The Best Books to Read in June

Covering 50 years and one large, complicated family, The Gowkaran Tree in the Middle of Our Kitchen paints an intricate portrait of Iran, both its rich culture and its tumultuous modern history. As the revolution of 1979 turns the city of Tehran and the entire country on its head, the Zoroastrian family at the heart of the novel attempts to keep their culture—and family—intact, all while a mysterious tree begins growing in their kitchen. — Rachel Brittain

Vampires! In! Space! In this queer sci-fi horror, humans can travel between Earth and Alpha Centauri, and Demeter is one of the spaceships that makes the journey. But when Demeter’s passengers start dying mysteriously, Demeter discovers the cause: a vampire. To stop the killings and keep from being shut down, Demeter has to put together her own monster squad to try to take down Dracula, the most powerful vampire of all time.

For fans of crime novels, family drama, past missing persons cases, and characters returning home to face the past!

Roman Carruthers returns to his hometown when his father ends up in a coma. But that quickly becomes the least of his problems when, in trying to save his brother from a bad decision, he finds himself in the position of needing to outwit the local crime boss. His sister, now running the family crematorium, knows Roman is up to something and is becoming increasingly convinced that their father was responsible for their mother’s disappearance when they were teenagers. Every move Roman makes to try and protect his family ends up putting them deeper in danger… — Jamie Canaves

After years of infertility, poet Hala Alyan makes the difficult decision to become a parent through a surrogate. While she’s waiting for her child to enter the world, Alyan struggles with her marriage and reels from the news that Beirut, the city of her youth, is experiencing rising violence. With lyrical prose, Alyan describes how in her time of crisis, she turns to the stories from her Palestinian family’s past to anchor her in the present moment. — Kendra Winchester

I have been excitedly thrumming for the release of this book for nearly a year, and I’m so excited it’s finally here! Jodie doesn’t miss when it comes to complicated romance setups, and I’m so excited to pick up this BIPOC interracial sapphic small-town sports romance. Jade and Francesca both have their eyes on the head coaching spot for their town’s high school football team, but their attraction to each other doesn’t give a damn about their professional rivalry. — Jessica Pryde

The creative team behind They Called Us Enemy brings us this charming autobiography about Takei’s long career in acting and politics — and how, at age 68, he decided to come out publicly and became a voice for the LGBT rights movement. — Eileen Gonzalez

Woo-hoo! Easily one of the most anticipated books of 2025, Schwab’s excellent “toxic lesbian vampire” novel is about three women in three different times in history and places in the world. Each will make choices that severely change their future and may have them hunting for answers. Are they all vampires? Are they immortal? You’ll have to read it to find out. — Liberty Hardy

The Great Mann reimagines the story of The Great Gatsby set among L.A.’s Black elite in post-WWII America. A veteran exploring Los Angeles for the first time at his cousin’s invitation finds himself on the precipice of a new life where anything seems possible—especially alongside the brilliant figure of James “Reaper” Mann. But as Mann’s parties dazzle and Charlie begins building a career and a love life, a landmark court case and the growing resentment of their white neighbors threaten to unravel everything they’ve built. — Rachel Brittain

Everyone has different reactions when suddenly, all across the world, seven doors open up portals to another world. It’s a world that seems like a beautiful paradise. But what’s the catch? For twin sisters Ayanna and Olivia, the world beyond means different things, but for each, it offers a chance for exploration. Then one of the sisters goes missing, and it soon becomes clear that the world beyond is filled with danger. — Emily Martin

From the bestselling author of Six Crimson Cranes comes this Beauty and the Beast-inspired YA fantasy. Truyan Saigas is a con artist with the ability to literally paint the future. She’s been taking care of her family since her father was lost at sea. In order to keep her mother and siblings safe from gangsters trying to collect on her mother’s gambling debt, Truyan enters into a marriage with the mysterious Dragon King, who insists she join him in his underwater palace in return for the safety of her family. — Liberty Hardy

We Carry the Sun is Newbery Medal winner Tae Keller’s debut picture book, with beautiful illustrations by Rachel Wada. This story tells the tale of solar power and the importance of the sun in human cultures across history, from ancient times to the present day. — Alice Nuttall