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Readers' Most Anticipated Books of May
At the beginning of each calendar month, ŷ� 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 readers� early reviews and tracking which titles are being added toWant to Readshelves by ŷ regulars.
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.
New in May:A deal with the devil goes haywire in S.T. Gibson’s dark fantasy Evocation. Terah Shelton Harris returns to bookshelves with the North Carolina family saga Long After We Are Gone. And genre godfather Stephen King brings a new collection of scary short stories in You Like It Darker.
Also on tap this month: a multimillion-dollar inheritance in California, a murder mystery in the Indian Ocean, and a science fiction thriller at the end of the world.
Add the books that catch your eye to yourWant to Readshelf, and let us know what you're reading and recommending in the comments section.
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.
New in May:A deal with the devil goes haywire in S.T. Gibson’s dark fantasy Evocation. Terah Shelton Harris returns to bookshelves with the North Carolina family saga Long After We Are Gone. And genre godfather Stephen King brings a new collection of scary short stories in You Like It Darker.
Also on tap this month: a multimillion-dollar inheritance in California, a murder mystery in the Indian Ocean, and a science fiction thriller at the end of the world.
Add the books that catch your eye to yourWant to Readshelf, and let us know what you're reading and recommending in the comments section.
London authorStuart Turton(The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle) specializes in high-concept murder mysteries spiked with narrative puzzles, sci-fi twists, and lateral thinking. His new book features the bizarre death of a scientist on an idyllic island with exactly 125 citizens. Well, 124. Meanwhile, the island’s glitchy security system is breaking down, letting in the deadly fog that’s killed off the rest of humanity. So, yeah, everybody’s pretty tense.
It’s an interesting problem to have: College student Anna Green’s fake marriage to Liam Weston helped her get discount housing at UCLA. After a quickie divorce at graduation, everyone was happy and went their separate ways. Now it’s five years later, and Anna’s ex has delivered some extremely surprising news: They’re still married, there’s a multimillion-dollar inheritance at stake, and Liam needs her help. Popular romance author Christina Lauren—who’s actually two popular romance authors—has the details.
Crime writer Alex Finlay (The Night Shift) has earned a loyal readership with his densely plotted mysteries stitched from multiple interweaving threads. His latest puzzler features a five-year-old cold case that warms up again when two dead bodies are found in a submerged car. This causes complications for a law school student in Tuscany, a mob boss in Philadelphia, and a rookie sheriff’s deputy in Kansas. Everything pivots on a cryptic note that reads: If something happens to me�
Ruth Ware’s carefully crafted mystery and thriller novels have been compared to those of Golden Age crime writers likeAgatha Christie,Josephine Tey, andDorothy L. Sayers.In her new book, five couples competing in an island reality show run into trouble when a storm separates them from the rest of the production crew. Making matters rather worse, there’s a vicious killer on the loose, too. Ware, ever the explorer, brings psychological suspense to the islands of the Indian Ocean.
The undisputed heavyweight champion of horror,Stephen King, made his bones in the publishing business as a novelist. But he’s a master of the short story form, too, and this latest collection features 12 tales said to be even darker than usual for Maine’s resident gentleman maniac. The new collection features an array of King’s usual concerns—psychotic killers, precognitive visions, planar breaches—plus the short story “Rattlesnakes,� said to be a kind of sequel to King’s 1981 canine freakoutCujo.
This lively debut novel from London author Kaliane Bradley gleefully ignores all genre conventions by mixing and matching science fiction, espionage thriller, romance, and workplace comedy. Through the intrigues of the government’s new Ministry of Time, temporal expatriates from the vast panorama of history arrive in the 21st century. Can a modern-day civil servant find true love with a polar explorer from 1847? It should be fun finding out.
A love story for our relentless information age, this comedic debut novel from author Natalie Sue proceeds from a delicious premise: Jolene, unhappy employee at Supershops, Inc., has accidentally been given access to her entire department’s private emails. Human nature being what it is, she is soon drawn into the private lives of her colleagues. That includes Cliff, the one guy she definitely cannot develop feelings for. Author Sue delivers a workplace adventure with humor, heart, and some highly relatable temptations.
From the author of Crazy Rich Asians, this globe-trotting romantic saga plays out like a Restoration-era comedy of manners dropped into the wealthiest possible contemporary destinations. Hong Kong scion Rufus Leung Gresham needs to find a rich wife to restore his family’s fortunes. His quest takes him from Hawaii to Marrakech to the grand estates of England. Expect loads of sex, glitz, conspicuous consumption, and maybe even a scandalous murder. Or murderous scandal. Whichever.
