The Books Everyone is Talking About in May 2026

It’s time for The Hot List, our monthly look at the books everyone is talking about, whether they’ve read them or not.

Everybody and their mother is reading Theo of Golden, which Allen Levi self-published in 2023 and has sold more than million copies since Atria re-released it in October of last year.

• The feel-good novel holds both the #1 spot on Publishers Weekly‘s overall bestseller list and the NYT‘s trade paperback fiction list.

You might not know Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw’s name, but if you’ve ever talked about critical race theory or intersectionality, you’ve heard of her work. Her new memoir Backtalker is climbing charts and has already resulted in some of the most interesting author profiles of the year.

Also on the May Hot List:

• Belle Burden’s buzzy divorce memoir Strangers* sits at #1 on the NYT‘s hardcover nonfiction list and is set for a film adaptation starring Gwyneth Paltrow.
• Book club juggernaut Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke is so big, it’s sparked a BookTok backlash just six weeks after publication.
• Constitutional law professor Melissa Murray’s comprehensive guide to the U.S. Constitution debuted at #3 on the NYT‘s hardcover nonfiction list. There might be hope for us yet.

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Hear our conversation about these and more of the month’s buzziest books on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.