A Basic Guide to May Releases
50+ New Books Calling My Name
Hi friends! I’m still reading and anticipating new releases on my social media break and couldn’t resist sharing what has caught my eye. This certainly isn’t ALL the books releasing in May but a mere sneak peek at what lies ahead.
Be sure to let me know if we share any anticipated reads or if I missed anything of significance.
Late To The Search Party by Steven Espada Dawson
A raw, crystalline debut poetry collection exploring themes of family, addiction, belonging, and loss—a searching elegy of the fissures that have come to define contemporary American life.
The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North
With his signature shock and suspense, Alex North brings us The Man Made of Smoke. In turn emotional, introspective, and utterly terrifying, this is a story of fathers and sons, shadows and secrets, and the fight we all face to escape the trauma of the past.
Run for the Hills by Kevin Wilson
Infused with deadpan wit, zany hijinks, and enormous heart, Run for the Hills is a sibling story like no other—a novel about a family forged under the most unlikely circumstances and united by hope in an unknown future.
The Missing Half by Ashley Flowers
Two women haunted by their sisters’ unsolved disappearances band together in this captivating mystery from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of All Good People Here and host of the #1 true crime podcast Crime Junkie.
Parents Weekend by Alex Finlay
In the glow of their children’s exciting first year of college at a small private school in Northern California, five families plan on a night of dinner and cocktails for the opening festivities of Parents Weekend. As the parents stay out way past their bedtimes, their kids—five residents of Campisi Hall—never show up at dinner.
I Hope You Remember by Josie Balka
For fans of Rupi Kaur and Cleo Wade, this first collection of poetry from the viral TikTok poet Josie Balka evokes themes of nostalgia, love, envy, and hope, speaking to the universal longings that live deep in our souls.
The Names by Florence Knapp
The extraordinary novel that asks: Can a name change the course of a life?
With exceptional sensitivity and depth, Knapp draws us into the story of one family, told through a prism of what-ifs, causing us to consider the "one . . . precious life" we are given. The book’s brilliantly imaginative structure, propulsive storytelling, and emotional, gut-wrenching power are certain to make The Names a modern classic.
My Friends by Fredrik Backman
#1 New York Times bestselling author Fredrik Backman returns with an unforgettably funny, deeply moving tale of four teenagers whose friendship creates a bond so powerful that it changes a complete stranger’s life twenty-five years later.
Home of The American Circus by Allison Larkin
Set in the birthplace of the American circus, this deeply moving novel is an exploration of broken families, the weight of the past, and the complicated journey of finding home.
Shopgirls by Jessica Anya Blau
From the author of the “delightful” (New York Times Book Review) Mary Jane, a new novel of found family, growing up, and the best and worst of the 1980s, revolving around San Francisco’s most exclusive department store, I. Magnin.
My Name is Emilia Del Valle by Isabel Allende
In this spellbinding historical novel from the New York Times bestselling author of A Long Petal of the Sea and The Wind Knows My Name, a young writer journeys to South America to uncover the truth about her father—and herself.
The Original Daughter by Jemimah Wei
In this dazzling debut, Stegner Fellow Jemimah Wei explores the formation and dissolution of family bonds in a story of ambition and sisterhood in turn-of-the-millennium Singapore.
Second Life: Having A Child in the Digital Age by Amanda Hess
At once funny, heartbreaking, and surreal, Second Life is a journey that spans a network of fertility apps, prenatal genetic tests, gender reveal videos, rare disease Facebook groups, “freebirth” influencers, and hospital reality shows. Hess confronts technology’s distortions as they follow her through pregnancy and into her son’s early life. The result is a critical record of our digital age that reveals the unspoken ways our lives are being fractured and reconstituted by technology.
Bad Friend: How Women Revolutionized Modern Friendship by Tiffany Watt Smith
A smart and thought-provoking memoir, history, and cultural critique about the turmoil and complexity of female friendship.
This is Your Mother: A Memoir by Erika J. Simpson
From “a writer who’s absolutely going places” (Roxane Gay), a remarkable, inventive debut memoir about a mother-daughter relationship across cycles of poverty, separation, and illness, exploring how we forge identity in the face of imminent loss.
The Retirement Plan by Sue Hincenbergs
Three best friends turn to murder to collect on their husbands’ life insurance policies… But the husbands have a plan of their own in this darkly funny debut that will delight readers from the first laugh to the final twist.
The End is the Beginning: A Personal History of My Mother by Jill Bialosky
Jill Bialosky, the poet behind the “tender, absorbing, and deeply moving memoir” (Entertainment Weekly) History of a Suicide, returns with a lyrical portrait of her mother’s life, told in reverse order from burial to birth.
