Top new literary-fiction books in May 2025
Last updated:
May 31, 2025
May 2025 featuring new releases by Kevin Wilson, Jeanine Cummins, Fredrik Backman, Michael Connelly, Isabel Allende, Frances Riddle, Martha Hall Kelly, Emma Jane Unsworth, John Boyne, Allison Larkin, Lana Corujo and many more.
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Run for the Hills by Kevin Wilson
An unexpected road trip across America brings a family together, in this raucous and moving new novel from the bestselling author of Nothing to See Here.Ever since her dad left them twenty years ago, it’s just been Madeline Hill and her mom on their farm in Coalfield, Tennessee. While she sometimes admits it’s a bit lonely and a less exciting life than she imagined for herself, it’s mostly OK...north-america · usa · tennessee · fiction · audiobook · contemporary · humor · family · journey · literary-fiction -
![Speak to Me of Home by Jeanine Cummins]()
Speak to Me of Home by Jeanine Cummins
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jeanine Cummins comes a deeply felt multigenerational family story that asks: What does it mean to call a place home?On her wedding day in San Juan, Puerto Rico in 1968, Rafaela Acuña y Daubón has mild misgivings, but she marries Peter Brennan Jr. anyway, in a blaze of romantic optimism...fiction · historical-fiction · audiobook · family · historical · literary-fiction · season-summer · hispanic · book · adult -
![My Friends by Fredrik Backman]()
My Friends by Fredrik Backman
21 hours, 30 minutes #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 stranger’s life twenty-five years later...europe · scandinavia · sweden · fiction · contemporary · literary-fiction · realistic · audiobook · season-summer · friendship -
![Nightshade by Michael Connelly]()
Nightshade by Michael Connelly
#1 New York Times bestselling author Michael Connelly introduces a new cop relentlessly following his mission in the seemingly idyllic setting of Catalina island. #1 New York Times bestselling author Michael Connelly introduces a new cop relentlessly following his mission in the seemingly idyllic setting of Catalina island...mystery · fiction · law-enforcement · suspense · crime · male-author · police-procedural · literary-fiction · murder · thriller -
![My Name Is Emilia del Valle by Isabel Allende, Frances Riddle]()
My Name Is Emilia del Valle by Isabel Allende, Frances Riddle
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.In San Francisco 1866, an Irish nun, left pregnant and abandoned following a torrid relationship with a Chilean aristocrat, gives birth to a daughter named Emilia Del Valle...north-america · usa · california · historical-fiction · fiction · historical · literary-fiction · latinx-mc · romantic-love · mystery -
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![The Martha's Vineyard Beach and Book Club by Martha Hall Kelly]()
The 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 Timesbestselling author of Lilac Girls.“A dreamy beach book that also sizzles with tension . . . another winner by one of the best historical fiction writers around...north-america · usa · massachusetts · historical-fiction · fiction · ww2 · historical · audiobook · season-summer · war -
![Slags by Emma Jane Unsworth]()
Slags by Emma Jane Unsworth
Slag. Noun. A promiscuous woman, of cheap or questionable character. Mostly derogatory. Sometimes affectionate.Takes one to know one…Sisters Sarah and Juliette are going on a whisky-fuelled campervan road-trip across Scotland to celebrate Juliette’s birthday – and they’re going to dig up some demons from the past.Sarah is 15.SEXUAL 2...fiction · audiobook · contemporary · feminism · coming-of-age · mental-illness · literary-fiction · journey · family · friendship -
![Air by John Boyne]()
Air by John Boyne
From internationally bestselling author John Boyne, a contemplative story about one man trying to move forward from the trauma of his youth to become a better father to his son.Being in limbo, 30,000 feet in the air, offers time to reflect and take stock... -
![Home of the American Circus by Allison Larkin]()
Home of the American Circus by Allison Larkin
The acclaimed author of the “lyrical coming-of-age novel” (Good Morning America) The People We Keep returns with a luminous new story of redemption, breaking generational curses, and the power of family in its truest form...fiction · contemporary · audiobook · literary-fiction · family · coming-of-age · small-town · found-family · female-mc · friendship -
![Han cantado bingo by Lana Corujo]()
Han cantado bingo by Lana Corujo
Todo empieza con un algunas noches, en los diez minutos suspendidos antes de que Abuela regrese del bingo, dos hermanas salen a escondidas por la puerta de atrás hasta El Ahorcado —un volcán redondo como una panza bocarriba—, cuentan hasta tres y corren de vuelta sin mirar atrás...fiction · magical-realism · contemporary · female-author · coming-of-age · family · literary-fiction · book · adult -
