Hello, friends. It’s June now. We’re baffled by it, too. Perhaps the only up side to the sixth month of the year beginning is the fact that a new month brings new books, and this month has a lot to offer. As always, some writers we’ve long admired have new books out, whether fiction or nonfiction. Read on for some reading recommendations for the month we’re in.

Sally Wen Mao, Ninetails
(June 1, Penguin)

We were big fans of Sally Wen Mao’s 2019 poetry collection Oculus, and we’re thrilled to see what she does with a different form in this collection of short stories that draw inspiration from fables and fairy tales. According to the author, these stories “reveal the human and animal impulse to seek freedom and belonging in a world that is determined to deem them alien.”

Alex DiFrancesco, Breaking the Curse: A Memoir about Trauma, Healing, and Italian Witchcraft
(June 4, Seven Stories Press)

You had us at “Italian Witchfraft.” Alex DiFrancesco is another writer whose work spans styles and formats; this book sees them returning to nonfiction after two forays into speculative and fantastical fiction. DiFrancesco’s work is often thought-provoking and compelling, and we’re eager to read this latest chronicle of their life.

Pallavi Sharma Dixit, Edison
(June 4, Third State)

We may be Vol. 1 Brooklyn, but there’s a lot of love for the Garden State in our ethos as well. Needless to say, we’re thrilled about the publication this month of Pallavi Sharma Dixit’s new novel, set in the town that gives the book its name. (Which is also one of the great culinary destinations of the northeastern U.S.) Looking for a widespread comedy of manners with an international scope? Look no further.

Laura Beers, Orwell’s Ghosts: Wisdom and Warnings for the Twenty-First Century 
(June 11, W.W. Norton)

We’ve reached a point of time in literary and political discourse where George Orwell’s name is cited, often by people on different sides of the same debate. That makes the present day a great time to look back on what Orwell actually wrote to trace and revisit his recurring themes — and what he had to tell us about the world. And that’s precisely what Laura Beers has done with this new book.

Gretchen Felker-Martin, Cuckoo
(June 11, Tor Nightfire)

After her searing, complex, unnerving Manhunt, we’d be down for just about anything Gretchen Felker-Martin had in store for a follow-up. That said, her new book sounds terrific, following a group of teens who face down horrors both human and uncanny — and then must revisit those horrors again years later.

Rob Hart, Assassins Anonymous
(June 11, G.P. Putnam and Sons)

Rob Hart’s recent fiction has powerfully blended high concepts with astute characterization — from a murder mystery in a hotel for time travellers to a dystopian investigation within an all-encompassing retail warehouse. His new novel follows a hired gun looking to leave his old habits behind, and who finds that deeply challenging when he ends up marked for death.

Porochista Khakpour, Tehrangeles
(June 11, Pantheon)

Following two acclaimed works of nonfiction, Porochista Khakpour’s new book is her first novel since The Last Illusion. (Which was an absolutely fantastic read, it’s worth saying.) That novel’s surreal take on New York City is mirrored by Tehrangeles‘s West Coast setting. Here, reality turns malleable in a very different manner, as Khakpour focuses on a wealthy Iranian-American family at the center of a reality TV series.

Wolfgang Hilbig (translated by Matthew Spencer), Territories of the Soul / On Intonation
(June 25, Sublunary Editions)

The last decade has seen a host of Wolfgang Hilbig’s work translated into English, including the haunting masterpiece The Tidings of the Trees. This newly-translated book veers into a different territory from his fiction, with publisher Sublunary Editions noting its blend of “lyric poetry, personal essay, and gothic horror.” That’s a combination that sounds very appealing to us.

McKenzie Wark, Life Story
(June 25, Hanuman Editions)

The second series of books from Hanuman Editions continues with the publisher’s tradition of releasing books by fascinating writers and original thinkers. Here, McKenzie Wark revisits different aspects of her life from a host of perspectives, bringing her knowledge of history and theory to bear in unexpected ways.

Gordon Lish, Annals and Indices
(June 26, Bard Books)

Both as writer and editor, it’s hard to underestimate the impact that Gordon Lish has had on American fiction. This new collection is one of two new books by Lish that are kicking off the bibliography of new publisher Bard Books. Here’s to more writers creating fiction in innovative ways — and to more publishers ushering interesting work into print.

Note: all cover art and release dates are subject to change.

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