June TBR

Hello dear readers, do I have a TBR for you? I was able to read all except 1 the books from my last TBR and exchanged it with a new read, but I still kept it to 7 books. This month I’m upping that number to 10. A combination of library holds finally arriving and a stack of ARC deadlines due this month has created a packed reading list. I’ve already started two of the short story collections, and I think there are going to be some truly great reads here.

Library Books:

Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker is a dual-timeline novel that takes place in both the present and 1877 Japan. In the modern timeline, a young American college student who killed his roommate flees to Japan to hide in an old house. In the past timeline, a young samurai warrior hides in the same house after a monster returns home from war wearing her father’s face. The two timelines begin to overlap as they see each other as ghosts. The blurb states that one timeline is real and one is a lie. This sounds incredibly interesting, and so many of my blogger friends have raved about it. I still haven’t read Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zhang by Baker, but that one is also highly recommended. Japanese Gothicwas first published on April 14, 2026, by Hanover Square Press.

Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke is about a trad-wife influencer with six children whose perfect online lifestyle is completely fabricated. Behind the scenes she has chefs, nannies, and assistants doing all the work. One day she wakes up in the 1800s and is forced to become a real trad wife to children and a husband who resemble her modern-day family. Yesteryear has been getting a ton of buzz and was on my most anticipated books of the year list. I’ve heard people either love it or hate it, but everyone in my friend group has given it either 4 or 5 stars. Anne Hathaway has already secured the film rights, and the adaptation is currently in development. Yesteryear was first published on April 7, 2026, by Knopf.

ARC’s

Marion by Leah Rowan is a retelling of Psycho from the perspective of Marion Crane, Norman Bates’ first victim. Except in this version, Marion is not the victim. She turns the knife on Norman Bates and begins a killing spree of her own. If you remember the original story, she also stole a lot of money before arriving at the motel. Everyone I know who has reviewed this has said it is fierce, violent, and a lot of fun, with a female victim reclaiming power. I received the ARC from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley.
Marion — June 2, 2026, by St. Martin’s Press.

The Children by Melissa Albert has a fascinating premise. The children of a famous fantasy author grew up practically feral in the woods despite their mother’s bestselling success. Now, Guinevere is grown and writing a memoir about her strange upbringing, but as she returns home she begins to question whether her mother’s stories were really fiction at all. This is listed as fantasy/horror, which has me incredibly excited to see what is truly happening beneath the surface. Goodreads placed it on their Most Anticipated Books of the Summer list. I received a copy from William Morrow through NetGalley.
The Children — June 2, 2026, by William Morrow.

Headlights by C.J. Leede is a horror novel about an FBI agent on his final day before retirement. Before he can turn in his badge, he receives a message: It’s happening again. He is forced to return to Denver, the city he fled four years earlier. Victims are waking up on the side of the road wearing the skin of strangers, with human hair wrapped around their tongues. That premise alone sold me instantly. I received an advanced copy directly from C.J. Leede when I met her at AuthorCon.
Headlights — June 9, 2026, by Tor Nightfire.

The Other by Annie Neugebauer is a horror novella about a couple hiking in the woods when they encounter their exact doubles. Soon they are forced to prove how well they truly know each other in order to determine who is real. This is the second book in The Outsiders Sequence, which began with The Extra. The books are not directly connected but exist within the same world. I received a copy from Shortwave Publishing through NetGalley.
The Other — June 9, 2026, by Shortwave Publishing.

Twisted Tales to Tell in the Night: Another Halloween Horror Anthology, edited by Stephanie Rose, is the sequel to a horror anthology I loved last year. The collection features Goosebumps-inspired horror stories with a darker edge. This volume has a stronger female focus and includes writers I’m very excited about, including Haley Newlin, Gwendolyn Kiste, and V. Castro. I received a copy from Death by TBR Books through BookSirens.
Twisted Tales to Tell in the Night: Another Halloween Horror Anthology — June 23, 2026, by Death by TBR Books.

Thrilling Tales of Modern Men: Stories by Danny McBride is a short story collection from the actor and writer behind Eastbound & Down, Vice Principals, The Righteous Gemstones, and Pineapple Express. The stories reportedly carry McBride’s signature dark humor. One follows a man taking revenge on the coyote that killed his dog, while another centers on an amateur magician whose deadly mall stunt spirals out of control. I received this ARC from Random House through NetGalley.
Thrilling Tales of Modern Men — June 23, 2026, by Random House.

Monster of the Month

Wolf Land by Jonathan Janz is this month’s werewolf pick. The story takes place during a ten-year high school reunion held at an amusement park. When people start getting bitten, old grudges and resentments suddenly become deadly. This premise just sounds like pure chaotic fun. Wolf Land was first published on November 3, 2015, by Samhain Publishing.

Wife’s Pick

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig is set in a library that exists between life and death. Nora, overwhelmed by regret over the life she lived, is given the chance to experience alternate versions of her life through the books in the Midnight Library. Florence Pugh was recently announced to star as Nora in the film adaptation. The novel won the Goodreads Choice Award for Fiction in 2020. The Midnight Library is the first book in The Midnight World series, with The Midnight Train having just released. The Midnight Library was first published on August 13, 2020, by Viking.