Can’t Wait Wednesday: June 2021 Book Releases

 

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Can’t Wait Wednesday is hosted by Wishful Endings. I’m showing off the upcoming book releases that caught my eye. I can’t wait to read these books!

 

June 2021 Book Releases

 

 

 

 

THE CHOSEN AND THE BEAUTIFUL BY NGHI VO

 

Adult Historical Fantasy

June 1, 2021

Jordan Baker grows up in the most rarefied circles of 1920s American society―she has money, education, a killer golf handicap, and invitations to some of the most exclusive parties of the Jazz Age. She’s also queer, Asian, adopted, and treated as an exotic attraction by her peers, while the most important doors remain closed to her.

But the world is full of wonders: infernal pacts and dazzling illusions, lost ghosts and elemental mysteries. In all paper is fire, and Jordan can burn the cut paper heart out of a man. She just has to learn how.

 

Why I’m excited to read it: Okay, the synopsis is weird and vague. I’m not actually sure what this book is about, but it’s fantasy set in the 1920s, so I’m intrigued. I love historical books. The main character is a magician? I think? And the plot is a reimagining of The Great Gatsby. I don’t need to know what it’s about. I’m ready for The Great Magical Gatsby. Bring it on.

 

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MALIBU RISING BY TAYLOR JENKINS REID

 

Adult Historical Fiction

June 1, 2021

Malibu: August 1983. It's the day of Nina Riva's annual end-of-summer party, and anticipation is at a fever pitch. Everyone wants to be around the famous Rivas: Nina, the talented surfer and supermodel; brothers Jay and Hud, one a championship surfer, the other a renowned photographer; and their adored baby sister, Kit. Together the siblings are a source of fascination in Malibu and the world over—especially as the offspring of the legendary singer Mick Riva.

The only person not looking forward to the party of the year is Nina herself, who never wanted to be the center of attention, and who has also just been very publicly abandoned by her pro tennis player husband. Oh, and maybe Hud—because it is long past time for him to confess something to the brother from whom he's been inseparable since birth.

Jay, on the other hand, is counting the minutes until nightfall, when the girl he can't stop thinking about promised she'll be there.

And Kit has a couple secrets of her own—including a guest she invited without consulting anyone.

By midnight the party will be completely out of control. By morning, the Riva mansion will have gone up in flames. But before that first spark in the early hours before dawn, the alcohol will flow, the music will play, and the loves and secrets that shaped this family's generations will all come bubbling to the surface.

 

Why I’m excited to read it: I read the author’s novel, The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo, last year and adored it. Evelyn Hugo is one of the best fictional characters ever. She’s a complete badass. Now I want to read everything Taylor Jenkins Reid writes.

 

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A SISTERHOOD OF SECRET AMBITIONS BY SHEENA BOEKWEG

 

Young Adult Alternate History

June 1, 2021

 

Behind every powerful man is a trained woman, and behind every trained woman is the Society. It started with tea parties and matchmaking, but is now a countrywide secret. Gossips pass messages in recipes, Spinsters train to fight, and women work together to grant safety to abused women and children. The Society is more than oaths—it is sisterhood and purpose.

In 1926, seventeen-year-old Elsie is dropped off in a new city with four other teenage girls. All of them have trained together since childhood to become the Wife of a powerful man. But when they learn that their next target is earmarked to become President, their mission becomes more than just an assignment; this is a chance at the most powerful position in the Society. All they have to do is make one man fall in love with them first.

 

Why I’m excited to read it: I’m getting Margaret Atwood vibes from this book, probably because it’s about women pulling society’s strings from behind the scenes. I love alternate history novels and wish more authors wrote them. I need this one immediately. (If you’re looking for some excellent alternate history in the meantime, check out Alma Katsu’s The Hunger.)

 

Buy it on Amazon

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THE GHOSTS WE KEEP BY MASON DEAVER

 

Young Adult Contemporary

June 1, 2021

 

When Liam Cooper's older brother Ethan is killed in a hit-and-run, Liam has to not only learn to face the world without one of the people he loved the most, but also face the fading relationship with his two best friends.

Feeling more alone and isolated than ever, Liam finds themself sharing time with Marcus, Ethan's best friend, and through Marcus, Liam finds the one person that seems to know exactly what they're going through, for the better, and the worse.

 

Why I’m excited to read it: Goodreads says it’s “perfect for fans of Adam Silvera and Becky Albertalli.” That’s me! I’m a fan of both those authors. Mostly I’m interested in this book because Mason Deaver’s debut novel took over my social media feed for a while. The bookworms I follow were raving about it. I need to know why this author has captured the book world’s attention.

 

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ACE OF SPADES BY FARIDAH ÀBÍKÉ-ÍYÍMÍDÉ

 

Young Adult Mystery / Thriller

June 1, 2021

Welcome to Niveus Private Academy, where money paves the hallways, and the students are never less than perfect. Until now. Because anonymous texter, Aces, is bringing two students' dark secrets to light. Talented musician Devon buries himself in rehearsals, but he can't escape the spotlight when his private photos go public. Head girl Chiamaka isn't afraid to get what she wants, but soon everyone will know the price she has paid for power. Someone is out to get them both. Someone who holds all the aces. And they're planning much more than a high-school game.

 

Why I’m excited to read it: Drama! This book is supposed to be dark and full of sex, lies, and secrets. According to early reviewers, it’s a thriller with depth. I’m always searching for thrillers that ask thought-provoking questions and aren’t just running-from-murderers all the time. Goodreads says this novel is “an incendiary and utterly compelling thriller with a shocking twist.”

 

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DARLING BY K. ANCRUM

 

Young Adult Fantasy

June 22, 2021

On Wendy Darling’s first night in Chicago, a boy called Peter appears at her window. He’s dizzying, captivating, beautiful—so she agrees to join him for a night on the town.

Wendy thinks they’re heading to a party, but instead they’re soon running in the city’s underground. She makes friends—a punk girl named Tinkerbelle and the lost boys Peter watches over. And she makes enemies—the terrifying Detective Hook, and maybe Peter himself, as his sinister secrets start coming to light. Can Wendy find the courage to survive this night—and make sure everyone else does, too?

 

Why I’m excited to read it: Normally, I’d see the word “retelling” and keep scrolling. Retellings don’t interest me. But, this one is written by K. Ancrum. Her bizarre contemporary novel, The Wicker King, was one of my 2020 favorites. She’s amazing at blurring the lines between fantasy and reality and writing characters who are . . . misguided. They’re not evil, but they’re far from good. I’m hoping this book is just as addictive as The Wicker King.

 

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Are you excited for any June book releases?