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The Waterstones Round Up: May's Best Books

Posted on 20th April 2020 by Mark Skinner

May brings new books from fiction heavyweights Stephen King and Lionel Shriver, as well the eagerly anticipated return to Panem in Suzanne Collins's electrifying Hunger Games prequel and compelling crime writing from Michael Connelly and Jeffery Deaver. In the arena of non-fiction, there is immersive military history from John Nichol and Max Hastings, whilst surprise new national hero Joe Wicks shares his weaning wisdom.

Please Note: Due to the current Coronavirus pandemic, publication dates are liable to change at short notice. All publication dates were correct at the time this blog went live.

Fiction

Writers & Lovers: Signed Edition (Hardback)

Lily King

£14.99

Hardback

Out of stock

The latest novel from a beautifully distinctive voice in contemporary fiction captures an endearing, multi-faceted drifter at an emotional crossroads.

Alligator and Other Stories (Hardback)

Dima Alzayat

£12.99

Hardback

We can order this from the publisher

Expected to be in stock in 3-5 days

Tender, profound and masterfully nuanced, Alzayat’s debut collection charts the emotional reality of the female migrant experience, exploring identities caught in the crossfire between two cultures.

The Dutch House: Exclusive Edition (Paperback)

Ann Patchett

£8.99

Paperback

Out of stock

Rich in metaphor and flawless in tone, The Dutch House sees one of the world’s finest living novelists at the top of her game. Shimmering with melancholy, this extraordinary book takes a scalpel to family dynamics and the irretrievable loss of youthful pride. A novel of jewel-like beauty and emotional insight.

This product is currently unavailable online. Click to be notified when it is back in stock or to collect in store.

Sword of Kings: Exclusive Edition - The Last Kingdom Series Book 12 (Paperback)

Bernard Cornwell

£9.99

Paperback

10+ in stock

Usually dispatched within 1-2 days

The twelfth book in the Last Kingdom series is every bit as fresh and accomplished as the first. As Uhtred’s character shifts and eddies, the Saxon world that he inhabits is changing too, and there will be profound consequences for all who are too tied to the past.

The Mystery of Henri Pick - Walter Presents (Paperback)

David Foenkinos, Sam Taylor

£10.99

Paperback

5+ in stock

Usually dispatched within 1-2 days

An elegant, irresistibly farcical comic mystery based around a library of rejected manuscripts, Foenkinos’s playful satire is the perfect feelgood read. An ideal novel for bibliophiles everywhere, The Mystery of Henri Pick abounds with Gallic wit and charm.

Crime & Thrillers

The Goodbye Man - Colter Shaw Book 2 (Hardback)

Jeffery Deaver

£16.99

Hardback

Out of stock

The second installment in the Colter Shaw series, The Goodbye Man finds the survivalist and expert tracker investigating a sinister organisation buried deep in the Washington wilderness.

Fair Warning: Signed Edition (Hardback)

Michael Connelly

£20.00

Hardback

Out of stock

Another pulsating outing for Connelly’s never-say-die journalist sleuth Jack McEvoy, Fair Warning uncovers a sadistic serial killer who has hunted undetected for years. Pacy, violent and heart-stoppingly suspenseful, this is one of the world’s premier crime writers on top form.

Camino Winds (Hardback)

John Grisham

£20.00

Hardback

Out of stock

The compelling follow-up to Grisham’s bestselling Camino Island combines a devastating hurricane with a brutal, unexplained murder. Set in the tropical environs of Florida and once more featuring bookstore owner and amateur sleuth Bruce Cable, Camino Winds is a brilliantly escapist thriller.

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Part of the Family (Paperback)

Charlotte Philby

£8.99

Paperback

In stock

Usually dispatched within 1-2 days

Effortlessly blending the intimate threat of the domestic thriller with the high stakes tension of the finest espionage novel, Charlotte Philby’s debut provides just the kind of authentic suspense you would expect from the granddaughter of notorious double agent, Kim Philby.

Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror

If It Bleeds (Hardback)

Stephen King

£20.00

Hardback

Not available

Currently not available to order

The unsurpassed master of horror returns with a dazzling new collection, firmly rooted in King’s unparalleled talent for exposing the darkest layers of the human psyche. Containing four exquisite long stories, including a stand-alone sequel to The Outsider, If It Bleeds is a page-turner of the highest order.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes: A Hunger Games Novel (Hardback)

Suzanne Collins

£18.99

Hardback

Out of stock

Return to the world of The Hunger Games in a compelling prequel that both informs the original trilogy and stands alone as a powerful, breathlessly exciting science fiction thriller.

Q (Hardback)

Christina Dalcher

£12.99

Hardback

Out of stock

From the author of the bestselling Vox comes a new, breath-taking dystopian novel filled with fervent magnetism. Dark, impeccably astute and alarmingly plausible, Q is a nightmarish portrayal of a society slowly destroyed by superficiality and fear. Shockingly brilliant and impossible to put down.

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Maker's Curse: Book 4 of Millennium's Rule - Millennium's Rule (Hardback)

Trudi Canavan

£20.00

Hardback

We can order this from the publisher

Usually dispatched within 5 days

The fourth instalment of Canavan’s majestic Millennium’s Rule sequence, Maker’s Curse finds Rielle facing a threat far deadlier than any she has hitherto encountered. Packed with Canavan’s entrancing prose and exquisite world-building, Maker’s Curse is a magnificent continuation to this sophisticated fantasy series.

