Our editors weigh in on May’s most anticipated new releases.
All aboard
What if you could go back in time, but doing so risked everything? Matt Haig takes us on a magical and quietly devastating ride in The Midnight Train. The time-travelling love story follows Wilbur, a man whose life flashes before his eyes and is given the extraordinary chance to relive the moments that mattered most. For Wilbur, that moment was with the love of his life, Maggie, on their honeymoon in Venice, before everything changed. James Norton’s narration poetically brings out Wilbur’s vulnerability, and I found myself rooting for Wilbur and Maggie throughout the entire story. If you loved The Midnight Library, then grab yourself a ticket on The Midnight Train.
Douglas Stuart has done it again
I thought I was prepared for the quiet, beautiful devastation of Booker Prize-winning author Douglas Stuart’s third novel, but I wasn’t quite ready for all the threads he managed to weave into this latest tale. While touching on many of the same themes as Shuggie Bain and Young Mungo, John of John trades the industrial grit of Glasgow for the harsh beauty of the Scottish Western Isles. The pastoral setting only enhances a storyline that’s just a tad bit slower, quieter, and imbued with the harsh and unforgiving elements of the islands themselves. Stuart has never needed help when it comes to crafting characters who feel real, but his gift is further elevated by actor Lorne MacFadyen’s performance, which perfectly captures the desperation and restlessness of the characters, their community, and the island they call home.
A delightful whodunit
If you love cosy mysteries with genuine Irish charm, this audiobook is perfect. Actor/comedian/debut author Ardal O'Hanlon's narration adds so much warmth to this tale of murder in a small County Wexford town. With a TV gardener-turned-amateur sleuth, a suspicious death at choir practice, and a town full of quirky characters, listening to this gently funny and properly mysterious story feels like chatting with a friend over tea. If you enjoy Graham Norton's books or TV’s Death in Paradise, you'll adore this witty mystery. Hopefully, we won’t be waiting too long for book 2—I can’t wait to hear what happens next!
Tick. Tock. Choose.
Five has easily earned its place among my favourite listens so far this year. The premise alone instantly drew me in—five strangers on a train platform, five minutes until the next train to London, and one of them won't make it. Each character steps onto the platform carrying a story you can't look away from. A gambler teetering on the edge. A mother stretched past her limit. A child mid-meltdown. An old woman too proud to ask for help. A businessman carrying damage he's learned to hide. In five minutes, Ilona Bannister makes you care about all of them, and then forces you to decide who deserves to live. The ensemble narration is perfection, making Five a must-listen.
Contrary to unpopular belief, Garcelle’s life is very interesting!
As a longstanding fan since her “Fancy” days, I was sad to see Garcelle Beauvais depart after five seasons of keeping not only herself but the entire Real Housewives of Beverly Hills cast open and honest. However, if there’s one thing Garcelle does well, it’s to keep on pushing—and keep her peace! In her aptly named memoir, she opens up about more than just her time on the reality TV show, sharing an expanded view of her past struggles: single motherhood, her Hollywood career, and more. She narrates the audiobook herself, giving listeners even more depth and understanding of her journey.
Will they or won’t they ship?
As a Katherine Center stan, every one of her books feels like a treat for me, and The Shippers was no different. JoJo Burton heads to her sister’s destination wedding determined to fix her love life once and for all, which somehow involves asking her childhood best friend Cooper to help her win over someone else. From there, it’s everything I’ve come to love about Center’s stories. It’s warm, it’s emotional, and it just feels good to settle into. Patti Murin returns as narrator and, as always, she delivers.
You are what you think
Beliefs aren’t facts, but they are real, and they have a measurable impact on your health, mood, and success. That’s the premise of happiness expert and researcher Shawn Achor’s latest listen, The Power of Beliefs, and wow, was I blown away by the studies he shared in support of this hypothesis. We’ve all heard of the home-field advantage, but did you know that college football teams win games on their school’s turf a whopping 64 percent of the time? Or that patients given a placebo in medical trials report having a more positive outcome than the control group 35 percent of the time? Achor’s data and science-backed exploration of this uniquely human power will change the way you value your thoughts for good.
