Summer is nearly here, so queue up your vacation (and everyday) reading with some excellent new May releases.
5/6: All the Mothers by Domenica Ruta
Single mom Sandy discovers that her daughter has a half-sibling – and the other mother is actually pretty great? What can family look like? (general fiction)
5/6: Home of the American Circus by Allison Larkin
After a medical emergency, Freya Arnalds returns to her hometown, moving into the house inherited from her parents and reckoning with trauma and bad memories even as she reconnects with old friends and builds a found family. (general fiction)
5/6: The Names by Florence Knapp
Cora’s husband, privately controlling but outwardly respected in the community, tells her what their newborn son’s name should be. Knapp presents three versions, what would unspool over the next 35 years if Cora let her daughter pick the name; if Cora named her son what she wants to; or if she followed her husband’s order. (general fiction)
5/13: The Dark Maestro by Brendan Slocumb
Cello prodigy Curtis Wilson is headed for greatness until his father’s actions land them in the witness protection program. But their best chance of survival may lie in pursuing those who want them dead. (thriller)
5/13: The Devils by Joe Abercrombie
Monk Brother Diaz has been charged with an unholy task: take charge of a group of murderers, monsters, and magic practitioners and journey to beat back the bloodthirsty elves at the kingdom’s borders. (fantasy)
5/13: The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong
Hai, a young man considering suicide, and Grazina, an older woman slipping into dementia, find one another and build a bond that changes the course of Hai’s life. (general fiction)
5/13: Marble Hall Murders by Anthony Horowitz
Editor Susan Ryeland is back, this time editing a new Atticus Pünd novel written by a ghost writer, and investigating clues in the book about the suspicious death of the authors grandmother. (mystery)
5/13: Run for the Hills by Kevin Wilson
When Madeline learns that she’s not an only child but instead one of many half-siblings, there’s only one thing to do – jump in the car with half-brother Reuben for an epic road trip tracking down their other siblings, piecing together a portrait of their father along the way. (general fiction)
5/13: The Stolen Heart by Andrey Kurkov, translated by Boris Dralyuk
In this second book featuring Detective Samson Kolechko set in 1920s Kyiv (following The Silver Bone), Kolechko juggles investigating illegal meat sales with the kidnapping of his fiancée. (historical mystery)
5/20: The Book of Records by Madeleine Thien
On their journey migrants Lina and her father arrive at The Sea, a liminal space where Lina is able to interact with neighbors from other eras. Conversations illuminate how we create belief systems, shape individual futures, and help Lina as her father begins a series of confessions. (general fiction)
5/20: The Doorman by Chris Pavone
Chicky Diaz is doorman at a luxury New York apartment. As the city – and the building – explode in turmoil, former Marine Chicky will draw on all his skills. (thriller)
5/20: Heart, Be at Peace by Donal Ryan
An Irish small town survives economic downturn, only to see new grudges and betrayal divide them from one another. (general fiction)
5/20: Spent by Alison Bechdel
In this graphic novel, a fictional Alison Bechdel runs a goat sanctuary, asking big questions about art and civilization while a TV adapation of her work hits the big time. From the author of Fun Home. (graphic novel)
5/27: Along Came Amor by Alexis Daria
Ava and Roman are clear on the rules of a one-night-stand, until they’re thrown together at her cousin’s wedding and their feelings turn serious, but complicated. (romance)
5/27: Autocorrect by Etgar Keret, translated by Jessica Cohen and Sondra Silverston
A collection of stories that mine small, everyday interactions to explore grand themes of reality and meaning. (general fiction)
5/27: Harmattan Season by Tochi Onyebuchi
In a fantastical West African city, PI Boubacar navigates the tension between French colonizers and indigenous citizens when he is called to investigate a series of attacks. (fantasy mystery)
5/27: Storybook Ending by Moira Macdonald
April, lonely, leaves an anonymous note in a book for Westley, a bookseller she has a crush on. But it’s customer Laura who finds the note, thinking Westley left it for her. Macdonald is the long running arts critic at The Seattle Times. (general fiction)
~ posted by Andrea G.
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