Sierton High School student Ella Moore was a typical queen bee—feared, resented, yet somehow extremely popular. So when Ella winds up dead at her own party, the list of potential suspects is a long one. Everyone seems suspiciously content to pin the crime on Dawn Foster, the new girl. But as author Cindy R.X. He reveals in her debut YA murder mystery, Dawn is entirely capable of defending herself—and sleuthing out the real killer.
Winner of this month’s unofficial Creepiest Book Cover award, this debut gothic horror-mystery introduces spirit medium Roos Beckman and her long-dead ghostly companion, Ruth. When Roos starts to fall for the still-living young widow Agnes Coop, events lead to a murder in a crumbling and haunted estate. Author Johanna van Veen is clearly having fun with the manor-on-the-moors template while subtly tweaking old genre tropes with queer romance and relaxed self-awareness.
Canadian author Carley Fortune (Every Summer After) is back with another delicate romantic situation: Each summer, Lucy takes her vacation in a beach house on Prince Edward Island, off the eastern coast of Canada. It’s also tradition for Lucy to eventually wind up in the bed of handsome local Felix, who knows all the best spots, as it were. The tricky part: Felix’s big sister is Lucy’s best friend. Can Lucy and Felix resist temptation this time around? For the sake of the genre, let’s hope not.
Teenage Luciana is the youngest in her Colombian American family, and is mostly interested in chasing girls. So she’s reluctant to take in her grandmother Abue, who’s deep in denial about a recent medical diagnosis—and pretty much everything else, too. But when life gets lifey, Luciana finds she has a wise guide for impending adulthood. Structured as a series of phone calls from Luciana to her sister, this debut novel from author Melissa Mogollon is getting lots of love from advance readers.
Based on the real-life,Rednecksbrings undeniable contemporary resonance to the proud tradition of big-picture historical fiction. Set in 1920s coal country, the book follows a multicultural community of miners and their allies as they take on crooked feds, vicious gun thugs, and the powerful coal companies.Author Taylor Brown (Gods of Howl Mountain) deploys characters both fictional and historical, including the author’s own great-grandfather.
Author Terah Shelton Harris earned a ŷ Choice Award nomination last year for her lovely debut novel, One Summer in Savannah. She’s back on shelves this spring with this heartfelt family saga told in alternating viewpoints. When their father passes away, the four adult siblings of the Solomon family reunite to save their North Carolina home from aggressive property developers. Stories are told. Promises are made. Secrets are revealed.
The first in a new series from author S.T. Gibson (An Education in Malice), this dark urban fantasy introduces the character of David Aristarkhov, Boston attorney, secret occultist, and powerful spirit medium. David, alas, has a rather serious problem. Thanks to an infernal bargain made years ago, the devil himself has come to collect a debt. David’s best and maybe only hope: Rhys, his ex-boyfriend and secret society rival. Awkward. Bonus trivia: Gibson is a 2021 GCA Best Horror nominee for her novel A Dowry of Blood.
Which new releases are you looking forward to reading? Let's talk books in the comments!
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Ebony
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Apr 29, 2024 07:12AM
Absolutely yes.
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I'm personally looking forward to "The Midnight Feast" by Lucy Foley.
I can’t wait to receive my copy of You Like it Darker by S.K.
Katie wrote: "I'm personally looking forward to "The Midnight Feast" by Lucy Foley."I was able to read an advanced copy and really enjoyed it! Lots of creepy vibes, for sure! I hope you like it. :)
What books are the young readers anticipating for the month of May?
Which book is the YA? I don’t read summaries, I like being surprised
And personally, I’m not really looking forward to any of them, none of them are my vibe, the only authors I recognized were Christina Lauren (romance, but my thing, but I love fiction or fantasy with romance in it) and Stephen King ( horror, no no no)
Aubrey wrote: "Which book is the YA? I don’t read summaries, I like being surprised"Perfect Little Monsters by Cindy R.X. He is the only YA book on the list
"My Darling Dreadful Thing" by Johanna van Veen looks amazingly scary!
It's AAPI Heritage Month. Should I read only Asian and Pacific Islander books or read whatever I want?