One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune
A radiant escape to the lake from #1 New York Times bestselling author of Every Summer After and This Summer Will Be Different.
Time Loops & Meet Cutes by Jackie Lau
The “masterful, inspiring, and full of heart” (Ali Hazelwood, New York Times bestselling author) Jackie Lau returns with a thoroughly unique love story about a woman reliving the same Friday over and over again—and the intriguing man who can’t quite remember her.
I'll Look So Hot in a Coffin by Carla Sosenko
A “raw, vulnerable, and utterly hilarious” (Harper’s Bazaar) memoir about one woman’s experience living with a deformity, and her quest to find freedom and joy in her body.
Silver Elite by Dani Francis
In the first book of a sizzling dystopian romance series, psychic gifts are a death sentence and there are rules to survival: Trust no one. Lie to everyone. And whatever you do, don’t fall for your greatest enemy.
Dirty Kitchen by Jill Damatac
In the style of Crying in H Mart and Minor Feelings, filmmaker Jill Damatac blends memoir, food writing, and colonial history as she cooks her way through recipes from her native-born Philippines and shares stories of her undocumented family in America.
The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong
Ocean Vuong returns with a bighearted novel about chosen family, unexpected friendship, and the stories we tell ourselves in order to survive.
Dying To Meet You by Sarina Bowen
From the author of The Five Year Lie comes a new twisty thriller that probes how well we actually know the men in our lives.
Maine Characters by Hannah Orenstein
From beloved author Hannah Orenstein, this love letter to lake life is “the Parent Trap for adults,” the story of two half-sisters who meet for the first time at their father’s cabin in Maine after his unexpected death.
Speak To Me of Home by Jeanine Cummins
A striking, resonant examination of marriage, family, and identity, Speak to Me of Home is ultimately a story of mothers and daughters that asks: How can three women who share geography and genetics have such wildly different ideas of where they come from? And, more important, can they discover a common language to find their way back home?
Detained: A boy's journal of survival and resilience by D. Esperanza and Gerardo Ivan Morales
The first-ever memoir of a child’s experience in detention on the US/Mexico border under President Trump’s infamous family separation policy.
Sleep by Honor Jones
From a dazzling new talent, the story of a newly divorced young mother forced to reckon with the secrets of her own childhood when she brings her daughters back to the big house where she was raised.
Slaying You by Michelle Gagnon
A wildly funny thriller about reluctant partners who hit the danger jackpot when they discover that a serial killer is on their heels . . . again.
Dark Maestro by Brendan Slocumb
A propulsive and moving story about sacrifice, loyalty, and the indomitable human spirit, The Dark Maestro is Brendan Slocumb at the height of his powers.
The Boy From the Sea by Garrett Carr
Set on Ireland’s west coast in the 1970s and 80s, a captivating debut novel about a baby boy who is discovered on the beach beside a small fishing town, as told by the locals who fall under the boy’s transfixing spell.
A Sharp Endless Need by Marisa Crane
A propulsive and nostalgic coming-of-age novel about an all-consuming relationship between two teammates on a girls’ high school basketball team, from the Lambda Literary Award–winning author of I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself.
Immaculate Conception by Ling Ling Huang
What if you could enter the mind of the person you love the most?
Blisteringly smart, thought-provoking, and shocking, Immaculate Conception offers us a portrait of close friendship—achingly tender and twisted—that captures the tenuous line between love and possession that will haunt you long after you turn the final page.
Aftertaste by Daria Lavelle
What if you could have one last meal with someone you’ve loved, someone you’ve lost? Combining the magic of Under the Whispering Door with the high-stakes culinary world of Sweetbitter, Aftertaste is an epic love story, a dark comedy, and a synesthetic adventure through food and grief.
The Memory Collectors by Dete Meserve
Four strangers time travel to the past and find themselves stuck on the day all their lives were changed in this stunning speculative mystery from award-winning film and television producer Dete Meserve, perfect for fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold, Wrong Place Wrong Time and The Paradox Hotel.
We Live Here Now by Sarah Pinborough
Award-winning author of New York Times bestselling breakout novel (and hit Netflix show) Behind Her Eyes returns with a haunting Gothic novel about a house—and a marriage—gone terribly wrong.
Courtroom DramaCourtroom Drama by Neely Tubati Alexander
Legally Blonde and Jury Duty meet The Real Housewives in this high-stakes courtroom love story—a sexy and sweet but heartfelt novel about friendship, romance, and reality television from the acclaimed author of Love Buzz and In a Not So Perfect World.
Their Double Lives by Jaime Lynn Hendricks
A down-on-her-luck waitress at a posh New Jersey country club, Kim Valva couldn't be living a more different life from the carefree socialites she serves. Her live-in boyfriend recently cheated on her, her social life is in shambles, and her dog needs a life-saving surgery that she can't afford. Then her luck seems to change when a mysterious figure identifying themself only as The Stranger contacts her with an offer she can't refuse: Put a pill in the new member's drink and, when he dies, she'll have enough money to fix her dog and her life.
The Ascent by Allison Buccola
What would you do if the past showed up on your doorstep?
A woman who grew up in a cult must decide if she can trust the stranger claiming to have answers to the dark mysteries of her childhood in this irresistible thriller.
The Girls of Good Fortune by Kristina McMorris
A captivating tale of resilience and hope, The Girls of Good Fortune explores the complexity of family and identity, the importance of stories that echo through generations, and the power of strength found beneath the surface.
Safari by Jaclyn Goldis
When a wealthy family goes on a South African safari, a series of shocking murders rocks their exclusive compound in this unputdownable thriller from the acclaimed author of the “rollicking good fun” (The Wall Street Journal) The Main Character.
Sike by Fred Lunzer
A story of boy meets girl meets AI therapist, Sike explores our aching pursuit of love and self-control.
The Last Ferry Out by Andrea Bartz
On a trip to the tropical paradise where her fiancée died, a young woman begins to suspect the death was no accident—and the killer’s still on the island—in this twisty thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of Reese's Book Club pick We Were Never Here.
Our Last Wild Days by Anna Bailey
From the author of the “irresistible” (Paula Hawkins, #1 New York Times bestselling author) Where the Truth Lies, an atmospheric novel about a young woman who searches for answers after her estranged friend is found dead in the bayou of their rural Louisiana hometown.
What Will People Think? by Sarah Hamdan
Mia’s secret comedy career, forbidden office crush, and a long-guarded family secret take center stage, threatening her newfound confidence and her one shot at fame in this hilarious, heartfelt coming-of-age story perfect for fans of Curtis Sittenfeld and Etaf Rum.
Food Person by Adam Roberts
For fans of Alison Espach's The Wedding People and Dolly Alderton's Good Material, a delectable comedy of manners about cooking, ambition, and friendship set in the food world as a young and socially awkward writer takes a job ghostwriting the cookbook for a famous (and famously chaotic) Hollywood starlet.
Lloyd McNeil's Last Ride by Will Leitch
From the Alex Award-winning and Edgar-nominated author of How Lucky, this twisty, funny, and ultimately uplifting novel follows a father in a race against time to provide for his child.
Martha's Vineyard Beach and Book Club by Martha Hall Kelly
Two sisters living on Martha’s Vineyard during World War II find hope in the power of storytelling when they start a wartime book club for women in this spectacular novel inspired by true events, from the New York Times bestselling author of Lilac Girls.
The Bombshell by Darrow Farr
A young woman's radicalization sparks a widespread movement and media frenzy in this explosive novel of youthful passion, political awakening and first love, by an extraordinary new talent.
Storybook Ending by Moira Macdonald
A charming story about romance, friendship, and a love of books, in which two women—a lonely remote worker and a widowed single mom—and a handsome local bookstore clerk find themselves in an unusual love triangle when an anonymous note left in a book finds the wrong recipient.
Beach House Rules by Kristy Woodson Harvey
“Southern bestselling sensation” (Katie Couric Media) Kristy Woodson Harvey returns with a delightfully moving new novel about a mother-daughter duo learning to lean on their community of women—and each other—after their world is turned upside down.
Tell Them You Lied by Laura Leffler
Two New York artists’ tumultuous friendship gets turned on its head when one of them goes missing and the other may be to blame. A riveting debut novel for readers of Bunny, Luckiest Girl Alive, and “Who Is the Bad Art Friend?”
The Busybody Book Club by Freya Sampson
They can’t even agree on what to read, so how are they going to solve a murder?
Whispers of Dead Girls by Marlee Bush
Goodreads Most Anticipated Spring 2025 Mysteries and Thrillers
She's right. It can never happen again. She won't let it.
Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood
What is wrong meets what feels right in this romance set in Italy by the New York Times bestselling author of Deep End.
Let me know what book(s) you’re most excited for in the comments!
I’m excited to read The Names! Although I’ll need to wait to read it, my bookclub is discussing this title in mid-July, so I’ll hold-off reading the book for awhile. But all the hype - how can I ignore?!?!
Thank you for this!