June ’26 Wrap-Up

Posted 06/30/2026 by Charli in Wrap Up / 0 Comments

I finally got back into reading this month after almost a year of not reading. I didn’t review all the books on this list, but I did review several of them. Here’s what I read in June 2026:

Read it before you see it! Now a major motion picture from the teams behind Smile and Tucker & Dale vs. Evil.

In Adam Cesare's terrifying young adult debut, Quinn Maybrook finds herself caught in a battle between old and new, tradition and progress--that just may cost her life.

Quinn Maybrook and her father have moved to tiny, boring Kettle Springs, to find a fresh start. But what they don't know is that ever since the Baypen Corn Syrup Factory shut down, Kettle Springs has cracked in half.

On one side are the adults, who are desperate to make Kettle Springs great again, and on the other are the kids, who want to have fun, make prank videos, and get out of Kettle Springs as quick as they can.

Kettle Springs is caught in a battle between old and new, tradition and progress. It's a fight that looks like it will destroy the town. Until Frendo, the Baypen mascot, a creepy clown in a pork-pie hat, goes homicidal and decides that the only way for Kettle Springs to grow back is to cull the rotten crop of kids who live there now.

Don't miss this Bram Stoker Award-winning novel from rising star Adam Cesare.

It’s an all-new horror classic about what happens when the truth is the last thing we want to believe, from Bram Stoker Award–winner and master of thrills and chills, horror legend Adam Cesare.

After barely making it out of the Kettle Springs cornfields alive, Quinn’s first year away at college should be safe and easy. All she wants is to be normal again.

But instead, Quinn finds that her past won’t leave her alone when she becomes the focus of online conspiracy theories that claim the Kettle Springs Massacre never happened. It’s a deranged but relentless fantasy, and there’s nothing Quinn can do to get people to hear the truth—not even on her own campus or in her own dorm room.

So when a murderous clown attacks Quinn at a frat party while another goes after her father in Kettle Springs at the same time, Quinn realizes that the facts alone are never going to save her. Her only option is to go back into the cornfields, back where the nightmare began, to set the record straight the only way she knows how. Because when the truth gets lost in the lies, that’s when people start to die.

Clown in a Cornfield was 2020’s Bram Stoker Award Winner for Superior Achievement in a Young Adult Novel. Clown in a Cornfield 2: Frendo Lives is perfectly set to attract old and new fans to the series.

Perfect for Halloween Reading

For teens who love dark and scary stories

2024’s Bram Stoker Award Winner for Superior Achievement in a Young Adult Novel!

The thrills and chills are far from over in the third novel from Bram Stoker Award winner and master of scare, horror legend Adam Cesare.

Quinn has just survived yet another bloody run-in with the murderous clown Frendo, but somehow still she knows this won’t be the last. Tired of being hunted and seeing innocent people hurt, Quinn believes the only way to beat the horror is to take justice into her own hands--and stop the Frendo followers herself. Little does she know that this path will take her across cornfields and state lines, to where she will have to face the most dangerous and bloody menace yet: True believers.

It’s an all-new tale in this terrifying trio series about the villains inside us all, from the master of slashers and suspense, award–winning author Adam Cesare.

Perfect for Halloween Reading

For teens who love dark and scary stories

Together We Rot by Skyla Arndt
Also by this author: Together We Rot
Published by Penguin on 08/29/2023
Genres: Young Adult Fiction / Horror, Young Adult Fiction / Romance / General, Young Adult Fiction / Thrillers & Suspense / General
Pages: 272

A teen girl looking for the truth about her missing mother forms a reluctant alliance with her former best friend...in exchange for hiding him from his cult-leading family.

“All hail the new queen of YA horrormance! Arndt’s unputdownable debut crackles with wit and seethes with terrors just beneath the surface. Equal parts tender and grisly, Together We Rot will sink its roots into you.”—Allison Saft, New York Times bestselling author of A Far Wilder Magic

Wil Greene and Elwood Clarke used to be inseparable. That was before she accused his family of killing her mother.

These days, Wil obsessively gathers not-so-legal evidence on her mom’s disappearance while she and her checked-out dad try to make ends meet at their failing motel. They’re a hair’s breadth away from foreclosure, and the powerful Clarkes have their eye on the property.

