Readworthy by BookBub This Month’s Best New Literary Fiction ---------------------------------- The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong The latest from the author of <i>On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous</i> is Oprah’s new book club pick! - After troubled 19-year-old Hai becomes the caretaker to Grazina, an elderly widow with dementia, their bond dramatically changes both of their lives - “Magnificent… In writing this book, Vuong may have joined the ranks of an elite few great novelists” (<i>Los Angeles Times</i>) - Breathtakingly intimate yet epic in scope, this lyrical read has the book world abuzz Media Praise: Oprah's Book Club, NPR, PBS, CBS Mornings, The New York Times/The New York Times Book Review, Oprah Daily, Associated Press, Financial Times, Esquire, Vulture, Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, BookPage Buy Now: Amazon https://r.bookbub.com/et_active_check/3395?affiliate_variant=readworthy-emai... Learn More: https://www.bookbub.com/readworthy/books/the-emperor-of-gladness-by-ocean-vu... My Name Is Emilia del Valle by Isabel Allende A sweeping wartime tale from ‘a literary treasure’ (Kristin Hannah) - During the 19th century, Emilia defies societal norms to become a writer. When she’s assigned to cover a brewing civil war in Chile, she sets out to find her elusive father - In this ABA Indie Next pick, “Allende’s writing is as lush as ever” (<i>Publishers Weekly</i>) - “All of Allende’s books, <i>My Name Is Emilia del Valle</i> included, have the epic feel of a major Hollywood film” (Associated Press) Media Praise: The New Yorker, NPR, TODAY Show, The New York Times/The New York Times Book Review, The Washington Post, Associated Press, Slate, Harper's Bazaar, Indie Next List, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, BookPage Buy Now: Amazon https://r.bookbub.com/et_active_check/3393?affiliate_variant=readworthy-emai... Learn More: https://www.bookbub.com/readworthy/books/my-name-is-emilia-del-valle-by-isab... The Names by Florence Knapp How could your life have changed — if only you had a different name? - The ripple effects of Cora’s choice for her son’s name unfold across three alternate timelines in this Read with Jenna pick - Jojo Moyes, Ann Napolitano, Elin Hilderbrand, and many more are gushing about this “dazzling” novel (<i>The Washington Post</i>) - “One of those books that will make you irritable with anyone who interrupts you, but which you’ll finish wanting to press into the hands of a friend” (<i>The Times</i>) Media Praise: TODAY Book Club/Read with Jenna, People, The Washington Post, The Guardian, The Times, Indie Next List, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal, Booklist, BookPage, Literary Hub Buy Now: Amazon https://r.bookbub.com/et_active_check/3399?affiliate_variant=readworthy-emai... Learn More: https://www.bookbub.com/readworthy/books/the-names-by-florence-knapp-2025-05... My Friends by Fredrik Backman After a famous painting winds up in her possession, Louisa unravels its mysteries - The beloved author of <i>A Man Called Ove</i> is back with “a moving ode to friendship” (<i>People</i>) - “Backman again pays tribute to the forces that make an ordinary life extraordinary” in this “novel that celebrates the beauty of being alive” (<i>BookPage</i>) - An instant <i>New York Times</i> bestseller highly anticipated by <i>USA Today</i>, <i>Marie Claire</i>, and many more Media Praise: The New Yorker, TODAY Show, People, USA Today, New York Post, Indie Next List, Library Reads, Booklist, BookPage Buy Now: Amazon https://r.bookbub.com/et_active_check/3412?affiliate_variant=readworthy-emai... Learn More: https://www.bookbub.com/readworthy/books/my-friends-by-fredrik-backman?grant... The Devil Three Times by Rickey Fayne Eight generations of a Tennessee family are visited by the Devil offering salvation - A woman aboard a slave ship, her white-passing descendent, two warring brothers… What will each of their decisions be? - An “ambitious, rollicking, heartbreaking” book that “demands to be read over and over” (<i>Star Tribune</i>) - Fans of Zora Neale Hurston will devour this critically acclaimed epic Media Praise: NPR, People, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist Buy Now: Amazon https://r.bookbub.com/et_active_check/3411?affiliate_variant=readworthy-emai... Learn More: https://www.bookbub.com/readworthy/books/the-devil-three-times-by-rickey-fay... Sleep by Honor Jones A mother’s past and present collide in this novel Ann Patchett calls ‘incredibly moving’ - When Margaret returns to her childhood home for her daughter’s birthday pool party, memories of her picture-perfect yet deeply distressing youth come flooding back - There’s plenty to discuss in this stirring drama highly anticipated by <i>Oprah Daily</i>, <i>People</i>, and more - “Profoundly beautiful” (NPR) Media Praise: NPR, The New York Times/The New York Times