The Best Books to Read On Your First Post-Vax Vacation

It’s finally reading-outside weather. The best books to read this month are perfect for stacking on a picnic blanket in the grass, or propping against your iced coffee at an outdoor cafe, or tucking in your carry-on during your—glorious!—post-vaccine vacation. 

New book releases in May are as shocking and delightful as the sun on your face after 14-months of proverbial cloudy weather. We’re talking a new, woman-centric take on an ancient Greek myth. An epic novel about early woman aviators. A new work by Rachel Cusk, one of the greatest living writers. And the long-awaited, hotly anticipated political thriller by none other than Stacey Abrams. Yes, that Stacey Abrams! She’s written novels before, but this time, she’s publishing under her own name. 

The best books to read in May will be your trusty travel companions whether you’re poolside, heading to a destination wedding or hanging at your terminal gate. These stories will stick with you, like sand that clings to the bottom of a beach bag, reminding you of warmth and freedom and drinking lemonade with every meal. And if you’re just taking a stay-cation, remember: if you read books surrounded by all of those pandemic plants you purchased, that counts as visiting a botanical garden. Happy reading.