Chapter & Screen: June
A monthly read sharing what I loved in May, and what I'm looking forward to in June.
Welcome to June’s edition of Chapter & Screen, a monthly feature on The Quiet 20s where I’ll look back on films, books and music I loved in the past month and what upcoming releases I’m most looking forward to.
May’s favourites
I read five books in May with one in particular making its way to my top three of 2024 so far. The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune was a heart-warming cosy fantasy about a case worker for magical youth who must investigate an orphanage housing the Antichrist. ‘Heart-warming’ and ‘cosy fantasy’ don’t typically come to mind after reading the back end of that sentence but trust me, it’s a beautiful read.
You can find the full review and reviews of my other May reads here.
Upcoming releases
I’m currently working my way through my physical TBR before I buy any more books because I have no space left on my shelves. As soon as I’ve got through the pile these will be straight on my list…
Private Rites by Julia Armfield
Releasing on June 11th.
I love a good dystopian tale so Private Rites sounds like just my thing. Set at the end of the world as we know it, three sisters reunite to sort their late father’s estate… but it seems they may not be alone.
Sandwich by Catherine Newman
Released on June 6th.
A few bookstagrammers I know have already read this and they all had great things to say, so I can’t wait to pick it up. Set on a yearly family trip to Cape Cod, Rocky wants to preserve the current moment of her life forever, but things are never that easy.
This just sounds like the perfect summer read, and the cover is stunning.
Freakslaw by Jane Flett
Releasing on June 20th.
I’ve read so many great debuts lately, and I’ve got a feeling Freakslaw will follow suit. It’s about a funfair arriving in a small Scottish town and infiltrating their grey ways. And it’s all for one thing - revenge.
May’s favourites
I only managed to see two new films this month, despite there being SO many I wrote about wanting to see in last month’s edition. That said I loved both of the films I saw, so no complaints from me.
The first was The Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (what a mouthful) which takes place 300 years after the franchise’s last film. You can read my full review here.
Furiosa was my second and final watch of the month, and it was a 5* from me. I went away after watching it so didn’t have time to write a review, but it was just Mad Max perfection. Go and see it in the cinemas while you still can.
Upcoming releases
I have a lot of May releases to catch up on, but there are still a load of great films coming out in June too…
Released June 5th.
One thing about me - I love a shark catastrophe film. Under Paris follows a team of scientists who discover a great white in the Seine and, conveniently for the plot, there's a triathlon coming up.
Honestly? This film looks dreadful. But I’m thinking it could be so bad it’s good.
Releasing June 13th.
We’ve got some pretty iconic young actors at the moment, but nothing will ever compare to the original Brat Pack. This documentary, available on Hulu, centres on the stars in the middle of it all and how the fame impacted their lives.
Releasing June 14th.
Inside Out is one of the best Pixar films from the 2010s (if not the best). Its sequel introduces new emotions - including good ol’ anxiety - to the group as Riley enters her teen years.
I'm so excited to see this, and I imagine I’ll need to have some tissues with me.
Releasing June 28th.
A horror film featuring Lupita Nyong’o? Sign. Me. Up.
A Quiet Place: Day One is set in NYC and follows Sam (Nyong’o) on the first day of the “Death Angels” invasion. I love a good prequel - The First Purge comes to mind - and I enjoyed the earlier Quiet Place films despite not being a horror fan, so I’m sure this will be great too.
I hope you enjoyed this edition of Chapter & Screen and found out about an intriguing new release or two (I can’t be held responsible if you hate Under Paris). What are you looking forward to in June and what did you love in May? Please let me know with a comment!
-Soph