Book Review, Oprah Daily, The Atlantic, People, The Washington Post, Elle, New York Post, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, BookPage, Literary Hub Buy Now: Amazon https://r.bookbub.com/et_active_check/3396?affiliate_variant=readworthy-emai... Learn More: https://www.bookbub.com/readworthy/books/sleep-by-honor-jones?granted_at=202... Run for the Hills by Kevin Wilson When four half-siblings meet for the first time, chaos ensues… - The <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author of <i>Nothing to See Here</i> delivers a riotous novel with “plenty of heart” (<i>Publishers Weekly</i>) - After a man shows up on her doorstep and says he’s her half brother, Madeline joins him for a life-changing road trip to find the rest of their family - “Wilson’s a master of creating offbeat relationships, and this story of family, mystery, and hope against all odds will surely rank among his best” (<i>Town & Country</i>) Media Praise: Time Magazine, People, The Washington Post, Town & Country, Harper's Bazaar, The Boston Globe, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, BookPage, Literary Hub Buy Now: Amazon https://r.bookbub.com/et_active_check/3401?affiliate_variant=readworthy-emai... Learn More: https://www.bookbub.com/readworthy/books/run-for-the-hills-by-kevin-wilson?g... Awake in the Floating City by Susanna Kwan As residents flee a drowning near-future San Francisco, two strangers connect - Named one of 2025’s most anticipated books by <i>People</i>, <i>San Francisco Chronicle</i>, <i>Elle</i>, and more - Follow a grieving artist and her elderly neighbor in an “affecting… powerful” debut (<I>Library Journal</i>) - Calling all book clubs: This speculative read is the perfect pick Media Praise: People, The Washington Post, Elle, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Reactor, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal, Booklist, BookPage, Electric Literature, Literary Hub Buy Now: Amazon https://r.bookbub.com/et_active_check/3398?affiliate_variant=readworthy-emai... Learn More: https://www.bookbub.com/readworthy/books/awake-in-the-floating-city-by-susan... Zeal by Morgan Jerkins The legacy of two star-crossed lovers in 1865 reverberates 150 years into the future - A Best Book of May according to <i>Time</i>, <i>The Washington Post</i>, and the <i>New York Post</i> - As the descendants of Harrison and Tirzah pass down their crumbling love letter, their story lives on in this “layered novel that abounds with secrets and family drama” (<i>Publishers Weekly</i>) - A <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author delivers a “page-turner that will teach readers a few things about our past” (<i>The Boston Globe</i>) Media Praise: Time Magazine, People, The Washington Post, Town & Country, The Boston Globe, New York Post, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Electric Literature Buy Now: Amazon https://r.bookbub.com/et_active_check/3423?affiliate_variant=readworthy-emai... Learn More: https://www.bookbub.com/readworthy/books/zeal-by-morgan-jerkins?granted_at=2... The Book of Records by Madeleine Thien This bold literary work has <i>Time</i>, <i>The Washington Post</i>, and <i>Esquire</i> abuzz - At The Sea — where time and space have no bearing — Lina and her father meet fellow displaced migrants - “An immersive, mind-bending experience… Thien’s genius and mastery of her craft is on full display here” (Weike Wang, author of <i>Rental House</i>) - “Fiction that serious readers will find enriching and rewarding” (<i>Kirkus Reviews</i> starred review) Media Praise: Time Magazine, NPR, The New York Times/The New York Times Book Review, New Scientist, People, The Washington Post, Financial Times, Esquire, Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, The Boston Globe, Reactor, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal, Electric Literature, Literary Hub Buy Now: Amazon https://r.bookbub.com/et_active_check/3422?affiliate_variant=readworthy-emai... Learn More: https://www.bookbub.com/readworthy/books/the-book-of-records-by-madeleine-th... ---------------------------------- You are receiving this Literary Fiction email because [email protected] is signed up for updates highlighting the best new releases in your categories. If you'd like to change the Readworthy emails you receive, you can update your categories here: https://www.bookbub.com/readworthy/settings/categories?granted_at=2025-05-22.... If you'd like to update the retailer links included in Readworthy emails, you can update your format and retailer preferences here: https://www.bookbub.com/readworthy/settings/reading-preferences?granted_at=2.... If you don't want to receive any Readworthy emails, you can unsubscribe here: https://www.bookbub.com/settings/email-subscriptions/readworthy?granted_at=2... ---------------------------------- BookBub · 1 Broadway 14th floor · Cambridge, MA 02142 · United States