Excited as always for King’s newest, and I selected The Ministry of Time as my book of the month!! Sounds fun 🤩
How about these upcoming May 2024 novels?Jack Carr Red Sky Mourning
Andrews/Wilson Act of Defiance
Charlie Donlea Long Time Gone
May brings us great new books, let us add to the list other relevant releases for this month:1) Cut and Thirst by Margaret Atwood
2) The Wind Knows My Name by Isabel Allende
3) Women and Children First by Alina Grabowski
4) Sweet Nightmare (The Calder Academy, #1) by Tracy Wolff
5) Mistakes We Never Made by Hannah Brown
6) Camino Ghosts (Camino Island, #3) by John Grisham
7) When Among Crows by Veronica Roth
8) The Dixon Rule (Campus Diaries, #2) by Elle Kennedy
9) A Crane Among Wolves by June Hur
10) When She Was Me by Marlee Bush
by TheBookGuide® Editor
Robert wrote: "How about these upcoming May 2024 novels?Jack Carr Red Sky Mourning
Andrews/Wilson Act of Defiance
Charlie Donlea Long Time Gone"
Shanghailanders is upcoming, too. This list is not at all comprehensive, but I think that's intentional.
“Last Murder at the End of the World�, for sure. Stuart Turton is one of my favorite authors. I definitely recommend checking out his books.
Aubrey wrote: "And personally, I’m not really looking forward to any of them, none of them are my vibe, the only authors I recognized were Christina Lauren (romance, but my thing, but I love fiction or fantasy wi..."This list is based on the numbers of folks who listed particular books as "want to read."
Sooo looking forward to “I Hope This Finds You Well�, “This Summer Will Be Different� and “The Paradise Problem�! My May TBR is a problem 😂
devynreads wrote: "Excited as always for King’s newest, and I selected The Ministry of Time as my book of the month!! Sounds fun 🤩"Same for both books. :)
"For the sake of the genre, let’s hope not." 😁🤣
Reviewed THE LAST MURDER AT THE END OF THE WORLD for my local paper, it’s really good. Did not love the Foley book. Liked the YA book. Really looking forward to the new Stephen King which, sadly, I didn’t get an ARC for!
“Left For Dead� by Eric Jay Dolin is interesting and thrilling, but for some reason it didn’t make the list. The book comes out on May 7.
Personally looking forward to Moonstone as Laura Purcell is one of my favorite authors, as well as Five Broken Blades :)
Preordered the newest Kevin Kwan because no one else does what he does and I need this for my summer reading.
My list of May Releases:Summers At The Saint by Mary Kay Andrews
The Summer Swap by Sarah Morgan
Down With The System by Serj Tankian
Cities In The Sky by Jason M. Barr
The Berlin Sisters by Soraya M. Lane
Under The Palms by Kaira Rouda
The Mountain Mystic by Russell W. Johnson
The Understory by Lore Ferguson Wilbert
Good Boys: The Lost Tribe by Jeremy Robinson
Vanishing Act by Dan Hampton
Katie wrote: "I'm personally looking forward to "The Midnight Feast" by Lucy Foley."That comes out June 18!
Can’t believe The Midnight Feast didn’t make this list�
Nathalie wrote: "Can’t believe The Midnight Feast didn’t make this list�"It doesn’t release until June, so doesn’t really make sense for it to be on this list of May releases.
looking forward to A Crane Among Wolves by June Hur :)
Law wrote: "Robert wrote: "How about these upcoming May 2024 novels?Jack Carr Red Sky Mourning
Andrews/Wilson Act of Defiance
Charlie Donlea Long Time Gone"
Shanghailanders is upcoming, too. This list is not..."
Scratch that. Shanghailanders is out now.
Aubrey, the YA is Perfect Little Monsters
Just read new release "The Blind Devotion of Imogene," by author David Putnam (who's Bruno Johnson Thrillers are UnPutDownable!). This is the first in a trilogy about an amazing little gal--fun fun read, looking forward to the next two in the series. Also, read Elizabeth Crowen's "The Hounds of the Hollywood Baskervilles," which is a cute mystery/caper set in 1940's Hollywood, where a team of "Pet Sleuths" find the Hollywood Pet-Film stars. Very fun read.
I would add The Honey Witch to this list :)
Perfect little monsters looks really good. Excited to read that.
A lot of these look great. Added a few from this list as reminders from the library. Have King's You Like it Darker pre-ordered in Hardcover.
Waiting for the new Charlie Parker novel
Really looking forward to The Last Murder at the End of the World!!
Looking forward to Long After We Are Gone
How fun these books sounds fun all of them cool
I’m looking forward to Stephen King’s you like it darker. S.K is the master of short fiction.
