There’s nothing quite like a new book to brighten up your day.
And with so many amazing titles coming out in May 2023, you’ll never run out of options.
From captivating novels and short stories to insightful essays and biographies, there’s something for everyone on this list.
Here are the best new books to read in May 2023, and I’ve taken an effort to sort them into genres. Go ahead and find your next great read!
Science-Fiction & Fantasy Books Coming Out In May 2023
1. City of Vicious Night by Claire Winn.
On the outlaw planet Requiem, Asa and Riven are lovers and smugglers with dark secrets. A mysterious hacker targets their crew and reveals their connection to a destructive AI and a hidden plot.
To protect their friends and their home, they must enter a brutal contest for the leadership of a criminal faction. But as the stakes get higher, they face betrayal, danger, and doubt.
Expected publication date: May 23rd, 2023.
2. The Ferryman by Justin Cronin.
In a hidden island archipelago called Prospera, people live long and happy lives until their monitors show they are below 10 percent. Then they go to the Nursery, where they are made young again and lose their memories.
Proctor Bennett is a ferryman who helps people retire peacefully. But he has a problem: he dreams, which is forbidden in Prospera. His monitor also drops fast, and his father tells him something strange before retiring.
Proctor learns that Prospera is a lie and that there is a group of rebels called the Arrivalists who want to change things. He joins them on a risky quest to reveal the truth and liberate the people of Prospera.
Expected publication date: May 2nd, 2023.
3. Psyche and Eros by Luna McNamara.
A prophecy foretells that Psyche, a princess with a hero’s heart, will confront a fearsome monster. Aphrodite, jealous of Psyche’s beauty, sends her son Eros to curse her with a doomed love.
But Eros falls victim to his own arrow and becomes Psyche’s lover. Together, they must face the wrath of the gods and the trials of fate.
This new fantasy book coming out in May 2023 promises to deliver a stunning retelling of the classic myth that explores what it means to be a hero and to trust in love.
Expected publication date: May 25th, 2023.
4. All the Dead Lie Down by Kyrie McCauley.
After losing her parents in a tragic accident, Marin Blythe accepts a job as a nanny for Alice Lovelace, a renowned horror writer and an old acquaintance of her mother.
She moves to Lovelace House, a secluded estate in Maine, where she meets Alice’s three daughters: Thea, who holds funerals for her dolls; Wren, who resents her presence; and Evie, who intrigues her with her enigmatic beauty.
But Marin soon discovers that Lovelace House is haunted by more than just stories. She finds mutilated animals in the forest, dead birds in her bedroom, and sinister secrets about the family’s past. Marin must confront the horrors of love and grief before they destroy her in this gothic romance.
Soccer is Vale Castillo-Green’s passion and dream. But a brawl with her nemesis, Leticia Ortiz, ruins her playoff hopes. She goes to soccer camp to prove herself, but she faces another challenge: co-captaining a team with Leticia.
As they train to catch college scouts’ eyes, they also fall for each other. You Don’t Have a Shot is a queer YA romance about soccer and self-discovery, and this May 2023 YA book release promises to be fantastic!
Expected publication date: May 9th, 2023.
2. Hurt You by Marie Myung-Ok Lee.
Hurt You is a YA tribute to Of Mice and Men, starring Georgia and Leonardo, Korean-American siblings.
Leonardo has a neurodivergent condition like autism, and Georgia defends him from a cruel society that endangers him with violence.
She also struggles with racism and isolation in her new school and at home.
Expected publication date: May 16th, 2023.
3. Something Like Possible by Miel Moreland.
Madison is a bisexual teen who wants to be a political staffer. But her life falls apart when she breaks up with her girlfriend and loses her job.
She finds a new ally in a cute new candidate for junior class president, but they develop feelings for each other.
She also exposes harassment in the student government. Something Like Possible is a YA contemporary book about ambition, queer solidarity, and resilience that’s set to be released in May 2023.
Expected publication date: May 23rd, 2o23.
4. We Don’t Swim Here by Vincent Tirado.
When her grandmother is dying, Bronwyn and her father move to Hillwoods for a year. She feels unhappy and wants to swim in the mysterious waters.