![Albion by Anna Hope]()
Albion by Anna Hope
A finely crafted, propulsive, and nuanced story of family, inheritance, and accountability that shakes the country house novel to its foundations from the internationally acclaimed author of Expectation.The Brookes are gathering in their eighteenth-century ancestral home—twenty bedrooms of carved Sussex sandstone—to bury their patriarch, Philip...fiction · literary-fiction · family · historical-fiction · contemporary · audiobook · drama · book · adult -
![The Book of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey]()
The Book of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey
In an alternate world where nobody won WWII, three brothers are the only boys left in an orphanage whose dark secret is the reason for their existence—and the key to their survival—from the acclaimed author of Pet.After a very different outcome to WWII than the one history recorded, 1979 England is a country ruled by a government whose aims have sinister underpinnings and alliances...europe · british-isles · united-kingdom · england · fiction · historical-fiction · dystopia · mystery · sci-fi · literary-fiction -
![Where the Rivers Merge by Mary Alice Monroe]()
Where the Rivers Merge by Mary Alice Monroe
"This is book club fiction at its finest!" —Lisa Wingate, #1 New York Times bestselling author From New York Times bestselling author Mary Alice Monroe comes her highly anticipated Where the Rivers Merge, the first of two epic and triumphant novels celebrating one intrepid woman's life across multiple generations in the American South... -
![Shopgirls by Jessica Anya Blau]()
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.Nineteen-year-old Zippy can hardly believe she’s the newest and youngest salesgirl at I. Magnin, “San Francisco’s Finest Department Store... -
![Rytual by Chloe Elisabeth Wilson]()
Rytual by Chloe Elisabeth Wilson
Marnie Sellick is adrift when she lands a job at the coveted, mysterious beauty brand rytuał cosmetica.The enigmatic founder and CEO, Luna Peters, takes a liking to Marnie, and as the two grow closer Marnie becomes intoxicated by the life that Luna, and rytuał, can offer her.But all is not what it seems at rytuał...fiction · contemporary · audiobook · literary-fiction · lgbtq · crime · cults · fundamentalism · wlw · workplace -
![Strawberry Spring by Stephen King, Milo Ventimiglia, Garrett Hedlund,, Sydney Sweeney]()
Strawberry Spring by Stephen King, Milo Ventimiglia, Garrett Hedlund,, Sydney Sweeney
Based on the short story by Stephen King, Strawberry Spring is a scripted podcast set against the backdrop of the sixties revolution on the campus of New Sharon College. We follow a generation of students who don't trust authority, the futile efforts of the local police, and a young, determined reporter as he chases the bloody trail of Springheel Jack, an unrelenting, modern-day Jack the Ripper... -
![The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong]()
The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong
Ocean Vuong returns with a big-hearted novel about chosen family, unexpected friendship, and the stories we tell ourselves in order to survive One late summer evening in the post-industrial town of East Gladness, Connecticut, nineteen-year-old Hai stands on the edge of a bridge in pelting rain, ready to jump, when he hears someone shout across the river... -
![Čas vos by Alena Mornštajnová]()
Čas vos by Alena Mornštajnová
Pomsta, nebo odpuštění? Román o moci minulosti a síle květin.Bára a Ptáčník. Dva lidé, jejichž cesty se protnuly dávno předtím, než se ti dva potkali. Bára je přesvědčená, že její život by byl mnohem šťastnější, kdyby do něj před lety kdosi nezasáhl a nezměnil jeho směr. Minulost už sice nevrátí, ale může se pokusit přepsat ji v paměti lidí. A taky přemýšlí o pomstě... -
![I Can't Even Think Straight by Dean Atta]()
I Can't Even Think Straight by Dean Atta
Big decisions and messy relationships. It's all part of life for Kai. A must-read queer coming of age story for fans of Sarah Crossan and Sex Education, written in verse by Stonewall-Award-winning, Carnegie-shortlisted author Dean Atta.Kai is going into a new school year with some big decisions to when to come out as gay, what he wants to do in life and who he wants to date...romance · young-adult · lgbtq · contemporary · realistic · audiobook · fiction · coming-of-age · poc-mc · humor -
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![The Book of Records by Madeleine Thien]()
The Book of Records by Madeleine Thien
A novel that leaps across centuries past and future, as if different eras were separated by only a door.Lina and her father have arrived at an enclave called The Sea, a staging-post between migrations, with only a few possessions. In this mysterious and shape-shifting place, a building made of time, pasts and futures collide... -
