Our favourite reads in May 2016

Every month we’ll reveal what we’ve been reading, and perhaps you might feel inspired to try something new.

The Arab of the Future by Riad Sattouf

I read The Arab of The Future by Riad Sattouf in a single sitting this month and found it absolutely unputdownable; a beautifully rendered illustrated memoir about the author’s early life in the Middle East, it manages to be incredibly touching and funny without sacrificing depth, as it examines a childhood of innocence in a culture of repression. Fascinating, and only the first of three volumes – very excited about the next installment

Jonathan

A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers

One of the best things about working in publishing is being introduced to brilliant new authors, and it’s how I came to read Becky Chambers and her debut novel The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet. A wonderfully inclusive sci-fi novel full of nerdy descriptions of spacecraft, species with feathers, scales and voice boxes, and relationships between crew members, this was my favourite read of last year. I’ve just finished the standalone sequel A Closed and Common Orbit, and it’s every bit as beautiful and emotional as I’ve come to expect from Becky Chambers. If you’re a huge fan of Mass Effect, Star Wars and/or Firefly, this is the book for you. Available October.

Aimee

The One-in-a-Million Boy by Monica Wood

The One-in-a-Million Boy is a heart-warming story about… well, it’s about a lot of things considering the length of the book and they are all better read about than described, but rest assured the story is very sweet, and the characters are brilliant if realistically flawed (except for Ted, Ted is annoyingly perfect). But be warned – it had me crying on public transport all over London!

Helen

Church of Marvels by Leslie Parry
Highly recommend to anyone who enjoys a quirky, original read. Church of Marvels is set in the seedy side of turn-of-the-century New York. It starts with 4 different stories being told in parallel, including those of sisters Odile and Belle Church, raised in Coney Island sideshow the Church of Marvels. The stories come together in unexpected ways with many a twist and turn. Dark in places, there are some beautiful relationships and connections here.

Iain

Game of Thrones: A Feast for Crows by George RR Martin

I am doing the unthinkable: watching Game of Thrones Season 6 and reading Game of Thrones Book 4. It does make it feel like a few characters have the power of resurrection as I flip between the two so there’s moments of levity. But then I remember Hodor holding the door and can’t read any more because, you know, hysterical tears.

Melissa

What were your favourite reads in May? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram!