Weird as it is to think about after three months of near drought conditions, but today marks the start of summer. Naturally, it is raining. Good for the crops, goof for the wildlife, but most importantly of all, good for curling up indoors with a book.

It took me a while to think of a decent theme for June’s TBR. After all, few if any of my preferred books can realistically be classified as beach reads. I have eventually settled on one though. So this June I invite you all to join me in a game of ‘Junk or Jewel?’

It’s a simple game. I’ve selected all the books on my TBR shelf that have fewer than 100 ratings on Goodreads. I want to find out if they are hidden jewels of science fiction, or if they languish at the bottom of the rankings because they are pure junk.

Blood of the Imperium is the latest Warhammer 40,000 anthology. It’s only been out a few weeks, which probably explains why it only has 18 ratings.

The Cabal, by Saul Dunn, however, has been out for forty-seven years, yet has only amassed 20 ratings. It’s also the only book on my TBR with a sub-three star rating.

Signals, by Kevin D. Randle has a whopping 23 ratings. The only interesting fact I know about it is that Randle is a well known UFOlogoist. Should be a fun read.

Mortal Remains, by Christopher Evans has 24 ratings. This in spite of Evans being an award-winning author. Is this a dud, or proof that award-winners and popular books are not always one and the same?

The Second Coming, by John Dalmas has 30 ratings, which seems like a small following for a book about the return of the Messiah. I’s far from my usual reading tastes, but I’m willing to give it a go.

Golden Sunlands, by Christopher Rowley has 54 ratings, which is about all I know about the book. Fingers crossed it’s full of pleasant surprises.

Hell’s Last, by Justin D Hill is another new Warhammer book, and one I’ve been greatly anticipating. I’m surprised to see it only has 60 ratings, but I’m sure that number will climb over the coming months.

Star of the Sea, by Una McCormack is part of a shared universe created for Abaddon publishing house. That’s quite a niche, which must be why it only has 76 ratings.

Be sure to give me your thoughts on these little-known books, and make some predictions as to how I’ll find them.

Other than ‘Junk or Jewel?’ you can expect the usual mix of reviews, pseudo-academia, and general madness. As always, feel free to get in touch in the comments.

Dates for your Diary

5th – Bee Speaker, by Adrian Tchaikovsky – The second sequel to Dogs of War is all about Bees. I’m hoping it’s every but as good as the first.