Firewalkers: Signed Limited Edition (Hardback)

Adrian Tchaikovsky

£25.00

Hardback

Out of stock

From the author of the bestselling Children of Time, Firewalkers is a powerful adventure set against the terrifying backdrop of a world consumed by fire, where only the super-rich can afford to stay alive. With an unflinching sense of urgency, Tchaikovsky explores crucial questions of right and wrong in this compelling climate crisis and class dystopia.

Looking Glass: Alice 3 - Signed Bookplate Edition (Paperback)

Christina Henry

£8.99

Paperback

Out of stock

The author of the phenomenally successful Alice and The Red Queen returns with the third part in the Chronicles of Alice. Searing and beautifully macabre, Looking Glass consists of four dark novellas, filled with disturbing dreams, fears, magic and murder, set in a universe where nothing is immutable – except disquiet.

Biography & Sport

Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing: Life, Death and the Thrill of the Catch (Paperback)

Bob Mortimer, Paul Whitehouse

£10.99

Paperback

10+ in stock

Usually dispatched within 1-2 days

Forced to reassess their lifestyles after serious heart scares, Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse rediscovered the reflection and relaxation that angling affords in this feel-good volume full of friendship, fooling around and fishing.

On Fire: My Story of England's Summer to Remember (Paperback)

Ben Stokes

£12.99

Paperback

5+ in stock

Usually dispatched within 1-2 days

The hero of Headingley recounts the heroics of the summer in this gripping tale of talent and sporting endeavor. A first-ever World Cup victory followed by the most thrilling of conclusions to an Ashes Test, Stokes played a pivotal part in them both. Read how he achieved the seemingly impossible here.

The Autobiography (Paperback)

Sir Alastair Cook

£11.99

Paperback

In stock

Usually dispatched within 1-2 days

Leader of men, toppler of records and all-round thoroughly decent chap, Sir Alastair Cook is a cricketing icon and a sporting role model. Now, for the first time, England's former captain and most capped player reveals the challenges, events and people behind his journey to become one of the nation's elite sportsmen. An authentic British sporting hero in his own words.

History

The World Aflame: The Long War, 1914-1945 (Hardback)

Dan Jones, Marina Amaral

£25.00

Hardback

In stock

Usually dispatched within 1-2 days

Brought to life by Amaral’s captivating colourisation of historical photographs and Jones’s insightful commentary, The World Aflame is a heart-breaking visual rendition of the war-torn decades that defined the 20th century.

Lancaster: The Forging of a Very British Legend - Signed Edition (Hardback)

John Nichol

£20.00

Hardback

Out of stock

John Nichol, a Gulf War veteran author of the bestselling Spitfire, charts the story of one of the most famous RAF aircraft of the Second World War – the iconic Lancaster bomber – and the men who flew them. Through the voices of the few remaining RAF veterans, Lancaster recalls the exhilaration and danger of the deadly operations that transformed Britain’s aerial war against Nazi Germany.

Chastise: The Dambusters (Paperback)

Max Hastings

£9.99

Paperback

5+ in stock

Usually dispatched within 1-2 days

Boldly interrogating the accepted myths surrounding the iconic Dambusters raids of 1943, Hastings contrasts the bravery of the bombers and ingenuity of the engineers with the suffering and devastation the operation caused to the German public. Meticulously researched and compellingly argued, this is a masterful exercise in military revisionism from one of our greatest historians.

Upheaval: How Nations Cope with Crisis and Change (Paperback)

Jared Diamond

£14.99

Paperback

10+ in stock

Usually dispatched within 1-2 days

Jared Diamond’s new book could scarcely be more pertinent or more essential. Applying the same multi-disciplinary approach that defined Guns, Germs and Steel and Collapse, it considers defining national crises and asks what we might learn from them. Nimbly interspersing history, science and politics, Diamond explores the necessity of interdependence to ensuring humanity’s future.

Philosophy & Politics

Humankind: Signed Edition (Hardback)

Rutger Bregman

£20.00

Hardback

Out of stock

An extraordinary, uplifting history of the human capacity for kindness. Contesting the idea that we are innately self-seeking and chiefly driven by egotistic goals, Bregman offers an optimistic interpretation of the last 200,000 years of human history. Humankind shows how the recognition of kindness and altruism around us – and within us – can help us to achieve real positive change.

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Commander in Cheat: How Golf Explains Trump (Paperback)

Rick Reilly

£12.99

Paperback

10+ in stock

Usually dispatched within 1-2 days

A brilliantly original angle from which to skewer the iconoclasm of the Trump presidency, Commander in Cheat recounts the absurd claims, unsporting practices and shameful behaviour demonstrated by the US President on the golf course. Reilly’s unimpeachably shocking and hilarious book offers intriguing insights into The Donald’s disregard for rules and regulations of any kind.

Lifestyle, Nature & Travel

Wean in 15: Up-to-date Advice and 100 Quick Recipes (Hardback)

Joe Wicks

£20.00

Hardback

5+ in stock

Usually dispatched within 1-2 days

Inspired by his experiences as a new dad, Joe Wicks has joined forces with leading registered nutritionist Charlotte Stirling-Reed to create the most comprehensive baby food bible for parents. Sharing clear, practical and trustworthy information about weaning and the optimal diet for the little ones, Wicks takes the stress out of what might seem like an intimidating task.

Diary of a Young Naturalist (Hardback)

Dara McAnulty

£16.00

Hardback

In stock

Usually dispatched within 1-2 days

The teenage star of BBC’s Countryfile and social media sensation, Dara McAnulty opens up about his autism and its interrelation to his love of the natural world, as well as providing fascinating practical advice and knowledge about British wildlife.