Why do we read? For some, it’s for the gripping elements of a good story; for others, it might be about getting a brand-new perspective on an issue or changing the way they think. Our May book recommendations cover a little bit of each. We have some deep dives into history focusing on wars, politics and technology. We also have some fiction and memoirs, telling deeply considered stories that illuminate questions you may find yourself asking on a regular basis. Read on for our May reading recommendations.
Kevin Padraic Donnelly, The Descent of Artificial Intelligence: A Deep History of an Idea 400 Years in the Making (May 24)
You’re probably been reading a lot lately about AI, large language models and their potential effect on all aspects of society. It’s worth pointing out that these debates are not new, even if some of the technology is. And in the new book The Descent of Artificial Intelligence, historian Kevin Padraic Donnelly chronicles the debate over AI that’s lasted for centuries — and what that says about the conversations we’re having today.
Vincent Deary, How We Break: Navigating the Wear and Tear of Living (May 21)
It’s been nine years since Vincent Deary first addressed questions of humanity, pain and the body in the book How We Are. Now he’s returned with the second book in a planned trilogy. How We Break is about how, as one review phrased it, “we have a finite capacity to meet the unpredictable challenges life throws at us.” If you’ve been feeling bent out of shape by the world lately, this may be one to seek out.
Thomas S. Mullaney, The Chinese Computer: A Global History of the Information Age (May 28)
Upon its release, Thomas S. Mullaney’s 2017 book The Chinese Typewriter earned praise for “[allowing] the reader to digest abstruse technological concepts.” His follow-up to that volume, The Chinese Computer, looks at some of the challenges behind adoption of computer technologies in China — including, but not limited to, questions of language and input methods. It’s a fascinating look at how technology becomes global.
Teddy Wayne, The Winner (May 28)
Over the last decade and a half, Teddy Wayne has emerged as a writer willing to reckon with some of the biggest issues facing the nation, from toxic masculinity to moral compromises. His latest book reckons with questions of class and power, following a young tennis instructor living in an affluent community attempting to navigate ethical questions over the course of a chaotic summer.
Paul Hendrickson, Fighting the Night: Iwo Jima, World War II, and a Flyer’s Life (May 7)
Over the course of his bibliography, Paul Hendrickson has chronicled everything from the effects of the Vietnam War to the life of Frank Lloyd Wright. His new book, Fighting the Night, explores a subject closer to home: his father’s time as a pilot in World War II. “Like so many sons, I’ve spent long stretches of my life trying to reassemble the life of a man who both awed and scared me for almost as long as I knew him,” Hendrickson wrote in the Washington Post last year. This book represents that effort.
Ken Wascomb, The Great State of West Florida (May 21)
Blending satire, speculative fiction and pulp thrills, Ken Wascomb’s new novel takes the reader into the near future for a glimpse of what Florida might look like a few years from now. (Hint: “Florida man” headlines are about to get a lot weirder.) It’s another impressive addition to Wascomb’s wide-ranging bibliography — and a change of pace for an author who usually chronicles the region’s past.
Zoë Schlanger, The Light Eaters: How the Unseen World of Plant Intelligence Offers a New Understanding of Life on Earth (May 7)
“I started looking at botany journals because I’d always been intrigued by plants and thought of them as a source of calm,” Zoé Schlanger said in a recent interview about the evolution of The Light Eaters. Schlanger’s new book explores the idea of plant intelligence, and what it means that different types of flora can thrive in so many environments across the planet.
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Hari Kunzru, Blue Ruin (May 14)
Hari Kunzru’s previous novels, White Tears and Red Pill, reckoned in very different ways with issues facing the country — and the world — today. With his new book Blue Ruin, Kunzru explores a new set of issues, including national identity, the making of art and the challenges of immigration. If its predecessors are indication, this looks to be another gripping novel of ideas.
Kathleen Hanna, Rebel Girl: My Life as a Feminist Punk (May 14)
It’s hard to convey just how influential Kathleen Hanna has been to the world of music. Her time in Bikini Kill helped reshape punk, and her work in Le Tigre and The Julie Ruin also abounds with bracing musical and lyrical moments. With this memoir, she chronicles her life on and off stage — and offers a firsthand perspective on an evolving art form.
Joel Whitney, Flights: Radicals on the Run (May 21)
Joel Whitney’s bibliography often focuses on the places where art, history and politics converge. The subtitle of 2018’s Finks: How the C.I.A. Tricked the World’s Best Writers offers one indication of that, and his new book Finks goes further in that direction. Here, Whitney explores writers, thinkers and activists — from Gabriel García Márquez to Paul Robeson — who found themselves seeking refuge across the globe at one point or another.
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