As the weather becomes sunnier and the birds begin chirping, inspiration to crack open a new book is suddenly surrounding us.
Each month, you can expect an exclusive ranked-and-reviewed list from Post Wanted. As an avid reader myself, I select new releases and hidden gems to flip through, complete and round up, exclusively for our bookish readers.
Unfortunately, May didn’t pan out to be a reading month for me, due to personal reasons. However, that didn’t stop me from staying up-to-date with trending titles in the book market. So, while I may have only finished one book — “Funny Story” by Emily Henry — I put together a top-button list, working hand-in-hand with the Amazon Book Editors to divulge the latest titles.
RELATED: Best April books we read, ranked and reviewed
Ahead, find the top titles released in May 2024. Hitting a span of genres, you’re bound to find a book that piques your interest ahead of summer reading. You’ll also want to check out our full list of every title from Reese’s Book Club for even more inspiration.
“This awe-inducing debut is a time travel-spy thriller-government conspiracy-love story, and so much more. In a near-future London, a time travel device is discovered by a top-secret agency,” Abby Abell, senior editor of Amazon Books Editorial, told the New York Post.
Here, they bring back “expats” from different times in history and pair them with “bridges” to help them acclimate to current times.
“This genre-bending novel explores humanity in all its frailty and potential, and how love can alter the course of history,” Abell added. “It’s a fantastical novel that’s funny, riveting, heartbreaking, and unputdownable.
“Erik Larson’s pace-y and tension-filled new book takes readers inside rooms where passions run high at the dawn of the Civil War, where new President Abraham Lincoln frets and inspires, where armies plan to sow ‘death and mayhem,’ where a single missed message can launch battleships, where gossip and romance, and power and influence, combust into ‘the single most consequential day of American history,'” Lindsay Powers, senior editor of Amazon Books Editorial, explained.
Not to mention, this best-of-the-month pick is the perfect Father’s Day gift.
Simply breathtaking, immersive and deep, “Real Americans” by Rachel Khong is the perfect book for the armchair traveler who loves family sagas and doesn’t mind a bit of magical realism mixed in for a bit of intrigue.
“This narrative spans three generations, taking the reader from New York City, the Pacific Northwest, Beijing, China and many other places in between, connecting three coming-of-age stories not only by lineage, but also ancestral decisions, circumstances and baggage,” Kami Tei, editor of Amazon Books Editorial, shared.
This pick is also a Read with Jenna book club pick.
“The magic of ‘skin & bones’ sank deep into my skin and bones and will stay with me for a long while,” Tei noted. “This beautiful tale is so rich, weaving together a narrative that is poetic and historical, but yet so deeply real that it was hard, at times, to remember it’s fiction.”
In essence, this is a love song to Portland’s Black community, the power of women connection, forgotten history, Wednesday love and showing up and showing out for yourself every day.
Prepare to be wildly entertained with Kevin Kwan’s (author of “Crazy Rich Asians“) couture-studded, globe-trotting tale of family, legacy and finding our own happiness.
“A surprising confession overheard — thanks to an unexpected hot microphone — at an over-the-top island wedding is just the first of many secrets spilled, hearts broken, and plans foiled, in a hilarious rom-com of wealth, prestige, shocking twists, and silver linings,” Seira Wilson, senior editor at Amazon Books Editorial, said. “Reading ‘Lies and Weddings’ is like taking a decadent vacation from your life without ever leaving your chair.”
“We devoured this novel, which is both an action-packed thriller and a terrorist tale that weaves themes of radicalization and obsession into a manhunt story, as an out-of-favor FBI agent and a pair of worried parents work desperately against the clock to locate a pair of would-be bombers,” Vannessa Cronin, senior editor of Amazon Books Editorial, highlighted.
Specifically, its different points of view are “smart and informed,” and with the high stakes it all adds up to a “fresh, thought-provoking take on the disaster thriller that’s utterly spellbinding.”
Colm Tóibín is at the top of his game in this emotionally nuanced follow-up to his beloved novel, “Brooklyn.”
“Long Island” takes place twenty years later and, with her marriage imploding, Eilis returns to her hometown in Ireland.
“Things haven’t changed much in Enniscorthy, and a reckoning awaits that will impact Eilis, the man she loved and left, and his betrothed — Eilis’ best friend,” Erin Kodicek, senior editor of Amazon Books Editorial,” chimed in. “‘Long Island’ is a masterful cautionary tale about the perils of leaving important things unsaid.”
“With ‘Great Cirlcle‘ and Amor Towles vibes, ‘The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle Club’ tells the story of a group of women who are determined to find independence after World War II,” Al Woodworth, senior editor at Amazon Books Editorial, said. “They are plucky, big-hearted, and garrulous and an absolute pleasure to read about.”
Not to mention, Simonson, of Mrs. Pettigrew fame, has written another delightfully optimistic and fun novel that is perfect for book clubs and summertime reading, which is why it’s one of the Amazon Editors’ Best Books of May.
“I went from cackling at the all-too-relatable workplace absurdities to crying by the end of this unexpected gem of a book,” Abell shared. “Jolene is a snarky, disaffected worker who ends up blind copied on all workplace communication. Horrifying. Once she gets over the initial humiliation, she devises a plan.”
Abell told us that she was rooting for Jolene every step of the way, and she “fell in love with the vibrant cast of characters who were rooting for her, too.”
This is a delight of a debut, perfect for fans of “Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine,” one of our personal favorites.
In “Challenger,” Higgenbotham ruthlessly shares the nitty gritty mechanics of how the United States’ first fatalities in space came to be.
“Your heart will pound as each hiccup, each budget reduction, each decision made before the crackle of the radio said ‘liftoff,'” Woodworth said. “The research, the testimonials, and the narrative make this a stand-out read for any space buff and anyone who loves epic stories that put you in the cockpit of ground-breaking history.”
Dubbed “a shimmering debut” by Woodworth, “Shanghailanders” is an equally juicy, less opulent, slightly more literary (but not pretentious), and more quiet, tension-filled “Crazy Rich Asians.”
“From luxurious apartments in Shanghai and bunkers in rural China, to Harvard dorm rooms and Parisian apartments, Min coaxes readers through the world of the Yangs, and the result is a tribute to the intrinsically ever-evolving nature of family; how love — in all of its many forms — changes, retreats and grows,” Woodworth added.
If you’re seeking a cinematic and pace-y read, this is the title for you.
Lost love, revenge, deception, truth and murder all keep the wheels turning in this excellent thriller, perfect for fans of “The Last Thing He Told Me.”
“Ariel Cafferty, a young woman left to raise a son alone after the love of her life ghosts her then dies, is more than a little disconcerted to receive a text from her late love, asking her to meet him,” Cronin explained. “Bowen keeps the suspense in high gear as she combines heartbreaking romance and mystery.”
“I challenge you to find a more perfect summer romance,” Abell noted. “This transporting, swoon-worthy novel follows Lucy as she visits Prince Edward Island (PEI) and has an instant connection, and an incredibly sexy night, with local Felix.”
But the world is small, and it turns out that Felix is her best friend Bridget’s brother, and very off limits. “The longing in this book is matched only by the incredible setting, and I didn’t want it to end,” she added.
“Johann Hari — author of one of our 2022 Best Books of the Year picks, ‘Stolen Focus‘ — has written the book I’ve been waiting for on the Ozempic craze,” Powers highlighted. “In the vein of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Hari examines these so-called miracle weight-loss drugs from all angles: his personal experience, the science and what’s next.”
His passionate storytelling comes through on every page, which opened Powers’ eyes to the promise —and dangers — of this new frontier of medicine.
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