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Big Books of the Week

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab (Tor; LJ starred review) leads holds this week.

Other titles in demand include:

With a Vengeance by Riley Sager (Dutton)

King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby (Flatiron; LJ starred review)

The River Is Waiting by Wally Lamb (S. & S.: Marysue Rucci)

So Far Gone by Jess Walter (Harper; LJ starred review)

These books and others publishing the week of June 9, 2025, are listed in a downloadable spreadsheet.

Nebula & Plutarch Awards

The Nebula Award winners are announced. 

Candy Darling: Dreamer, Icon, Superstar by Cynthia Carr (Farrar) and The Scapegoat: The Brilliant Brief Life of the Duke of Buckingham by Lucy Hughes-Hallett (Harper) share the Biographers International Organization’s Plutarch Award for the best biography of 2024.

Librarians and Booksellers Suggest

Seven LibraryReads picks and five Indie Next picks publish this week: 

Hall of Fame pick Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab (Tor; LJ starred review) is also the #1 Indie Next pick:

“Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil is V.E. Schwab’s literary follow up to the phenomenon that is The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. This book is truly dripping in bloody soil and grows a dark flower with teeth.”—Kendra Burns, The Book Vine, Cherokee, IA

Hall of Fame pick The River Is Waiting by Wally Lamb (S. & S.: Marysue Rucci) *Good for Book Clubs, is also an Indie Next pick:

“A family’s life is shattered by addiction and trauma. Corby’s journey through the damage he has caused, incarceration, and his attempt to find mercy is a stark and sobering look at America and its response to crime and punishment.”—Bill Cusumano, Square Books, Oxford, MS

Other Hall of Fame picks include Kill Your Darlings by Peter Swanson (Morrow) and With a Vengeance by Riley Sager (Dutton). 

The Witch Roads by Kate Elliott (Tor; LJ starred review)

“Deputy courier Elen's journey across the Tranquil Empire in service to a haughty and haunted prince is a tale thick with political intrigue, family secrets, class hierarchy, dangerous escapes, and a deeply strange and touching friendship. Elliott triumphantly captures the spirit of epic fantasy with a moving story, compelling characters, and a world full of ancient magic begging to be explored.”—James Ludy, New Canaan Library, CT

So Far Gone by Jess Walter (Harper; LJ starred review)

“A zany thriller about a former journalist turned hermit whose two grandchildren suddenly arrive at his door after their mother goes missing. He must then contend with the religious militia his son-in-law is involved in while tracking down his daughter with the help of a retired cop and some friends. A heartfelt story about feeling lost and burnt out—and finding a way forward and re-connecting. For readers looking for Dave Barry vibes.”—Julie Graham, Yakima Valley Libraries, WA

It is also an Indie Next pick:

“Retired journalist Rhys Kinnick thinks he can live out his days reading—until he must save his kidnapped grandchildren. Walter delves into our era’s most pressing issues with grace, humor, and humanity.”—Yvette Olson, Magnolia's Bookstore, Seattle, WA

King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby (Flatiron; LJ starred review)

“The Carruthers are a family living with multiple secrets and the trauma of losing their mother while the siblings were still young. When Roman, the oldest brother, returns home after their father is in a terrible accident, he gets drawn into gang warfare trying to protect his family. This page-turner is full of secrets.”—Linda Quinn, Eastham Public Library, MA

It is also an Indie Next pick:

“Darkness reigns in this novel of a man returning home to fight for his family in a conflict he never anticipated. A Faustian deal with his hometown devil descends into depravity. S.A. Cosby proves he never disappoints.”—Nath Mayes, Carmichael's Bookstore, Louisville, KY

Great Black Hope by Rob Franklin (S. & S.: Summit; LJ starred review)

“Great Black Hope is an immersive experience of the dilemmas faced by characters confronting a broken justice system and a society that still erects barriers to Black achievement. It is marvelous.”—Shane Grebel, Watermark Books & Cafe, Wichita, KS

