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Readers' Most Anticipated Books for May
At the beginning of each calendar month, Å·±¦ÓéÀÖâ€� crack editorial squad assembles a list of the hottest and most popular new books hitting shelves, actual and virtual. The list is generated by evaluating readersâ€� early reviews and tracking which titles are being added toÌýWant to ReadÌýshelves by Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ regulars.
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Each month’s curated preview features new books from across the genre spectrum: contemporary fiction, historical fiction, mysteries and thrillers, sci-fi and fantasy, romance, horror, young adult, nonfiction, and more. Think of it as a literary smorgasbord. Check out whatever looks delicious.
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New in May: Acclaimed author Ocean Vuong is back on shelves with his highly anticipated sophomore novel, The Emperor of Gladness. Chilean American novelistÌýIsabel AllendeÌýcombines historical adventure with a detailed character portrait in My Name Is Emilia Del Valle. And grimdark specialist Joe Abercrombie returns with the dark fantasy adventures of The Devils. Werewolves and vampires and necromancers. Oh, my.
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Also on tap this month: gothic romantasy, Singaporean family drama, and new novels from Fredrik Backman, Carley Fortune, and some guy named Stephen King.
Add the books that catch your eye to yourÌýWant to ReadÌýshelf!
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Each month’s curated preview features new books from across the genre spectrum: contemporary fiction, historical fiction, mysteries and thrillers, sci-fi and fantasy, romance, horror, young adult, nonfiction, and more. Think of it as a literary smorgasbord. Check out whatever looks delicious.
Ìý
New in May: Acclaimed author Ocean Vuong is back on shelves with his highly anticipated sophomore novel, The Emperor of Gladness. Chilean American novelistÌýIsabel AllendeÌýcombines historical adventure with a detailed character portrait in My Name Is Emilia Del Valle. And grimdark specialist Joe Abercrombie returns with the dark fantasy adventures of The Devils. Werewolves and vampires and necromancers. Oh, my.
Ìý
Also on tap this month: gothic romantasy, Singaporean family drama, and new novels from Fredrik Backman, Carley Fortune, and some guy named Stephen King.
Add the books that catch your eye to yourÌýWant to ReadÌýshelf!
Ìý
Renowned Swedish author Fredrik BackmanÌýhas earned a worldwide readership with heartfelt novels likeÌýAnxious People andÌýA Man Called Ove.ÌýHis latest is the story of a painting, the painter, the three people in the painting, and the lifelong power of adolescent friendships. Also in the mix: an 18-year-old who investigates the background of the artwork, years later. Experience suggests that you really can’t miss with Backman, a devoted chronicler of the human condition. Ìý
What’s in a name? That’s the thesis question in this ambitious debut novel from London authorÌýFlorence Knapp, which begins with the moment a mother chooses the name of her child.ÌýKnapp’s story unfolds into three parallel and alternating versions of one family’s journey over the next 35 years. In each story thread, the mother makes a different choice. Can a person’s name really change the trajectory of an entire lifetime? Let’s find out!
Vietnamese American poet and novelist Ocean Vuong is back this month with the follow-up to his acclaimed 2019 debut,ÌýOn Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous. His new book profiles a deep and unusual friendship that begins when an elderly Connecticut widow saves a teenage boy from attempted suicide. Vuong, a deeply empathetic writer, celebrates chosen families and second chances in the marginalized edges of America.
This highly anticipated debut novel from San Francisco Bay Area authorÌýJemimah WeiÌýfollows two sisters growing up in working-class Singapore around the turn of the millennium. Born into a family that demands academic success at all costs, Arin and Genevieve Yang navigate an unhappy childhood together—no friends, no life, no fun. When a betrayal drives them apart, the sisters begin to question our modern obsession with efficiency, achievement, and relentless work.
Historical fiction devotees will want to circle this one: Chilean American novelistÌýIsabel AllendeÌý(The House of the Spirits) returns with the story of young Emilia Del Valle, a ferociously independent young writer who gleefully ignores 19th-century societal norms. Set in San Francisco and Chile, Allende’s new novel promises a fascinating character portrait seasoned with danger and adventure. Important note: Although the cover art suggests otherwise, Emilia is not a giant sea monster.
