6 Fantastic Novels New in Paperback This May

The May Book Club Favorites pick is here! A charming, irresistible debut set in London during World War II, DEAR MRS. BIRD is the story of plucky Emmy Lake, who dreams of becoming a lady war correspondent but fumbles her way into a job as an assistant to a ferocious advice columnist instead. Her boss is very clear—any letters containing unpleasantness must go straight to the trash bin—but Emmy is unable to resist responding.

We’re anxiously waiting on Robyn Harding’s new provocative novel, THE ARRANGEMENT, and the best way to occupy ourselves is by revisiting one of her earlier works, HER PRETTY FACE. In this tense domestic drama, two women—stay-at-home mom Frances, wealthy and powerful Kate—share a deep friendship that will soon be threatened by dark, long-buried secrets, because one of these women is not who she seems. Her real name is Amber Kunik. And she’s a murderer.

Rejoice! This Meg Wolitzer novel is finally available in paperback. In THE FEMALE PERSUASION, Wolitzer she explores power and influence, ego and loyalty, womanhood and ambition. When a shy college freshman, Greer Kadetsky, meets the dazzling persuasive and elegant 63-year-old Faith Frank, she’s lead down an exciting path winding toward a future she’d always imagined.

While casting news continues to fill our feeds concerning a Reese Witherspoon–produced adaptation, now is the perfect time to reread Celeste Ng’s riveting novel. LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE traces the intertwined fates of the picture-perfect Richardson family and the enigmatic mother and daughter who upend their lives. When old family friends of the Richardsons attempt to adopt a Chinese-American baby, a custody battle erupts that dramatically divides the town. LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE explores the weight of secrets, the nature of art and identity, and the ferocious pull of motherhood.

For fans of the THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA and its cult classic film counterpart, WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LULULEMONS features Emily Charlton—Miranda Priestly’s first assistant—in the spotlight. In classic Lauren Weisberger style, this daring novel follows three worldly women who trade in their Manolo Blahniks for Birkenstocks in the wealthy New York City suburb of Westport.

The January Book Club Favorites—sporting a new snazzy cover—is a story of murder, mystery, thievery, art, love, and loss. Flowing through its pages like a river is the voice of a woman who stands outside time, whose name has been forgotten by history but who has watched it all unfold: Birdie Bell, the clockmaker’s daughter.