Best Books To Read In May: Our Top 6

It's time to start compiling your holiday reading list...

Dan Brown's new offering isn't the only book worth checking out this month. Here's our run down of May's must-reads:

1) Inferno by Dan Brown - it's all everyone's talking about so we may as well mention it from the get-go. The reviews of Dan Brown's latest novel, centering around the Italian adventures of Robert Langdon, are mixed. We're not giving anything away, except to say that you're guaranteed twists and turns a-plenty in this hugely ambitious novel. Get your copy now before someone lets the ending slip.

2) Maggie & Me by Damian Barr - an inspiring read by journalist Damian Barr, who could never have imagined his memoir would be published just weeks after Margaret Thatcher's death. Being gay, growing up in a broken home, in his rather depressing version of Glasgow, with an abusive stepfather, and being constantly bullied, Barr ended up looking to the Iron Lady for inspiration. A poignant read about his love-hate relationship with, who he calls, his 'other mother.'

3) The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes - the chilling story of a time-travelling serial killer, who murders 'shining girls' (those who have lots of promise and talent) throughout the decades leaving a series of clues that will eventually help Kirby, the only girl to ever survive his attacks, as she tries to track him down. Do not read this on your own in the house.

4) Paper Aeroplanes by Dawn O'Porter - a cringingly honest account of teenage friendship in the 1990s. Follow Renée and Flo as they navigate the highs and lows of their teenage years both at school and at home, think hide-behind-your-fingers embarassing tales of first love, house parties and school detentions. A really gorgeous and nostalgic read.

5) Flappers by Judith Mackrell - get in the mood for The Great Gatsby with these awe-inspiring tales of six women who blazed a trail in the 1920s. These daring and adventurous women changed the way women lived their lives. A riotous read of life in the Jazz Age through the eyes of six notorious flappers: Diana Cooper, Nancy Cunard, Tallulah Bankhead, Zelda Fitzgerald, Josephine Baker and Tamara de Lempicka.

6) And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini - Fans of The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns have been waiting years for Khaled's next offering. Pre-order this now for a moving tale of a family of three making their way across Afghanistan in search of work in 1952. A story which, in Khaled's own words, revolves 'around brothers and sisters, and the ways in which they love, wound, betray, honour and sacrifice for each other.'

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