It’s May! That means it’s time to gear up for the travel season and stack some new releases onto your TBR, whether you’re headed around the world, down the road, or staycationing in your own place. Here are five books that Hachette is releasing in May that are strong contenders for the next on your list!
This debut memoir from young adult author and poet Julian Randall takes the shape of a braided narrative: our narrator comes out of a horrible depression determined to retrace the history of his white-passing grandfather… a grandfather who was driven out of his Mississippi town by threat of being tarred and feathered. And all through this serious historical exploration, we get pop culture references to ground us in personal experiences of grief, family, and America at large. (Everything from Into the Spiderverse to Bojack Horseman.) I love it when the form of a memoir imitates its content—and this autobiography is a must-read this spring.
It’s a roadtrip romantic comedy—just in time for vacation season! Emma Townsend and Finn Hughes have a history of “almost.” Nothing has ever happened between them, but they always come really close… and the almost are a real relief because in the coolheaded light of day, they really can’t stand each other. When they’re both invited to the wedding of a mutual friend, they have no intention of interacting with each other. That is, until the bride goes missing, and they have to find her to save the wedding. Together. Let the games begin!
This literary novel follows 40-year-old single mother, Lena, who’s got the rhythm of her life down pat. That is, until on her wedding day, a surprise confession changes everything. Lena has to figure out how to deal with a major loss that makes her question everything she knew about her relationships, all while trying to teach her daughter to love herself. If you’re looking for a story of heartbreak and healing, this is the one for you.
Come with Noor on this coming-of-age tale as one catastrophe cascades into the next. When her father abandons her family, her mother moves them from Chicago to a small town. But it’s just for one year, her senior year. She’s determined to make the best of it, but then she discovers hundreds of books at her school library that have been removed for being “obscene,” “pornographic,” or simply written by queer and BIPOC authors… and that stirs her into action.
What a great title. This YA anthology features stories about monsters who are both familiar and original, from the Mothman to a girl with thirteen shadows, and all of them celebrate bold queerness. It features stories from all these contributors and more: Rob Costello, Kalynn Bayron, David Bowles, Shae Carys, Rob Costello, H.E. Edgmon, Michael Thomas Ford, Val Howlett, Brittany Johnson, Naomi Kanakia, Claire Kann, Jonathan Lenore Kastin, Sarah Maxfield, Sam J. Miller, Alexandra Villasante, and Merc Fenn Wolfmoor. So check this new book out both to follow up with an author you love already and to find your new favorite!
Mary Kay McBrayer is the author of America’s First Female Serial Killer: Jane Toppan and the Making of a Monster. You can find her short works at Oxford American, Narratively, Mental Floss, and FANGORIA, among other publications. She hosts the podcast about women in true crime, The Greatest True Crime Stories Ever Told. Follow Mary Kay McBrayer on Instagram and Twitter, or check out her author site here.