Elwood has been counting down the days until winter break. He hasn’t told anyone he won’t be coming back to school to finish out senior year—his pastor father is training him to lead their congregation, the Garden of Adam. But after one last night out with his friends, he comes face-to-face with a more chilling fate. He’s not his father’s successor . . . but his sacrifice.

Now on the run, Elwood knows Wil is his only hope. Together, they must dig up the truth about her mom and the Garden of Adam. But what they don’t know is that Elwood harbors another monstrous secret, growing deep inside him. Can Wil save the boy she can’t help but fall for?

We Did Nothing Wrong by Hannah Jayne
Also by this author: We Did Nothing Wrong
Published by Sourcebooks on 12/03/2024
Genres: Young Adult Fiction / Mysteries & Detective Stories, Young Adult Fiction / Social Themes / Friendship, Young Adult Fiction / Thrillers & Suspense / General
Pages: 304

Lia thought of the dark night, of the broken street light.

Had Diana gone out to meet her? Had she been waiting for her, alone in the park?

Or had someone been waiting for Diana?

Lia and Diana are the "it girls" of Empire Hill High. Their lives are perfect....until Diana disappears and the rumors start flying.

Everyone thinks Diana is a runaway, including the police. Lia is secretly convinced it's all a prank. Then she finds a crushed red rose tied with a candy-cane ribbon where Diana went missing. And next to it, a note:

YOU

It's the same ribbon Lia's received on gifts from a "secret admirer." Did someone come for Diana that night? And will Lia be next?

1 Peter by Mariel Davenport
Also by this author: 1 Peter
Series: TEND Your Soul Bible Study #2
Also in this series: 1 Peter
Published by Our Daily Bread Ministries on 05/05/2026
Genres: Religion / Biblical Studies / General, Religion / Biblical Studies / New Testament / General Epistles, Religion / Christian Living / Inspirational, Religion / Christian Living / Women's Interests, Religion / General, Religion / Sexuality & Gender Studies
Pages: 152

Gain Strength for Today and Hope for Tomorrow

In a world filled with hardships and trials, it's easy to get discouraged. Gain courage for today through a unique study of Peter's first letter to persecuted Christians. You'll remember God's promises--including who He has made you to be.

1 Peteris part of the TEND Your Soul Bible Study Series. TEND is a guided journaling method that equips you to:

Take time to pray

Examine the Scriptures

Notice the lessons

Do what it says

Whether you're new to the Bible or you've read it for years, this fresh and easy four-step approach to inductive Bible study empowers you to listen and respond to God through personal discovery. Author Mariel Davenport shares from her own experience how this simple relational Bible study method can lead to spiritual transformation.

With journaling pages, study tools, QR codes to video tutorials, a leader's guide, and more, this study provides everything you need to uncover the life-changing truths of the Bible and apply Peter's encouraging message to your life. Perfect for individuals or groups, this five-week study helps you embrace your eternal inheritance and God-given identity.

The TEND Your Soul Bible Study Series is part of the God Hears Her collection designed to bring inspiration and encouragement to women every day. Each product speaks to a woman's heart, lifts her up, and reminds her that God is bigger than the trials she faces.

The Joy of an Uncluttered Life by Joyce Meyer
Also by this author: The Joy of an Uncluttered Life, The Courage to Change
Published by Hachette Nashville on 06/04/2024
Genres: Religion / Christian Living / Personal Growth, Religion / Christian Living / Spiritual Growth, Self-Help / Motivational & Inspirational, Self-Help / Self-Management / Stress Management
Pages: 176

Battle burnout, simplify your life, and change your thinking with #1 New York Times bestselling author and renowned Bible teacher Joyce Meyer.

Many of us understand how easy it is for life to become hectic, stressful, and busy. We are overcommitted, have no free time, and feel trapped in the daily demands of life. But there is good news—you don’t have to live this way!

In The Joy of an Uncluttered Life, you will find relief from burnout and unnecessary stress with 100 ways to simplify your life. These doable tips will teach you to set boundaries, stay positive, clear out clutter in your life, deal with other people in healthy ways, and more. Even the smallest things we do in a day have the power to bring about more peace, and this book will empower you to make lasting changes in your life.

Discover a life beyond stress and frustration and develop a mindset of simplicity and peace!

