The Town Crier: May 2025

New literary fiction, horror, and fantasy books hitting shelves this month that I'm excited about—plus teasers for more new titles coming this fall.

Welcome to The Town Crier, a monthly newsletter series in which I curate recent favorite reads, new releases that reflect my personal taste, and other book news I’m particularly excited about.

It’s May! I am in the final countdown before transitioning from very pregnant to new mom, and I can’t help but feel the pressure is on for what last books I fit in pre-baby. I’ll be very curious what my reading life will look like in this new phase, but I’m hopeful and have two Kindles charged and ready for lots of one-handed reading!

April reads were an interesting mix, and a big win in two ways: I read two very popular backlist books that I’ve long been meaning to get to; and I started rereading a beloved middle grade series on audio. In the race to read buzzy new releases each year, it can sometimes be hard to slow down and read backlist or attempt rereads—so I’m really proud for doing both!

For May new releases, you’ll see my most-anticipated picks are surprisingly…lighter in tone for my usual taste? But there are also some dark and creepy options coming out that I’ll highlight—just not as many that I’m SUPER excited about this month.

Without further ado, here’s The Town Crier for May 2025.

Favorites I Read Last Month

• Nevermoor and Wundersmith by Jessica Townsend (Middle Grade Fantasy, rereads, backlist). Revisiting Nevermoor has been a balm to my soul: following along as 12-year-old Morrigan gets swept up in a new life and world after living as a “cursed child” her entire life; experiencing the wonders and magic of Nevermoor, from the city itself to the delightful Hotel Deucalion and its eccentrically lovable residents. Townsend manages to weave together mystery, humor, magic, and adventure in a way that rivals Harry Potter (one of the few authors to do so this successfully, in my opinion, which is great since Rowling is problematic). I’m enjoying every minute of my reread and can’t wait to continue into the third book, Hollowpox, as I prepare for the release of book four, Silverborn, this summer. Everyone can read this series, it doesn’t matter how old you are.

• My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout (Literary Fiction, backlist). I came to this one out of order, having read Oh, William! and Lucy By the Sea already. It was interesting to see Lucy at this earlier stage, particularly within the general confines of this period she spent alone in the hospital, when her estranged mother came to stay with her for five nights. The narrative meanders a bit back and forth, revealing details of Lucy’s unusual and somewhat abusive upbringing, her journey into adulthood as a young wife, mother, and writer; and glimpses into life after this hospital phase. There are a lot of glimmers presented digging into the relationships between parents and children, particularly mothers and daughters, but also threads related to why people put others down to make themselves feel superior, and why humanity must “other” people who are different than them. It reads super quickly, although there’s a lot to go back and sit with / think about longer. Strout remains one of my favorite writers and I’m excited to finally pick up her Olive books next.

• The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami (Speculative Literary Fiction, released 3/4). This was my first by Lalami and I really enjoyed it! Protagonist Sara finds herself detained after landing at LAX post-work trip, and marked a threat due to dreams she’s been having—which in this near-future world, can be tracked and used as evidence against your character. She is taken to a detainment center and held…and held…A nice balance of speculative and literary, it read very propulsively and pulled me right in. There’s definite commentary around how women, especially minorities, are always being watched and observed. It’s a little tricky for me to review this one without comparing to a book I read and loved a few years ago, The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan. Both are speculative literary fiction focused on women being held in an institutional setting and integrating near-future sci-fi elements, making social commentaries on our world today. I felt the motherhood/parenthood of that book was more focused and effective, whereas here I was left a bit less clear on the message and takeaway. It felt just a bit too broad vs a sharper, more specific commentary. Still, I highly recommend giving it a read and will keep an eye on what else Lalami writes next!

For reviews of every book I read, follow me on Instagram @hollyslitmagic.

May 2025 New Releases

…That I Want to Read

• My Friends by Fredrik Backman (Contemporary Fiction, out 5/6). Artist Louisa spots three small figures on a pier in the corner of a painting left in her care, and becomes determined to find out who they were. We’re taken back twenty-five years earlier to a group of teenagers who find refuge from their difficult home lives by spending their days laughing and telling stories out on a pier. These four lost souls find in each other a reason to get up each morning, a reason to dream. Fredrik Backman is kind of a unicorn author that stands out from my usual darker reading taste—I just adore how he creates such poignant stories featuring deeply relatable characters, always exploring what makes us human with such precision and care. Very curious to pick this one up, especially since I could use something a little lighter going into new motherhood and postpartum this month.

• My Name is Emilia del Valle by Isabel Allende (Historical Literary Fiction, out 5/6). In 1866 San Francisco, an Irish nun, left pregnant and abandoned following a torrid relationship with a Chilean aristocrat, gives birth to a daughter she names Emilia. As she grows up, she seizes the opportunity to become a writer covering the emerging war in Chile, and uncover the truth about her father. I adore Isabel Allende—her iconic book The House of the Spirits is one of my all-time favorites. Some of her more recent releases have been more hit or miss for me, but the premise of this one sounds really promising.

