Our Most Anticipated New Book Releases of May 2022

Taking place after the Mexican War of Independence, Isabel Cañas’ supernatural debut is an atmospheric and spine tingling story of witchcraft and a house with dark powers that’s perfect for fans of Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina by Zoraida Córdova. Our recommendation: Keep the lights on. We can’t wait for the next book from Cañas! 

Electric and enthralling, Elektra follows three women entangled in a curse, each of them fighting for their own destinies despite being relegated to the wings. Clytemnestra is betrayed by her husband, Princess Cassandra can see prophecies, yet no one will believe her, and Elektra longs for her father to return from war. All are connected, and yet all three women have different hopes and desires to defy the curse that binds them all, releasing them to their own destinies. If you loved Ariadne, this story is for you. 

Steadfast and cutthroat literary agent Nora Stephens begrudgingly goes on a month-long sister trip where she finds Charlie, a book editor who she’s had a lot of unfortunate dealings with — and is just as stubborn as she is. This small town is not big enough for the two of them. Books, reading, book lovers and tsundoku are all words that send our hearts a flutter. Consider this your most swoon-worthy read of the summer!  

Charlie Hall is trying to right the wrongs of her past, but everything is not as it seems in a world with shadow magic and doubling, reminding her that even our darkest side must see the light.  Book of the Night is the incomparable Holly Black’s adult dark fantasy debut; everything you loved about The Cruel Prince series, now for adults. 

Tova Sullivan is no stranger to grief, and after her husband’s death, she decides to work the night shift at the aquarium in order to keep herself busy. With the help of a giant octopus named Marcellus, Tova discovers a friendship and reckoning that sets her on a path of healing. Perfect for fans of A Man Called Ove and Good Company. “Remarkably Bright Creatures is a beautiful examination of how loneliness can be transformed, cracked open, with the slightest touch from another living thing. Shelby Van Pelt makes good on this wild conceit … her writing is so finely tuned that it’s a natural element of a larger story about family, about loss, and the electricity of something found.” —Kevin Wilson, author of Nothing to See Here 

Jason Rekulak lives to dream up stories. From publishing and editing to writing, there is not a single second where Rekulak isn’t thinking of ways to get YOU reading and imagining. Follow the story that he conjures up and you are guaranteed to lose yourself in the day and specifically, Hidden Pictures.

If you loved If the Shoe Fits, then to your delight, here is ANOTHER Disney romance retelling in the latest of the Meant to Be series, By the Book by Jasmine Guillory. This is a romance win-win read! One of our favorite rom-com authors revisits one of YOUR favorite Disney stories — a reworking of Beauty and the Beast. The only question is, why didn’t this pairing happen sooner?

How often do we wish we could go back in time and redo a critical moment in our lives? One day short of 40 years, Alice has very few complaints about her current life, although she can’t help but feel like something is missing. When she wakes in the body of her 16-year-old self, she is able to look at her life, and especially her relationship with her father, from a whole new perspective.  Fans of Straub’s All Adults Here and One Italian Summer by Rebecca Searle will love this unconventional story of family and time travel. 

It’s all fun and games until your past comes back to haunt you, and that’s a whole ride in and of itself. Kiersten White had us with the words “an abandoned amusement park” and the cover of this supernatural thriller had us intrigued but terrified. If you were a fan of Squid Game, you’ll understand that the rules are quite simple: Survive and you win the money. We hope you’re good at hide-and-seek! 

Here’s the Jane Austen/Agatha Christie summer house party mash-up you’ve been dreaming about. The perfect locked-room mystery AND the elegance and literary pedigree of your favorite Jane Austen characters. You are cordially invited to this summer soiree.

Simu Liu impressed us with his skills, made history as the first Asian superhero in film and stole many hearts with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Here he is with another debut, as author of his new memoir, We Were Dreamers. Talking about his challenges with culture and belonging as an adolescent and leaving behind what he always knew to pursue his dreams, this inspiring memoir is not to be missed this month. 

Luli Wei is a young aspiring actress who wants nothing more than to be on the big screen, no matter the cost. The Night Circus meets The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo in this dazzling story of blood bargains and magic. Inspired by the life of Chinese American actress Anna May Wong, Siren Queen tells the story of one woman’s climb to the top while feeling like an outsider in her industry.  

What is summer without a whirlwind romance with the perfect guy, or two? Moving on after profound grief has never been so complicated. Last year, we were absolutely stunned by The Death of Vivek Oji. Akwaeke Emezi, switches gears and delivers a very fun and steamy romance set in a world of art and celebrity with their own take on second chances. Perfect for fans of Luster and Seven Days in June. 

We can only imagine what it’s like growing up in the spotlight and not being able to be your true self at all times, but why does it always take a tragic moment to finally cause us to make overdue changes? Part memoir, part confession and part cautionary tale, Colton Haynes’ Miss Memory Lane is an honest look inside the life of a celebrity that reminds us that all is not as it appears through the rosy lens of social media. 

If you enjoyed Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club, then here’s ANOTHER club for you to join! Grab a pencil, a tumbler of scotch and deep need to solve a local murder. Make that TWO local murders. On second thought, make that THREE local murders. This is a fast and fun read.

Alexis Hall wrote Boyfriend Material in 2020. And, his follow-up, Husband Material will be out in August 2022! We’ve said this before, and we will continue to say it — we LOVE the way romance authors are branching out to reach all fans. We know you will enjoy this historical romance as much as you did Boyfriend Material. Not to mention, how else are you going to get your Alexis Hall fix between now and August? *Smiley AND heart emoji.*

Selma Blair has rightfully earned the title of “Hollywood Sweetheart” but before all of that, she was known as “Mean Baby.” In her new memoir of the same name, Blair talks her many roles on and off the screen: daughter, sister, mother and more, without shying away from talking about the darkness that often appeared throughout her life, including her addiction to alcohol, and how her MS diagnosis was a relief after a series of unexplained health problems. 

We can’t get enough fairytale reimaginings and we loved Heather Walter’s take on “Sleeping Beauty” in Malice so much that we made it one of Our Monthly Picks! The tables have turned, and the second book in the Malice duology continues the queer love story between Alyce and Aurora, except this time, it is Alyce who must do the saving. Join us on Tuesday, May 10 at 7PM ET as Heather Walter and Chloe Gong discuss Misrule in a ticketed virtual event. 

The very clever and fast-paced book-within-a-book about money and power, exile and isolation from Pulitzer Prize finalist Hernan Diaz. Who can you trust to tell the true story? Four voices come together in this story with a fantastic payoff at the end.  A terrific recommendation for readers who couldn’t put down Gold Diggers, Fates and Furies or How Beautiful We Were.