Ok, so may is almost over but the good news is that you should be able to buy any of the books listed. All expect one are British releases though a lot of them have had or are having an American release. It’s a mix of new releases and paperback releases. I’ve cut it down to the books I’d most likely read if they were put in front of me rather than books that just look interesting otherwise it would take me another month to put up the list 
*means it’s on the shelves.
*Rant by Chuck Palahniuck
Vintage
Synopsis:
“Rant” is the oral history of one Buster ‘Rant’ Casey, in which an assortment of friends, enemies, detractors, lovers and relations have their say on the man who may or may not be the most efficient serial killer of our time. Rant is a darkly glittering anti-hero whose recreational drug of choice is rabies, and whose own personal Viagra is the venom of a black widow spider. He soon leaves his half-feral hometown for the big city, where he becomes the leader of an urban demolition derby called Party Crashing. On designated nights, the Party Crashers chase each other in cars in the hope of a collision, and all the while Rant, the ’superspreader’, transmits his lethal disease…
Comment:
I reviewed the hardback of Rant last year and said:
By the time I got to the end I wanted to start all over again in order to see how what’s revealed in the end is already told to you from the beginning. I probably will re-read it was the end is a little more complicated than I expected. This might make it a little disappointing to some readers who want everything a bit more cut and dry or who enjoyed the Party Crashing for just causing chaos.
Chuck’s next book Snuff is also out in the US now and in August over here and has a great review by Fantasy Book Critic
*The Dreaming Void by Peter F. Hamilton
Pan Books
Synopsis:
AD 3580. The Intersolar Commonwealth has spread through the galaxy to over a thousand star systems. It is a culture of rich diversity with a place for everyone. A powerful navy protects it from any hostile species that may lurk among the stars. For Commonwealth citizens, even death has been overcome. At its centre is a massive black hole. This Void is not a natural artefact. Inside there is a strange universe where the laws of physics are very different to those we know. It is slowly consuming the other stars of the galactic core - one day it will have devoured the entire galaxy. Inigo, a human, has started to dream of a wonderful existence of the Void. He has a following of millions of believers. They now clamour to make a pilgrimage into the Void to live the life they have been shown. Other starfaring species fear their migration will cause the Void to expand again. They are prepared to stop them no matter what the cost. And so the pilgrimage begins…
Comment:
I also managed to read The Dreaming Void and concluded:
The Dreaming Void is set in an amazing imaging of the future of the human race. It’s complex and challenging but has huge moments of satisfaction throughout. If you like your science fiction to explore what it is to be human with all our potential and our weaknesses and enjoys seeing new worlds and technology you’ll love Part One of The Void Trilogy. If you like your narratives to follow a more linear path this maybe a little too in-depth to be satisfactory.
Gods Behaving Badly by Marrie Phillips
Vintage
Synopsis:
Being immortal isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Life’s hard for a Greek god in the 21st century: nobody believes in you any more, even your own family doesn’t respect you, and you’re stuck in a delapidated hovel in north London with too many siblings and not enough hot water. But for Artemis (goddess of hunting, professional dog walker), Aphrodite (goddess of beauty, telephone sex operator) and Apollo (god of the sun, TV psychic) there’s no way out…Until a meek cleaner and her would-be boyfriend come into their lives, and turn the world literally upside down. “Gods Behaving Badly” is that rare thing, a charming, funny, utterly original first novel that satisfies the head and the heart.
Comment:
Lastly of this month’s paperback releases that I’ve already reviewed. I had this to say about Gods Behaving Badly:
I really can’t think of anything I didn’t like about it. It was a wonderful easy read that managed to be both entertaining and thought provoking. The characters are wonderfully imagined, though I would have liked to have seen a bit more of a few of the Gods as there was so much more I wanted to know about them.
*Iron Angel by Alan Campbell
Tor
Synopsis:
Order has collapsed in Deepgate. The chained city is now in ruins; the Deadsands beyond are full of fleeing refugees.The Spine militia, unable to come to terms with the loss of their church, are trying to halt the exodus with brutal force. Driven away by the mob, Rachel Hael leads Dill along a very dangerous route through the wastelands, but what should have been a straightforward flight to Sandport becomes a desperate march for survival after the angel is captured and mutilated. Rachel just wants to keep her friends alive, but the offspring of the dread goddess Ayen have other ideas, the death of the underworld god Ulcis having not gone unnoticed by his six siblings. Cospinol, the god of brine and fog, is coming for his brother’s murderers, and he’s bringing his own version of hell with him. Wreathed in fog, Cospinol’s foul skyship has already reached Sandport.