• One Fine Day by Mollie Panter-Downes (Modern Classic, republished 5/8). A hot summer’s day in 1946, the village of Wealding is no longer troubled by distant sirens…Together again after years of separation, Laura and Stephen must find their way in an altered, shabbier world. “Exquisitely written, One Fine Day is an unforgettable portrait of a world, and a marriage, changed forever by war.” I have been such a sucker for these books coming out of Virago, an imprint that regularly republishes older, somewhat obscure works.

…That I’m Considering

• Overgrowth by Mira Grant (Horror, out 5/6). Since she was three years old, Anastasia has been telling everyone that she’s an alien disguised as a human being, and that the armada that left her on Earth will one day come back for her. No one has been willing to listen…until the day an alien signal starts being broadcast across the world. I always forget that Mira Grant is a pen name for Seanan McGuire, author of the Wayward Children series (starting with Every Heart a Doorway), the Alchemical Journeys series (starting with Middlegame), and more. I’m not usually a big alien enthusiast but would be willing to try it in the hands of this author!

• Immaculate Conception by Ling Ling Huang (Speculative Literary Fiction, out 5/13). In art school, Enke meets Mathilde—a talented yet tortured artist whose star is on the rise. As their friendship grows more obsessive and codependent, a cutting-edge new technology emerges that has Enke intrigued and able to inhabit Mathilde’s brain and emotions for herself. I really want to read Huang’s previous book Natural Beauty and this new one hits right in that sweet spot of speculative literary fiction I enjoy.

• The Devils by Joe Abercrombie (Fantasy, out 5/13). Brother Diaz is summoned to the Sacred City and tasked with a mission that will require bloody measures from his flock of unrepentant murderers, practitioners of ghastly magic, and outright monsters. Good thing Brother Diaz has the devils on his side. I keep seeing this one pop up on anticipated lists and it does sound super unique with the dark fantasy elements included in the description. Count me intrigued.

…That I’m Noting But Not Prioritizing

• Never Flinch by Stephen King (Mystery Thriller, out 5/27). A disturbing letter threatening to “kill thirteen innocents and one guilty” is received by the police department and kicks off an investigation. This is book four in the Holly Gibney series, which I am actually interested in but so far I have not had success reading King, so am unlikely to prioritize this one anytime soon.

• The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North (Thriller, out 5/13). Dan Garvie’s life has been haunted by the crime he witnessed as a child—narrowly escaping an encounter with a notorious serial killer. He has since become a criminal profiler—but when his father dies under mysterious circumstances, Dan returns to his small home community to uncover the truth about his death. North’s book The Whisper Man remains a five-star favorite of mine; but his subsequent books have been a bit mediocre. I probably won’t prioritize this one unless I start hearing rave reviews from trusted sources, in which case I may pick it up after all. Stay tuned!

• The Tenant by Freida McFadden (Thriller, out 5/6). Blake Porter finds himself abruptly fired from his VP of marketing job and struggling to pay for his newly purchased brownstone—enter Whitney, who is looking for a room to rent. I’ve never read Freida McFadden, mostly because I’ve heard very mixed feedback on the quality of her books and am skeptical at the rate at which she pumps them out. However, she is clearly beloved by many and a bestseller, so wanted to highlight this one here for any Freida fans.

As always, let me know in the comments which books you’re most excited about this month and if you want to convince me to pick up any in particular.

Other Book News & Items of Interest

• Recently announced to publish this September: a new title from Argentinian author Mariana Enriquez—this one nonfiction! Somebody is Walking on Your Grave: My Cemetery Journeys follows Enriquez as she visits cemeteries across the globe, from Paris’s catacombs, to Prague’s old Jewish cemetery, New Orleans’s above ground mausoleums, Buenos Aires’s opulent Recoleta, and more. Sign me UP.

• Title and cover reveal for Richard Osman’s next installment in The Thursday Murder Club series—The Impossible Fortune.

• Natsuo Kirino’s book Out has been on my backlist TBR and literally TBR shelf for a few years now—and now, new release Swallows has been announced as coming out this September. Time for me to prioritize Out!

• I’ve never read Quan Barry before but newly announced literary horror, The Unveiling, set in Antarctica has my name written all over it—coming out in October.

• Last but not least, new video game Dark Mass has me majorly intrigued with its trailer and promise of unspeakable terrors in the uncharted depths of the ocean.

That’s a wrap on The Town Crier for May 2025! Be sure to subscribe to receive future editions of this newsletter plus my other monthly publication “Side Quests,” in which I react to recent reads or unpack specific topics related to my reading life.

For day-to-day updates on my reading life, dynamic mood boards, and reviews for everything I read, follow me on Instagram @hollyslitmagic.