There are an absolutely ridiculous amount of books coming out in May - I guess to kick off summer reading season? I’ve already read some of my most anticipated that I was lucky enough to get an early copy of, but there are so many more to go! Here are the ones I’m most excited about - if I’ve already read them, my rating is indicated next to them along with my review. And in addition to the books listed below, there are at least a dozen more I’m looking forward to reading as well!
Here they are by US pub date:
The Ferryman by Justin Cronin (5/2) - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 - This novel is set some time in the future on an island called Prospera, where people can live a pretty long time, and when they either have had enough or start deteriorate according to a meter on their arm, they “retire” and basically are born again in a new body without any of their memories. Much of the book unfolds from the perspective of a character named Proctor who is a “ferryman” like in the title because it’s his job to escort the retirees to the ferry they take to where they are reborn. I don’t want to say too much about the plot because it’s best uncovered yourself, but let’s just say it quickly becomes clear that perhaps this utopia might actually be a dystopia. I might be Justin Cronin’s biggest fan - he wrote my favorite series of all time, The Passage trilogy, and all together he’s written 5 books and all 5 have made my top ten lists over the years, the only author to ever achieve this feat. And based on this book, he’s likely to go 6 for 6! Whether he’s writing about characters in ordinary situations in our world (like in his first two books), or about characters in crazy dystopian societies (like in The Passage trilogy or this book), he’s just so amazing at creating characters you care about and really illuminating what it means to be human. I really couldn’t put this book down, with its great characters, eerie atmosphere, and some jaw dropping surprises along the way. Even though it’s 500+ pages I raced through it. And yes, I cried. And I can’t wait til anyone else I know reads it so I can discuss with them!
The Half Moon by Mary Beth Keane (5/2) - I loved Mary Beth Keane’s book Ask Again Yes, and I’m looking forward to her new one, described by the publisher as a novel “about a couple in a small town who must navigate the complexities of marriage, family, and longing.”
The Bird Hotel by Joyce Maynard (5/2) - I was late to discover Joyce Maynard, but her most recent book, Count the Ways, was one of my top ten favorite books of 2022. I want to catch up on her long backlist, but I’ll start by reading her new book. Per the publisher, it’s about a hotel in a small Central American village, the woman who runs it, and various characters who either live in or come to visit the village.
Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley (5/2) - I loved Boulley’s debut novel, The Firekeeper’s Daughter, a dark and excellent young adult mystery set on a Native American reservation and surrounding town in Michigan. This sounds like another interesting one set in the same community, about a Native teenager who discovers the local university has the bones of one her tribal ancestors in its museum archives, and seeks to have them returned to the tribe.
Late Bloomers by Deepa Varadarajan (5/2) - This debut novel sounds so charming. It’s about a couple who decide to split 36 years after their arranged marriage, and the effects on them and their adult children.
No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister (5/2) - I have enjoyed a few of Bauermeister’s previous books, and this one sounds unique. Per the publisher, it’s a novel about how one fictional writer’s novel changes nine readers’ lives.
The Comeback Summer by Ali Brady (5/9) - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - This novel is about 20something sisters Libby and Hannah, who are running the PR company their grandmother founded. To win the business of a famous self-help advisor, they agree to follow her 12 week plan which requires them to self-assess to get out of their comfort zones. Alternating points of view between the two sisters, this book is so much more than a romance, though you do get two different romance plots. But just as much more attention is given to the sisters’ relationship with each other, their career goals, and their reluctant self-help journey which ends up opening their eyes to a lot of things. I loved author duo Ali Brady’s first novel, The Beach Trap, and loved this one just as much if not more. Like if you crossed a Christina Lauren book with a Jennifer Weiner book, you would get this book. Loved the sisters’ evolving relationship, loved the romance, and it even gave me some food for thought about my own comfort zones!
Atlas by Lucinda Riley (5/11) - I love Lucinda Riley and especially have loved the journey she took readers on with her Seven Sisters series. I was devastated when she passed away, but excited that her son took it upon himself to conclude the series with this eighth book. I seriously can’t wait to read it!
The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren (5/16) - I love author duo Christina Lauren’s rom coms! When I read their novel The Soulmate Equation a few years ago, I said I hoped they’d do a spin off with the side character in that book, a woman named Fizzy. And I guess I wasn’t the only one who said that, because that’s just what they did! I am so excited to read it!
On Fire Island by Jane L Rosen (5/23) - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - This novel starts with main character Julia passing away from cancer. But rather than move on, she ends up sticking around to observe her husband and some friends/neighbors for one last summer on their beloved Fire Island. So through Julia’s perspective, we focus primarily on her husband grieving and slowly learning how to move on, her best friend coping with single life after divorce, and her best friend’s teenage son dealing with watching his mom date and contemplating his changing relationship with the girl he’s been best friends with since they were kids - interspersed with Julia sharing stories of her life with Ben. A friend of mine passed away shortly before I read this, so I must admit I was a little nervous to pick it up. And I cried at both the beginning and end of the book, but in between I’m happy to say that the book was lighter than the description might make you think. Julia is sort of a fun third party narrator to the lives of the people she is observing - not omniscient as she doesn’t know what they’re thinking, but providing her own commentary on their actions, making this book as much a portrait of small town life as a book about grief. And speaking of the setting, I’ve never been to Fire Island, but this book totally made me feel like I had - one of those books where the setting is almost a character in and of itself. So, another winner from Jane L Rosen, who has become a must read author for me!
The Celebrants by Steven Rowley (5/30) - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - This novel is about a group of 5 college friends over the decades. Just before college graduation, the 6th member of their friend group died, and in the wake of that death, they made a pact that in the years to come, any of them could reach out to the group when they needed and make the call for them to gather for a “living funeral” of sorts - basically to get the tributes and support of the group while they were alive. As the book starts, they’re now 50 years old - but how will everything change now that one of them is facing his mortality for real? The book then flashes back and forth between the present day and each of the past funerals they gathered for. Although it also deals with the subject of grief, this book is definitely different in tone from Steven Rowley’s breakout hit of two years ago, The Guncle. It reminded me more of the type of writing of books by Jonathan Tropper and Matthew Norman (indeed Norman’s last book, All Together Now, is about a group of college friends who gather for a vacation where one reveals that he is dying). It is perhaps a tiny bit less unique and special than The Guncle, but I still loved it! I’m just a little younger than the characters in this book, so I really could relate to both the pop culture references for their time in college, and the ways your friendships with your college friends change over the years.
Drowning by TJ Newman (5/30) - TJ Newman’s debut novel Falling is one of my favorite thrillers of the last few years. And I’ve heard that this one is just as good if not better, so I’m excited! Just don’t read it while flying, since it’s about a plane that crashed into the ocean and the rescue operation trying to save them.
The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer (5/30) - Per the publisher, this debit novel is about a reclusive children’s book author who disappeared years ago but resurfaces with a new book and a life-changing competition to win the only copy. This just sounds like such a fun one, and I’m looking forward to reading it!
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Are any of these on your to-read list? Have you read any of these already? Any other books publishing in May that you're excited for?
Just heard of The Celebrants and per your summary, it has some elements of another May release called "There Are No Rules For This", the debut novel from JJ Elliott, which I just read and loved. Would be curious to hear your take on the two if you read "There Are No Rules..." Thanks!
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