Derived from material previously published in 100 Ways to Simplify Your Life.

'Salem's Lot by Stephen King
Also by this author: 1922
Published by Random House on 12/24/2024
Genres: Fiction / Horror / General, Fiction / Psychological, Fiction / Thrillers / Suspense
Pages: 528

NOW A NEW FILM STREAMING ON MAX • #1 BESTSELLER • Ben Mears has returned to Jerusalem’s Lot in hopes that exploring the history of the Marsten House, an old mansion long the subject of rumor and speculation, will help him cast out his personal devils and provide inspiration for his new book.

"A master storyteller." —The Los Angeles Times

When two young boys venture into the woods, and only one returns alive, Mears begins to realize that something sinister is at work. In fact, his hometown is under siege from forces of darkness far beyond his imagination. And only he, with a small group of allies, can hope to contain the evil that is growing within the borders of this small New England town.

With this, his second novel, Stephen King established himself as an indisputable master of American horror, able to transform the old conceits of the genre into something fresh and all the more frightening for taking place in a familiar, idyllic locale.

Hell House by Richard Matheson
Published by Macmillan + ORM on 04/01/2011
Genres: Fiction / Ghost, Fiction / Horror / Occult & Supernatural
Pages: 302

"Hell House is the scariest haunted house novel ever written. It looms over the rest the way the mountains loom over the foothills." -- Stephen King

From the author of I Am Legend comes Richard Matheson's Hell House, the basis for the supernatural horror film starring Pamela Franklin, Roddy McDowall, Clive Revill.

Rolf Rudolph Deutsch is going die. But when Deutsch, a wealthy magazine and newspaper publisher, starts thinking seriously about his impending death, he offers to pay a physicist and two mediums, one physical and one mental, $100,000 each to establish the facts of life after death.
Dr. Lionel Barrett, the physicist, accompanied by the mediums, travel to the Belasco House in Maine, which has been abandoned and sealed since 1949 after a decade of drug addiction, alcoholism, and debauchery. For one night, Barrett and his colleagues investigate the Belasco House and learn exactly why the townsfolk refer to it as the Hell House.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty
Published by Harper Collins on 06/26/1994
Genres: Fiction / General, Fiction / Horror / General, Fiction / Media Tie-In
Pages: 385

Originally published in 1971, The Exorcist is now a major television series on FOX. It remains one of the most controversial novels ever written and went on to become a literary phenomenon: It spent fifty-seven weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, seventeen consecutively at number one. Inspired by a true story of a child’s demonic possession in the 1940s, William Peter Blatty created an iconic novel that focuses on Regan, the eleven-year-old daughter of a movie actress residing in Washington, D.C. A small group of overwhelmed yet determined individuals must rescue Regan from her unspeakable fate, and the drama that ensues is gripping and unfailingly terrifying.

Two years after its publication, The Exorcist was, of course, turned into a wildly popular motion picture, garnering ten Academy Award nominations. On opening day of the film, lines of the novel’s fans stretched around city blocks. In Chicago, frustrated moviegoers used a battering ram to gain entry through the double side doors of a theater. In Kansas City, police used tear gas to disperse an impatient crowd who tried to force their way into a cinema. The three major television networks carried footage of these events; CBS’s Walter Cronkite devoted almost ten minutes to the story. The Exorcist was, and is, more than just a novel and a film: it is a true landmark.

Purposefully raw and profane, The Exorcist still has the extraordinary ability to disturb readers and cause them to forget that it is “just a story.” Published here in this beautiful fortieth anniversary edition, it remains an unforgettable reading experience and will continue to shock and frighten a new generation of readers.

52-Week Prayer Practice for Women by Chellbee Johnson
Also by this author: 52-Week Prayer Practice for Women
Published by Callisto Publishing on 12/03/2024
Genres: Religion / Christian Living / Prayer, Religion / Christian Living / Spiritual Growth, Religion / Christian Living / Women's Interests
Pages: 192

Grow closer to God through a year of prayer

As a woman, you're faced with unique challenges—but prayer can help you stay the course of faith and navigate life with God by your side. Filled with short, guided prompts centered around a new theme every week, this prayer journal for women reminds you that you're part of God's plan and helps you find wisdom in His Word.

