Thursday, May 22, 2025

What our staff is reading and loving πŸ“–

A new release that blew me away, plus recs new and old from our staff. Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ  Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ 
Read in browser

eNewspaper   |    Crosswords   |   Horoscopes
 

Books

Thu May 22 2025
 

Clare Mulroy |  Books Reporter

Good morning, booklovers! It's USA TODAY Books Reporter Clare Mulroy, and this week I want to share a few book recommendations from USA TODAY staffers. 

I just finished Ocean Vuong's latest novel, "The Emperor of Gladness" and am still thinking about it days later. "Emperor" has all the poetic meditations and lyricism of Vuong's debut novel "On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous," but rounded out with a lovable cast of found family characters that practically leap off the page. It's a small-town study of New England, fast food restaurants, memory, immigration, family expectations and addiction.
Book Cover Collages 5

Books our staff has read and loved recently, including the new "Emperor of Gladness."

Covers courtesy of Penguin Random House, Macmillan, Zando, HarperCollins

Travel editor Josh Rivera recently read "Monstrilio" by Gerardo SΓ‘mano CΓ³rdova , about a family trying to move on after their son's death. "The novel explores identity in the face of loss and how holding on to grief hurts everyone involved. It's a cathartic horror tale that stays with you long after reading," he tells me. 

And newsletter writer Nicole Fallert loved historical fiction novel "Pelican Girls" by Julia Mayle , which tells the story of New Orleans from a surprising perspective: French women taken from a Parisian prison and sent to North America to marry settlers. "Read for a story of a sea adventure, lifelong friendships and complex Louisiana history," Fallert says.

"The Wedding People" by Alison Espach took Entertainment breaking news reporter Anna Kaufman by surprise. "The fun cover belies a much darker story," she says. "Espach thumbs the depths of emotions most of us would fear speaking aloud, not to mention pour out on the page. It's honest, wry and delightfully unpredictable."

Wellness editor Leora Arnowitz read "My Return to the Walter Boys" by Ali Novak , in which the author revisits her YA debut "My Life with the Walter Boys" 11 years later. "The book is a fun summer read but also poignant as it deals with topics like grief and insecurity," Arnowitz says.

And Books and Music editor Jennifer McClellan devoured "All That Life Can Afford" by Emily Everett , which follows a smart-but-poor American who finds herself among London's wealthy elite and is forced to reconcile who she was and who she is willing to be. "The Jane Austen nods, alluring European settings and messy main characters made this one of my favorite reads of 2025," she says.

What book are you currently recommending? Let me know at cmulroy@usatoday.com.

Thanks for keeping up with USA TODAY Books this week, and happy reading!
Kristina McMorris is the author of several bestselling historical fiction novels, including "Sold on a Monday."

In her new historical fiction novel "The Girls of Good Fortune," Kristina McMorris brings light to historical violence against Chinese laborers.
Sarah Jessica Parker speaks onstage during the 2025 PEN America Literary Gala in New York City.
 

PEN America gala offers sobering look at risks to free speech

Sarah Jessica Parker, Taye Diggs, Jodi Picoult and more took the stage at PEN America's gala to criticize book bans and the Trump administration.
Alexander Skarsgård as Murderbot and David Dastmalchian as Gurathin in "Murderbot."
 

What is 'Murderbot' about? The books behind Apple TV's new series

"The Murderbot Diaries" is now a series starring Alexander SkarsgΓ₯rd. Here's everything to know about the sci-fi books, including the order to read.
USA TODAY's spring book challenge is now open.
 

Want to win $100? Enter our Spring Book Challenge

Participate in USA TODAY's Spring Book Challenge by reading and submitting your completed bingo card. You could win a $100 Bookshop.org gift card.
USA TODAY booklist returns
 

USA TODAY Best-selling Booklist

The top-selling titles each week provides book lovers with the most accurate snapshot of what people are reading.
Sign up for a Book of the Month subscription for just $5 with code BOUQUET and get a free reader-inspired hat in your first box.
 

Join Book of the Month for $5 and get a free hat

Sign up for a Book of the Month subscription for just $5 with code BOUQUET and get a free "Born to Read" hat in your first box. Offer ends soon.
 

Sign up for the news you want

Exclusive newsletters are part of your subscription, don't miss out! We're always working to add benefits for subscribers like you.
SEE ALL NEWSLETTERS βž”

Newsletters   |    eNewspaper   |   Crosswords

Follow Us

Problem viewing email? View in browser
LiveIntent Logo AdChoices Logo
at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

New Arrivals Just in Time for Independence Day!

Celebrate Comfort ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ...