Browns Best New Books for June 2024
31st May 2024
Every month we carefully select our favourites from the fabulous new titles on offer. Sunny days (we hope!), long evenings, thoughts of holidays and sport – June has a lot to offer. For some, June will be a month of exams with teachers and students focused on getting the very best results – good luck if that is the case for you! – and for many, June is the month that a summer of sport begins with the first match of UEFA Euro 2024 kicking off on June 14th. June this year will also be full of campaigning and debating as the UK heads into a general election on July 4th. Whether you need a book to look forward to reading at the end of exams, something to read whilst others watch the football or something to help your understanding of our political climate, check out our picks of new books published in June.
Check back next month for our picks of the new books July has to offer.
Adult Non-Fiction
Politics On the Edge
Stewart, Rory
Paperback / softback
It has now been confirmed that on July 4th, Britain will head to the polls for a General Election, the outcome of which will determine whether or not the opinion polls are right and the party of government will change. As the debates, pledges and manifestos take centre stage many will be wondering how the UK came to be where we are now and what the future may hold.
In 2010 Rory Stewart, co-host of the popular podcast The Rest Is Politics, was elected as a Conservative MP; he served under both David Cameron and Teresa May before standing for leader of the Conservative party in the 2019 leadership contest. In October 2019 Stewart announced he had resigned from the Conservative party. Politics on the Edge is Stewart’s personal account of the realities, challenges and absurdities of political life over the past decade. Whether you have only a passing interest in the forthcoming election or are a seasoned Westminster- watcher, this is a fascinating, humorous and illuminating look at recent British politics that won the Non-Fiction: Narrative category at the British Book Awards. A clear, honest and enjoyable read - one for all readers interested in British politics as we approach what could be a seismic general election.
More DetailsAdult Fiction
The Fraud
Smith, Zadie
Paperback / softback
1873 and Victorian England is gripped by the trial of the Tichborne Claimant in which a cockney butcher, recently returned from Australia, is claiming to be the missing heir to the Tichborne baronetcy; Andrew Bogle – his former slave – is the star witness. Bogle grew up on a sugar plantation in Jamaca and knows that people can be easily manipulated and that his future depends on the story he tells. Closely watching the case is Mrs Eliza Touchet, Scottish housekeeper and cousin by marriage to the failing, once famous novelist William Harrison Ainsworth.
Zadie Smith is an acclaimed and award-winning novelist and The Fraud is her first historical novel. Weaving together various voices and timelines and with Smith’s trademark elegant prose and engaging characters this book has as its background a mind-boggling story that is even more amazing for being true. In The Fraud Smith cleverly paints a picture of Victorian society whilst also presenting a modern take on race, class and freedom. A fascinating, compelling and moving read.
More DetailsChildren’s Non-Fiction
Moving On Up
Jones, Rosie
Paperback / softback
Growing up and the expectations and changes that come with it can be tricky to manage at any age but as children move through Primary and into Secondary school they are likely to encounter some issues and dynamics for the first time. Comedian, author and broadcaster Rosie Jones knows just how hard growing up can be and also knows that all those awkward, difficult and embarrassing moments can be overcome with good friends and a sense of humour. Rosie Jones’s Edie Eckhart books, whose central character has cerebral palsy like Jones herself, are warm, engaging and funny and have won her many fans. In Moving On Up Rosie’s fun and approachable writing style is used to help children think about and work out some of the issues we all face as we grow up; the advice is accessible and companiable and feels like talking (and laughing!) things through with a close friend.
This hilarious and confidence-building book is perfect for older primary children learning how to navigate friendships and peer relationships as well as those who may be transitioning to Secondary school later this year.
More DetailsChildren’s Fiction
The Nine Night Mystery
Jackson, Sharna
Paperback / softback
When Wesley and his friends Josephine and Margot throw a surprise birthday party for their neighbour Rachel, Wesley doesn’t expect to discover her dead the next morning! Rachel’s friends throw a traditional Caribbean Nine Night celebration to help guide her soul to the next world but Wesley, Josephine and Margot are determined to find out what happened to Rachel and uncover the secrets she has been keeping…
Sharna Jackson’s The Good Turn was a page-turning, warm, funny and heart-warming read and The Nine Night Mystery will delight fans of this fantastic author and new readers alike. Jackson has a real talent for creating stories for and about young people and her characters are well-drawn with snappy dialogue and a strong sense of justice. With a gripping, twisty plot this is the perfect read for Upper KS2 and KS3 readers.
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