As June comes to an end and we take a step into July, I thought it was time to enlighten you on some upcoming releases. It's a short list but each one is important and should definitely be added to your To Be Read list!

The Pink Line: The World's Queer Frontiers by Mark Gevisser

Release date: 2 July

Six years in the making, The Pink Line follows protagonists from nine countries all over the globe to tell the story of how LGBTQ+ Rights became one of the world's new human rights frontiers in the second decade of the twenty-first century. From refugees in South Africa to activists in Egypt, transgender women in Russia and transitioning teens in the American Mid-West, The Pink Line folds intimate and deeply affecting stories of individuals, families and communities into a definitive account of how the world has changed, so dramatically, in just a decade. And in doing so he reveals a troubling new equation that has come in to play: while same-sex marriage and gender transitions are now celebrated in some parts of the world, laws to criminalise homosexuality and gender non-conformity have been strengthened in others. In a work of great scope and wonderful storytelling, this is the groundbreaking, definitive account of how issues of sexuality and gender identity divide and unite the world today.

Why should you read this?

The Pink Line is a beautifully written, immensely moving book. Gevisser puts together powerful stories of people around the globe who talk about the sufferings and triumphs of the complex movement of Queer civil rights. He has taken the time to thoroughly talk to those from a range of backgrounds: the privileged and unprivileged, every race and every nationality. His book is both enlightening and disturbing, but is a must read for those wanting to have more of an understanding of the LGBTQ+ rights movement.

Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron

Release date: 7 July

It's 200 years after Cinderella found her prince, but the fairy tale is over. Teen girls are now required to appear at the Annual Ball, where the men of the kingdom select wives based on a girl's display of finery. If a suitable match is not found, the girls not chosen are never heard from again.

Sixteen-year-old Sophia would much rather marry Erin, her childhood best friend, than parade in front of suitors. At the ball, Sophia makes the desperate decision to flee, and finds herself hiding in Cinderella's mausoleum. There, she meets Constance, the last known descendant of Cinderella and her step sisters. Together they vow to bring down the king once and for all - and in the process, they learn that there's more to Cinderella's story than they ever knew...

Why should you read this?

This book has been described as Queer Black girls overthrowing the patriarchy - and that's exactly what it is! Bayron takes the original fairytale and completely flips it on its head to give us this fierce and twisted story of girls taking down the corrupt system they live in. What more could you want? This modern, inclusive and highly relevant story will have you rooting for everyone wanting to break the wall and make a change in the world.

Dear NHS compiled and edited by Adam Kay

Release date: 9 July

The NHS is our single greatest achievement as a country. No matter who you are, no matter what your health needs are, and no matter how much money you have, the NHS is there for you. In Dear NHS, 100 inspirational people come together to share their stories of how the national health service has been for them, and changed their lives in the process. By turns deeply moving, hilarious, hopeful and impassioned, these stories together become a love letter to the NHS and the 1.4 million people who go above and beyond the call of duty every single day - selflessly, generously, putting others before themselves, never more so than now.

Why should you read this?

With the likes of Candice Carty-Williams, Dawn French, Stanley Tucci and Louis Theroux contributing to this brilliant book, it brings us together to shout our praises even more for the NHS. This powerful, heartfelt anthology features 100 personal stories from well-known names who share their experience and gratitude for the wonderful health service we're lucky to have here in the UK. What's even more incredible is that all author and publisher profits will go to NHS Charities Together to fund vital research and projects, and The Lullaby Trust which supports parents bereaved of babies and young children. I can't wait to get my hands on this one!

Olive by Emma Gannon

Release date: 23 July

Independent. Adrift. Anxious. Loyal. Kind. Knows her own mind. Olive is many things, and it's okay that she's still figuring it all out, navigating her world without a compass. But life comes with expectations, there are choices to be made, boxes to tick and - sometimes - stereotypes to fulfil. And when her best friends' lives start to branch away towards marriage and motherhood, leaving the path they've always followed together, Olive starts to question her choices - because life according to Olive looks a little bit different.

Why should you read this?

Have you ever felt completely content with your life but one decision makes you stand out from the crowd even though it shouldn't? For Olive, that's the decision to not have children. Gannon uses wit, sarcasm and smart storytelling to make it clear to those who don't understand that not wanting children is okay and should be deemed normal. It's a thought provoking story of friendship, choice of motherhood and acceptance that will leave you with a lasting feeling of warmth.

This Is My America by Kim Johnson

Release date: 28 July

Every week, seventeen-year-old Tracy Beaumont writes letters to Innocence X, asking the organisation to help her father, an innocent Black man on death row. After seven years, Tracy is running out of time - her dad has only 267 days left. Then the unthinkable happens. The police arrive in the night, and Tracy's older brother, Jamal, goes from being a bright, promising track star to a "thug" on the run, accused of killing a white girl. Determined to save her brother, Tracy investigates what really happened between Jamal and Angela down at the Pike. But will Tracy and her family survive the uncovering of the skeletons of their Texas town's racist history that still haunt the present?

Why should you read this?