It’s an undeniable fact of the human condition: Your first teenage crush burns with the power of a thousand suns. Photographer Alice is reminded of this fact when she returns to Barry’s Bay, the location of her one perfect summer at age 17. It seems that Alice’s old crush Charlie is still on the scene—same yellow boat, same green eyes. Canadian authorÌýCarley FortuneÌý(Every Summer After) returns with another love story inspired by the lakeside town she grew up in.
It’s a dream gig for video producer Katie Vaughn: travel to beautiful Key West to profile the handsome and famous Coast Guard rescue swimmer Tom “Hutch� Hutcheson. He’s dreamy, all right. The trouble is that Katie can’t swim—at all—and she kinda-sorta told everyone she can. Superstar author Katherine Center (The Bodyguard) delivers a bittersweet comic romance featuring little white lies and big blue ocean vistas. Also in the mix: conga lines, heavy weather, and a colossal Great Dane.
Over in the romantasy aisle, authorÌýRachel GilligÌý(The Shepherd King) kicks off a new saga with The Knight and the Moth, the first installment in her gothic Stonewater Kingdom series. The setup: Young Sybil Delling is a Diviner, cloistered since childhood to receive visions and issue prophecies to the mighty and the meek. But when her fellow seers start to mysteriously vanish, Sybil must team up with the knight Rodrick—a disrespectful heretic, but an uncommonly handsome one.
Situated somewhere in the treacherous lands between fantasy and horror, The Devils is the latest from prolific British author Joe Abercrombie, author of the great First LawÌýseries. The new book follows holy man Brother Diaz, who must somehow assemble a team of heroes from his disinterested congregation of vampires, necromancers, and werewolves. Recommended for those who like grimdark fantasy, elves as villains, and superior book cover illustrations.
The prolificÌýFreidaÌýMcFaddenÌý(The Housemaid) returns with another tale of severe domestic disturbance. In The Tenant, a kind of worst-case scenario for prospective property owners, recently fired marketing exec Blake Porter is forced to rent out a room in his new brownstone. Things work out swimmingly—for a while. Then the new tenant starts getting weird. Then the strange noises start up. Then there’s that graveyard smell. Not good. Bonus trivia: Author McFadden is also a practicing physician specializing in brain injuries. This seems relevant.
When criminal profiler Dan Garvie was a child, he once crossed paths with a terrifying serial killer. The incident inspired his whole career path, actually. After Dan’s father dies under mysterious circumstances, he must return to his hometown, a small island community filled with dark secrets and bad memories. What’s worse, his investigation suggests that the monster from his childhood is back in business again.ÌýAlex NorthÌý(The Whisper Man) delivers a story about fathers, sons, and disturbing Ìýforensic observations.
AshleyÌýFlowers, host of the true-crime podcast Crime Junkie, once again teams with authorÌýAlex KiesterÌý(In Her Skin) for a twisted mystery-thriller. The new book features two cold cases in small-town Indiana, two missing persons, and two tenacious sisters who refuse to give up hope. Flowersâ€� 2022 novel, All Good People Here, earned good reviews, and early readers of this new story are saying nice things. Bonus trivia: Flowers heads a nonprofit that helps real-life families with cold-case investigations.
Maine’s gentleman maniac Stephen King is back this month with a new story featuring fan favorite character Holly Gibney. Never Flinch is actually two stories in one, kind of, with separate threads concerning a mad killer out for revenge and a women’s rights activist out on a speaking tour. Devoted King readers can expect the usual array of intriguing supporting characters, including the world-famous gospel singer Sista Bessie.
In the crumbling old Southern California mansion of a former movie star, two Chinese American families uncover a terrible secret. Several, actually. Spanning three generations and two narrative timelines, the adult fiction debut fromÌýChristina LiÌýcombines classic gothic horror tropes with the dark side of Hollywood glamour. Underneath the thriller elements, readers may detect some grim observations on the immigrant experience and the American dream.
Researched with scholarly rigor—and titled with admirable efficiency—this new biography promises new revelations on America’s pioneering literary celebrity. The man born as Samuel Langhorne Clemens was known to cultivate his public persona with care. But veteran biographerÌýRon ChernowÌý(Alexander Hamilton)Ìýprovides the bigger picture by parsing thousands of letters, journals, and unpublished manuscripts.
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