This month’s new book releases held a few of my absolute favorites for the year, which made it quite hard to winnow them down to just two for my book club picks. A good problem to have though.
This month we’re sending Fantastic Strangelings When the Tides Held the Moon by Venessa Vida Kelley. It’s a fascinating historical fiction/fantasy about mermaids, sideshows, queer love, race, power, found families and more. And it is gorgeously illustrated inside and out. Big swoon.
And be sure to check your package because we’re dropping Fiesta medals in to celebrate 5 years of Strangelings! (I believe we still have a few left if you want to join the club this month, but hurry before they’re gone.)
And if you’re a member of the Nightmares from Nowhere Book Club you’re getting one of my favorite books of the year, The Devils by Joe Abercrombie. This is one of those books that I recommend to both horror lovers and non-horror lovers because even though it is filled with vampires, ghosts, zombies, necromancers and a bit of gore, it is also tremendously smart and funny. Like if Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy was possessed by demons. It’s the first in a series but it ends in a way that leaves you wanting more but is satisfying enough alone.
And if two books are not enough to distract you from the world being on fire, I got you. Here’s are a few other new May releases I loved:
The Butcher’s Daughter: The Hitherto Untold Story of Mrs. Lovett by Corinne Legh Clark and David Demchuk – The story of the vengeful barber Sweeney Todd has gripped fans but little has been told of Mrs. Lovett, Todd’s partner in crime. Until now. A bloodcurdling correspondence of horror and intrigue, based on the original Victorian penny dreadful that started it all.
The Incandescent by Emily Tesh – Did you read Naomi Novik’s Scholomance series about a dark and dangerous magical boarding school? It’s like that but from the perspective of the teachers. If you’ve been or loved a teacher you’ll love this one.
The True Happiness Company: How a Girl Like Me Falls for a Cult Like That By Veena Dinavahi – In this wrenching, darkly funny memoir, a young Indian American woman’s quest for mental health is derailed by a charismatic alternative therapist who pulls her into his Mormon self-help cult. Riveting.
We Can Do Hard Things by Glennon Doyle, Abby Wambach and Amanda Doyle. I love these people and this book.
Little Troublemaker Defends Her Name by Luvvie Ajayi – A lovely children’s book by my friend Luvvie for every child who could never find their name on a keychain.
Happy reading!