💬 Friday Thread: What May Books Are You Anticipating?
And what have you been reading lately?
Hello and Happy May!📚💐
As I’m writing this, the sun is shining here in Ohio, I have a hot cup of coffee and I’m perusing the many May book releases we have to look forward to. A new reading month always feels so hopeful to me—do you feel like that too? On the one hand, I know I have some heavy hitting backlist titles waiting in the wings, but I love browsing upcoming new release titles, reading just enough of the synopsis to get a feel if it could be The One1, and then allowing that giddy feeling of reading anticipation to take over as I add it to my May TBR.
Speaking of heavy hitting backlist titles, the winner of the poll from my Popular Books I Still Want To Read newsletter was…. A Gentleman In Moscow by Amor Towles! Coming in second was Pachinko by Min Jin Lee. I’m excited to dip back into A Gentleman in Moscow again (I've tried it on several other occasions on audio but it was never the right time for my mood), so stay tuned for my review of that in the near future.
Now, onto 5 of my most anticipated May releases!
My Name Is Emilia del Valle by Isabel Allende - May 6 from Ballantine Books
In this spellbinding historical novel from the New York Times bestselling author of A Long Petal of the Sea, a young writer journeys to South America to uncover the truth about her father—and herself. I recently read and LOVED The Japanese Lover so I can’t wait to read this one!
Shopgirls by Jessica Anya Blau - May 6 from Mariner Books
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. Mary Jane was a 5 star listen for me and I can’t resist stories set in the 1980s!
Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by Jessica Guerrieri - May 13 from HarperCollins
Leah O'Connor is torn between her current existence and the allure of a phantom life that can no longer be hers. Swept off her feet by the gentle charm of Lucas O'Connor, Leah's unexpected pregnancy changes the course of her carefree and nomadic existence. Over a decade and three children later, Leah is unraveling. She resents the world in which her artistic aspirations have been sidelined by the overwhelming demands of motherhood, and the ever-present rift between herself and her mother-in-law, Christine, is best dulled by increasingly fuller glasses of wine… The cover and title drew me to this, plus it’s a debut!
The Boy from the Sea by Garrett Carr - May 13 from Knopf
Set on Ireland’s west coast in the 1970s and 80s, a captivating debut novel about a baby boy who is discovered on the beach beside a small fishing town, as told by the locals who fall under the boy’s transfixing spell. I love Irish fiction, this is a debut, and I have to find out more about how the baby got there and what happens after he’s found!
How To Be Well: Navigating Our Self-Care Epidemic, One Dubious Cure at a Time by Amy Larocca -
A deeply researched, lively, and personal exploration of the multibillion-dollar wellness industry -- about why women are feeling so un-well and how this trend has shaped our thinking about health and self-care. Peloton. Pilates. Biohacking. Colonics. Ashwagandha. Today, the wellness industry is a $3.7 trillion behemoth that touches us all. In this timely and clear-eyed book, journalist Amy Larocca peels back the layers behind the wellness movement and reckons with its promises and profits. How did we get here and how did the idea of wellness become integrated with women's lives? And how did we end up spending so much money on products that may not work at all? I would like the answers to those questions! I’ve been loving nonfiction and this sounds fascinating.
Question Time
The questions I ask in weekly threads are meant to be fun and help us connect, so please know you don’t have to answer each question, if you only have the time/desire to answer one, great! Please put book titles IN ALL CAPS for easy reading:)
What May Books Are You Anticipating?
What Have You Been Reading Lately?
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