There’s something hopeful about May. Summer is so close you can taste it but spring has finally grown its sea legs albeit with allergies in tow. There are so many good novels popping up this May that you might not have time for friends, family or other human connections. From veteran authors like Stephanie Danler and Curtis Sittenfeld to new international first-timers like Sohn Won-pyung, you’ll be dazzled by May’s crop of fantastic storytellers. These are the most anticipated books of May 2020.

All Adults Here by Emma Straub

When news of a new Emma Straub book blows around, you know this month is about to shape up. Since her last novel, Modern Lovers, which was released in 2016, she’s been busy opening and running Books Are Magic, an independent bookstore in Brooklyn. Now, she’s back with another smash hit with All Adults Here. Protagonist Astrid Strick has a memory jostled from her childhood when she witnesses a catastrophic accident. From there, she’s questioning her parenting, how her adult children are striving (or not) in their roles as parents and how adolescence has a way of hanging onto us as we get older.


Stray by Stephanie Danler

I’m happy to report that Stephanie Danler has a new book this month. I’ve been a fan of hers for years devouring her freshman novel Sweetbitter in a few days. I’m charmed by her innate storytelling abilities and her incredible effortlessness in the way she strings stories and memories together. Stray is a gut punch in prose, in honesty and in Danler’s power to be vulnerable. It may not have been easy to open her incredibly complicated relationship with her parents up to readers but I am extremely thankful she did.


Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld

Curtis Sittenfeld reimagines the life of Hilary Rodham Clinton in this witty May release. Imagine this: Hilary Rodham never accepts the marriage proposal from Bill Clinton. Instead, she embarks on her own journey without the title “wife of.” Captivating and delightful as only Sittenfeld can produce, enjoy Rodham this May.


Almond by Sohn Won-pyung

Truly one of the more unique May releases, Almond is a story of friendship and self-discovery in unlikely places. Yunjae is unable to feel emotion. But when tragedy strikes, he soon learns invaluable lessons from an unlikely source; his bully. Author, Sohn Won-pyung won the Changbi Prize for Young Adult Fiction for Almond and is surely an author to keep your eye on.


Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas*

Students at Catherine House go on to do great things; Pulitzer prize-winning authors to Supreme Court Justices. The school promises success but in return, pupils must give three years to the school while stepping away from the outside world and those in it. At first, Ines thrives in this type of environment but when tragedy hits campus, things are certainly not all that they seem. Catherine House is a unique and utterly shocking novel you will be sharing with friends and family alike.

*Due to COVID-19, the publication date of Catherine House has been moved to July 7.


A Taste of Sage by Yaffa S. Santos

This book was made for foodies and romance junkies alike. When Lumi Santana’s culinary venture fails she must accept the inevitable, working under the bothersome chef, Julien Dax. Of course, they might be cooking up more than delicious food…


Lobizona by Romina Garber

If you need to escape our modern world, Lobizona is the perfect distraction this month. You’ll easily get lost in Manu’s existence where she must find out how to navigate a new reality in a world she never knew existed.


Summer Longing by Jamie Brenner

 While it might be too cold to go to the beach this month, Summer Longing is the perfect first (almost) summer read. When a baby girl is found on the doorstep of Ruth Cooperman’s summer rental, the close-knit beach community comes together in a unique and beautiful way.


Recipe for Persuasion by Sonali Dev

If you look at my book selection, you’d think I’m very hungry this month but this foodie release is a must-read. A celebrity cooking competition gets interesting when chef Ashna Raje is paired up with her ex-boyfriend and professional soccer player, Rico Silva. Their chemistry gets the star treatment and the competition gets much more interesting when feelings come flooding back.


The Silence by Susan Allott

Susan Allott lays out an exciting thriller in the vein of Before We Were Yours in The Silence. Isla Green must return home to Sydney where her father is a suspect to a 30-year-old cold case. Their neighbor went missing years before but now it seems secrets are bubbling up to the surface and no neighbor can be trusted.

*Disclosure: The links above are affiliate links. These picks are editorially selected, but if you purchase, She Reads may get something in return. We are a participant in the Bookshop and Amazon Affiliate Program, advertising programs designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Bookshop.org and Amazon.com.