Your Must-Read May 2026 Books

Welcome to Today in Books, our daily round-up of literary headlines at the intersection of politics, culture, media, and more.

Previews of New Books Out May 2026

April is coming to an end and previews of next month’s new releases are beginning to trickle in. The New York Times released its list of 26 books out in May, Library Journal released it Prepub Alert for next month, and the American Booksellers Association published its Indie Next List Preview, to name a few. Here are some highlights from the lists:

• Canon by Paige Lewis: I’m seeing this book everywhere and it sounds like a romp. I mean, a madcap story following a nonbinary artist with O.C.D. and a prophet? Gimme.
• Ghalen: A Romance in Black by Walter Mosley: The prolific author of the legendary Easy Rawlins series is back with a coming-of-age novel following a neurodivergent Black man, and it sounds wonderfully tender.
• One Leg on Earth by ’Pemi Aguda: The celebrated author of Ghostroots, a short story collection and National Book Award Finalist, has a debut novel out this year about a curse inflicting pregnant women on a Lagos housing development.

Books bound to be bestsellers include The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett, author of The Help, and The Midnight Train by Matt Haig. Explore the lists and bookmark your must-reads!

Busted Books But Make It Fashion

Can you hear the collective screams of a million precious book lovers? The Scottdale Public Library fashioned a fabulous wedding dress out of damaged books and I’m with the team on the value of upcycling books, especially since books turned into arts and crafts are rarely of the priceless variety. The staff created the dress to promote their annual book sale, which has become all the more important in light of recent funding cuts to libraries across the nation, as the library’s director, Kristy Smith, explained to PEOPLE . The dress doesn’t just make for a pretty display but is actually wearable. I have to wonder if they’ll let affianced patrons check out the dress alongside their stacks of books.

The Largest Unionization Campaign in Publisher History

The employees of Big 5 publisher Hachette Book Group are unionizing. The Hachette Workers Coalition is the the largest union in trade publisher history , according to The News Guild. The announcement invites eligible Hachette employees to sign cards in support of unionizing and all supporters to sign an open letter in solidarity. The HWC’s demands include "a livable wage regardless of work location, better working conditions, a cap on workload hours, a clear and neutral grievance process, AI protections, [and] follow-through on DEI policies."

Two New Rebecca Yarros Books Coming This Fall

Yesterday, I mentioned the new contemporary romance announced by Rebecca Yarros, but it also turns out that a week before that announcement, another (more mysterious) upcoming release jumped to the top of Amazon’s bestseller list. Read all about the untitled Yarros book here.