
New Horror Books to Ruin Your Sleep
Welcome to The Best of Book Riot, our daily round-up of what’s on offer across our site, newsletters, podcasts, and social channels. Not everything is for everyone, but there is something for everyone.
New Horror Books to Keep You Up At Night
Horror fans, have I got some good book news for you! A brand new batch of horror books is headed our way. From haunted mansions to alien invasions and everything in between, this month’s horror books are packed with frightening stories that will have you sleeping with the lights on… if you can sleep at all. If you’re looking for new thrills and chills, put all of these titles at the top of your TBR pile for the month of May.
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.
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Hooray for May’s New Comics and Graphic Novels!
Aside from offering lots of intriguing suggestions for what you could be reading over the next thirty days, these new release lists are also a reminder of just how versatile comic books are. It doesn’t matter what kind of story you want to tell—short, long, funny, serious, scary, fiction, nonfiction—comics are a fantastic medium for bringing that story to the public eye. Below, you’ll find everything from tales of supernatural horror to fun, kid-friendly titles. Most are works of fiction, as usual, but there are also a couple of nonfiction titles for people wanting to learn history or new skills. One even draws inspiration from real life to create an entertaining story with an important message.
The Most Read Books on Goodreads in April 2025
April looks to be the turning point of the year in terms of the most read books. The Empyrean series is still holding onto two spots in the top five, but it doesn’t have the dominance over the list that it did in earlier months. We have some new titles making an appearance in the top five, including the latest volume in one of the most popular YA series of this century.
10 New Nonfiction Book Releases of May 2025
In celebration of true stories, I’ve collected 10 of some of the most exciting nonfiction titles hitting shelves in May. You might be new to nonfiction or a true stories pro, but whatever the case, there’s sure to be something on this list that catches your eye.
If You Missed This Horror Novella When It Was First Released, Check it Out Now
The thing that draws me back to horror novels again and again is their relentless examination of grief and loss and the emptiness that death can leave behind. It’s the kind of emptiness that will have you desperately grasping for any kind of sign—no matter how big or how small—that everything will be okay again. I felt the desperation in this novella so acutely on every page. This grief felt real and intense. It only took a few pages to feel deep sympathy and understanding for all of these characters, and I did cry for them.
New, Middle Grade Books for Jewish American Heritage Month
As Jewish American Heritage Month, May is a great time to check out new books from Jewish American authors that may not yet be on your kids’ shelves! Started in 2006, this month honors the contributions of Jewish Americans to culture and society and invites us all to reflect on the many and diverse contributions of Jewish Americans throughout history.
The New York Public Library’s Best New Poetry Books
The New York Public Library (NYPL) recently released a list of 25 of the best new poetry books out this year. To come up with the list, the NYPL’s librarians and staff read more than 250 poetry books and narrowed them down to the current list, which covers everything from identity (AAPI, Black, LGBTQ+, Middle Eastern, and Jewish experiences) to mental health, family, and nature. There are even selections for poetry readers interested in speculative stories and sports.