Book List

20 Best Books To Read in May

FICTION

THE MINISTRY OF TIME

by Kaliane Bradley

This rip-roaring romp pivots between past and present and posits the future-altering power of love, hope, and forgiveness. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

NONFICTION

FREE AND EQUAL

by Daniel Chandler

A resounding endorsement of Rawls’ philosophy and a complex recipe for something better than what we have now. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

FICTION

HOW IT WORKS OUT

by Myriam Lacroix

As kaleidoscopic as the queer experience, this is an introduction to a writer of great imagination. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR

I WILL SHOW YOU HOW IT WAS

by Illia Ponomarenko

A revelatory portrait of the horror and absurdity of the conflict spiked with much-needed threads of humanity and hope. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR

THE DEAD DON'T NEED REMINDING

by Julian Randall

A brilliant essay collection tracing the lives of an Afro-Latino queer poet and his ancestors. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

NONFICTION

THE LIGHT EATERS

by Zoë Schlanger

A delightful work of popular science. You may never look at your houseplants or garden in quite the same way again. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

FICTION

LONG ISLAND

by Colm Tóibín

A moving portrait of rueful middle age and the failure to connect. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR

RISE OF A KILLAH

by Ghostface Killah

An engaging, revealing look at the wild world of the Wu-Tang Clan and beyond. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

FICTION

BLUE RUIN

by Hari Kunzru

A dark, smart, provocative tale of the perils of art making. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

FICTION

THIS STRANGE EVENTFUL HISTORY

by Claire Messud

Brilliant and heart-wrenching; Messud is one of contemporary literature’s best. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR

AND THEN? AND THEN? WHAT ELSE?

by Daniel Handler

A fully captivating memoir rich with insights on reading, writing, and life itself. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

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