Books you absolutely have to read in May

Circe by Madeline Miller

$29.99 | bloomsbury.com/au

Circe is the daughter of Helios, The Sun God, and Perse, a beautiful Naiad, and is best-known for turning men into pigs in Homer's The Odyssey. In this retelling, Circe is a young woman coming to terms with her place among the Gods and her increasing draw to mortals, with one handsome male mortal in particular capturing her attention.

This new release novel - available from the 10th of April 2018 - breathes new life into classic Greek mythology. 

Sour Heart by Jenny Zhang

$22.49 | bloomsbury.com/au 

Sour Heart centres around a community of Chinese and Taiwanese artists who have fled their endangered lives in their home country for a life of poverty in New York City in the 1990s. Seven different stories of young women struggling to define themselves in their new world will move you and uplift you.

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

$23 | allenandunwin.com

This New York Times bestseller is about to hit the big screen in one of the most-talked-about movies of 2018, so there's no better time to pick up this fun-filled piece! Follow Rachel Chu as she agrees to spend the summer with her boyfriend in Singapore, where she finds out he's basically the Asian Prince Harry. Kwan takes the reader - and Rachel - through a sea of angry eligible bachelorettes, nasty relatives and the worst potential mother-in-law of them all, as he explores the extravagant world of crazy rich Asians.

Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie

$25 | bloomsbury.com/au

Home Fire was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2017, and from the moment you pick up this novel it's not hard to see why. After years spent raising her twin siblings in the wake of their mother's death, Isma is finally free. She's studying in America to pursue her dreams, but she can't stop thinking about her family back home in London and their intricate and devastating past. It's a compelling story of love, politics and family.

Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler

$17 | bloomsbury.com/au

Sweetbitter was one of the most talked about books of last year - and for good reason. Following a young woman who moves to New York City to work at a restaurant, this novel is one of those strange reads which grips you so strongly, though it's hard to explain why. Danler's beautiful writing certainly helps matters, though. And if you need another reason to pick up this novel, it's recently been turned into a gripping TV series airing on Stan.

Happiness by Heather Harpham

$27 | bloomsbury.com/au

If it's good enough for Reese Witherspoon, it's good enough for us! The Hollywood actress made this enchanting novel the focus of her April book club, and we're following suit in May based on rave reviews. The book follows Heather and her polar-opposite partner Brian, who find themselves expecting a child under difficult circumstances and ultimately break up. When their newborn baby has a potentially fatal blood disease, the former couple must decide if they are prepared to have a second child in order to save their first with stem cells from the umbilical cord of an as-yet-non-existent sibling. It's messy, it's honest, and it's reflective of true life.

The Wife by Alafair Burke

$30 | allenandunwin.com

The author and I share a surname, so you know this book is dynamite. This 2018 new release could not be more relevant in the current climate of exposing powerful men who abuse their status. Angela's husband Jason, a best-selling author and celebrated liberal figurehead, has been accused of misconduct by several women. She must reevaluate her life, and her trust in her husband, as his past is revealed. It starts - and ends - with a bang, and will keep you engaged until the very last page.

This article originally appeared on InStyle.