Book Report Vol. 29
Books I read in May, June new releases, and book-to-screen news
Hi Book Pals,
Last month, New York City was on a terrible weekend weather bender. A gorgeous 80-degree day on Thursday, then 57 and spitting rain on Saturday like clockwork. One silver lining was a few Saturdays stuck inside devouring books. And after somewhat of an “off” start to my reading year (moving apartments; watching more TV), in May I felt back to my old self. I plowed through a buzzy new romance, a gorgeous speculative romance that reminded me of The Time Traveler’s Wife, and a book everyone was raving about… 3 summers ago. There was even a thriller in the mix!
Let’s get into it. And make sure to keep scrolling for a preview of June new releases and all your book-to-screen news!
Vantage Point by Sara Sligar
You all know I’m not much of a thriller reader, but Olivia Muenter put this book in her top 3 reads so far this year, and I was intrigued by the Kennedy connection after my fascination with FX’s Love Story. (It’s also primarily set on an island off the coast of Maine, which helped, too.) So, I took a chance on this novel about the adult children of a Kennedy-esque family plagued by a generational curse. (The story has interstitials with fake Wikipedia entries about how family members fell victim to said curse.)
In it, the older brother’s Senate run is threatened when unsavory footage of his sister begins circulating. Even though this involves a light stalking plot line—which is usually a hard pass for me—I really enjoyed it, and didn’t expect, but very much appreciated, the light sci-fi bent. I particularly enjoyed the brother’s wife’s POV as a campaign widow, a character I haven’t often seen portrayed in fiction.
Take Me With You by Steven Rowley
I LOVE Steven Rowley. He’s one of very few authors I find laugh out loud funny on the page. But he also has a way of balancing said humor with deeper moments. (See: me absolutely sobbing my way through parts of The Celebrants.) So, I was extremely excited for his new novel about a man whose husband disappears in an apparent alien abduction, leaving the earth-bound spouse to figure out how to go on without him. (And without any real answers; AKA the Strangers of it all.)
This was expectedly funny and I loved the specificity of the Joshua Tree setting, but the ending didn’t totally land for me. That didn’t stop me from enjoying the ride, though. (Side note: this is being adapted for TV by Bill Lawrence—creator of Ted Lasso, Shrinking, Scrubs—which feels like a fantastic fit.)
Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune
My hopes were sky high for Carley Fortune’s latest after the (IMO) absolute romance triumph of her 2025 novel, One Golden Summer. And this book about a jilted bride who goes on her would-be honeymoon with her semi-estranged male best friend did not disappoint! Like all of Carley’s books, this one relies heavily on setting—in this case, an eco-resort in Tofino—but it felt more intimate, too, with the characters literally trapped with each other in a vacation villa. I took this book down in a single sitting on a rainy Saturday that made me feel like I, too, was on vacation despite the less-than-ideal weather outside.
Sandwich by Catherine Newman
For the past 3 years, I’ve been waging an internal game of tug of war over this book. I wanted to read it, but was so emotionally devastated by her prior novel, We All Want Impossible Things, that I didn’t fully trust myself to be up for another Newman novel. But this one is much rompier—well, if a novel about menopausal rage, among other things, can be rompy.
In it, a woman goes on an annual Cape Cod family vacation with both her adult children and her aging parents. And while the plot is more on the “slice of life” side of the spectrum, the voice is spectacular. I felt like I was getting a front row seat to a showing of the author’s weird little brain. And even though it ratcheted up my menopause fears by at least 150%, I found myself thinking “I wish all books were like this” multiple times. (Now, let’s see if it takes me 3 more years to get around to its sequel, Wreck.)
Ungodly Rich by Katharine McGee (out July 7)
I adore the way Katharine McGee tackles world building, creating fun house versions of our real world. Like, what if all of NYC lived in one tower in The Thousandth Floor? Or what if America was a monarchy and the Washingtons were our royal family in American Royals? This time the question she asks is: what if Greek Gods walked among us, existing as a dysfunctional billionaire family at the helm of an LVMH-esque conglomerate? And what if you were unknowingly about to marry into this family?
It was so fun to see Katharine cross over into adult novels (the aforementioned series are both YA), and this setup made for one hell of a multi-POV family drama. In fact, it really reminded me of Crazy Rich Asians (in plot and character dynamics; not voice, which I know some people found off-putting, though I loved.) With all its rich people drama, this feel lab-engineered to be tucked in your beach bag this summer!
