5 Fiction releases to Watch for in May

Need some fresh new titles for your reading list? Here are five books released this month that are worth keeping your eye on.

(please note that due to a blogger.com site crash,
we have re-posted our blog entry from May 12th.)

Arrhythmia
by Alice Zorn (May 1):

A first novel from an Ontario born, Montreal based author whose previous collection of short stories Ruins and Relics was published in 2009. From the book jacket: "Joelle is about to lose her husband Marc, who has become obsessed with Ketia, a young Haitian woman. Ketia lies to her family to conceal her liaison with Marc. Joelle's friend Diane does not realize that her boyfriend Nazim has never told his Muslim family in Morocco about her. Then Nazim gets a letter that threatens his secret. Alice Zorn leads readers into the lives of a diverse cast of characters struggling with conflicting cultural values and the demands of intimacy. Set against the busy urban mosaic of Montreal, Arrhythmia is a study of betrayal: the large betrayals we commit against our loved ones, and the smaller ones we commit against ourselves"

The Lake
by Banana Yoshimoto (May 3):

I love Banana Yoshimoto's writing, but have talked about her only once before on the Reader, so I am keen to highlight her new book. From the publisher: "A major literary sensation is back with a quietly stunning tour de force about a young woman who falls for a cult escapee. While The Lake shows off many of the features that have made Banana Yoshimoto famous—a cast of vivid and quirky characters, simple yet nuanced prose, a tight plot with an upbeat pace—it’s also one of the most darkly mysterious books she’s ever written. It tells the tale of a young woman who moves to Tokyo after the death of her mother, hoping to get over her grief and start a career as a graphic artist. She finds herself spending too much time staring out her window, though ... until she realizes she’s gotten used to seeing a young man across the street staring out his window, too."

A Day in the Life of a Smiling Woman: complete short stories
by Margaret Drabble (May 4):

This biography of Drabble lists almost 30 books of fiction and non-fiction written and edited by the author. Apparently she had time for a few short stories too. This book collects 14 stories written between the 1960s and 2000, by the woman Booklist describes as " a writer of acid wit, keen plots, and psychological acuity".

The New Miss India
by Bharati Mukherjee (May 17):

Tradition and modern life collide in this new novel about a young woman from a "back water town" who flees an arranged marriage to make a life for herself in the fast growing city of Bangalore. Mukherjee is the author of several well regarded books including Desirable Daughters and The Tree Bride. Sure to be a fascinating look inside the life of a modern India.

Embassytown
by China Miéville (May 17):

Don't miss out on well plotted and thoughtful award winning books from Miéville because you shy away from genre labels. Miéville uses the tropes of fantasy, science fiction and horror to write thought provoking commentaries on modern society. Actually, lots of genre writers do that, but Miéville does it really well. His new novel is set on a distant planet that has been colonized by humans and where the tenuous peaceful co-existence threatens to collapse. Mieville has been suggested for readers who enjoy the writing of José Saramago.