{"id":166716,"date":"2022-06-01T10:43:43","date_gmt":"2022-05-31T23:43:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/?p=166716"},"modified":"2022-08-09T14:05:01","modified_gmt":"2022-08-09T04:05:01","slug":"the-best-books-we-read-in-may-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/2022\/06\/01\/the-best-books-we-read-in-may-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"The best books we read in May 2022!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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From a transcendent time travel novel to the Prison Healer finale, here are the best books we read in May 2022!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Olivia Fricot \u2014 Senior Content Producer<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sea of Tranquility<\/a><\/em> by Emily St. John Mandel<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Why I loved it:<\/strong> I\u2019ve waxed lyrical enough times on this blog about my love for Emily St. John Mandel, but as long as she keeps writing books this good, I\u2019ll never stop. Sea of Tranquility<\/em> is her latest \u2014 a stunning novel that\u2019s a sequel of sorts to her previous one, The Glass Hotel<\/em>, although I feel that it can definitely be read alone. It follows the stories of an exiled aristocrat in 1912, a touring author from a moon colony 200 years later, and a time-travelling detective (stay with me here!) who are all tied together by a strange anomalous event that reaches through time. As always, Mandel has lots to say about human connection, art, and survival, and she says it with transcendent prose. I cannot recommend this book enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buy it here<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ben Hunter \u2014 Fiction Category Manager<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sunbathing<\/a> <\/em>by Isobel Beech<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Why I loved it:<\/strong> I woke up one Saturday morning incapacitated by apathy and depression and for much of the day I read this miraculous thing cover to cover. Brief, evocative, and drenched with the sweetness of life itself, Sunbathing is the perfect tonic of a novel. Following a grieving woman through weeks spent in an old villa in picturesque Abruzzo, Isobel Beech approaches male privilege, media addiction, regret and depression with a nuanced, conversational ease and effective humour. This book of finding life through grief and friendship is an extraordinary debut \u2014 just the thing I needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buy it here<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ruth & Pen<\/a><\/em> by Emilie Pine<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Why I loved it:<\/strong> Set over a single day in Dublin, 2019, Ruth & Pen<\/em> contrasts the real time experience of two women, unknown to one another, but connected by circumstance. Ruth wakes to an empty bed, her marriage, like much of her life, at a crisis point with no easy decisions laid out before her. Teenage Pen is on her way to an Extinction Rebellion occupation to be with Alice \u2014 to feel her hand in hers. Both women are pushed to their limits in this smartly constructed snapshot of the human condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buy it here<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sarah McDuling \u2014 Kids & YA Category Manager<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Blood Traitor<\/a><\/em> by Lynette Noni<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Why I loved it:<\/strong> Lynette Noni\u2019s Prison Healer trilogy comes to an epic end with the release of The Blood Traitor<\/em> this week and can I just say, woooohoooo! What a spectacular ride it has been! I normally try to limit myself to one body-related adjective per review, but in all honesty I can\u2019t be so limited here. My mind was exploded, my breath was taken, my heart was stopped, and my gut was wrenched. It was awesome. Readers will be on the edge of their seats as this dynamic fantasy series hurtles towards its triumphant conclusion. I loved getting to hang out with this charming crew of characters and was sorry to see their story end, but perhaps the best part of reaching the end of a series is that it gives you the perfect excuse to go back to the beginning and start again! (Full review here<\/a><\/strong>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buy it here<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Hannah Armstrong \u2014 Assistant Fiction Category Manager<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder<\/a><\/em> by Holly Jackson<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Why I loved it:<\/strong> Everyone and their mother has read this series, so I\u2019m late to the party but thrilled to be here. Our story centres on Pippa Fitz-Amobi, a precocious teen who decides to do her senior school project on a murder that happened in her small town five years previous. No one in the community doubts that Sal Singh murdered his girlfriend Andie Bell, hid her body and then committed suicide \u2014 but Pip isn\u2019t convinced. She teams up with Sal\u2019s brother Ravi to reinvestigate and get to the truth of what happened that night, only to uncover a web of lies and deceit that has far-reaching ramifications. This book hooked me from beginning to end with its fast-paced, propulsive plot, array of potential suspects and likeable, clever and charismatic protagonist. My fellow true crime lovers, gather round \u2014 this is the YA mystery of your dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buy it here<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Eden Samuel \u2013 Assistant Kids & YA Category Manager<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Whisper<\/a><\/em> by Lynette Noni<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Why I loved it:<\/strong> This is the answer to my Shatter Me<\/em> book hangover!! I’ve been on a mission to devour Lynette Noni’s backlist ever since I read and fell in love with The Prison Healer<\/em> and I think I enjoyed this book just as much? Or maybe even more?! It’s an addictive mash-up of YA fantasy, sci-fi and dystopia, set in a secret government facility for extraordinary people in Sydney, Australia. We follow our main character, known as “Subject Six-Eight-Four”\/”Jane Doe”, who has been locked away and experimented on for over two years, refusing to utter a single word since she arrived. When she is assigned a new and unexpectedly kind evaluator, Ward, her resolve begins to crack while the truth about Lengard’s mysterious program comes to light. It’s impossible to stop reading this book \u2014 its fast-paced, nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat action will take you from cover to cover in no time!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buy it here<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Cass Sharp \u2014 Assistant Non-Fiction Category Manager<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Book of Wondrous Possibilities<\/a><\/em> by Deborah Abela<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"9781761044021\"<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Why I loved it:<\/strong> Arlo is a quiet bookish boy, with only his pet mouse Herbert for company. All of that changes when a girl crashes into the bookshop he works in, saying he has to help her, there\u2019s a murderer after her. Hiding Lisette is a decision that changes Arlo\u2019s life \u2014 she\u2019s impulsive, recklessly honest \u2014 and she knows something about his late mum. The grimoire she was working on is all about Arlo, but Arlo the hero, not the anxious real one. He couldn\u2019t be a hero \u2014 could he? Abela has a special place in my heart after creating the grumpy pre-teen superspy Max Remy, and this is the perfect read for kids 8-12. Each chapter ends on a cliffhanger that will have them reading all night. She describes it as a love letter to books, booksellers and bookshops, and it shows \u2014 you want to curl up with a book and banana cake every few chapters. Adults will enjoy the sneaky nods to Shakespeare and Benedict, the most obnoxious uni student ever written.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buy it here<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Karen Robinson \u2013 Territory Relationship Manager<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Reminders of Him<\/a><\/em> by Colleen Hoover<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"9781542025607\"<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Why I loved it:<\/strong> Colleen Hoover is one of the most popular authors on the planet at the moment, so I just had to pick up her latest release to find out what all the fuss was about. This story was beautiful \u2014 touching and morally complex, dealing with tragedy, forgiveness and redemption. It\u2019s a skilled author that can make you see all sides of the situation and feel compassion for each person\u2019s viewpoint in such a fraught set of circumstances. I get the impression that each of her books are quite different but if you\u2019re looking for one of her books to try, I highly recommend Reminders of Him<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buy it here<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What was the best book you read in May 2022?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Tell us below in the comments!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Books by Lynette Noni, Colleen Hoover, Emily St. John Mandel and more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":166736,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":""},"categories":[6678],"tags":[8016,14862,723,8516,8807,14860,9866,1974,11465,14670,8818,14216,4484,14861,14238,14671,10219,14854,14863,8817,6644],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/BestBooksMay2022-Social.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/166716"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=166716"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/166716\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":168949,"href":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/166716\/revisions\/168949"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/166736"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=166716"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=166716"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=166716"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}