All good things. Without further ado:
Fear: A Novel of World War I, Gabriel Chevallier, Malcolm Imrie, John Berger (NYRB, May 20): First published in 1930, never before published in the United States, now on offer from NYRB, novel of World War I... so many reasons to pick this up, right?
Invisible City, by Julia Dahl (Minotaur, May 6): A journalist investigates a murder in an Ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn--and also looks for her mother, herself an Ultra-Orthodox Jew, who left Rebekah and her father over 20 years ago.
My Real Children, by Jo Walton (Tor, May 20): I love love looooved Jo Walton's Among Others, so was ridiculously excited to see she has a new novel out this month, this one asking--and answering--the "What if?" question by exploring one woman's life that splits in two possible directions.
The Old-Fashioned: Stories of the World's First Classic Cocktail, with Recipes and Lore, by Robert Simonson, Daniel Krieger (Ten Speed Press, May 13): I'm always fascinated by the history of cocktails, and this promises not only that, but more than 50 variations on the classic old-fashioned.
The Painter, by Peter Heller (Knopf, May 6): It feels like May is the month of new novels from authors I really want to read but haven't picked up yet. Peter Heller is another of these--I've had The Dog Stars on my list for what feels like ages--and his newest centers on "an artist trying to outrun his past."
The Phantom of Fifth Avenue, by Meryl Gordon (Grand Central, May 27): The story of a wealthy socialite who went from bell of the ball to recluse hospital resident... this story has odd parallels with the life of Zelda Fitzgerald and Miss Havisham both--and it's true.
The Bees, by Laline Paull (Ecco, May 6): The publisher's blurb calls this "part parable, part coming-of-age story, part pure page-turner," and I've heard lots of blogger raves on this one.
The Temporary Gentleman, by Sebastian Barry (Viking, May 1): I picked up Barry's The Secret Scripture on a whim at the library years ago, and fell for his writing... so of course I'm anxious for another of his novels. Plus, it's Ireland and World War II history and other things I love to read about. So.
To Rise Again at a Decent Hour, by Joshua Ferris (Little, Brown & Co, May 13): Ferris! Joshua Ferris! Has a new novel! I don't even know what it's about, and I'll still read the heck out of it.
An Untamed State, by Roxane Gay (Grove Press, May 6): The story of a woman kidnapped for ransom, held hostage, and the consequences of her thirteen-day captivity. I've heard so very many good things about this one. So. Very. Many.
That's obviously far more than I'll read next month, though a girl can always dream. What's on your radar for May?
