Amidst these unprecedented circumstances of Covid19 pandemic, it’s difficult or rather almost unimaginable to step outside the concrete box and go on an adventure to meet friends, relatives, or new people, and hear their stories while enjoying a great time with them. Now, what if I were to tell you that you could do all of this, right from your couch, would you trust me? Well yes, if you love reading fiction.
Let’s begin with the type of adventure you wish to embark upon, does it include love between two individuals & the challenges they encounter, or a thriller sizzling with suspense, or maybe something set in a historical backdrop?
All you need to do is, swap the shoes of the protagonist with your own, and you’re in for a long, long ride. So, here I have a list of handpicked novels that are releasing this June’20 to take you on an adventure from the comfort of your couch!
I’ve sorted the titles according to the genre, feel free to skip forward to your favourite one!
Genre 1: Romance
With a whopping rating of 4.4/5 on Goodreads, I present to you an extraordinary love story that evolves for more than two decades – 28 Summers, by Elin Hilderbrand. There are movie adaptations of great pieces of literature, but this book stands “extraordinary” because it is an adaptation of a film from the late 1970s, “Same Time, Next Year.” It explores the romance of two characters in their yearly summer-weekend affair for a period of 28 summers and the probable consequences of this affair on their loved ones!
Next up, I have for you a conflicted love story, which begins with anger & bitterness, just like every other Bollywood movie. Written by Sara Desai, and set in the beautiful city of San Francisco, The Marriage Game is a romantic comedy that follows two Desi American protagonists – Layla Patel and Sam Mehta. This book promises to leave you in a pool of tears, not the emotionally wrecking tears, but the ones you get while laughing hysterically!
Genre 2: Suspense Thrillers
Probably the darkest & horrifying thriller releasing this June, Home Before Dark, written by Riley Sager, revolves around Maggie Holt – who restores old, abandoned houses for a living, and lands up at Baneberry Hall. Like any other house, all she had to do was tidy the estate to sell it off. But, Baneberry Hall is the very same property her dead father claimed to be haunted and even wrote a book about. How do you think Maggie’s life is going to twist & turn when she witnesses statements from her father’s book in reality?
Two women, and their two perfect lives, at least that’s how they portray their lives to others. But behind the curtain, they’re married to someone who’s the complete opposite of an ideal husband. Fate brings these two ladies together at an airport, and sick & tired of their similar yet dark lives, they swap their tickets. But when one of the two flights crashes, it results in one of these women assuming the other dead woman’s identity since her identity has been declared dead. But, what secrets does the new identity hold, what all will she uncover as she treads down her new life? Grab The Last Flight, by Julie Clark this June.
Imagine you meet a stranger, whose name & birth date is similar to yours. It may be a coincidence, but what if I were to tell you that later you find your bank account empty, and personal information was stolen? Scary? Don’t worry, this bank account belongs to Jessica Williams, from You Can’t Catch Me, written by Catherine McKenzie. To beat her impostor, Jessica starts a team, which consists of the imposter’s previous victims. We’ll need to read the book to find out how her childhood past throws obstructions in her chase!
Genre 3: Fantasy
In an alternate universe, in the magical city of Gaia, there are physical embodiments of Earth’s seasons, and this is where the book – Seasons of the Storm, by Elle Cosimano is narrated. Jack Sommers is a Winter, and Fleur is a Spring. There’s a chronology of all the seasons, and each season must hunt the season before them in the sequence, every year. Winter comes before Spring, and Fleur must hunt Jack, but what happens when they fall in love with each other? Will the creator of Gaia allow them to simply walk away without a fight?
Two sisters, Evadne and Halcyon reunite after almost a decade, but this reunion is wrecked with an unpredicted series of events where Halcyon is claimed as a criminal on the run, and eventually ends up serving a sentence for the charges. A heavy & cruel sentence convinces Evadne to voluntarily serve a part of her sister’s sentence, only to uncover the dark reasons behind her sister’s charges. They’ll unfold – one by one, and all the dots will connect in Sisters of Sword & Song, written by Rebecca Ross.
Genre 4: Historical Fiction
One of the most anticipated books of 2020, The Vanishing Half – by Brit Bennett, introduces you to a story of two inseparable twin sisters, set in the 1950s. It is the 1990’s, and the sisters are leading their adult lives miles away from one another, but who would’ve predicted the fates of their daughters are intertwined just like theirs? A novel that’ll explore an emotionally compassionate family, their decisions & desires over four decades.
Genre 5: Contemporary Fiction
There are three siblings and one of them is adopted; a young summer & a young mistake later, there’s a rift between the protagonist’s sister & the adopted brother. The Second Home, by Christina Clancy, leads with Ann who, after the death of her parents, decides to sell their summer home with her sister’s approval and does not consult her adopted brother, Michael who returns to their lives claiming to own a third of that estate. Do you think the summer house that pulled these siblings apart might glue them together as a family?
I’ve done my part by introducing you to all the fresh adventures coming straight from the publishing house to you this June, now it’s your turn to take a pick!
