Photo / Fully Booked
There are many much-anticipated reads this year, some of which will be released in the second quarter. This new crop of books features various genres that will transport readers to their own versions of a literary haven.
Here are nine headline-driving books we are excited to read, which will come out from April to June.
Mapping New Stars by Gabriela Lee and Anna Sanchez (Editors)
Photo / University of the Philippines Press
Genre: Essays/Non-Fiction
Release Date: April 1
Mapping New Stars: A Sourcebook on Philippine Speculative Fiction is a groundbreaking collection of essays tracing the history and practice of speculative fiction in the country. Speculative fiction is an umbrella term for genres that depart from realism, such as horror, fantasy, science fiction, magical realism, and more. Contributions to this sourcebook come from a constellation of readers and practitioners of the craft. Copies are available at Fully Booked.
Vanishing World by Sayaka Murata
Photo / Grove Press
Genre: Dystopian fiction
Release Date: April 15
Asian literature fans will be delighted to know that Sayaka Murata has a new book, and it’s as weird as ever. In Vanishing World, Murata imagines an alternative Japan, where artificial insemination is ubiquitous, and sex between married couples is considered taboo. Amane, a woman in her thirties, leaves her first husband because he desires her, eventually marries a new man, and begins a series of love affairs and intense flings with anime characters. This might be Murata’s weirdest one yet, an incisive commentary on Japan’s declining population. Pre-order your copy from Fully Booked.
At Last She Stood by Erin Entrada Kelly
Photo / Greenwillow Books
Genre: Non-fiction/Biography
Release Date: May 6
Award-winning Fil-Am children’s author Erin Entrada Kelly dips her hand into an entirely new genre. In At Last She Stood, Kelly crafts a non-fiction account of Joey Guerrero, a guerrilla fighter in the Philippines during World War II, who used her leprosy to thwart the Japanese.
The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong
Photo / Penguin Press
Genre: Contemporary fiction/LGBT
Release Date: May 13
Prepare to sail through a current of lyrical words with Ocean Vuong’s newest novel, The Emperor of Gladness. Set in the post-industrial town of East Gladness, Connecticut, the novel centers on the unlikely friendship between nineteen-year-old Hai, whose life is in shambles, and Grazina, an elderly widow battling dementia. Told in expansive yet intimate prose, Vuong’s latest masterpiece is about people on the margins of society, and the elusive promise of second chances.
Little Bosses Everywhere by Bridget Read
Photo / Crown
Genre: Non-fiction/True crime
Release Date: May 6
The adage “truth is stranger than fiction” has never been more pronounced than in Bridget Read’s immersive reportage on multilevel marketing in Little Bosses Everywhere. Leaving no stone unturned, Read takes us to the devoutly religious suburbs of Michigan, where the MLM industry built its political backing, the powerful families who profited from the chaos, and the everyday people devastated in its wake. Incisive and packed with surprising revelations, Little Bosses Everywhere exposes the dark side of money—and of human nature itself.
The Passengers on the Hankyu Line by Hiro Arikawa
Photo / Berkley
Genre: Literary fiction
Release Date: June 3
Readers are invited to board the Hankyu Line, a train that winds through the scenic countryside between Kyoto and Osaka, where lives intersect like railway tracks. Along the way, we meet a cast of unforgettable passengers: a man who wishes to check out a book that a woman beat him to, an irate wedding guest in a white dress determined to upstage the bride, a university student leaving home for the first time, and a grieving widow who finds solace in an unexpected canine companion. The Passengers on the Hankyu Line is a heartwarming, cozy read from the international bestselling author of The Goodbye Cat and The Traveling Cat Chronicles. Pre-order your copy from Fully Booked.
Atmosphere: A Love Story by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Photo / Ballantine Books
Genre: Historical/Romance
Release Date: June 3
Taylor Jenkins Reid is back with Atmosphere, a soaring story of ambition, friendship, and love set during NASA’s 1980s Space Shuttle program. When physics professor Joan Goodwin joins a trailblazing team of astronauts, she’s launched into a journey that challenges everything she thought she knew about science, connection, and her place in the universe.
A Different Kind of Power by Jacinda Ardern
Photo / Crown
Genre: Non-fiction/Memoir
Release Date: June 3
Not to be missed is Jacinda Ardern’s inspiring and insightful memoir, A Different Kind of Power, which chronicles her journey from a Mormon girl growing up in small-town New Zealand to becoming a global leader. Offering a brilliant look into the making of a politician, a mother, and a head of state, A Different Kind of Power asks: What if you, too, are capable of more than you ever imagined?
My Friends by Fredrik Backman
Photo / Atria Books
Genre: Literary fiction
Release Date: June 3
Fredrik Backman is back with another heartwarming and unforgettable story. In My Friends, Louisa, a young aspiring artist, sets out to uncover the story behind an iconic painting – three small figures on a pier. Her search brings her to a decades-old friendship that gave three teenagers the strength to endure turbulent home lives, revealing how love, art, and connection can echo through time.
The books arriving over the next few months are definitely worth adding to your to-be-read list. Visit Fully Booked Online to order and enjoy free shipping with a minimum order of P799.
Disclaimer: Article used with permission from Fully Booked
What do you think? Share your thoughts below!
Do you have a story for the WhenInManila.com Team? Email us at story.wheninmanila@gmail.com or send us a direct message at WhenInManila.com Facebook Page. Interact with the team and join the WhenInManila.com Community at WIM Squad. Join our Viber group to be updated with the latest news!
