What We Are Reading in June

“Two Lives With You”

Lauren Ho
Fiction
(June 1, 2026, Mindy’s Book Studio)

Sixteen years after Dana and Nigel got married, the cracks are showing. Dana is a burned-out ER nurse, and Nigel is an unemployed stay-at-home dad whose professional identity is disappearing. Discontent with their lives, Dana and Nigel are each granted a wish from a stranger. For one week, they can experience a life in which they never married.

Waking up in an alternate reality where their youthful dreams have come true is, at first, a marvel. When they meet by chance in Bali, Dana recognizes Nigel instantly, but he feels only an inexplicable connection to this stranger. And they discover there’s a catch to their wishes. Returning to normal ― and to the love they vowed would be forever ― won’t be as easy as they thought. As the clock ticks down, Dana and Nigel face an impossible choice that will test the very foundation of their relationship and alter their lives forever.

Riko Nishioka is the 40-year-old assistant manager of the flagship Pegasus bookstore in Kichijoji, and a respected figure in the Japanese publishing industry. But she has a nemesis. Aki Kitamura, 27, has waltzed in as a full-time employee thanks to her family connections. A free spirit with a rebellious streak and a silver spoon in her mouth, she’s anything but a team player.

The two are always clashing — both at work and over their personal lives. But when Riko is given notice that the store will be closing in six months’ time, they face a stark choice. Can they put their petty enmities aside to boost sales and save their livelihoods, or will they go down fighting … each other?

When Georgie quits his job at Oats Technologies to travel the world for one year, he hopes to escape the daily existential discomfort of corporate life. But after a meditation guru robs him on his way to the airport, he awakens in a guest house in the rundown, yet vibrant, Panhandle neighborhood of his own city.

Alone with his phone and a desperate urge to assure his friends and family all is well, Georgie shares a photo of “authentic” boat noodles. To his surprise, everyone loves the post and believes he is overseas. Ant, a mixed-media artist from Berlin, proposes a collaboration. With her vision and the help of a charming cast of guests and locals, Georgie’s unlikely adventures unravel in ways he never imagined.

The kingdom of Ophir was one of the most powerful and beautiful places in the world. But after an invasion by the land of Lacon, it was lost to the waves. Now, the Ophir live as second-class citizens beneath Lacon’s golden palaces.

When two bands of Ophir thieves — one led by Eban Sadreal and the other by Gineth Strong — go after the same treasure, their worlds and hearts suddenly collide. The relic releases an ancient magic that could restore the legacy of Ophir — a magic that could change the course of Eban’s and Gin’s lives forever. With impossibly high stakes and charming will-they-won’t-they romance, this heist fantasy is perfect for fans of “Six of Crows” and “A Tempest of Tea.”

Simran Gopal is living out her dream Bollywood romance when she returns to the family home she’s been avoiding for the last seven years to take part in a two-week Indian wedding for her cousin. Family drama is already at a high when Leo Bridgers, Simran’s new boyfriend, accidentally crashes the engagement party. To avoid full crisis mode, the cousins need to rally. 

Following the lead of their favorite Bollywood movie, they need to trick Veena, Simran’s aunt and the family matriarch, into adoring Leo. Leo also must prove himself to be the most charming, helpful wedding guest imaginable, and he certainly can’t give away that he knows — let alone is in love with — Simran. For Simran, being back with her family surfaces memories of the difficult years after her parents died. As old grievances and new secrets arise, Simran must find a way to heal her wounds or risk losing her happy ending with Leo and her family.

Lizzie Wei is a huge book nerd and proud of it. When she discovers a mysterious reader who has been checking out all of her favorite books from the library, she can’t help but develop a crush. Dylan Lin loves reading, but ever since a bullying incident at his last school, he reads in secret and lies when Lizzie asks him if he likes to read. Lizzie is sure that Dylan is her crush, but can she forgive him for lying? And can Dylan be brave enough to be himself? 

This book is full of funny dialogue and messy, lovable characters you can’t help but root for. With nods to booksellers, indie bookstores, and libraries, it’s not only a love letter to love, but also to the bookish community.