![Lonely Mouth by Jacqueline Maley]()
Lonely Mouth by Jacqueline Maley
From the bestselling author of The Truth About Her comes Lonely Mouth, a delicious, clever, tender and vivid novel about the conflicted way women think about their bodies, their appetites, and themselves in the world.'Lonely mouth ... It's a Japanese expression. It means, like, you feel like you want to eat something, but you don't know what it is. You're looking for just the right thing...fiction · audiobook · contemporary · family · literary-fiction · mental-illness · female-author · book · adult -
![Misophonia by Dana Vowinckel]()
Misophonia by Dana Vowinckel
Part coming-of-age tale, part family saga, an extraordinary debut novel set between Berlin, Chicago, and Jerusalem “about being Jewish and German, and all the awkwardness that entails” (The Guardian).It’s the hottest of summers in Chicago, and fifteen-year-old Margarita is spending her vacation as usual, under the not-so-watchful eyes of her aging maternal grandparents... -
![The Doorman by Chris Pavone]()
The Doorman by Chris Pavone
In the new novel from the bestselling author of Two Nights in Lisbon, on the worst night in the greatest city on Earth, a doorman at the toniest address in town is drawn into a web of intrigue, robbery, and murder.Chicky Diaz stands on his little patch of the earth, the clean quiet sidewalk in front of the Bohemia Apartments, there sure are a lot of great places to kill someone in this city... -
![Daughters by Kirsty Capes]()
Daughters by Kirsty Capes
For fans of Daisy Jones and the Six, the story of sisters as they embark on a road trip together to protect the legacy of their brilliant, deeply troubled artist mother, grappling as they go with one sister’s mental health, the other’s poor romantic decisions, and the many scars of the past that keep the two of them at a distanceDaughters is as devastating as it is hilarious, as tender and...fiction · contemporary · literary-fiction · family · audiobook · season-summer · dark · drama · female-mc · humor -
![Anima Rising by Christopher Moore]()
Anima Rising by Christopher Moore
From New York Times bestselling author Christopher Moore comes a hilariously deranged tale of a mad scientist, a famous painter, and an undead woman’s electrifying journey of self-discovery.Vienna, 1911. Gustav Klimt, the most famous painter in the Austrian Empire, the darling of Viennese society, spots a woman’s nude body in the Danube canal...fantasy · fiction · historical-fiction · humor · audiobook · historical · comedy · magical-realism · supernatural · mystery -
![Mansion Beach by Meg Mitchell Moore]()
Mansion Beach by Meg Mitchell Moore
From national bestselling author Meg Mitchell Moore comes a sparkling new novel following a young woman entwined in the opulent lives of her neighbors on Block Island, set against a backdrop of scandal, secrets, and a not-so-subtle love triangle, perfect for readers of Pineapple Street and Sex and Vanity.“An unputdownable modern-day take on The Great Gatsby. I gobbled it up.” —J...romance · fiction · season-summer · womens-fiction · audiobook · drama · mystery · contemporary · suspense · female-mc -
![The Children of Eve by John Connolly]()
The Children of Eve by John Connolly
The “consistently high-quality” (Booklist) Charlie Parker series continues with a white-knuckled new thriller from New York Times bestselling author John Connolly.Wyatt Riggins, the boyfriend of rising Maine artist Zetta Nadeau, has gone missing, leaving behind a cell phone containing a single-word RUN. Private investigator Charlie Parker is hired to find out why Riggins has fled, and from whom...north-america · usa · maine · crime · horror · mystery · fiction · supernatural · audiobook · paranormal -
![Forged by Danielle Teller]()
Forged by Danielle Teller
A thrilling and immersive tale of an impoverished woman turned con-artist by the critically acclaimed author of All the Ever AftersIn the Gilded Age, a time of abject poverty and obscene wealth, a desperate and ambitious young woman strikes out for a new life in the rising industrial cities of America...historical-fiction · fiction · audiobook · historical · literary-fiction · female-author · outlaws · crime · feminism · female-mc -
![Stinkbug by Sinéad Stubbins]()
Stinkbug by Sinéad Stubbins
In this wildly original and deeply unhinged story, Sinéad Stubbins turns her keen but empathetic eye on the lies we tell about ourselves in order to belong. Part anxious millennial fever dream, part searing workplace satire, this corporate gothic novel is perfect for fans of Yellowface, Nightbitch and Such a Fun Age...fiction · audiobook · contemporary · gothic · literary-fiction · female-author · workplace · crime · 21st-century · psychological -
![Set Piece by Lana Schwartz]()
Set Piece by Lana Schwartz