Cog Island will now become the focus for a clash of powers: of men and gods and archons and slaves all forced into desperate alliances, a battle in which the outcome will be decided not by force, but by sacrifice. Whoever wins, it’s bad news for everyone except Iril, god of death. For in the end there’s going to be a lot of blood.
Comment:
I received a review copy of Iron Angel a few weeks ago which speared me on to read and review its prequel - Scar Night, which I greatly enjoyed and was nothing like I expected.
Fantasy Book Critic and Graeme’s Fantasy Book Review have managed to read it and pass judgement and it seems that Campbell ups his game in Iron Angel so I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next.
*Midnight Never Come by Marie Brennan
Orbit
Synopsis:
England flourishes under the hand of its Virgin Queen: Elizabeth, Gloriana, last and most powerful of the Tudor monarchs. But a great light casts a great shadow. In hidden catacombs beneath London, a second Queen holds court: Invidiana, ruler of faerie England, and a dark mirror to the glory above. In the thirty years since Elizabeth ascended her throne, fae and mortal politics have become inextricably entwined, in secret alliances and ruthless betrayals whose existence is suspected only by a few. And two courtiers, struggling for the favour of very different royal patrons, are about to uncover the secrets that lie behind their thrones. What they find has the potential to fracture both worlds. This is a breathtaking novel of intrigue and betrayal set in Elizabethan England.
Comment:
Chris, the Book Swede has a wonderful interview with Marie and there is a positive review at The Bookbag. If you haven’t noticed by now that I have a thing for things faerie and worlds within our worlds. I’m wondering
*Dawn Over Doomsday by Jaspre Bark
Abaddon
Synopsis:
As America lies bleeding, Native American Chief Hiamovi seeks to unite his people into a single nation capable of reclaiming the US from the white man. His growing army is on a collision course with cult leader Samuel Colt, who intends to put the country back in the iron grip of the once mighty Neo Clergy. The two men are set for a showdown at Little Bighorn, once site of Custer’s legendary last stand, now a twisted, nuclear landscape. The fate of the battle may just be decided by Anna Bontraeger, a former sex slave from Pennsylvania, rescued from a brothel by rogue scientist Matthew Greaves and taken on a perilous road trip across a devastated continent. Greaves and his small band have to get Anna to Little Bighorn before Colt or Hiamovi, so she can unlock the secrets which will save what remains of humanity and bring about a new dawn over Doomsday!
Comment:
Graeme’s Fantasy Book Review has a not so positive review and to be honest it’s not my kind of thing but I’ll give a try at some point.
*The Fabric of Sin by Phil Rickman
Quercus
Synopsis:
The Master House, close to the Welsh border, is medieval and slowly falling into ruins. Now the house and its surrounding land have been sold to the Duchy of Cornwall. But the Duchy’s plans to renovate the house and its outbuildings are frustrated when the specialist builder refuses to work there. ‘This is a place,’ he tells the Prince’s land-steward, ‘that doesn’t want to be restored. Directed by the Bishop of Hereford to investigate, deliverance consultant Merrily Watkins discovers ancient connections between the house and the nearby church, built by the Knights Templar whose shadow still envelopes isolated Garway Hill and its scattered communities. Why did all the local inns have astrological names? What deep history lies behind the vicious feud between two local families? And what happened here to intimidate even the great Edwardian ghost-story writer M R James?When Merrily learns that she - and even her daughter, Jane - are under surveillance by the security services, she’s ready to quit.
But a sudden death changes everything, and she returns to Garway to uncover fibres of fear and hatred stitched into history and now insidiously twisted in the corridors - and the cloisters - of power.
Comment:
I’ve enjoyed all the books in the six Merrily Watkins series that I’ve read so far. This is number nine and I have seven, eight and this one lined up to indulge myself in. And for some weird reason I always put books I know I’m going to enjoy below writer I’ve never tried or not sure of. Looking forward to seeing what Merrily Watkins gets involved in next.
*Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill
Gollancz
Synopsis:
‘Buy my stepfather’s ghost’ read the e-mail. So Jude did. He bought it, in the shape of the dead man’s suit, delivered in a heart-shaped box, because he wanted it: because his fans ate up that kind of story. It was perfect for his collection: the genuine skulls and the bones, the real honest-to-God snuff movie, the occult books and all the rest of the paraphanalia that goes along with his kind of hard/goth rock. But the rest of his collection doesn’t make the house feel cold. The bones don’t make the dogs bark; the movie doesn’t make Jude feel as if he’s being watched. And none of the artefacts bring a vengeful old ghost with black scribbles over his eyes out of the shadows to chase Jude out of his home, and make him run for his life …
Comment:
I’ve been following this book and waiting for the paperback release for ages. I know you shouldn’t compare but having a famous father should, I hope, help make this a cracking read.