In the Media

People’s book of the week is Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab. Also getting attention are Actress of a Certain Age: My Twenty-Year Trail to Overnight Success by Jeff Hiller (S. & S.; LJ starred review) and Great Black Hope by Rob Franklin (S. & S.: Summit; LJ starred review). There is a special focus on “Hot Summer Nonfiction,” including Murderland by Caroline Fraser (Penguin Pr.), I Want To Burn This Place Down: Essays by Maris Kreizman (Ecco), and Hollywood High: A Totally Epic, Way Opinionated History of Teen Movies by Bruce Handy (Avid Reader: S. & S.; LJ starred review). 

There is a feature on the late Kate Spade and the new memoir We Might Just Make It After All: My Best Friendship with Kate Spade by Elyce Arons (Gallery). There is also a feature on An Exercise in Uncertainty: A Memoir of Illness and Hope by Jonathan Gluck (Harmony) and a short piece on Elias Weiss Friedman, a.k.a. the Dogist, and his new book, This Dog Will Change Your Life (Ballantine; LJ starred review). Stephen King’s story “Chuck,” adapted into The Life of Chuck, also gets coverage. Plus, People online shares the best books of June, “8 Sizzling Summer Romance Novels,” and the most-anticipated books of the summer. 

Reviews

NYT reviews Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers by Caroline Fraser (Penguin Pr.): “Fraser’s book works best as a literary theme—crimes of industry choking the life out of the natural world, spawning crimes of the heart”; So Far Gone by Jess Walter (Harper; LJ starred review): “Walter’s plot leans hard on unlikely coincidences, yet his themes matter more, hooking us”; Charlottesville: An American Story by Deborah Baker (Graywolf; LJ starred review): “Revisiting Charlottesville’s colonial beginnings and reliance on captive labor, Baker argues that the horror of that weekend was neither as improbable nor as unpredictable as it seemed”; John Hancock: First To Sign, First To Invest in America’s Independence by Willard Sterne Randall (Dutton): “It is unlikely Hancock will be restored to the top tier of the founders, but remembering him better could reap dividends”; and Homework: A Memoir by Geoff Dyer (Farrar): “Although hearing about someone else’s personal memorabilia is as dull as it ever was—at its low points, reading this book can feel like being trapped in a conversation with an uncle who is enjoying his reminiscences rather more than you are—Dyer is wonderful on the strangeness of remembering itself.”

Washington Post reviews King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby (Flatiron; LJ starred review): “Ashes is an antihero tale, so don’t mistake this for a yarn about a good guy who’s come home to set things right”; and Theater Kid: A Broadway Memoir by Jeffrey Seller (S. & S.; LJ starred review): “After decades overseeing such endeavors from the wings, Seller earns his moment to step into the spotlight and take a bow.”

Briefly Noted

The July Indie Next preview is out, featuring #1 pick The Irresistible Urge To Fall for Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley (Ace: Berkley). 

Earlyword shares the June GalleyChat spreadsheet.

CrimeReads highlights 10 new books for the week. 

USA Today suggests 10 new books for Pride month. 

Time names “The 14 Best Books of 2025 So Far.”

Elin Hildebrand recommends her favorite summer books at People. 

NYT has a profile and interview with controversial author James Frey whose new novel Next To Heaven (Authors Equity) publishes next week. 

NYT profiles romance novelist Abby Jimenez, author of Say You’ll Remember Me (Forever; LJ starred review), who also owns three bakeries. 

Issa Rae will publish a new essay collection, I Should Be Smarter Now (Amazon), in August. People has an exclusive. 

Authors on Air

Former Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden speaks out on her firing on CBS Sunday Morning. Publishers Weekly has coverage. 

S.A. Cosby discusses his latest book, King of Ashes (Flatiron; LJ starred review), with The NYT Book Review Podcast. 

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