In a special feature, writers and readers share the books that captivated them in May. From dazzling fables to magical wartime London, these titles offer something for every reader.
Madeleine Thien's Picks
Author Madeleine Thien recommends Dorothy Tse’s City Like Water, translated by Natascha Bruce, calling it an unclassifiable, sharp, and ingenious novel about a dissolving city that is also one’s only home. She urges everyone to read Karen Hao’s Empire of AI to understand the cost of modern tools. Thien also revisits Hsiao-Hung Pai’s Scattered Sand: The Story of China’s Rural Migrants, a book that has stayed with her for over a decade. She is currently reading Hannah Lillith Assadi’s moving novel Paradiso 17, written around her father’s passing. Finally, Michael Ondaatje’s selected poems, The Distance of a Shout, is described as a life’s work to hold close.
Stephen, Guardian Reader
Stephen recommends Francis Spufford’s Nonesuch, an entrancing read that juxtaposes wartime London with increasingly weird magical events. The vivid characters, especially Iris, and cinematic scene-setting make it a propulsive story. Despite typically disliking mystical fantasy, Stephen found this book captivating.
Sufiyaan Salam’s Choices
Author Sufiyaan Salam, newly moved to London, immerses himself in the city’s histories. He dips into The Oxford Shakespeare, not just for the plays but for the introductory essays revealing Shakespeare’s life. He then tears through Monika Radojevic’s Strangerland, a stranger-than-fiction immigrant love story partly set in pre-smartphone London. The glue holding it all together is Alan Moore’s From Hell, which uses the Jack the Ripper murders to weave a magic spell binding London’s past, present, and future into a violent epic.
Sue, Guardian Reader
Sue recommends Lisa Ridzén’s When the Cranes Fly South, a moving story about the end of life, love, and friendship. The dog Sixten steals hearts. Though the topic sounds grim, the book is heartbreaking yet heartwarming, focusing on memories, relationships, and the pain of parting. Sue has read it twice and recommends it to everyone.