A chance encounter leaves a breakout TV star and no-nonsense bartender wanting more, but life gets in the way. They find each other again five years later, while working on a movie set—but is there room in their lives for this second chance at romance?Even one year ago, no one would have recognized Jack Felgate at a bar...romance · fiction · contemporary · audiobook · womens-fiction · season-summer · multi-pov · celebrity · literary-fiction · book -
![The Original Daughter by Jemimah Wei]()
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.Before Arin, Genevieve Yang was an only child...asia · southeast-asia · singapore · urban · fiction · historical-fiction · contemporary · literary-fiction · family · audiobook -
![Immaculate Conception by Ling Ling Huang]()
Immaculate Conception by Ling Ling Huang
What if you could enter the mind of the person you love the most? Enka meets Mathilde in art school and is instantly drawn to her. Mathilde makes art that feels truly original, and Enka—trying hard to prove herself in this fiercely competitive world—pours everything into their friendship...horror · fiction · sci-fi · literary-fiction · audiobook · dystopia · contemporary · fantasy · mystery · friendship -
![Marked by Moonlight by Sophie Jordan]()
Marked by Moonlight by Sophie Jordan
“A riveting plot, steeping with sultry sexual tension and unforgettable love scenes” (Kresley Cole, #1 New York Times bestselling author), makes this first entry in the Moon Chasers series an unforgettable paranormal romance.Claire Morgan has always been the quiet one: a shy, mousy schoolteacher, overlooked and unwanted...romance · paranormal · fantasy · urban-fantasy · fiction · audiobook · shapeshifters · insta-love · action-adventure · horror -
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![Lloyd McNeil’s Last Ride by Will Leitch]()
Lloyd McNeil’s Last Ride by Will Leitch
From the award-winning author of How Lucky and The Time Has Come, this heartfelt and humorous novel follows an Atlanta police officer who learns he has months to live and determines to get killed in the line of duty to provide for his son . . . but keeps failing in unexpected ways...fiction · contemporary · audiobook · mystery · crime · thriller · suspense · psychological · law-enforcement · police-procedural -
![Be With Me by Gabrielle Sands]()
Be With Me by Gabrielle Sands
She’s the mayor-to-be’s perfect daughter. He’s the ruthless villain set to ruin her.I’ve spent my life putting others first. So when my father runs for New York City mayor—on a promise to take down the city’s most notorious crime family—I do what I always push my own dreams aside to help him win.Until I wind up at the wrong party...romance · enemies-to-lovers · slow-burn · dark · contemporary · forced-proximity · organized-crime · forbidden-love · suspense · crime -
![Finn by Melanie Moreland]()
Finn by Melanie Moreland
His Power Rules the City—But She Rules His Heart. Finn O’Reilly Oversees his hotel and his syndicate with a commanding presence and leadership, knowing any weakness could be used against him. And he has none. Except Una Murphy. The woman he lost his heart to and still loves, even though she wants nothing to do with him. Or so she claims...romance · audiobook · dark · suspense · found-family · organized-crime · age-gap · workplace · contemporary · forced-proximity -
![Storybook Ending by Moira Macdonald]()
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...romance · fiction · contemporary · womens-fiction · friendship · audiobook · humor · love-triangle · female-mc · literary-fiction -
![Dear Teacher by Maddalena Vaglio Tanet]()
Dear Teacher by Maddalena Vaglio Tanet
With the depth and emotional power of Go as a River and Dear Edward, a poignant and evocative debut novel from an exhilarating new international talent, based on a true story, about the heartwarming bond that develops between a grieving teacher and a student.One morning, a teacher disappears into the woods...fiction · audiobook · contemporary · mystery · female-mc · literary-fiction · friendship · book · adult -
![The Bombshell by Darrow Farr]()
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.“A lush, cinematic and propulsive novel filled with sex, violence, glamor and a true revolutionary spirit. It’s a towering literary achievement.” (Adam Johnson, Pulitzer Prize winner)Corsica, 1993... -
![Betting on Good by Wendy Francis]()
Betting on Good by Wendy Francis
A Kentucky Derby weekend for two couples tests the high-stakes boundaries of friendship and marriage in a witty, winning, and emotional novel by the author of Feels Like Summer.Amid the heralded springtime traditions and fabulous splendor of the Kentucky Derby, two Boston couples—longtime friends—indulge in a once-in-a-lifetime getaway. The weekend feels like a winner...north-america · usa · kentucky · romance · fiction · contemporary · literary-fiction · audiobook · friendship · family