Love is the answer
I love this book and would love to have the privilege of hugging each of the main characters, the good ones that do no harm. Ghalen and his parents are three exquisite people brought to us by Walter Mosley. I love the food they eat, the friends at their table, and how their humanity saves their day. The story takes place in LA (the author’s hometown), and I smiled at the mention of Dorsey High, where my brother played on the football team and his Dorsey friends became lifelong “cousins” to us. This is the American family we don’t hear enough about and topics we (us Black folk) don’t talk enough about, especially neurodiversity, written about with a sensitivity as only Mosley can.
Language, memory, and revolution
With its rich world-building, complex character dynamics, and ambitious subject, it’s hard to believe The Republic of Memory is Mahmud El Sayed’s debut novel. Set aboard a ship halfway through a 400-year journey to its new home and inspired by the events of the Arab Spring, the novel is the first in a planned duology. One of the highlights of this listen is the language: In the tradition of the Belters of The Expanse series, El Sayed has crafted NuPol, a dialect that has evolved over 200 years on the ship. Combined with the cast of talented narrators, each of whom vibrantly portrays their characters, I was completely immersed in this story.
A soundtrack of liberation and love
Barry Walters has spent 40 years documenting the intersection of LGBTQIA+ and mainstream pop culture. Now, he's sharing a personal, expansive chronicle that documents how queer artists and audiences revolutionised popular music, with 60 bite-sized chapters spanning from the Stonewall riots through to the end of the 20th century. The work highlights the intersection of racial and sexual minorities—profiling artists such as David Bowie, Grace Jones, Jackie Shane, the Indigo Girls, and Sylvester (whose iconic disco anthem "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" lends its title to the audiobook)—to illustrate how queer expression reshaped mainstream music across genres. Walters narrates this essential text himself, adding to what will surely be a treasured reference for anyone seeking to understand this musical family tree and how it continues to shape our world.
Reading women
I love short-story collections. I love stories that unapologetically centre the lives of women. So, when I came across Patient, Female, I couldn’t wait to dig in. These tales, each centring a different female narrator—ranging from adolescent girls to older women—are funny while also being true, earnest, and cutting. Each gloriously self-possessed protagonist speaks with her own unique voice while a common ethos threads its way through the entire work: Bear witness to the beautiful absurdity of these women’s lives. Find the beautiful absurdity in your own.
A love story worth the wait
Trust me when I tell you, the audiobook is the only way to experience Score. Wesleigh Siobhan and Winston James are perfection as Verity Hill and Monk Bellamy, the screenwriter and music composer who must work together on the set of the Harlem Renaissance biopic first introduced in Reel—years after their devastating breakup. Nicole Small reprises her role as Dessi Blue, and just like in Reel, there's original music woven throughout the audiobook of Score. This second-chance love story is epic on its own, but Verity's bipolar diagnosis—rendered with author Kennedy Ryan's signature care—is what elevates it into something unforgettable. Reel made history in 2022 as the first Black romance to win the Audie for Best Romance, and I'd bet anything Score lands there, too.
Why we must party on!
To have read the famed work of Alice McDermott is to know too well that our weekends can become an endless parade of communions, confirmations, graduations, weddings, and, alas, a few wakes. It can sometimes feel more rote and obligatory than a true opportunity to connect. Leave it to lifeologist Bruce Feiler, author of Walking the Bible and countless other examinations of how we live and work, to find the refreshingly new ways we are personalising celebration, and how any and all gatherings give us the balast we need in these destabilising times. After attending countless Vegas weddings, Irish wakes, and a Taylor Swift divorce party, Feiler not only offers a lovely reflection on human connection, but also suggests ways to make these invitations, fetes, and collective moments richer and more rewarding to you.
Anime-inspired fantasy
The first book of a fantasy trilogy is always exhilarating—you’re breaking ground on a brand-new world that you know is only just beginning. Add to that excitement a backdrop rooted in ancient Japanese folklore and inspiration drawn from Hayao Miyazaki films (Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle), and I’m more than ready to press “play.”
More listens we're looking forward to
