Top Book Club Picks: Must-Read Releases for May 2025

Swedish author Fredrik Backman’s “A Man Called Ove” was one of the many BookTok novels to receive a film adaptation. Retitled “A Man Called Otto” and starring Tom Hanks, the film brought many viewers to tears. Now, the author is back with a new novel, “My Friends,” set to release on May 6, 2025. It’s a story about an unbreakable friendship and the impact that kind of bond has on people’s lives. In a Facebook post discussing the upcoming novel, Backman wrote, “It’s a little about my childhood, a lot about some friends of mine, some that are here and some that are not. If it makes you laugh it’s because they always did.”

Louisa is an artist who becomes enamored with three figures in a painting. When she ends up inheriting the painting, she sets out on a cross-country journey to uncover the story behind it. The painting’s origins date back 25 years to a band of four friends, Ted, Ali, Joar, and a gifted yet deeply troubled artist, who form a deep bond on the seaside pier. Whenever the four teens are together, they can leave all of their familial troubles behind and share their dreams, stories, and laughter. As she begins to uncover the tale of their friendship, Louisa will also discover herself and the healing power of human connection and art.

Award-winning author of “BRAKING DAY,” Adam Oyebanji, is back with “Esperance.” This story is a science fiction thriller that weaves together themes of murder, mystery, justice, racial identity, and so much more. The witty Oyebanji blends sharp suspense with bold ideas that will have you questioning everything.

Chicago detective Ethan Krol is investigating the odd murder of a father and son, who were discovered with seawater in their lungs, despite being thousands of miles away from any ocean. Meanwhile, across the world, Abidemi Eniola, a strange woman with incredible technological abilities, arrives in Bristol with many heirlooms she says she is hoping to return. Drawn to Abidemi’s mission, Hollie Rogers joins her, but refrains from asking her new friend too many questions. Ethan’s investigation continues and begins to point toward Abidemi as the prime suspect. As their paths collide, a global story unfolds that challenges everything we know about justice, cultural identity, and history.

Being a modern woman is hard. What’s even harder is being a modern Indian woman with an overbearing family watching your every move. “I Will Blossom Anyway” by Disha Bose is a coming-of-age story about a millennial woman’s journey to self-discovery while walking on a tightrope, straddling two completely different worlds. This story navigates the journey of self-love, self-discovery, and finding the courage to truly be yourself.

Druga comes from a big Calcutta family as the third child of four children; she is loved, but sometimes her family can be a bit too much. Always seeking ways to be more independent, Druga leaps at the chance to leave her home and family in India and sets out for Ireland for a new tech job. Druga is loving the newfound freedom — late nights, new friendships, and first love. But when her first love and relationship fall apart, she ends up feeling more alone than ever and questions her identity and her place in the world. Trying to decide between returning to the comfort of home and her family or setting out on a new path in a foreign country, Druga will have to decide what she truly desires. To do this, Druga may even have to call forth the inner warrior in her, Kali, and fight for the life she deserves.

As a transgender woman and activist, Tourmaline continues to use her voice to amplify the voices of others in marginalized communities by challenging societal norms. In 2018, Tourmaline released a short fictional film about Marsha P. Johnson, a pioneer of gay and transgender rights. In May 2025, Tourmaline will release a biography of Marsha P. Johnson that she describes as a “culmination of decades of archiving and sharing Marsha’s story and four years of quietly writing.” The story will delve into the iconic figure’s powerful life not only as a Black trans activist but also as a mother, lover, friend, and so much more.

Telling the life story of Marsha P. Johnson, Tourmaline’s biography takes you on a journey of the revolutionary activist’s life. As a crucial figure in the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, she was loved by many for her energetic personality and groundbreaking activism. Marsha blazed a path in the early gay rights movement, is said to have been an inspiration to artists like Andy Warhol and Earth, Wind & Fire, and continues to be an inspiration for many continuing to fight for their rights today. Tourmaline’s biography captures Marsha’s undying revolutionary spirit and lifelong fight, as well as the impact she made on the world. This is the first time Marsha’s life has been documented like this, so don’t miss it. Prefer fiction for your book club instead? Try an LGBTQ+ romance book that made our list.

Author of multiple critically acclaimed poetry collections, Ocean Vuong returns with a heartfelt novel about the meaning of unexpected friendship, survival, loss, and choosing your own family. In an interview with Vintage Books, Vuong describes his new novel, “The Emperor of Gladness,” as “a meditation on working people in Central Connecticut, where I grew up.” Through the exploration of many themes like labor, isolation, and love, Vuong crafts a touching story about the lengths people will go to get their shot at a second chance.

Hai, at just 19 years old, decides to end his life and stands on a bridge in East Gladness, Connecticut. He’s stopped by an elderly widow named Grazina, who suffers from dementia. Lost and with no place to call home, Hai takes on the role of Grazina’s caretaker, and the two develop an unexpected yet transformative friendship. This friendship will have Hai reevaluating his life, his relationships with his own family, and the community that surrounds him.

While we love being able to give personal insight into our book recommendations, curating a list of upcoming releases looks a little different. Since these titles haven’t been released yet, we rely solely on publisher descriptions, reviews from the lucky readers who got early-release versions of the book, and the buzz around the release. That’s why we approach this list with a little more caution.

We start our research at the Library Journal, which provides a complete list of releases for each month. We go through the list of titles and brief descriptions and pick out any that catch our attention. Once we’ve gathered a list of around 20 titles, we’ll head to Goodreads for a more detailed description of the books. If we’re lucky, we also get to read reviews of some of the titles thanks to early preview releases for selected readers. In the end, we’ll narrow down the list of 20 titles to just five picks we felt deserved a spot on our list. As always, we hope you enjoy reading about these upcoming books and perhaps even choose one of them for your next book club read.