Habits of the Sea by Shea Earnshaw (out July 7)
This was easily my favorite book of the month, which is saying something because it was a solid reading month overall. Another Olivia Muenter rec, this speculative romance follows a woman who disappeared to a magical island as a child, only to be told she made it up on her return. As an adult, she finds her way back and discovers the man she met there as a child is still there. And, moreover, he hasn’t aged.
This book reminded me a lot of The Time Traveler’s Wife (a huge compliment in my book), with its doomed romance vibes. And while I spent most of it positive I knew how it would end, I was dead wrong. (What a great feeling!) I cannot recommend this highly enough for other fans of fantasy-tinged love stories.
What do we have to look forward to in June?
The Children by Melissa Albert | Literary Fantasy | June 2
A woman—both the daughter of a famous fantasy author and a character in her books—is haunted by her childhood.
They All Fall in Love At The End by Haili Blassingame | Literary Romance | June 2
A messy twenty-something opens her relationship only to fall for her boyfriend’s best friend and his girlfriend.
Lies Between Us by Jessica Goodman | YA Thriller | June 2
An accident at a beach party tears the children of two wealthy families apart.
Whistler by Ann Patchett | Literary Fiction | June 2
A middle aged woman gets to know her former step-father as an adult.
The Heirs by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé | YA Thriller | June 2
The gifted children of a billionaire become the prime suspects in his murder.
Pool House by Mary H.K. Choi | Contemporary Fiction | June 9
A daughter and her eccentric, unemployed-actress mother move into their own pool house to make ends meet.
The Lowe Job by Grace Alexander | Contemporary Fiction | June 9
A mother uses her daughter’s affair with a politician to launch their family’s reality TV career.
Leave and Come Back by Lavanya Lakshmi | Romance | June 16
A woman’s new relationship is tested when her boyfriend shows up to a lavish Indian wedding hosted by her estranged family.
The Missed Connection by Tia Williams | Romance | June 16
A woman uses a private investigator from her past to track down the mysterious plane seat mate she sparked with.
Play it Again by Georgia Clark | Romance | June 16
Four estranged friends reunite to put on a one-night-only revival to save their beloved hometown theater.
Games: A Love Story by Anna Maria Volkova | Romance | June 30
An economics PhD candidate clashes with an older hedge fund manager, both intellectually and sexually.
The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson | Contemporary Fiction | June 30
A new-in-town author disrupts a close knit friend group when she starts dating one friend’s baby-daddy.
Here’s the latest book adaptation news on my radar. Publicists, producers, bookish insiders: if you have tips for next month, my inbox is open.
I didn’t expect to love Prime Video’s adaptation of Off Campus as much as I did. (I’m on my second watch!) And I’m not alone, it was their 3rd biggest debut ever, beating out The Summer I Turned Pretty.
I’m rooting for this rumor about Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow casting to be true.
The Fourth Wing adaptation got a series order. (Now, is Josh Heuston from Off Campus already cast as Xaden? Or is the dragon emoji in his IG bio just because he really likes dragons?)
Hulu signed a first look deal with romance novella startup 831 Stories, and they’re developing a series based on 831’s inagural release, Big Fan.
You know a book’s going to be big when A-list casting is announced at the same time as the book deal. In this case: Julia Roberts is set to star as a disgraced Martha Stewart-esque TV homemaker in the adaptation of Katy Hays’ newly announced novel, Home Economics.
We’re starting to get secondary cast announcements for the adaptation of Emily Henry’s Beach Read, which would indicate filming is nigh! (Rumor is it’s already underway in Toronto.)
The Midnight Library adaptation starring Florence Pugh just became the biggest budget European film project in some time. Filming is set to begin this fall.
And that’s this month’s book report. Until next time.
Becca
Speaking of forthcoming releases: have you heard that I have a new novel coming in October called Back Where We Started?
It’s a second chance romance about childhood-best-friends-turned-first-loves bonded by their big, ambitious dreams: she wants to be a famous actress; he wants to be the president. Think of it as Notting Hill meets Every Summer After with a dash of Sweet Home Alabama. Annabel Monaghan recently called it “an absolutely perfect book,” a quote I still have to squint at, because looking at it dead on is too overwhelming.
I’d love it if you’d consider pre-ordering a copy. Alternately (or additionally! I heart overachievers!), you could add it to your shelves on Goodreads or request your local library stocks it when it releases.
I read yesterday that Anna Kendrick has signed on to direct the Evelyn Hugo adaptation, which I am very intrigued by!
Oh, I loved Sandwich and Wreck so much 😭