20 new books to read in May

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!)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)