Devil May Care by Sebastian Faulks
Penguin
Synopsis
BOND IS BACK…
The publication of DEVIL MAY CARE is set to be one of the key literary moments of 2008. Written to celebrate the centenary of Ian Fleming’s birth, the novel is the electrifying new chapter in the life of the most iconic spy of literature and film - Bond, James Bond.
The manuscript of the novel is currently being kept under 24 hour guard in a top-secret secure facility in the UK - the details of the plot and characters are strictly embargoed until 00.01 hours on May 28th 2008. However, snippets of information have already leaked from the publishers, including one line from the text… ]
`Come in, 007,’ said M. `It’s good to see you back.’
We have also been told that that, picking up from where Ian Fleming left off, Sebastian Faulks takes Bond back to the height of the Cold war in a story of almost unbearable pace and tension. Add to this all the glamour, thrills and excitement that one would expect from any adventure involving Bond, and DEVIL MAY CARE promises to be one of the most exciting and eagerly anticipated books of the year.
Comment:
This is probably the release of the year for a lot of James Bond fans. It comes 40 years after the last Ian Fleming penned bond, Octopussy and The Living Daylights. I’ve never read a Fleming Bond book though I have been tempted. I grew up watching Bond movies when there was only three channels and films were shown at Bank Holidays and Christmas. So my idea, like my idea of Sherlock Holmes as the Jeremy Brett version is fixed from what I’ve seen rather than read and I’m not sure if the cinematic and literary versions will gel or conflict.
The Host by Stephanie Myer
Sphere
Synopsis:
Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. The earth has been invaded by a species that takes over the minds of their human hosts while leaving their bodies intact, and most of humanity has succumbed. Wanderer, the invading ’soul’ who has been given Melanie’s body, knew about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the too-vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn’t expect: the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind. Melanie fills Wanderer’s thoughts with visions of the man Melanie loves - Jared, a human who still lives in hiding. Unable to separate herself from her body’s desires, Wanderer yearns for a man she’s never met. As outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off to search for the man they both love.
Comment:
This is a bit of a surprise entry for me. Not because of its subject matter but because it came out of nowhere and rocketed up the hardback charts. Actually that’s not quit true. I had seen books from her Twilight Series in Borders and I avoided as I’m feeling anti-vampire at the minute. Though I understand they are quite popular ;). Again Fantasy Book Critic and Graeme’s Fantasy Book Review have already read it and have a slight difference of opinion. See the comments on Graeme’s post for more thoughts.
The Kingdom Beyond The Waves by Stephen Hunt.
HarperVoyager
Synopsis:
From the author of The Court of the Air, a hugely engaging, Victorian-style adventure, filled with perilous quests, dastardly deeds and deadly intrigue - perfect for all fans of Philip Pullman and Susanna Clarke Professor Amelia Harsh is obsessed with finding the lost civilisation of Camlantis, a legendary city from pre-history that is said to have conquered hunger, war and disease — tempering the race of man’s baser instincts by the creation of the perfect pacifist society. It is an obsession that is to cost her dearly. She returns home to Jackals from her latest archaeological misadventure to discover that the university council has finally stripped her of her position in retaliation for her heretical research. Without official funding, Amelia has no choice but to accept the offer of patronage from the man she blames for her father’s bankruptcy and suicide, the fiercely intelligent and incredibly wealthy Abraham Quest. He has an ancient crystal-book that suggests the Camlantean ruins are buried under one of the sea-like lakes that dot the murderous jungles of Liongeli.Amelia undertakes an expedition deep into the dark heart of the jungle, blackmailing her old friend Commodore Black into ferrying her along the huge river of the Shedarkshe on his ancient u-boat.
With an untrustworthy crew of freed convicts, Quest’s force of female mercenaries on board and a lunatic steamman safari hunter acting as their guide, Amelia’s luck can hardly get any worse. But she’s as yet unaware that her quest for the perfect society is about to bring her own world to the brink of destruction!
Comment:
After hearing mixed things about The Court of the Air, I’ve put it to one side into the “if it’s a rainy day I really should really read it” pile (I don’t have such a pile but you get the idea). Though after reading the Fantasy Book Critic’s emphatic review of The Kingdom of the Waves plus he liked the first one I’ll have to make up my own mind I think and actually read it ;).
