Get all your news in one place.

100's of premium titles.
One app.

Get all your news in one place.

100's of premium titles. One news app.

ABC News

National

By Kate Evans for The Bookshelf; Declan Fry and Cher Tan

The best new books released in May, as selected by avid readers and critics

André Dao Deborah Levy Emma Cline Simon Walter Benjamin Prison ABC Arts

Winter is upon us! Settle in with a cuppa and a good book this month. (ABC Arts: Michelle Pereira)

Welcome to ABC Arts' monthly book column: a shortlist of new releases read and recommended by The Bookshelf's Kate Evans and critics Declan Fry and Cher Tan.

All read voraciously and widely, and the only guidelines we give them are: make it a new release; make it something you think is great.

Sign up to read this article

Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.

Already a member? Sign in here

Top stories on inkl right now

First Thing: ‘deranged’ and ‘dangerous’ Trump calls for Iran to strike US cities amid historic ratings low

First Thing: ‘deranged’ and ‘dangerous’ Trump calls for Iran to strike US cities amid historic ratings low

California’s leaders attack president after he suggests Iran could ‘take out’ Los Angeles or San Diego

The Guardian - UK

Schools blockaded as tens of thousands of protesters take to streets in France

Schools blockaded as tens of thousands of protesters take to streets in France

Students, staff and parents march in cities including Marseille and Lyon, while up to 40,000 expected in Paris

The Guardian - UK

Germany arrests former intelligence chief over alleged spying

Germany arrests former intelligence chief over alleged spying

August Hanning served as president of Federal Intelligence Service from 1998 to 2005

The Guardian - UK

Kilmar Abrego Garcia returns to federal court to fight deportation to Liberia

Kilmar Abrego Garcia returns to federal court to fight deportation to Liberia

He was arrested in Baltimore in March 2025 after picking up his then-5-year-old son, who has autism and other disabilities, from his grandmother’s house

The Independent UK

One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites

Already a member? Sign in here

Kenya confirms first Ebola case as virus ‘surges’ in DR Congo province

Kenya confirms first Ebola case as virus ‘surges’ in DR Congo province

Health minister says 28 contacts identified after death of citizen who arrived from DRC on Saturday

The Guardian - UK

Backpacker serial killer linked to 30 more cases in Australia

Backpacker serial killer linked to 30 more cases in Australia

Ivan Milat was convicted of seven murders and died in prison in 2019

The Independent UK

Related Stories

Top stories on inkl right now

First Thing: ‘deranged’ and ‘dangerous’ Trump calls for Iran to strike US cities amid historic ratings low

First Thing: ‘deranged’ and ‘dangerous’ Trump calls for Iran to strike US cities amid historic ratings low

California’s leaders attack president after he suggests Iran could ‘take out’ Los Angeles or San Diego

The Guardian - UK

Schools blockaded as tens of thousands of protesters take to streets in France

Schools blockaded as tens of thousands of protesters take to streets in France

Students, staff and parents march in cities including Marseille and Lyon, while up to 40,000 expected in Paris

The Guardian - UK

Germany arrests former intelligence chief over alleged spying

Germany arrests former intelligence chief over alleged spying

August Hanning served as president of Federal Intelligence Service from 1998 to 2005

The Guardian - UK

Kilmar Abrego Garcia returns to federal court to fight deportation to Liberia

Kilmar Abrego Garcia returns to federal court to fight deportation to Liberia

He was arrested in Baltimore in March 2025 after picking up his then-5-year-old son, who has autism and other disabilities, from his grandmother’s house

The Independent UK

One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites

Already a member? Sign in here

Kenya confirms first Ebola case as virus ‘surges’ in DR Congo province

Kenya confirms first Ebola case as virus ‘surges’ in DR Congo province

Health minister says 28 contacts identified after death of citizen who arrived from DRC on Saturday

The Guardian - UK

Backpacker serial killer linked to 30 more cases in Australia

Backpacker serial killer linked to 30 more cases in Australia

Ivan Milat was convicted of seven murders and died in prison in 2019

The Independent UK

Our Picks

Does your sleep tracker get it right? A Pittsburgh neuroscientist weighs in

On a typical night, I go to bed wearing a tracking watch on one wrist and another type of tracker on the other wrist. Then I compare their sleep findings while I drink my morning coffee.

The Conversation

There's A Reason Taxi Cabs Are Almost Always Yellow

Yellow taxis are easy to spot in traffic, but the color's history goes far beyond simple visibility.

How ‘technoference’ can disrupt parent-child connections

Have you ever been telling someone a story when their phone lights up, and their eyes flicker toward their device?

The Conversation

Holding Lightning by Emily Lordi review – an intimate portrait of Whitney Houston

An empathetic biography of the the singer recasts her tumultuous later career as a triumph of self-expression

The Guardian - UK

Brian May says Queen are retiring from live tours: ‘Maybe 50 years is enough’

Rock guitarist suggested creating an interactive experience for fans similar to the ‘Abba Voyage’ show

The Independent UK

"Lanterns" finds its power in fear

To fulfill his destiny, John Stewart embraces what he was trained to reject — and so should we

Fourteen days free

Download the app

One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.

Download on the AppStore

Get it on Google Play