Top Ten Reads for May
The merry month of May beckons, and for book lovers, it is merry indeed. From the phoenix-like resurrection of the UK Jazz scene, to the return of a much loved character from a modern master of Irish literature, a grizzly collection of gothic delights, to a scandalous takedown of the art world. We may not be able to promise good weather for May, but the books are most certainly shining.
Strange Bodies by Tom de Freston
Strange Bodies by Tom de Freston
02/05/2024
Addressed directly to De Freston’s wife—novelist Kiran Millwood Hargrave—Strange Bodies turns to art to make sense of their experience of grief after the loss of seven pregnancies. Harrowing, hopeful, deeply loving, De Freston’s latest work is a testament to the power of Art in our lives.
The Garden Against Time by Olivia Laing
The Garden Against Time by Olivia Laing
02/05/2024
In her own inimitable style, Laing explores the meaning of ‘the garden’; touching on Milton's Paradise Lost, John Clare's enclosure elegies, William Morris' common eden and Derek Jarman's queer utopia in Dungeness. The Garden Against Time is a gloriously poetic and erudite contemplation on the garden in western history and imagination.
Unapologetic Expression by André Marmot
Unapologetic Expression by André Marmot
02/05/2024
Shabaka Hutchings, Nubya Garcia, Ezra Collective, Moses Boyd—the UK Jazz scene has never been healthier. This despite the fact that at the end of the 20th Century it was perilously close to obsolescence. Drawing from extensive interviews, André Marmot brilliantly captures the rehabilitation and revival of UK Jazz over the last 25 years and how it was possible.
Flowers from the Void by Gianni Washington
Flowers from the Void by Gianni Washington
02/05/2024
A debut filled with grizzly, gothic delights, Flowers from the Void is a chilling and macabre short story collection. Washington manages to bestow a remarkably sympathetic rendering to monstrous protagonists, heralding both an original reworking of the horror short story, and a thrilling glimpse of more to come.
All That Glitters by Orlando Whitfield
All That Glitters by Orlando Whitfield
02/05/2024
A diabolically delicious snapshot of the Art world's luminous facade, and the rotten, depraved core that drives the machine. Whitfield records the audacious and fallacious downfall of his friend, Inigo Philbrick—a charismatic art dealer, now in prison for wire fraud—to thrilling effect. All That Glitters is an electric takedown of the corrupting proximity of Art and excessive wealth that distorts the market from Mayfair to Miami.
Evenings and Weekends by Oisín McKenna
Evenings and Weekends by Oisín McKenna
09/05/2024
Set over a weekend in London 2019, in the throes of a heatwave, Evenings and Weekends follows a group of young adults navigating love, sex and the search for meaning in the modern metropolis. McKenna captures time and place perfectly, and the characters are vividly drawn, making this a debut that will stick with you a long time after reading.
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
14/05/2024
Endorsements from an impressively diverse who's who of contemporary writing—Emily Henry, Max Porter, Julia Armfield, David Nicholls, Mark Haddon, Eleanor Catton—and a storyline that is as intriguing as it is genre-defying, mean The Ministry of Time is set to be one of the most talked about debuts of 2024.
Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors
Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors
23/05/2024
A raw, confronting, and gorgeously tender portrayal of what it is to have, be, and lose a sister. The author of Cleopatra and Frankenstein is back with an addictive new novel, tracing the Blue sisters' return to their childhood apartment in New York—and ultimately to each other—in mourning of their beloved fourth sister, Nicky.
Like Love by Maggie Nelson
Like Love by Maggie Nelson
23/05/2024
Drawn from 20 years of Maggie Nelson's writing arranged chronologically, Like Love is a collection of essays on writers, artists, and creators that have shaped and informed Nelson's own work. From Judith Butler to Prince, Eileen Myles to Natalia Ginzburg, Ben Lerner to Björk, Nelson's reflections and observations are as intriguing and enlightening as it gets. A truly fascinating glimpse into the artistry behind seminal works like Bluets and The Argonauts.
Long Island by Colm Tóibín
Long Island by Colm Tóibín
23/05/2024
Twenty years on from Brooklyn we revisit Eilis Lacey, now living happily in Long Island with her husband Tony and two teenage children. Happily that is, until an Irishman knocks at the door and delivers a revelation that changes everything. Tóibín's sequel to one of his most beloved novels is an intense but beautiful story of love, regret, lies, longings and the meaning of home.
