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17 must-read books for May
From thrilling page-turners to uplifting memoirs, these are the best books to read right now, recommended by books editor Joanne Finney
1
God Help The Child by Toni Morrison
It was her best-known book Beloved that won Toni Morrison a Pulitzer Prize and her elegantly sparse style and ability to open eyes and hearts with her words have made her one of the most admired authors writing today. Now 84, she's back with her 11th novel. God Help The Childexplores the consequences when a student accuses a teacher of abuse.
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2
A Place Called Winter by Patrick Gale
A Place Called Winter by Patrick Gale is a gorgeously written, bittersweet story about secrets and identity. It follows a man forced to flee London for newly colonised Canada after his illicit relationship is discovered.
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3
Villa America by Liza Klaussmann
We can't get enough of all things Gatsby. And in the mesmerising Villa America, Liza Klaussmann inhabits the glamorous world of F Scott Fitzgerald’s circle. Together the group spends summers lounging on the French Riviera – until a stranger arrives, bringing tragedy into their gilded lives.
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4
Hausfrau by Jill Alexander Essbaum
Hausfrau by poet Jill Alexander Essbaum is a searing debut. When a bored housewife embarks on an affair, her apparently perfect life starts to unravel at an alarming rate - and there is seemingly nothing she can do to stop it.
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5
A Reunion Of Ghosts by Judith Claire Mitchell
Anyone with sisters will relate to A Reunion Of Ghosts, a pitch-black comedy starring three eccentric middle-aged siblings who believe their family is cursed. The sharp humour is tempered by the loveable characters created by Judith Claire Mitchell.
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6
The Wolf Border by Sarah Hall
The Wolf Border by Sarah Hall is a stunning novel about a young woman who returns home to the Lake District to help reintroduce grey wolves to the area. She's trying to get her life back on track after discovering she's pregnant with a colleague's child.
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7
The Good Girl by Fiona Neill
Best known for her Slummy Mummy column in The Times, Fiona Neill's latest novel is about the shattering effect on a family when a teenager's sex tape goes viral on social media. The Good Girl is a topical, tense and addictive read.
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8
Disclaimer by Renée Knight
If it's a creepy read you're after, then look no further than Disclaimer by Renée Knight. A woman starts reading a book that has mysteriously appeared on her bedside table, only to discover that it's based on a secret from her past. Difficult to put down.
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GH celebrities reveal their favourite reads
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9
Hush, Hush by Laura Lippman
Laura Lippman returns with another clever crime story featuring feisty PI, Tess Monahan. In Hush Hush, a mother cleared of killing her baby has her case reopened a decade later when her ex-husband is found dead.
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10
The Umbrian Thursday Night Supper Club by Marlena de Blasi
The Umbrian Thursday Night Supper Club celebrates the life-affirming joys of friendship and food. Food writer Marlena de Blasi recounts meals she and four Italian neighbours cook together every month and the stories they share about their past lives and loves.
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11
Very Good Lives by JK Rowling
When JK Rowling delivered a speech to Harvard University graduates back in 2008, she spoke movingly of the 'benefits of failure'. Now, with Very Good Lives, her inspiring words have been published for the first time. Perfect for anyone needing a shot of courage, Rowling draws on her own years of struggle before the phenomenon that became Harry Potter.
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12
Get It Together by Zoe Williams
No matter what the subject, Guardian columnist and GH regular Zoe Williams is always astute and entertaining. In Get It Together she addresses the big issues that were debated in the run up to the General Election.
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13
The Girl From Nowhere by Dorothy Koomson
In The Girl From Nowhere, Dorothy Koomson combines a powerful tale about a woman searching for her birth mother with a gripping mystery.
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14
Love, Sex And Other Foreign Policy Goals by Jesse Armstrong
As the pen behind The Thick Of It and Peep Show, Jesse Armstrong is already an accomplished TV writer. Now he debuts as a novelist with Love, Sex And Other Foreign Policy Goals, about a gang of well-meaning Brits bringing theatre to war-torn Bosnia. Very smart.
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15
The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George
A bookseller who prescribes novels to his troubled customers (an idea we heartily approve of!) is the hero of The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George. A true gem for fiction lovers.
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16
The Shore by Sara Taylor
The Shore by Sara Taylor tells the interconnected stories of a small island community on the east coast of America over 250 years.
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17
Unravelling Oliver by Liz Nugent
Irish author Liz Nugent delivers a chilling thriller about an abusive marriage in Unravelling Oliver.
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