Summer reading season officially begins in May—don’t ask why, we don’t make the rules—and with it comes a real smorgasbord of new books. Bookstore decision paralysis is a real thing, so we’ve created a highly scientific vibes-based process of elimination to determine the It Book of the Month.
The ideal It Book rings four bells:
- 🔔 Art – Is it good?
- 🔔 Acclaim – Will it contend for awards and best-of lists?
- 🔔 Sales – Where’s the money?
- 🔔 Zeitgeist – What’s the buzz?
This month’s contenders include a new novel from the author of The Help , a modern blend of fable and horror from a National Book Award-nominated writer, David Sedaris doing David Sedaris things, an Oprah-approved novel from a Booker-winning author, and a buzzy debut about a community processing an apocalypse that didn’t happen.