6 Spellbinding Page-Turners to Put on Your Bedside Table This May

May has always been a great month for reading – laidback and cosy, perfect conditions for cracking open a new book. And even more so this May, now that so many people have slowed down their lives and are choosing to stay home as much as possible.

What have you been reading these past few months? Have you been seeking out old favourites for reassurance and familiarity? Have you been losing yourself in vast fantasy worlds or finding comfort in perfectly plotted crime novels or sexy stories of romance and love? There’s a perfect book for everyone right now, something that will stimulate and soothe.  

If you’re looking for something new, though, you’ll be glad to learn that fresh releases are hitting the (virtual) bookshelves this month, and each of them is exactly the kind of thing we want to be reading right now. Trust us, you’ll want to pick up one of these six new titles and add them to your reading list or book club WhatsApp group. And don’t forget to tell us what else you’re reading this month. We’re always on the lookout for a new reading recommendation.

Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld

You might have read one of Curtis Sittenfeld’s books before: her novels American Wife, Prep and Eligible are favourites all around the world. Her new title might be her most ambitious yet, though, a novel that imagines what might have happened if Hillary didn’t marry Bill Clinton and, instead, remained Hillary Rodham. The rest of the plot is being kept under lock and key, so that’s all we know for now, but we’re already hooked. It’s out on 19 May, and you better believe we have this one pre-ordered.

All Adults Here by Emma Straub

If you like Meg Wolitzer or Emma Jane Unsworth, you’ll probably love Emma Straub. She’s a brilliant and keen observer of human behaviour and her novels shine with honesty and wit. Her latest novel is about a woman who witnesses an accident, one that makes her think about whether or not she was a good mother to her three children, all of whom are now grown. It’s a book about family and relationships and connection, and it’s the perfect read for a Sunday afternoon.

The Body Double by Emma Beyda

The deal offered at the start of The Body Double sounds too good to be true, which usually means that it is: go to Hollywood and be paid very handsomely to impersonate Rosanna Feld, a very famous, very beautiful movie star. So that’s what our heroine does in this tightly plotted and nail biting thriller, which has all the cinematic grace and tension of a Hitchcock movie. What could possibly go wrong, right?

Blue Ticket by Sophie Mackintosh

Margaret Atwood is raving about the author of this sinister dystopian novel, which should be all the recommendation you need. But if you still need more, believe us when we say that this sparse and beautifully written fable about what happens when a society seeks to control the bodies of women is a surprisingly relevant read for the world of today, even though this book is set in a futuristic world. This one is for fans of Naomi Alderman, Emily St John Mandel and, of course, Atwood herself.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

Did you spend your teenage years devouring the books in The Hunger Games series? You’ll be excited to learn that a new prequel is coming out, then, set decades before the era of the original books and investigating the events that led to the creation of those deadly quests. Tap into your inner adolescent and re-acquaint yourself with the world of Panem, though fair warning from us: it will make you want to rewatch the Jennifer Lawrence film series immediately.  

My Life As A Villainess by Laura Lippman

Laura Lippman is the queen of the thriller, her novels are twisty, turny tales of crime and mystery usually set in Lippman’s hometown of Baltimore. This, however, is a collection of some of her best essays and are the perfect read for anyone who is a fan of her work, but also those who just love reading sharp and witty missives on everything from pop culture (one essay is titled ‘Men Explain The Wire To Me’) to childhood, family and Lippman’s early career in newspapers. An absolute treat.

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