Hello, book lovers! Each week, dozens and dozens of new releases hit the shelves. Below are some of the reads BuzzFeed Books writers and contributors loved the most:
1. Tokyo Ever After
by Emiko Jean
For readers craving a hilarious and sweet story with The Princess Diaries (meets Crazy Rich Asians) vibes, may we suggest putting Tokyo Ever After on your to-read list? Izumi Tanaka feels as if she doesn't fit in. As a Japanese American in a Northern California (and mostly white) town, it isn't easy. But when she learns her father is the Crown Prince of Japan, making Izumi a princess, she decides to meet the father she never knew. But upon discovering the country she always dreamed of, she learns things aren't exactly happily ever after when you're a princess. Don’t miss our BuzzFeed Books Instagram Live conversation with Emiko tomorrow, May 19, at 5 p.m. PST/ 8 p.m. EST!—Farrah Penn
2. Don't Breathe a Word
by Jordyn Taylor
It's 1962 and the last thing Connie, a student at Hardwick Preparatory Academy, wants to think about is a nuclear bomb. But when her crush suggests they both volunteer to test the school's fallout shelter, she can't say no. However, there's more to the "test" than they expected and tragically, only five of the six students who volunteer come back out. At present-day Hardwick, Eva has just started school and jumps at the chance to befriend the Fives, an elite secret society. But as Eva unravels the dark secrets behind the Fives and the tragedy of the school's past, she'll discover that everyone has something to hide. —Kirby Beaton
3. Perfectly Parvin
by Olivia Abtahi
If you love a book that will literally make you laugh out loud, this is for you. After a heartbreak, Parvin decides to reinvent herself by acting like the women in her favorite rom-coms...especially if it means Matty Fumero, the cutest boy at her new high school, will ask her to homecoming. But in the midst of her reinvention, she'll still have to go to Farsi lessons on the weekend, juggle a new friendship with someone she's her unfiltered self with, and process the ramifications of the Muslim Ban on her family in Iran. —Rachel Strolle
4. Off the Record
by Camryn Garrett
When 17-year-old journalist Josie wins a contest to write a celebrity profile, she's equal parts excited and scared. The fact that the subject of the profile is the young up-and-comer Marius Canet certainly contributes to that. While on a multi-city tour for interviews, she ends up face to face with a young actress who lets her in on a terrible secret about a Hollywood mainstay, leading to more and more accounts from other women. Josie has to figure out if she's willing to speak up and expose him, and not let down those who entrusted her with their stories. Don’t miss our BuzzFeed Books Instagram Live conversation with Camryn this Thursday at 5pm PST/ 8pm EST! —Rachel Strolle
5. Made in Korea
by Sarah Suk
Valerie and her cousin, Charlie, run V&C K-BEAUTY, the most successful student-run enterprise at their school. But when new kid Wes sees the hubbub after bringing the K-pop branded beauty products his mom gave him to use as a friendship incentive, he sees a business opportunity. Valerie and Wes try desperately to outsell each other, with a trip to Paris for Valerie's beloved halmeoni and Wes's music school tuition on the line. Not to mention the fact that they're clearly falling for each other along the way… —Rachel Strolle
6. In the Ravenous Dark
by A.M. Strickland
Rovan lives in Thanopolis, where those with magic are assigned undead spirits to guard and control them. When she accidentally reveals her powers, a fate her father died trying to keep her from, she's bound to Ivrilos and thrust into a world of intrigue and deception. Not only does she find herself falling for Ivrilos, but she's also falling for Lydea, a rebellious princess, despite the fact that she can't trust either of them.alerie and her cousin, Charlie, run V&C K-BEAUTY, the most successful student-run enterprise at their school. But when new kid Wes sees the hubbub after bringing the K-pop branded beauty products his mom gave him to use as a friendship incentive, he sees a business opportunity. Valerie and Wes try desperately to outsell each other, with a trip to Paris for Valerie's beloved halmeoni and Wes's music school tuition on the line. Not to mention the fact that they're clearly falling for each other along the way… —Rachel Strolle
7. The Atmospherians
by Alex McElroy
