There are a lot of new books coming out every week. With New Release Radar, I’ll help you narrow down all the week’s new book releases into the titles you should get excited about. I have five books to recommend this week, including a fun debut mystery and the publishing satire everyone’s going to be talking about. Read on!

The Guest by Emma Cline

After a misstep at a dinner party, the older man Alex has been staying with leaves her stranded on Long Island. Hoping to get back into his good graces, she drifts through the beach clubs and vacation homes of the rich, trying to find somewhere to stay. Alex believes Simon will take her back if she stays away until his Labor Day party. In the meantime, she insinuates herself into others’ lives, willing to deceive anyone so she can stay on Long Island a little longer.

After her huge debut novel, The Girls, Emma Cline is definitely one to watch. Her new release is just as twisty, with a vague sense of foreboding simmering below the surface. Check out The Guest if you’re looking for those perfect summer vibes.

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Quietly Hostile: Essays by Samantha Irby

Samantha Irby's new book release Quietly Hostile

Samantha Irby may be more successful than ever, but she’s still just trying to keep her life together. In between walking red carpets and chatting with Hollywood execs, she goes to therapy, explores Reiki and crystals and gets addicted to QVC. Once again, Irby takes her readers on a hilarious journey of all the details that make up her outrageous but relatable life.

Irby has a unique and entertaining narrative voice. With Quietly Hostile, she once again says many of the thoughts we’re too embarrassed to voice out loud. This is also a great audiobook option; Irby narrates it herself, and it’s a wild ride.

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

June Hayward knows nobody wants books about basic white girls. She and Athena Liu were in the same year at Yale, but while Athena rose to stardom, June’s debut novel didn’t even get a paperback release. So when Athena dies in a freak accident, June steals the manuscript for her next novel. The book is unfinished, so June takes it upon herself to complete the manuscript “as a writing exercise.” She submits the completed novel as her own, and soon she’s rebranded as the ethnically ambiguous Juniper Song, skyrocketing to the top of every bestseller list. But with fame comes attention, and Athena’s ghost haunts her at every turn. How far will June go to keep what she thinks she deserves?

Yellowface is fast-paced and compulsively readable. It’s perfect for anyone looking for an eye-opening view of the dark side of publishing and social media. Read our full review of R.F. Kuang’s new book release here!

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A Novel Disguise by Samantha Larsen

The cover of Samantha Larsen's new book release A Novel Disguise

Miss Tiffany Woodall didn’t kill her brother Uriah, but she did hide his body to keep her home. Now she must assume his identity and fulfill his duties as the Duke’s librarian. When a murder happens while she’s on the job as Uriah, Tiffany quickly sees a link to her brother’s death. Can Tiffany solve the mysteries around her without anyone discovering her own secret?

A Novel Disguise is full of murder, marriage proposals, skinny dipping and secrets. It’s a great start to a promising new series, and Samatha Larsen’s debut is sure to delight readers.

Venom and Vow by Anna-Marie McLemore and Elliot McLemore

Cade McKenna is a transgender prince who’s doubling as his brother. Valencia Palafox is a young lady-in-waiting, attending the future queen. Gael Palma is the infamous assassin Cade has vowed to protect. Patrick McKenna is the reluctant heir to a kingdom, and Prince Gael has promised to destroy it.

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But Cade doesn’t know that Gael and Valencia are the same person, and Valencia doesn’t know that every time she’s fighting Patrick, she’s really fighting Cade. And when a curse strikes affecting both their families, they may soon realize they have much bigger enemies.

Cowritten by married writing team Anna-Marie and Elliott McLemore, Venom and Vow is full of intrigue and magic. As with any McLemore book, the characters are deep, flawed and fully realized. Pick this new release up as your next epic fantasy adventure.

You can check out these new book releases at Bookshop.org or your local bookstore. What May 16 new release are you most excited to read? Let us know below, and tune in next week to grow your TBR.

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