But Anais, a local girl, tries to keep her away from the dangers hidden in the town. However, Bronwyn’s curiosity puts them both in a risky situation.
Natalie Fanning is a new mom who feels trapped and hopeless. She trusts Paul, her neighbor, who offers her a helping hand with her baby.
But Paul is a master manipulator. He has a dark and twisted plan for Natalie and her child. Now, she must uncover his evil plot before he destroys her life in this shocking and suspenseful thriller.
Expected publication date: May 30th, 2023.
2. Rogue Justice by Stacey Abrams.
Avery Keene is a brilliant law clerk who exposed a presidential conspiracy. But her troubles are not over. She gets a mysterious file from a fellow clerk who is killed right in front of her. The file contains a list of judges on the secret FISA Court, who are being blackmailed for unknown reasons.
Avery must find out who is behind this scheme and stop them before they do more harm in this thrilling and timely novel that’s set to be released in May 2023.
Expected publication date: May 23rd, 2023.
3. Drowning by T.J. Newman.
A plane plunges into the ocean and sinks to the depths with twelve terrified people inside, among them a father and his daughter who are fighting for their lives. And, his wife, a skilled diver, is their only hope.
She leads the daring rescue team on the surface, but she has to overcome her personal conflicts with her husband to save their child and the others.
Drowning is a nail-biting and emotional thriller book coming out in May 2023 that promises to make readers feel every second of their ordeal.
Expected publication date: May 30th, 2023.
4. The Senator’s Wife by Liv Constantine.
Sloane Chase and Whit Montgomery are a power couple who found love after losing their spouses. But their happiness is threatened by Sloane’s lupus and a home health aide who may have a sinister agenda.
Sloane becomes ill and paranoid as she suspects Athena of trying to sabotage her marriage and her life. The Senator’s Wife promises to be a thrilling and shocking novel that exposes the dark secrets of the elite.
Expected publication date: May 23rd, 2023.
5. Bad Summer People by Emma Rosenblum.
Jen and Lauren are the queens of Fire Island, where they spend their summers with their husbands and their friend Rachel. They have secrets, grudges, and affairs, but they keep up appearances.
Until a dead body is found on the beach, and everyone becomes a suspect. This witty and wicked new novel in the thriller genre of May 2023 peeks behind the curtains of a glamorous community.
Weston Fontaine is the hottest and most confident senior at Lancaster Prep, who knows he could have any girl on campus – except for one.
That one happens to be the female protagonist, a Lancaster who feels untouchable due to her family’s status as the school’s owner. However, a secret connects them, a hot summer night in Paris where they both revealed their vulnerable sides to each other.
Despite their hatred towards each other at school, they both feel an undeniable pull toward one another. This May 2023 book release is definitely going to be an amazing one, and I just know I’ll enjoy it.
Expected publication date: May 18th, 2023.
2. Beautiful Beast by Denver Rose.
In this upcoming May 2023 book release, the male protagonist has a rare opportunity to live out his fantasies with Indigo, whose beauty drives him to madness.
Despite the terrible cost of having to kill her to survive, he cannot resist her allure. Even as a monster, he finds acceptance and completeness with her.
Expected publication date: May 5th, 2023.
3. The Troublemaker by Jessica Peterson.
Asking Brooks Huntley to take her virginity is a bad idea, but the decade-older, lethally hot man is out of her league anyway. Despite being her older brother’s best friend, she can’t help crushing on him whenever she delivers muffins to his office.
Determined to finally swipe her V-card, she asks Brooks for tips on getting laid. He offers a weekend away, on the condition that her brother never finds out.
As she tries to learn from him, Brooks ends up showing her firsthand how everything should be done. And now she’s determined to convince him to make it more than a one-time lesson.
Expected publication date: May 16th, 2023.
4. Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams.
Annie Walker’s quest to find a perfect match seems impossible after she overhears her date calling her boring. Desperate to become more flirtatious, she enlists Will Griffin – a flirtatious, tattooed bodyguard – to tutor her.
Despite his personal rule to stay away from Annie, Will agrees to teach her how to become the leading lady of Rome, Kentucky.