In the world of Alex McElroy’s dazzling debut novel, the men are really not okay. They’ve started to gather in small spontaneous “hordes,” committing random acts of kindness or violence and then disbanding without any memory of the event. Sasha Marcus, founder of a beloved women's wellness brand, is being targeted by a different type of dangerous man: After one of her trolls livestreams his suicide and blames her for it, she becomes the subject of op-eds and death threats, while crowds of angry men station themselves outside of her apartment. She’s lost her job, friends, followers, and all hope, until her eccentric childhood friend Dyson shows up with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: Together, they're going to start a cult to rehabilitate bad men. It's a virtuosic send-up of a society run ragged by disingenuous influencers, toxic masculinity, commodified self-care, weaponized positivity, and performative "woke"ness — and the alienation that comes from desperately trying to fit in. —Arianna Rebolini
8. In The Event of Contact
by Ethel Rohan
Ethel Rohan’s latest short story collection is a rumination on human contact, both physical and emotional. She describes a young girl, one of triplets, who can’t be touched; a woman haunted by her childhood best friend who went missing; a misanthropic crossing guard who finds unexpected kindness after being hit by a truck. These are characters who are desperate to feel, and Rohan’s keen sensitivity to the many textures of longing and loss bring their exquisite stories to life. —Arianna Rebolini
9. The Hunting Wives
by May Cobb
Do you ever find yourself following a character’s journey as they make a series of terrible decisions and, yet, find that you cannot look away? That’s how it felt reading The Hunting Wives, which made it ridiculously hard to put down. Sophie O’Neill moves out of Chicago to a small East Texas town with her small son and husband and soon finds herself bored, but incredibly intrigued by Margot Banks. Margot is rich, gorgeous, and rules an exclusive clique called the Hunting Wives. But when a teenage girl’s body is found in the woods where the clique meets, Sophie’s life begins to spiral out of control. —Farrah Penn
10. Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake
by Alexis Hall
Rosaline Palmer has always done what she's needed to do to take care of herself and her daughter. So when her house starts to crumble and she's on the edge of financial disaster, she signs up for a cooking competition show without thinking twice. She's got her eyes on the prize money, but the attention from two men — the suave, put-together Alain and a shy electrician named Harry — start to make her lose focus. Soon, the competition — both baking and the one for Rosaline — begins to heat up, and she has to make a lot of decisions about life, love, and her future. —Shyla Watson
11. The Soulmate Equation
by Christina Lauren
Data and statistics wizard Jess Davis puts her faith in numbers, not people. After all, aside from the grandparents who raised her, Jess has been abandoned by everyone — her mom, her dad, and her daughter's father. So obviously, she has no desire to risk her heart by dating. But when GeneticAlly, a DNA-based matchmaking company, hits the market, her interest is piqued. Unfortunately, she's matched with the company's founder, Dr. River Pena, whom she's met and cannot stand. Still, numbers don't lie, and the company offers her a proposition: pretend to be a happy couple for publicity and they'll pay her a pretty penny. Needing the money, she agrees and soon realizes that GeneticAlly may be better at matchmaking than she thought. —Shyla Watson
12. Happy Endings
by Thien-Kim Lam
Trixie Nguyen is determined to prove to her traditional Vietnamese parents that her nontraditional sex toy business can be successful. Her DC pop-up event is going well until she runs into the ex who dumped her via Post-it Note and broke her heart. Andre Walker never expected to see Trixie again, but he can't let their still off-the-charts chemistry distract him from saving his family's soul food restaurant in New Orleans. It takes them both by surprise when they decide to join forces and make a pop-up shop that serves both their clients, hungry and horny alike. Working together rekindles old feelings, but you know what they say about mixing business and pleasure... Do they put it all on the line for a second chance? —Shyla Watson
For more new release recommendations from this month, click here, or catch up on all of our weekly favorites on Bookshop. What's the best book you read this week? Tell us in the comments!
