Set against the backdrop of the '60s space race, Vivian is an astronaut wife whose husband Joe's spacecraft becomes lost during a mission. The dual-timeline narrative toggles between 1968, in the weeks after Joe's spacecraft is lost, and earlier in the decade when Vivian, a young aspiring journalist, meets a handsome pilot with big aspirations of his own.

I have to say, for a book titled An Infinite Love Story the love story was really the secondary feature for me. Where this novel excels, I think, is in capturing the historical setting and exploring the complexities of the space race, both for the individuals involved—the astronaut wives who are suddenly public figures subject to immense scrutiny, the astronauts who must put their jobs above all else, including their lives and families—and the space race project itself as a public/political undertaking. As with most historical events, in hindsight we've settled on a triumphant narrative where America won the space race and we were all united by it and better for it, when in reality the project was not without criticism or free from complicated public sentiment. While Cleeton doesn't dive deeply into the conflict and complexities, I think her story does a good job of conveying the lived reality of the moment generally, especially where it comes to the sacrifices asked of Vivian and other astronaut wives.

The story incorporates a bit of a speculative element (I see other reviewers referring to this as magical realism—it's definitely more in the realm of lightly speculative/sci-fi) which I personally really enjoyed and didn't expect going in. This is the first I've read from Chanel Cleeton (though I know her Perez Family series beginning with Next Year in Havana is quite popular) and I really liked it. Solid historical fiction with a page-turning plot, perfect for the beach or a lazy summer day.

Everything Else

Standard Deviation by Katherine Heiny. The latest selection from my in-person book club. I’ve been meaning to read this, Heiny’s debut novel, since I read and loved 2021’s Early Morning Riser. This is one of those books I continue to recommend even years later. In fact, I included it in a roundup last year of backlist books perfect for fall reading. Surprisingly, this was not my selection for book club, but I jumped at the excuse to read a book already on my TBR.

Standard Deviation is told from the perspective of Graham, a reserved, middle-aged father in NYC, more than a decade into his second marriage with the younger, extroverted, filterless Audra, with whom he’s raising their 10-year-old son, Matthew, who is socially awkward and obsessed with origami. This is a book about marriage and parenting and different personalities bumping against one another and shining within different settings. There’s a full cast of misfit side characters and heaps of humor.

Reviews for the book within our group were decidedly mixed, but I appreciate a divisive read—it’s good for conversation! I enjoyed Standard Deviation, and the humor really landed with me. It’s written in a very similar style to Early Morning Riser, which remains my favorite Heiny book.
Jazz by Toni Morrison. The fourth book in my Year of Toni Morrison project. Read for the year long virtual book club I’m participating in through Literary Cleveland IHO America’s 250th birthday and the upcoming 100th anniversary of Ohio-native Toni Morrison’s birthday. The group is reading all 11 of Morrison’s novels in chronological order based on setting. The book club is open to all and I highly recommend checking it out!

This is the first time I’ve read Jazz, the previous three titles were all re-reads. Jazz is written in a unique style inspired by the music genre for which it’s named. The structure adds a unique layer and makes for an interesting reading experience, while also being disorienting at times. Jazz is primarily set in 1920’s Harlem and involves a middle-aged married couple and the husband’s young mistress whom he murders—this is not a spoiler, we find this out in the opening paragraph. Jazz is not a whodunit, but rather explores the context in which this event occurs.

Somewhat of a challenging read, but reading Morrison is always a pleasure and I enjoyed getting to a new-to-me title from her catalog.
Take Me With You by Steven Rowley. Thirty years into their relationship Jesse’s husband, Norman, disappears one night from their Joshua Tree backyard into a blinding beam of light. Where did he go, why, and is he ever coming back? Told through the perspectives of Jesse, Norman, and Norman’s sister Lally, Take Me With You is brimming it heart, humor, and is poised to become an excellent TV series adaptation.

Listening

London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City, and a Family’s Search for Truth by Patrick Radden Keefe. This was the audiobook my husband and I listened to during our road trip. We previously each read and appreciated PRK’s Empire of Pain. London Falling is about the mysterious death of a 19-year-old who fell from the balcony of a ritzy London high-rise apartment and the criminal elements operating beneath some of the city’s great fortunes. An interesting and suspenseful ride in PRK’s masterful hands.
Happy Ending by Chloe Liese. I picked this up attempting to fill the Emily Henry sized hole in my beach reading. I ending up listening to it on audio during our return trip. This is about two divorcees who become best friends through fake dating after their exes get together. This is less of a fake dating story, more of a slow burn, friends-to-lovers situation featuring a hot chef and a quirky book seller. It didn’t quite reach Emily Henry levels for me, but it scratched the itch.
The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub. Hoo boy, this was kind of a mess. I don’t know about you, but preparing for a week long family vacation involves a lot of work for me: laundry and cleaning and errands and packing and probably more laundry. The last couple of years the timing has worked out to allow the newest Stephen King to keep me company on audio whilst tackling my to-do list, but alas, this year’s SK won’t release until October. That upcoming release is the third book in the Talisman trilogy, the first of which happened to be next up as I work my way through his backlist—it seemed like an obvious choice to give it a listen.