As they fake a relationship to deceive the town, their friendship begins to blur, and Annie realizes she wants more from Will than just a tutor. This amazing new fake relationship book that’s hitting the shelves in May 2023 sounds so good!
Expected publication date: May 2nd, 2o23.
5. The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren.
Fizzy Chen is a romance novelist who has never experienced true love, and Connor Prince is a filmmaker who wants to help her find it on a reality TV show.
Fizzy agrees to join the show, but only if Connor follows her rules. But, as they work together, they start to feel a spark that could ruin their plans. Will they give in to their attraction or stick to the script?
1. The Making of Another Motion Picture Masterpiece by Tom Hanks.
It all starts in 1947 when a troubled soldier meets his talented five-year-old nephew, only to disappear for twenty-three years. Fast forward to 1970, and the nephew, now drawing underground comic books, reconnects with his uncle and draws a new version of their story.
Cut to today, and a successful director decides to turn the comic book into a superhero movie. Along the way, we meet a cast of colorful characters, including the difficult male star, a wonderful leading lady, and an eccentric writer/director. Plus, there are three bonus comic books created by none other than Tom Hanks himself!
Expected publication date: May 9th, 2023.
2. A Starlet’s Secret to a Sensational Afterlife by Kendall Kulper.
In 1930s Hollywood, budding actress Henrietta arrives with dreams of stardom. But things get complicated when a beautiful actress disappears, and Henrietta’s fake boyfriend, Declan, becomes a total nightmare.
Little do they know, they both have supernatural abilities that could help solve the case. Will they uncover the truth and fall in love along the way?
This whip-smart, seductive caper has it all: romance, vengeance, and a hint of the supernatural, set in the Golden Age of Hollywood. Fans of These Violent Delights and My Lady Jane will love it!
Expected publication date: May 23rd, 2023.
3. Scarlet by Genevieve Cogman.
In Genevieve Cogman’s Scarlet, the French Revolution is in full swing and vampires are being sent to the guillotine left and right. Enter the Scarlet Pimpernel, a disguised British noble and his League, who are determined to rescue as many aristocrats (vampire and human alike) as possible.
But their plan gets even more exciting with the addition of Eleanor Dalton, a housemaid with dreams of becoming a modiste. Follow her on a journey full of magic, intrigue, and danger in this reinvented tale of the Scarlet Pimpernel.
Expected publication date: May 9th, 2023.
4. The Marriage Box by Corie Adjmi.
Casey Cohen is a sixteen-year-old Middle Eastern Jew living in 1970s New Orleans. When she falls in with the wrong crowd, her parents make a drastic decision to move the family back to their Orthodox Syrian Jewish community in Brooklyn.
Casey is shocked by this new world, where parties are held at the Museum of Natural History and girls are put on display at the Marriage Box. Despite her reservations, she falls in love with Michael and marries him at eighteen.
But when he wants her to forgo college for a baby, Casey must decide whether to reconcile these opposing worlds or leave one behind.
Expected publication date: May 2nd, 2023.
5. The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese.
Set in Kerala, South India, the novel covers three generations of a family with a unique affliction: someone always dies by drowning. The matriarch of the family, Big Ammachi, watches as India transforms around her, and the family’s Christian community faces new challenges.
You’ll be captivated by the medical miracles and humorous moments, moved by the touching story and fully realized characters.
This May 2023 book release promises to be a true gem that celebrates progress and human understanding while paying tribute to the struggles of past generations.
Expected publication date: May 2nd, 2023.
6. A History of Burning by Janika Oza.
Pirbhai is a teenage boy from India in the early 1900s who travels to East Africa to work on a British-built railway. One fateful day, he commits an act to ensure his survival that will have repercussions for generations to come.
Fast forward to Uganda’s waning days of British colonial rule and Pirbhai’s granddaughters – Latika, Mayuri, and Kiya – are coming of age in a divided nation. When Idi Amin’s regime takes over, the family is forced to flee, leaving behind something devastating.
A History of Burning is an intimate family saga of complicity and resistance, about the stories we share, the ones that remain unspoken, and the eternal search for home.
Expected publication date: May 2nd, 2023.
7. The Old Lion by Jeff Shaara.
The Old Lion is an outstanding novel that chronicles the life of Theodore Roosevelt, one of the most significant presidents in history.
