The Best New Books to Read This Month

ABC Arts has a new list of books to read.

The topic is books.

The list was published on Sun 28 Jun 2026 at 4:44am.

If you are looking for a new book to read, June's best books feature two coming-of-age tales set in Italy.

Welcome to the ABC Arts list of the best new books published this month.

Two famous authors, Ann Patchett and Maggie O'Farrell, have new books out. Find out what reviewers thought of these novels.

A memoir by Ralph Jackman and a comic Italian novel by Andrew Sean Greer are also among the best new releases in June.

Happy reading!

One of the books is Land by Maggie O'Farrell.

It is published by Tinder Press.

Maggie O'Farrell's ancestor worked for the British Ordnance Survey, which mapped Ireland in the 19th century.

Maggie O'Farrell's novels include The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox and Hamnet. Her new book, Land, is about a man named Tomás who is mapping the land in Ireland.

Tomás is working with his 10-year-old son, Liam. They are working for the English, translating and re-naming abandoned buildings and ancient springs.

The latest and best fiction is reviewed by a team of dedicated readers.

Something happens to Tomás that shakes him to the core and changes his son's life. The story moves through time, from the past to the future, and explores the history of Ireland.

Maggie O'Farrell knows how to tell a family saga and an immersive tale. But under all of that, she is furious about imperial power.

The reviewer is Kate Evans.

Another book is Nymph by Sofia Montrone.

It is published by Text Publishing.

Sofia Montrone teaches creative writing at Columbia University in New York.

Nymph is a coming-of-age novel set in Italy over two summers eight years apart.

The story is about a young girl named Leo who works in her family's hotel and is fascinated by the life cycle of insects.

Eight summers later, Leo has drifted away from her brother and is unhappy. But when an American girl named Dolores visits, Leo finds someone to talk to.

Together, Leo and Dolores play cards, swim, and eat prosciutto. Their romance is melancholic and the story is told in vivid detail.

Leo reflects on the life cycle of insects and how it relates to her own life.

The reviewer is Daniel Herborn.

Another book is Detention by Ralph Jackman.

It is published by Allen & Unwin.

Ralph Jackman wrote his memoir to give a fuller picture of the boys he worked with.

Ralph Jackman used to be a sports broadcaster and actor, but he became a teacher in his 50s.

He worked at a school for troubled teens in Melbourne and saw the difficulties they faced.

The book is about Jackman's experiences as a teacher and his fight against the system that fails Australia's most desperate kids.

The reviewer is Juliet Rieden.

Another book is Villa Coco by Andrew Sean Greer.

It is published by Sceptre.

Andrew Sean Greer says comedy is about being honest, not witty.

Villa Coco is a comic novel about a young man who goes to Italy to work for a baronessa.

The story is about the young man's journey to learn how to live and how to dress for dinner.

The reviewer is Nicola Heath.

Another book is Jean by Madeleine Dunnigan.

It is published by Daunt Books.

Madeleine Dunnigan wrote about the pressure-cooker atmosphere of boarding schools.

Jean is a novel about a young Jewish boy who struggles at a rural boys' boarding school in the UK.

Jean has a troubled relationship with his mother and father, but he tries to make friends.

The reviewer is Declan Fry.

Another book is Said the Dead by Doireann Ní Ghríofa.

It is published by Faber.

Doireann Ní Ghríofa is a bilingual Irish poet and writer.

Said the Dead is a novel about a woman who can stop you in your tracks with her words.

The story begins with a knock on the door and explores the lives of women who slip in and out of abandoned spaces.

The reviewer is Kate Evans.

Another book is I Love You Don't Die by Jade Song.

It is published by Bonnier.

Jade Song published her debut novel, Chlorine, in 2025.

I Love You Don't Die is a novel about a woman who is obsessed with death and repeats the phrase to her loved ones.

The story is about the woman's journey to learn how to live and love.

The reviewer is Rosie Ofori Ward.

Another book is Whistler by Ann Patchett.

It is published by Bloomsbury Publishing.

Ann Patchett believes in the inherent goodness of people.

Whistler is a novel about good, kind people being mostly good and kind to each other.

The story is about a woman who reunites with her stepfather after 40 years and learns about his difficult inner life.

The reviewer is Claire Nichols.

Another book is Worry Doll by Laura McPhee-Browne.

It is published by Scribe Publications.

Laura McPhee-Browne is also the author of Cherry Beach and Little Plum.

Worry Doll is a novel about two women who unmoor each other.

The story is about the women's journey to learn how to express themselves and unlock each other.

The reviewer is Declan Fry.

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