The June Birthday Blog

Schedule e-Gift Cards and peruse the month's best gift books

Got any June-born friends and family to celebrate this month? Treat your loved ones to a bookish birthday! Choose something special for your June besties, from our roundup of some of the hottest titles of the moment, like Atmosphere: A Love Story, the epic new '80s-era novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid.

New June-specific e-Gift Card design!

If you'd prefer to go with ThriftBooks e-Gift Cards for your loved ones, choose from an assortment of fun designs, including our new month-specific birthday e-gift cards to be delivered on the day of your choosing. Purchase now and schedule for delivery on your recipient's special day. The process is quick and easy. This is a great way to get all your monthly birthday shopping done in one fell swoop!   

This month's best gifting books

Here are some of the reads that are currently getting rave reviews from a range of readers.

Fiction finds

• A Curse Carved in Bone by Danielle L. Jensen—In the sequel to A Fate Inked in Blood, war seems imminent as Freya fights a battle within herself.
• The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong—A troubled young man and an elderly widow find an unlikely connection in this bighearted novel about chosen family.
• Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry—Two very different writers compete for the chance to tell the larger-than-life story of a famously private octogenarian.
• Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry—A slow-burn, high-stakes romantasy perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca Yarros.
• The Devils by Joe Abercrombie—This epic dark fantasy adventure features a notorious band of anti-heroes on a bloody and raucous journey.

Non-fiction gems

• Mark Twain by Ron Chernow—The Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer illuminates the full, fascinating, and complex life of the father of American literature.
• Big Dumb Eyes by Nate Bargatze—The Grammy-nominated entertainer brings his everyman comedy to the page in this hilarious collection of stories and snippets from his life.
• Matriarch by Tina Knowles—The entrepreneurial mom of Beyoncé Knowles-Carter and Solange Knowles, shares her inspiring story.
• My Next Breath by Jeremy Renner—The gripping and inspiring story of the acclaimed actor's near-fatal accident, and what he learned about inner strength, endurance, and hope as he tackled recovery.
• The Fate of the Day by Rick Atkinson—The bestselling author of The British Are Coming serves up part two in his compulsively readable American Revolution trilogy.

Winsome picture books

• Papa Doesn't Do Anything! by Jimmy Fallon—The hilarious late-night TV host (and bestselling children's author!) is back in time for Father's Day with this ode to grandpas. (Ages 1–3)
• I Love Dad with the Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle—Celebrate Dad with help from your favorite voracious lovebug. (Ages 3–5)
• Because I Had a Teacher by Kobi Yamada—We all remember our favorite teachers. Where would we be without them? (Ages 4–7)
• Why a Daughter Needs a Dad by Gregory E. Lang—A heartfelt celebration of girl dads. You can also get Why a Son Needs a Dad. (Ages 4–8)
• I Wish You More by Amy Krouse Rosenthal—This exuberant, inspirational book is filled with endless good wishes for kids of all ages. (Ages 5–8)

Middle-grade goodies

• J vs. K by Kwame Alexander and Jerry Craft—Two talented fifth-grade storytellers go head to head in a competition for the ages. (Ages 8–12)
• The Gate, the Girl, and the Dragon by Grace Lin—This beautifully illustrated adventure fantasy draws from Chinese folklore. (Ages 8–12)
• An Immense World (Young Readers Edition) by Ed Yong—Gorgeous full-color illustrations help tailor this bestseller about how animals experience the world to younger audiences. (Ages 9–12)
• Return to Sender by Vera Brosgol—Magic, mystery, and a marvelous mailbox take two kids on an incredible adventure. (Ages 8–12)
• Malcolm Lives! by Ibram X. Kendi—A biography of the human rights activist, Malcolm X, one hundred years after his birth. (Ages 10–14)

YA winners

• Five Nights at Freddy's Stickerpedia by Scott Cawthon—With blueprints, trivia, and Easter eggs throughout, this collectible volume is sure to attract Freddy fans of all ages. (Ages 12 and up)
• One of the Boys by Victoria Zeller—A transgender teenager navigates big changes, including her relationship with the sport she loves. (Ages 12–18)
• The Survivor Wants to Die at the End by Adam Silvera—In this sequel to They Both Die at the End, two strangers help each other learn to live. (Ages 13–17)
• The Floating World by Axie Oh—In this reimagined Korean legend, an amnesiac ex-soldier takes a lucrative job hunting a girl who wields silver light. (Ages 13–18)
• His Face is the Sun by Michelle Jabès Corpora—Romance, magic, adventure, and horror collide in this lush Ancient Egyptian inspired fantasy. (Ages 14–18)

Culinary keepers

• The Wishbone Kitchen Cookbook by Meredith Hayden—Learn to cook, host, and eat like a private chef with 100 seasonal recipes for everyday luxury and elevated entertaining.
• I Regret Almost Everything by Keith McNally—The entertaining, irreverent, and surprisingly moving memoir by a visionary New York restaurateur.
• Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat—Master the elements of good cooking with this indispensable master class of a cookbook, featuring more than 100 recipes.
• Baking Across America by Dylan Hollis—In this "tour de food," take a cross-country culinary journey with 100 uniquely American dessert recipes.
• Umma: A Korean Mom's Kitchen Wisdom by Nam Soon Ahn and Sarah Ahn—Learn Korean cooking with 100+ family recipes and decades' worth of kitchen wisdom from this mother-daughter collaboration.

Special editions

• A Forgery of Fate by Elizabeth Lim—Get the breathtaking special edition of this romantic fantasy inspired by Beauty and the Beast.
• You Were Never Not Mine by Monica Murphy—Order now for the stunning Deluxe First Print Run of book three in the Lancaster Prep Next Generation
• Till Summer Do Us Part by Meghan Quinn—The limited Deluxe Edition of this laugh-out-loud summer rom-com features gorgeous printed edges.
• The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark—This expertly plotted new thriller is available in a Deluxe First Edition with printed edges.
• Heir of Storms by Lauryn Hamilton Murray—Red Queen meets Shadow and Bone in this explosive start to a YA romantasy trilogy.

Happy, happy birthday to all the June babies! Whether you're celebrating a loved one or yourself, we hope you find something perfect here at ThriftBooks to bookify the occasion!

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Read more by Ashly Moore Sheldon