Expected publication date: May 16th, 2023.
8. The Bride Wore White by Amanda Quick.
Get ready for a thrilling mystery in Amanda Quick’s latest novel set in the glamourous Burning Cove, California of the 1930s.
When a woman wakes up in a honeymoon suite wearing a wedding dress, she realizes she’s not the bride and the groom lying next to her has been murdered.
In a world where everyone has something to hide, she must uncover the secrets behind the murder before it’s too late.
Expected publication date: May 2nd, 2023.
9. The Garnett Girls by Georgina Moore.
This story follows the lives of three sisters, Rachel, Imogen, and Sasha, who were left to fend for themselves after their mother Margo’s passionate love affair with Richard ended in heartbreak.
Margo keeps her past buried deep within, but her silence has kept her daughters from finding true happiness. Rachel is torn between her love for London and her responsibility to their family home, while Imogen feels pressure to settle down with her fiancé.
As for Sasha, she’s trapped between a controlling husband and a devastating secret. Will they ever break free from their family’s past mistakes?
Expected publication date: May 16th, 2023.
10. No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister.
Alice has always dreamed of becoming a writer, but she struggled to connect with her own stories until a heartbreaking event shook her world.
In her debut novel, she pours her heart out and touches the lives of readers from all walks of life – a homeless teenager, an adventurous free diver, a passionate artist, a lovestruck bookseller, and a grieving widower. Each person finds something different in Alice’s words, offering them new perspectives and paths to follow.
This heartwarming new book coming out in May 2023 shows us how books can change us in ways we never expected, bringing us closer together as a community.
Expected publication date: May 2nd, 2023.
Graphic Novels Coming Out In May 2023
1. The Strange Case of Harleen and Harley by Marissa Meyer and Jenn St-Onge.
Harleen and her girlfriend, Pamela, sign up for a clinical research trial hoping for some extra cash and relief from anxiety. But things get weird when Harleen starts forgetting things and finds mementos from a guy named Jack she’s never met.
Turns out, she’s sharing her mind with Harley, a rebel with a cause who doesn’t care about rules and loves to save bunnies. Harleen and Harley couldn’t be more different, but as they navigate their dual existence, Harleen starts to wonder if breaking the rules and embracing her dark side might not be so bad after all.
Expected publication date: May 2nd, 2023.
2. The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich by Deya Muniz.
The graphic novel set to be released in May 2023 follows Lady Camembert, who is determined to live life on her own terms and not get married.
When she inherits her father’s estate but is barred from inheriting as a woman, she disguises herself as Count Camembert and moves to the capital.
There, she meets the beautiful and inspiring Princess Brie, and they quickly hit it off. But can Camembert keep her true identity a secret and still find true love?
Expected publication date: May 9th, 2023.
3. Lost In Taiwan by Mark Crilley.
In this awesome graphic novel about stepping out of your comfort zone, a traveler named Paul finds himself lost in Taiwan with no way of finding his brother.
Although he wasn’t excited about exploring new countries, he soon discovers that being forced out of his comfort zone has its advantages. When he gets lost in Taiwan’s winding streets during a trip to an electronics store, he has to explore this new environment to find his way back to his brother’s apartment.
Without friends or a GPS, he embarks on an adventure that could lead to unexpected discoveries and new friendships.
Expected publication date: May 23rd, 2023.
4. The Hills of Estrella Roja by Ashley Robin Franklin.
Kat Fields has a dream: to visit a haunted town in Texas where witchcraft, devil lights, and a bloody history await. She’s a college freshman with a passion for the paranormal, and she’s ready to face her fears for her podcast.
But Estrella Roja is more than she bargained for. There, she meets Mari Castillo, a local girl who’s mourning her grandma’s death. Mari is drawn to Kat’s adventurous spirit and her cute smile.
Together, they uncover the town’s secrets and find out that something hungry and ancient is lurking under the stars.
Expected publication date: May 30th, 2023.
These are the best new books to read in May 2023 but don’t wait too long to get them.
Whether you read them solo or with a pal, you’re sure to find something to entertain and inspire you.
Happy reading!
Here are some other recommendations for new books:
