This Week: June 28th

News and Updates

If I’m being honest, I found myself staring at this section for a while this week, unsure what kind of “update” to share. Life lately has been full of ordinary moments — family time, a shifting routine, and the familiar balancing act between home, work, and reading. Nothing especially dramatic, and maybe that’s exactly the point: sometimes it’s the quieter weeks that remind us to slow down and pay attention.

There’s been something deeply comforting about leaning into that lately — choosing a little more presence, a little less pressure, and remembering that even in busy or seemingly uneventful days, there’s still so much to be grateful for.

This Week

As we turn the page to a new month this week, we’re settling into a new corner of the library: realistic fiction. I chose this theme because it stretches across so many genres — and, honestly, what better way to celebrate my birthday month than by bringing you to some of my favorite shelves?

There’s something especially perfect about realistic fiction for summer reading. It offers the escape we’re craving without the need for elaborate world-building or high-stakes intensity. Instead, it lives in that sweet spot: immersive, fast-moving stories with real emotional payoff — messy friendships, second chances, family tension, vacation backdrops, and characters you can easily imagine spending an entire weekend with. Think warm, relationship-driven storytelling grounded in summery settings.

Monthly Reading Challenge: Realistic Fiction

Weekly Reading Challenge: Beach Read

Beach reads are a bit hit-or-miss for me. The ones my friends rave about don’t always land, but when they do, they really do. Authors like Emily Henry and Mary Kay Andrews are longtime favorites, but this time I picked up a book by someone new to me — Annabel Monaghan — and I’m so glad I did.

So what makes Same Time Next Summer such a standout beach read? It pairs an irresistible coastal setting with first-love nostalgia, emotional what-ifs, and just enough depth to make the romance linger long after the final page. With its oceanfront backdrop, layered tension, and a love story that feels both escapist and reflective, it was exactly the palate cleanser I needed after a month full of action and adventure.

If you’re looking for other great books for this prompt, try one of these reads recommended by our StoryGraph community:

Beach House Rules, Kristy Woodson Harvey
Book Lovers, Emily Henry
Say You’ll Remember Me, Abby Jimenez
Summers at the Saint, Mary Kay Andrews

New This week

One of our Most Anticipated Releases of 2026 hits stores this week – are you picking this one up?

Sam Davey’s The Sisters and the Sword reimagines a familiar Arthurian legend, but with a fresh perspective that feels especially timely.

This is the kind of story readers love to get swept up in — rich with heart, resilience, and the pull of an unforgettable journey. Told through the eyes of Arthur’s two half-sisters, it dives into family dynamics, betrayal, and the complicated allure of power, especially when magic is used for personal gain.

For anyone drawn to emotionally driven stories with high stakes and lasting impact, this is one to have on your radar as soon as it hits shelves.

In Case You Missed It

Last Week’s Prompt

Diego appears to be the classic wealthy young man: uninterested in anything that requires effort, courage, or thought. Or so it seems. No one suspects that he is living a double life as the region’s most notorious masked avenger, Zorro. At first, fighting corrupt officials and defending the freedom of the people around him feels unquestionably righteous—but will his bravery cost him everything when he crosses the wrong military man?

I give The Mark of Zorro 4.1 out of 5 stars. I enjoyed how closely Johnston McCulley’s original adventure echoes the spirit of the 1998 film The Mask of Zorro, starring Antonio Banderas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Anthony Hopkins. The plot is charming and theatrical, using wit, secrecy, and swordplay to outmaneuver corrupt power—one of the hallmarks of truly satisfying swashbuckling fiction. The story delivers the larger-than-life energy the genre thrives on: danger, flair, rebellion, romance, and a hero who makes justice feel thrilling rather than grim. I did find the book difficult to follow at times, but it remains a fast-moving, dramatic read that helped define the swashbuckling hero and still feels fun and influential today.

I chose this book for the Read With Lindsey reading challenge prompt “Swashbuckler.” The Mark of Zorro is a perfect fit for the theme, with all the elements readers love: a masked hero, daring sword fights, secret identities, high drama, romance, and a bold stand against injustice. I listened to the audiobook version for this read and enjoyed the narration as well.

Last Week’s Articles

June turned into such a strong reading month for me — full of fast-paced action, memorable characters, and several upcoming releases I’m already excited to keep talking about. Every book in this month’s roundup earned 4 stars or higher, which made narrowing down favorites especially hard.

Two books rose all the way to the top: Hidden in Plain View, a fascinating nonfiction deep dive into quilt symbolism and history, and Backtrack by Marc Cameron a gripping Arliss Cutter thriller that really delivered on tension, heart, and character depth. Altogether, 9 books made the list, including 5 pre-release titles.

If you love thrillers, action fiction, and standout backlist-meets-new-release reading months, go check out the full recap, reviews, and preorder links here — and tell me which June read would have made your top list.

Last Week’s Preview

Kelsey Cox’s Pretty Dead Things is a suspenseful, emotionally grounded pageant thriller set in small-town Texas, where history, weather, and long-buried secrets collide. Following multiple generations of women connected by pageant life, family expectations, and old betrayals, the novel explores how public polish can hide private pain. The story starts slowly, but Cox’s layered characters and compassionate handling of difficult subjects make the payoff worthwhile.

I give this one 4 out of 5 stars. The pageant backdrop gives the mystery a sharp social edge, while the winter-storm setting adds pressure and atmosphere to every revelation. Cox writes about bullying, substance abuse, mental illness, complicated friendships, and family wounds with care, giving the suspense real emotional weight. Fans of atmospheric mysteries where setting becomes part of the story—and readers who like small-town secrets with a strong cast of women—will want this one on their list.

You can read the full review here.

Reading Challenge Prompts

With my birthday coming up at the end of July, I chose this month to explore a few of my favorite subgenres around the library. From beach reads to get you ready for vacation, to southern gothic stories that will pull at your heart, I am excited to get started on our books this month!

I am also including what my kids would call a “free space” prompt – something easy to check off your list without it feeling like a real challenge. For us, that is going to be our “favorite author” prompt. One note – it definitely like work trying to narrow down my choice for this prompt – I have too many favorite authors to choose from!

I invite you over to our StoryGraph reading challenges where you can follow along, check off the prompts, and see what the rest of our community is choosing for these challenges. Don’t forget you can also follow along on our social media pages like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Pinterest to continue the conversation!

What reading adventures are you most excited for this month?

This Week: June 28th

News and Updates

This Week