Under Control

Happy Friday, PW Picks subscribers! This week, our editors recommend books about rogue demons, rampant corruption, and repressive abortion laws—and the individuals who summon the strength to fight back. Also, we check in on poet Ocean Vuong's sophomore novel, chat with Kelsey Grammer about his moving new memoir, and help you select the perfect book for the mom in your life, because Mother's Day is on Sunday. Remember?

May 9, 2025

Starred Reviews Releasing Next Week
Check out all the books to receive starred PW reviews that are hitting shelves next week. more

8 New Books for Mother’s Day
Looking for a gift? Looking to think deeply about the concept of motherhood? We've got you covered. more

Memory and Loss: PW Talks with Ocean Vuong
In The Emperor of Gladness, the novelist crafts a narrative that subverts traditional immigrant story arcs to explore deeper questions about human connection and survival. more

It’s All Greek to Stephen Fry
The author and entertainer returns with a conversational retelling of The Odyssey that keys into the tale’s timeless appeal. more

Dennis McNally Is Still Dreaming After All These Years
In his latest book, the historian and former Grateful Dead publicist looks back on the origins of the 1960s counterculture and explains how the hippies changed America. more

‘How Do You Go On?’: PW Talks with Kelsey Grammer
In Karen: A Brother Remembers, the actor honors the brief but vibrant life of his younger sister and retraces the horrific circumstances of her 1975 murder. more

Editors’ Picks

The Incandescent

By Emily Tesh (Tor)

A new book from Emily Tesh is always going to get me excited. This one puts a fun twist on dark academia by focusing not on the students of a magical school, but on the harried administrators. —Phoebe Cramer, SFF, horror, and romance reviews editor

Read our review

By Andrey Kurkov, trans. from the Russian by Boris Dralyuk (HarperVia)

We named The Silver Bone one of the best mysteries of 2024. The sequel is just as good. In following young detective Samson Kolechko as he teams up with a ruthless head-knocker to find his fiancée in post-war Kyiv, Kurkov sheds light on the harsh conditions of 1920s Ukraine without sacrificing humor, heart, or ruggedly elegant prose. —Conner Reed, mystery and memoirs reviews editor

Read our review

By Hilary Plum (Bloomsbury)

I’m in love with this novel about the nightmares of post-Roe v. Wade America, about a young woman who goes on a hunger strike to support an imprisoned abortion provider. Plum, who's also a poet, tackles the intense subject matter with taut prose and biting humor as the narrator, a champion cross country runner, settles into her self-sacrificing act, making the novel into a bracing exploration of endurance. —David Varno, literary fiction reviews editor

Read our review

Top 10 Bestsellers

King of Envy

Ana Huang, Author

The Let Them Theory: A Life-Changing Tool That Millions of People Can't Stop Talking about

Mel Robbins, Author

Sunrise on the Reaping (a Hunger Games Novel)

Suzanne Collins, Author

Great Big Beautiful Life

Emily Henry, Author

25 Alive

James Patterson, Author, Maxine Paetro, Author

Oh, the Places You'll Go!

Dr Seuss, Author

Remarkably Bright Creatures

Shelby Van Pelt, Author

Today Loves Food: Recipes from America's Favorite Kitchen

The Today Show Family and Friends, Author, Ina Garten, Foreword by

I Wish Someone Had Told Me . . .: The Best Advice for Building a Great Career and a Meaningful Life

Dana Perino, Author

My Next Breath: A Memoir

Jeremy Renner, Author

Download a printable PDF of this bestsellers list.

For more PW bestsellers lists, click here.

PW Picks Editors: Conner Reed, David Varno

Send editorial questions about this e-newsletter to David Varno.
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