Exceptional Fiction Out in June in the UK
June is jam packed with a whole lot of amazing UK fiction so here are my picks for this month. There’s something for everyone in this list so take your pick!
Florida by Lauren Groff (William Heinemann)
It goes without saying that this is one of the most anticipated books of 2018. With her latest collection of interlinked stories set in Sunshine State, the Fates and Furies writer proves once again why she is one of the most talented writers of our times. Seductive, ferocious and piercing, these stories are about the dark, more obscure parts of our inner lives. A haunting collection that will linger long in your memory after you have finished reading it.
House of Stone by Novuyo Tshuma (Atlantic Books)
This stunning novel weaves together the personal and national history in a compelling narrative about the bloody birth of modern Zimbabwe. The legacy of colonial Rhodesia and borrowed family history seamlessly intertwine in this politically conscious family saga.
Promising Young Women by Caroline O’Donoghue (Virago)
Clever and strikingly contemporary, this Irish debut will appeal to fans of Fleabag and Conversation with Friends. A darkly witty novel about a millennial woman making her way in the corporate world which brilliantly examines power games between genders in a slick, astutely written story.
The Biggerers by Amy Lilwall (Point Blank)
This inventive novel is set in a dystopian future in which full-sized humans keep mini-humans as pets. Idiosyncratic, bizarre and occasionally baffling, this bleakly comic novel will make for a perfect book club pick.
A Station on the Path to Somewhere better by Benjamin Wood (Scribner)
One August morning in 1995, young Daniel and his estranged father Francis set out on a road trip to the North in an attempt to salvage their relationship. However, as we soon find out in this chilling and haunting portrayal about violence and love, some emotional scars cannot be undone. This much anticipated new novel from the writer of The Ecliptic is a highly atmospheric Northern noir about the visceral bond between fathers and sons.
Social Creature by Tara Isabella Burton (Raven Books)
Billed as The Talented Mr Ripley meets The Secret History , this deliciously seductive novel is a wild, sinister ride through contemporary New York. A layered and incisive portrayal of our obsession with social media and toxic friendships.
The Mars Room by Rachel Kushner (Jonathan Cape)
From the twice National Book Award–nominated acclaimed writer of Flamethrowers comes a devastating portrayal about the life of women on the margins in contemporary America. A bold and tragic look at prison life, mass incarceration and America’s justice system, this novel should be on every TBR pile.
Things to Make and Break by May-Lan Tan (Sceptre)
An eccentric yet crisply written short story collection for fans of Carmen Maria Machado and Lydia Davis. Featuring doppelgangers, shadows and ghosts, these stories are enigmatic and brimming with imagination.
A Place For Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza (Hogarth)
The first novel from Sarah Jessica Parker’s new imprint SJP for Hogarth,this novel could not be more timely. Centered around an Indian Muslim family living in America and tender at heart, this family saga is a poignant examination of love, identity and belonging.
In the Distance by Hernan Diaz (Daunts Books)
Finalist for the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, this exquisitely written book is a profound portrayal of loneliness. Diaz reinvents classic western in this atmospheric and haunting ode to the American epic.
