Browns Best New Books for May 2026
1st May 2026
Every month we carefully select our favourites from the fabulous new titles on offer. There is so much to love about May! Days are lighter, the weather is warmer and sunnier (hopefully!) and there is not one but two bank holidays to enjoy! Add to that some exciting events and celebrations that fall in May including National Space Day (May 1st), Mental Health Awareness Week (11th – 17th May) and my absolute favourite event of the year, The Eurovision Song Contest (taking place this year on Saturday May 16th)! This May also sees national treasure, inspiration to many and champion of the natural world, Sir David Attenborogh, celebrating his 100th birthday on May 8th. There are, of course, some really fantastic new books published this month, it was hard to decide which we would award douze-points to and we hope you enjoy our picks as much as we did!
Check back next month for our picks of the new books May has to offer.
Adult Non-Fiction
Don’t Burn Anyone at the Stake Today
Alderman, Naomi
Paperback / softback
Naomi Alderman believes we are living through an “Information Crisis”; the internet has given us access to more knowledge, opinions, ideas and opportunities than we have ever had before. It has also given us more disinformation, misinformation, fake news and the ability to quickly spread falsehoods than ever before. The internet has brought us together and driven us apart like nothing before it. But what if something similar has happened in human history? This is arguably the third time our perceptions, knowledge and interactions have been shaped by an information crisis – the first was the invention of writing over 5,000 years ago and the second the invention of the printing press 600 years ago.
In this funny, insightful and accessible book Naomi Alderman, author of The Power (which won The Woman’s Prize for Fiction) draws on the work of historians and philosophers to explore previous information crises and the advances and turmoil they caused. The book looks at the ways we can behave when overwhelmed by knowledge, sometimes becoming angry or afraid as well as educated and interested, as well as exploring how we can learn from the past and prepare ourselves for what is yet to come. A short and fascinating look at our historical and current relationship with the information we have access to and how we respond to it.
More DetailsAdult Fiction
John of John
Stuart, Douglas
Hardback
John-Calum Macleod (Cal) is 22 and struggling to do anything with his art school education. Out of money, he returns home to the island of Harris to live with his father John, a sheep farmer and pillar of his local church and his maternal grandmother, fierce Glaswegian Ella. Cal finds that little has changed in his Hebridean home and he struggles with the weight of strict Presbyterian morals, concealing his sexuality from the small tight-knit farming community. Cal’s father despairs of Cal’s long hair and refusal to be ‘saved’ all the time struggling with his own secrets whilst Ella is also aware of the weight of stigma in a small community…
Douglas Stuart’s debut novel Shuggie Bain won the 2020 Booker prize and was followed by the much-acclaimed Young Mungo, both set in Glasgow in the 1980s. Stuart’s hugely anticipated new book looks at life in a small island community in the 1990s and is a moving look at duty, familial and community expectation and the fragile nature of belief. Douglas Stuart has a rare talent for creating messy, authentic and psychologically complicated characters and his dialogue in particular is once again exceptional. A moving, powerful look at an island community, relationships and the weight of long-kept secrets with gorgeous and powerful writing which is sure to win this ferociously talented writer even more well-deserved acclaim.
More DetailsChildren’s Non-Fiction
You, Me & ADHD
Thompson, Sam
Paperback / softback
Sam Thompson is a former Made In Chelsea star, tv personality and radio presenter; in 2023 he won ITVs I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here… where his positive and energetic personality won over the British public. At the age of 30 Sam was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and he is very proud of his neurodiversity, becoming an ambassador of ADHD UK in 2024.
This new book looks at how ADHD has impacted Sam’s life – how he sometimes gets distracted when having a conversation, starts new things before finishing the old ones and can lose his temper if he becomes overwhelmed. Sam’s ADHD has also helped him become really passionate about things he loves and he views his ADHD as a superpower. Packed with lots of helpful tips on managing and embracing ADHD, funny and honest insights into living with ADHD and advice for helping children with their ADHD journey this is a positive and uplifting look at why having a difference can be something to celebrate. A great book for those who have been diagnosed with ADHD and everyone in their lives, this is a positive and accessible book and a great addition to KS2 libraries and classrooms.
More DetailsChildren’s Fiction
Like A Brother
Lessore, Nathanael
Paperback / softback
Owais has a nice, laidback, easy-going life. He’s well-liked, funny and chilled out, gets on well with his sister and parents and has great friends – just the way he likes it. But then his estranged cousin Abass comes to stay and Owais’ chilled out summer looks like it could be destroyed before it’s even begun. Abass is NOT like Owais, he’s loud, unpredictable, picks fights, ruins parties and very much does not fit into Owais’ laid-back life. But as the boys get to know a bit more about each other, Owais begins to see that there is more to Abass than chaos and starts to wonder if there is more to himself than just being the chilled-out, popular guy coasting through life…
Since the release of his debut novel, Steady For This, Nathanael Lessore has quickly become one of the most popular YA writers in the UK, winning the 2025 Carnegie Medal Shadower’s Choice award and The Waterstones Children’s Book Prize among many other accolades. This new book has everything we have come to expect from this gifted writer- plenty of silly humour, relatable and authentic characters and lots and lots of heart. The relationships in this new book are explored in a really moving and believable way, not just that of the two main characters but the family members and friends as well. A really great book that explores showing up for someone, not having things figured out yet (and that being ok) and the pressures young people face all presented in Lessore’s laugh out loud style. Another great book from this brilliant writer and one that will delight new readers and fans alike.
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