From ’s eagerly anticipated memoir to a long-awaited sequel to Colm Tóibín’s beloved novel , the best books coming in May offer a range of choices for every reader. Those looking for a good laugh should check out the latest high-society comedy from author or filmmaker Miranda July’s first novel in 10 years, which offers a profoundly humorous take on menopause and mortality. ’s sensual followup to her 2018 best-seller is sure to keep readers on their toes, while scholar Deborah Paredez’s tribute to America’s finest divas offers an important lesson in pop-culture etymology.
Here, the 14 new books to read this month.
Coming Home, Brittney Griner (May 7)
On Feb. 17, 2022, WNBA player Brittney Griner was , where she played professionally in the offseason, for possessing cannabis oil, a substance that is illegal in the country. (At the time, Griner’s Russian lawyers stated that she had been prescribed medical cannabis for pain management by her doctors in the U.S.) The celebrated athlete was sentenced to nine years in prison for drug smuggling and served in a Russian penal colony until the U.S. government was able to broker a prisoner swap in December 2022, trading her for convicted Russian arms dealer . Griner’s memoir, Coming Home, which she co-authored with Michelle Burford, details all of this and more, offering a raw look at the harrowing experience that has turned her into an outspoken advocate for Americans who have been .
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Shanghailanders, Juli Min (May 7)
Juli Min’s ambitious debut novel, Shanghailanders, is a thrilling, futuristic family drama that captures the joys, disappointments, and inside jokes of one Shanghai family in reverse chronological order. Starting in 2040 and working its way back to 2014, the book unspools the shared and separate lives of the wealthy Yangs: Chinese real estate investor Leo, his elegant Japanese French wife Eko, their precocious eldest daughters Yumi and Yoko, and the baby of the family, aspiring actress Kiko. By giving readers the gift of hindsight, Min shows how one enigmatic family falls apart and comes back together over several decades.
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