Book Haul May 2017 / New Books I'm Excited to Read

Great new second novels by authors I adore, literary nonfiction, thrillers, modern retakes of Greek mythology and more! Click 'Show More' for the full list, links & let me know which you want to read in the comments.

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Books discussed:

No One Can Pronounce My Name – Rakesh Satyal :

The Other Hoffmann Sister – Ben Fergusson :

The Boy Behind the Curtain – Tim Winton :

Letters to a Young Writer – Colum McCann :

The End We Start From – Megan Hunter :

Into the Water – Paula Hawkins :

See What I Have Done – Sarah Schmidt :

Strange Beating Heart – Eli Goldstone :

The Children of Jocasta – Natalie Haynes :

House of Names – Colm Toibin :

The Last Painting of Sara de Vos – Dominic Smith :

When Light is Like Water – Molly McCloskey :

The Nothing – Hanif Kureishi :

All That's Left to Tell – Daniel Lowe :

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine – Gail Honeyman :

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Get in touch

[onviekade]

That was great Eric and all of them spark my interest. I adore Tim Winton's writing! The Last Painting of Sarah de Vos is really accomplished and very enjoyable.

[cooper]

These all look so good. I love your first of the month hauls, I have ordered so many books after hearing about them here.

[patricejones]

I would like to read Letters to a Young Writer. Sounds very interesting. Great May haul you have. I look forward to some reviews.

[Dottiemi]

Great review, always so engaging. I like the sound of Eleanor Olifant, and also love Tim Winton so will read his latest. I didn't love Girl on the Train but the second book from Hawkins appeals.

[KayAmpersand]

I love Colum McCann! Let The Great World Spin broke my heart multiple times - highly recommend. I am very interested in See What I Have Done - looking forward to your review. I feel like Colm Toibin is putting a book out every year - very Joyce Carol Oates-esque :)

[victoriahoyle-publichistor]

See What I Have Done, Strange Beating Heart and The Children of Jocasta are going straight into my pre-order basket. They all sound really gripping. :) Eleanor Oliphant...is a really great title! I was just reading about that book by coincidence because it was shortlisted for the Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize a couple of years ago before being snapped up by a publisher. It's a really interesting prize for unpublished women writers.

[kristinmuraki]

I'm really enjoying your videos, and getting a lot of great reading ideas from them, so thank you! Just wanted to give you a reading suggestion for Colum McCann. I read his book Dancer, and I really enjoyed it. It is about the life of the ballet dancer Nureyev, fictional, but kind-of-biographical (in this way similar, I'm thinking, to Blonde by Joyce Carol Oates - which I haven't read yet but is now on my TBR thanks to you!).

Thanks again! Looking forward to more videos and reading inspiration from you!

[catherineb]

Ordered Eleanor Oliphant the moment your video finished.
I've never heard of this book before but now I know there is a fictional person in this world whose name is Eleanor Oliphant I need to read about her.

[helenejeppesen]

Once again, so many books were added to my wishlist. I love these videos of yours 😊

[robotnic]

Lots of great stuff in here, as always! I'm not that into the mythology/fairy tales/etc retelling idea truth be told, but Strange Beating Heart does appeal. Some of my family background is in Latvia and Lithuania too, I really want to do a trip to all 3 of the Baltic capitals.

[BlightyX]

Another great video Eric, I look forward to you becoming the new Mariella Frostrup on radio or TV, if you know what I mean...I liked the sound of the Elinor Oliphant book, it strikes a chord, I used to love Anita Bruckner novels about very clever, cultured, affluent women who were lonely (in a very tasteful and complicated way). I am not sure I will read the Paula Hawkins book, out of solidarity with a friend of mine who had a thriller published about the same time as Girl on the Train; I thought my friend's book was so much better but of course Hawkins's books got the huge marketing push, it has made me very cynical about the over-crowded domestic thriller market. My friend's book - Forget Me Not by Luella Lewis, set in London, well-written, great plot. (No I am not being paid to plug her book but we both have Border Terriers who are both very naughty so we have a lot in common!)

[theOwlandtheViolet]

Great line up! Girl On a Train was the first novel of the Thriller genre I ever read and I loved it. It will be great to know what you think of Into The Water. I love how diverse your reading list is, I look forward to reviews.

[RunwrightReads]

Very interestingly ambiguous title for your video, Eric. At first, I wondered whether you'd stepped forward into the future.

[Emma-ntwk]

I really like this video and I love your way of talking about books! I share the same love for them!

[heathersneddon]

love Colm Toibin so woUldale definitely buy that. also Paula Hawkins.

[Amy_Yuki_Vickers]

I'm most interested in Letters to a Younger Writer. I love books that are about writing or reading. The title Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine is great. It's almost poetic, isn't it? I want say that I agree with you about the loneliness of being a reader, but I feel the least lonely when I'm reading. The only part of reading that is a bit lonely is finishing a great book and not having anyone to talk to about it. I guess that's why we have review sites and book blogs.

[imageinfomood]

Any favourite essay collection you'd recommend? I will be reading Tim Winton's collection too. You see, I've discovered that I'm not into short stories, but I *love* essays because it gives me insight to the author's views and opinions, and the things that influenced/shaped their thinking. Mary Oliver's 'Upstream' kickstarted it and then Anne Fadiman, Zadie Smith, Janet Malcom (hm...all women). Perhaps any male author recommendations?

[JayneCatherineOnBooks]

Thought you would have moved house by now? Great selection Eric:-)

[thiagosilvadesouza]

Hi. I am from Brazil. I am knowing your channel right now!