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20 new books to read in May

20 new books to read in May

Award-worthy literary fiction, powerful celebrity memoirs, and several tantalizing beach reads to look forward to

By David Canfield

May 01, 2018 at 09:30 AM EDT

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May's 20 Must-Reads

Credit: Harper; Henry Holt and Co.; Push; Hogarth; Little, Brown and Company

New books from A-list authors including Michael Chabon, Rachel Kushner, and Sheila Heti. Brilliant literary debuts. Juicy thrillers and beach reads. An uncovered treasure from an iconic American writer. The month of May's got it all: Here are the 20 new books you need to have on your radar. (And click on the release dates to make your pre-orders!)

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The Mars Room by Rachel Kushner

Credit: Scribner

Kushner has twice been nominated for the National Book Award for Fiction — an impressive feat considering she has only published two novels to date. Her new book paints a probing portrait of contemporary America in its women’s correctional facility setting. (May 1)

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A Lucky Man by Jamel Brinkley

Credit: Graywolf Press

Brinkley’s collection A Lucky Man, already creating waves within the literary sphere, manages to be simultaneously polemical and immersive, in a series of tenderly insightful studies of masculinity, race, and the scars of history. (May 1)

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Motherhood by Sheila Heti

Credit: Henry Holt and Co.

Heti maintains her provocative edge with her latest, an interior monologue disguised as a novel that questions, exactly, what it means to have a child. Motherhood juxtaposes societal expectation with personal desire. (May 1)

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The Optimistic Decade by Heather Abel

Credit: Algonquin Books

Abel's timely debut is bound to draw comparisons to The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer. The Optimistic Decade follows five characters in Reagan-era America, and explores the limits of idealism and the complexities of well-intentioned activism. (May 1)

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The Perfect Mother by Aimee Molloy

Credit: Harper

This is poised to become one of the season's most delectable beach reads. Molloy's debut, which is already in-development as a film adaptation produced by and starring Kerry Washington, presents the engrossing mystery of a baby boy gone missing at a mommy-group meetup in Brooklyn. (May 1)

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The Pisces by Melissa Broder

Credit: Hogarth

We know: another girl-meets-merman love story? But give this explosive, erotic, scathingly funny first novel from Broder (creator of the beloved "so sad today" Twitter) a chance. Its interspecies romantic intrigue buttresses a profound take on connection and longing that digs deep. (May 1)

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Barracoon by Zora Neale Hurston

Credit: Amistad

Zora Neale Hurston, the legendary African-American writer best known for Their Eyes Were Watching God, compiled and wrote a study of the last known survivor of the U.S. slave trade before her death. More than a half-century later, we’ll finally get a chance to read it. (May 8)

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That Kind of Mother by Rumaan Alam

Credit: Ecco

Coming off his celebrated debut Rich and Pretty, Rumaan Alam’s sophomore novel returns to themes of family and culture in a powerful tale of a white mother raising a black son. (May 8)

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Warlight by Michael Ondaatje

Credit: Knopf

The author of The English Patient transports readers to post-WWII for a decade-spanning exploration of memory. (May 8)

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All the Answers by Michael Kupperman

Credit: Gallery 13

In the vein of Alison Bechdel's Fun Home, Kupperman's remarkable graphic memoir brings his father — the Quiz Kid himself, Joel Kupperman — to gorgeous, painful life. There's also some fascinating insights here into the role of radio and television in mid-20th-century America. (May 15)

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The Favorite Sister by Jessica Knoll

Credit: Simon & Schuster

Knoll quickly vaulted to the top of beach-read heap with her phenomenon of a debut, Luckiest Girl Alive. She's bound to draw even more new readers with her follow-up, an addicting thriller about two sisters who join the cast of a reality TV show. (May 15)

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Pops by Michael Chabon

Credit: Harper

The Pulitzer Prize-winning author returns with a sharp, reflective essay collection on all things fatherhood. This is Chabon's first book since his widely acclaimed 2016 novel Moonglow. (May 15)

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Pretend I'm Dead by Jen Beagin

Credit: Scribner

One of the most anticipated literary debuts of the year, Beagin won a prestigious Whiting Award in advance of this novel's publication. Pretend I'm Dead traces a cleaning woman's journey to self-acceptance in alternately warm, sharp, and deeply wise fashion. (May 15)

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Robin by Dave Itzkoff

Credit: Henry Holt and Co.

New York Times writer Itzkoff provides the definitive Robin Williams biography. Salacious details have already leaked out, but they may give off the wrong impression: Robin is sensitive and illuminating, far more thoughtful than early soundbites would suggest. (May 15)

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War Storm by Victoria Aveyard

Credit: HarperTeen

For those dedicated fans, little needs to be said about why this is one of May's must-reads: Aveyard brings her Red Queen saga to a thrilling, unpredictable conclusion. And if you're not caught up on the red-hot YA series, you might want to do something about that. (May 15)

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The High Season by Judy Blundell

Credit: Random House

Judy Blundell’s delectable summer read is eliciting comparisons to Meg Wolitzer and Curtis Sittenfeld. It focuses on the extreme lengths one woman goes to after her perfect life is thrown for a loop. (May 22)

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The Outsider by Stephen King

Credit: Scribner

King’s new novel begins with the discovery of an 11-year-old boy’s corpse, and from there chronicles a disturbing, macabre investigation. Plus: There's a twist bound to satisfy certain King loyalists. (May 22)

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Calypso by David Sedaris

Credit: Little, Brown and Company

The great David Sedaris’ latest book of essays is being pitched as his most deeply personal and darkly witty book. We’ll follow one of the great humorists of our time wherever he goes. (May 29)

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The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware

Credit: Gallery/Scout Press

Ruth Ware’s latest page-turner begins with a woman receiving a letter bequeathing her a large inheritance, and gradually unpeels the dangerous, mysterious circumstances around how it came into her hands. (May 29)

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I Felt a Funeral, in My Brain by Will Walton

Credit: Push

This children's book has a depth, heart, and wisdom that needs to be read to be believed. A boy named Avery draws out a map for himself to better understand life's big, complicated, at times dark questions, resulting in a lyrical and affecting read. (May 29)

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By David Canfield @davidcanfield97

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20 new books to read in May

1 of 21

May's 20 Must-Reads

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The Mars Room by Rachel Kushner

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A Lucky Man by Jamel Brinkley

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Motherhood by Sheila Heti

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The Optimistic Decade by Heather Abel

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The Perfect Mother by Aimee Molloy

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The Pisces by Melissa Broder

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Barracoon by Zora Neale Hurston

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That Kind of Mother by Rumaan Alam

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Warlight by Michael Ondaatje

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All the Answers by Michael Kupperman

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The Favorite Sister by Jessica Knoll

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Pops by Michael Chabon

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Pretend I'm Dead by Jen Beagin

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Robin by Dave Itzkoff

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War Storm by Victoria Aveyard

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The High Season by Judy Blundell

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The Outsider by Stephen King

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Calypso by David Sedaris

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The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware

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I Felt a Funeral, in My Brain by Will Walton

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