Brief and meaningful entries — It's easy to build a consistent prayer practice with prompts that only take a few minutes at a time.

For Christian women — Find guidance with entries like "Endurance," "You Are God's Handiwork," "Comparison Is a Trap," and "Let's Start with Love."

Space for reflection — Create a keepsake of your spiritual growth with space for journaling and check-in questions throughout the year.

Make time to reflect on your faith with A 52-Week Prayer Practice for Christian Women.

The Courage to Change by Joyce Meyer
Also by this author: The Joy of an Uncluttered Life, The Courage to Change
Published by Hachette Nashville on 05/06/2025
Genres: Religion / Christian Living / Personal Growth, Religion / Christian Living / Spiritual Growth, Self-Help / Personal Growth / General
Pages: 228

Change is inevitable. And sometimes it’s confusing and difficult, even when it’s good. We can’t keep change from coming, but we can allow it to transform us rather than derail us by facing it and embracing it through the lens of God’s unchanging promises to us.

We’ve all heard the saying, “The only constant is change.” Sometimes the changes we face, both expected and unexpected, can make our lives feel ungrounded and unsteady. And when we react to change with fear, an opportunity for growth can turn into overwhelming anxiety that locks us into situations, relationships, and ways of thinking and being that prevent us from living in the fullness of who we truly are in Christ.

Beloved Bible teacher and #1 New York Times bestselling author Joyce Meyer wants us to know that even when we feel like the ground beneath our feet is shifting, we can stand firm on the promise of God’s Word that He will see us through. With her signature insight and timeless wisdom, Joyce shows us how to align our emotional reactions to changes with the truth of God’s promise that He will work all changes for good in our lives, even the most painful and difficult ones. In TheCourage to Change, you will learn how to:

Embrace change as a necessary part of growth

Replace a mindset of fear with a mindset of opportunity

And live fully within the uncertainty of change while maintaining peace.

We will all face changes again and again throughout our lifetimes. We don’t have to live dreading the challenges that these changes bring. We can equip ourselves to become people of bravery, optimism, and hope in an ever-changing world, because we have God’s assurance that His character and His promises will never change.

Become a change warrior and embrace the courage to change.

The Courage to Change also contains study questions at the end of each chapter for individual or group reflection.

Sweet Nightmare by Tracy Wolff
Also by this author: Sweet Nightmare
on 05/07/2024
Genres: Occult & Supernatural, Young Adult Fiction / Horror, Young Adult Fiction / Loners & Outcasts
Pages: 496

The instant New York Times bestseller

"This beguiling series opener...checks all the boxes for romantasy veterans." – Publishers Weekly

The scariest school on earth
Is about to experience real fear...

Most schools are about being the best. This school? It’s about being the worst. Calder Academy is where the rogue paranormals go. The ones who break the rules or lose control. And when that happens for vamps, werewolves, witches, and dark fae? It gets pretty freaking scary.

I should know. Because I’m trapped here.

Look, every seventeen-year-old girl thinks their mom is a tyrant. But mine just happens to run Calder Academy, which paints a giant target on my back. The way I make it through these dark halls is by steering clear of the things—and kids—who go bump in the night.

Especially Jude Abernathy-Lee.

But when a freak storm hits our isolated island, I'm stuck without a backup plan. The power is gone. The lights are out. And our worst nightmares are suddenly real—and out for blood.
Now the only way to survive is to align myself with one evil to avoid the other.

And the only thing worse than the idea of getting close to Jude? Secretly loving every minute of it.

The Calder Academy series is best enjoyed in order.
Reading Order:
Book #1 Sweet Nightmare
Book #2 Sweet Chaos
Book #3 Sweet Vengeance

So there it is – all 13 books I read during the month of June 2026!

Clown in a Cornfield, Together We Rot, We Did Nothing Wrong, 1 Peter, 52-Week Prayer Practice for Women, The Courage to Change, Sweet Nightmare, and The Joy of an Uncluttered Life were NetGalley reads. Clown in a Cornfield 2: Frendo Lives and Clown in a Cornfield 3: The Church of Frendo were just to finish the released books in the series¹. ‘Salem’s Lot, Hell House, and The Exorcist were part of my Summerween/Scariest Books Ever Written list.

What did you read this month?

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