In The Talisman, 12 year old Jack Sawyer (yes, like Tom Sawyer) engages in something of a coming-of-age quest across the U.S. and its parallel dimension in search of a talisman to save his dying mother. The story spans more than 650 pages, probably hundreds of which (IMO, at least) are repetitive, meandering, and indulgent. Overall, I enjoy SK’s writing style, so there were certainly parts I enjoyed. Also, I appreciate being able to see how his worlds intersect with one another, the way he continues to circle ideas and themes, and the way those elements resonate across stories. But, wow, this is not a book I would casually recommend people read, it’s quite a slog in too many parts. Is it because he wrote it with Peter Straub? Because SK was famously in the throes of drug and alcohol addiction at the time this book was written (1984)? I don’t know! But I’m glad to check this one off my list.
Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump by Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan. I hadn’t tortured myself sufficiently with The Talisman so I thought my and America’s birthday was the perfect time to really dig into the unprecedently inept and corrupt Trump Administration: The Sequel. I follow news and politics too closely for there to be any truly notable surprises within these ~~minutes~~ pages, but apparently I just really needed the context Haberman and Swan are able to provide that confirms all my worst assumptions about the happenings behind closed doors!

Watching

Mad Men, Season 7 (DVD!). We finished our annual(?) rewatch—what a ride!
Margo’s Got Money Troubles (Apple TV). This was a highly anticipated adaptation for me as I loved the book (as well as The Knockout Queen (2020). Margo is Thorpe’s real breakout and I love that, but let’s not forget The Knockout Queen!) and I liked the adaptation. I thought the casting was good and though The Book Was Better™, I think they did a good job of distilling the story into a television show.
Widow’s Bay (Apple TV). Set on a New England island that may or may not be cursed whose mayor is desperately trying to reinvent their image as a tourist destination. This show is SO FUN! It nails a really hard to achieve balance of spooky horror plus moments of true laugh out loud comedy with a throwback feel and excellent cast.

Eating & Drinking

Loaded Fresh Basil and Sweet Corn Couscous Green Salad with lettuce and basil from our garden.
Chicken BLT Burritos with Creamy Southwest Dipping Sauce is a quick, easy, crowd-pleasing meal I return to again and again when it’s hot out. I use a rotisserie chicken which makes this a ~20 minute no-cook meal.
Grilled Chicken Caesar Sandwiches
Burger Bowls
Bruschetta Chicken and Bacon Pasta is exactly the kind of meal I want to eat all summer long. If you have cherry tomatoes and basil in your garden this is the meal for you!
Breakfast for dinner (another summer staple): Sourdough Waffles with bacon and fruit.
Funfetti Blondies with red, white, and blue sprinkles for a festive July 4th/birthday week treat. I recommend adding 1/4-1/2t almond extract to up the Funfetti flavor.

Links + Loves

Home is where the art is: the rise of the epic domestic novel (The Guardian) “It could be argued that a fundamental concern of literary fiction has always been “how should one live?”, but in recent years, global instability, the threat of environmental collapse and technological revolution have brought the problem of how to construct and sustain a good life amid all this more sharply into focus.”
Lit Hub has done the very important work of surveying all the big summer reading list and identifying which books appear most frequently in order to compile The Ultimate Summer 2026 Reading List.
Publishers Weekly Fall Preview is here.
A Netflix series adaptation of Alix E. Harrow’s The Everlasting is in the works. Love Harrow, love The Everlasting, hope to love the show.
In other adaptation news that is probably old news at this point: Matt Dinniman’s Dungeon Crawler Carl is getting a Peacock series adaptation. (Deadline) I read this in 2024, I think probably in the early days of the series gaining mainstream popularity. I found it… fine. I wasn’t interested enough to continue the series. It’s just not for me. To be honest, I’m surprised at the fervor surrounding this series, but I love when people get excited for books even when they’re not books I enjoy, so I’m here for it generally. My husband read the first book in the series on our vacation and did go on to read the second book.
40 Great New Books You May Have Missed (Lit Hub)
Great American Novel Picks from Our Favorite Authors (B&N)
5 fiction books that define America — for better and for worse (Vox)
10 non-fiction books to help you understand America (NPR)
I Love the…’90s! A Throwback Reading List for the Decade (Goodreads)

That Bookish Life

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