12 Marvelous New SFF Books Out May 2025
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12 Marvelous New SFF Books Out May 2025
This month, there’s a Peter Pan–Sherlock Holmes fantasy mashup; a group of monsters who must work together to dethrone a wretched prince; not one but two stories of magical schools; a hard-boiled fantasy noir featuring a down-on-his-luck private investigator; a magical mail slot that makes wishes come true; a young dragon hunter looking to slay a beast in a reclusive kingdom; the inspiration for Spirited Away; and more.
The Best Bookish Gifts for New Grads
I’ve gathered gifts that range from bookmarks to heirloom jewelry. Most people who have just finished some type of schooling are going to be extremely grateful for cash or gift cards (I’ve got your back, recent grads), but if you’re looking for something a little more personal or meaningful, there are some great ideas to explore. Help your English major, teacher, library science, or plain old book-lover graduate enter their next phase by finding a gift to celebrate their work and their love. And, if you can swing it, maybe slip a little cash in the card, too.
7 Adaptations Out in May We Hope are Just as Good as the Book
It’s May, which means we have a whole new month of new page-to-screen adaptations to get excited about. Whether you’re ready to head to a movie theater and buy a big, expensive (but tasty) tub of popcorn, or if you’ve got a more Netflix-and-chill type of vibe this month, there are adaptations you’re going to want to tune in for. We’re talking new seasons of some of your favorite TV shows, sequels to cult favorites, new horror, new thrillers, new sci-fi, and more.
It’s Been Two Decades Since I Read This Book, But I Think About It Every Day
Sometimes, you read a book that changes or regularly weaves its way into your life, but you don’t actually know that until years later. That’s the case for me with this work of natural nonfiction. It was a book club pick for a science book club I joined in college, and despite knowing how much I enjoyed the read at the time, I could never have imagined the ways this book has continued to show up in my life for decades to come.
The 12 Best New Children’s Books Out in May 2025
This month, a huge range of beautiful picture books is coming out for the youngest readers, dealing with important childhood challenges such as making friends, expressing yourself, or negotiating loss and grief. There are cute animal characters, family celebrations, and insights into fun sports and games. For older readers, we find plenty of exciting middle grade books, with a strong mix of fantasy and contemporary. Some of the new children’s books out in May look at different types of family relationships and finding your place in the world, while others see the characters heading off into magical adventures and saving the environment as they go.
2025 YA Microtrend: Wrestling With Queer Identity and Religion
It’s been with deep interest that I’ve noted several YA books published so far this year that dive into the tricky territory of being a queer person of Christian faith. I wouldn’t say this is a trend this year because saying so suggests that it’s a new issue. Instead, I’d say it’s a topic that simply has not shown up as much in YA as one might anticipate, especially as the YA landscape has broadened and become more inclusive. If anything, it’s a microtrend in 2025, and it’s likely a topic we’ll see continue to grow over the next few years. It would be impossible not to, especially as we live through an era where an attack on one freedom guaranteed in the First Amendment is an attack on all the freedoms it guarantees.
Escape Into These 9 BIPOC Millionaire and Billionaire Romances
Below, I’ve gathered a selection of BIPOC millionaire and billionaire romances. You’ll find delightful themes from fake dating to marriages of convenience, enemies-to-lovers, foodie romances, werewolf baes, and more.
7 Adaptations Out in May We Hope are Just as Good as the Book
It’s May, which means we have a whole new month of new page-to-screen adaptations to get excited about. Whether you’re ready to head to a movie theater and buy a big, expensive (but tasty) tub of popcorn, or if you’ve got a more Netflix-and-chill type of vibe this month, there are adaptations you’re going to want to tune in for. We’re talking new seasons of some of your favorite TV shows, sequels to cult favorites, new horror, new thrillers, new sci-fi, and more.
Ay, Madre: Latine Books Featuring Complex Portrayals of Motherhood
These books are not about motherhood, per se, but feature characters who are mothers, and not all of them are positive portrayals of mothering. I wanted to focus on books that made me think hard about each mother, about their lived experience, about the surroundings that shaped them, and about the people who they loved and loved them. I learned something in each of their stories, not just about mothers, but about my relationship to motherhood itself.
17 New Romance Books Out in May to Help You Through Spring Cleaning
The books I finally decided on range from long-awaited books by veteran favorites and books by authors I can’t wait to discover more of. There are plenty of contemporaries, as usual, but also some new historicals, fantasy, and a superhero or two. We’ve got traditionally published and indie published books, trade paperbacks and category romances. This is the tip of the iceberg, but I only have so many lines to write. Hopefully, we’ll all find a book or five to love in this month’s batch of releases.
The Bestselling Books of the Week, According to All the Lists
To get these numbers, we look at the USA Today overall top 10; Publishers Weekly overall top 10; The New York Timestop 10, both Combined Print & E-Book Fiction and Combined Print & E-Book Nonfiction lists; Amazon Charts top 10, both Fiction and Nonfiction; and Indie Bestsellers top 10, Fiction and Nonfiction, both Paperback and Hardcover. New additions to the list this week are bolded.
10 Fabulous Picture Books Celebrating Neurodivergent Kids
End the stigma and make life more comfortable for neurodivergent kids. And when in doubt, start with books.