Thirteen by Sebastian Beaumont
Myrmidon Books
Synopsis:
Stephen Bardot is a taxi driver working on the night shift in Brighton. He works such long shifts that he is often driving while exhausted, and it is then that he starts to experience major alterations to his perception of reality. People start to take lifts in his cab who know things they shouldn’t, and who ultimately may not even be real, although the question of what constitutes reality forms one of the basic themes of the novel. He regularly gives lifts to Valerie - beautiful, haunting, but terminal - from 13 Wish Road to her positive thinking classes at the Cornerstone Community Centre on Palmeira Square. When he is no longer asked to collect her, he fears that she is dead, and queries this with Sal, one of the night operators. Her response turns Stephen’s world upside down. ‘But Stephen,’ she tells him, ‘there is no such address. Wish Road doesn’t have a number thirteen.’ As time passes, the world gets weirder. People appear (and disappear) who know far too much about Stephen and his past, and who lure him further and further into the twilight world of Thirteen. But if he asks any questions, he gets hurt. Ultimately, he decides, for the sake of both his safety and his sanity, he must walk away… but Thirteen has no intention of letting him go.
Comment:
Slipping from the end of April but I can’t let it get away. I’ve let my more literary interests wain for the last few months so I’m a little out of the loop but I know this book has been a favourite by quite a few people so I’m glad it’s finally had a paperback release. I’m going to pick this one up when I get paid.
The Reapers by John Connolly
Hodder & Stoughton
Synopsis:
They are the Reapers, the elite among killers. Men so terrifying that their names are mentioned only in whispers. The assassin Louis is one of them. But now Louis, and his partner, Angel, are themselves targets. And there is no shortage of suspects. A wealthy recluse sends them north to a town that no longer exists on a map. A town ruled by a man with very personal reasons for wanting Louis’s blood spilt. There they find themselves trapped, isolated, and at the mercy of a killer feared above all others: the assassin of assassins, Bliss. Thanks to former detective Charlie Parker, help is on its way. But can Angel and Louis stay alive long enough for it to reach them?
Comment:
If I’m a little behind on the Merrily Watkins series by Phil Rickman (see The Fabric of Sin above) then I’m seriously in arrears with John Connolly, having read only the first two Charlie Parker books and this is book eight and I’ve only dipped into Nocturnes, not to mention having The Book of Lost Things waiting. Though I always think that it’s a good thing when you know you have more books in a series that are already out there for you to move onto when you’ve finished the last one. At least that’s what I keep telling myself 
Hero by Perry Moore
Corgi Childrens
Synopsis:
Even though Thom Creed’s a basketball star, his high school classmates keep their distance. They’ve picked up on something different about Thom. Plus, his father, Hal Creed, was one of the greatest and most beloved superheroes of his time until a catastrophic event left him disfigured and an outcast. The last thing in the world Thom wants is to add to his father’s pain, so he keeps secrets. Like that he has special powers. And he’s been asked to join the League - the very organization of superheroes that disowned Hal. But joining the League opens up a new world to Thom. There, he connects with a misfit group of aspiring heroes: Scarlett, who can control fire but not her anger; Typhoid Larry, who can make anyone sick with his touch; and, Ruth, a wise old woman who can see the future. Together these unlikely heroes become friends and begin to uncover a plot to kill the superheroes. This groundbreaking and widely acclaimed novel tells an unforgettable story about love, loss, and redemption.
Comment:
I’m buying this one, apart from the fact that I’ve heard good things about it. I think more publishers should take risks in their schedules and this one needs to supported!
Blind Faith by Ben Elton
Black Swan
Synopsis:
Imagine a world where everyone knows everything about everybody. Where ’sharing’ is valued above all, and privacy is considered a dangerous perversion. Trafford wouldn’t call himself a rebel, but he’s daring to be different, to stand out from the crowd. In his own small ways, he wants to push against the system. But in this world, uniformity is everything. And even tiny defiances won’t go unnoticed. Ben Elton’s dark, savagely comic novel imagines a post-apocalyptic society where religious intolerance combines with a sex-obsessed, utterly egocentric culture. In this world, nakedness is modesty, independent thought subversive, and ignorance is wisdom. A chilling vision of what’s to come? Or something rather closer to home?
Comment:
Ben Elton is a strange man. First coming to wide public attention as a verbal, almost ranting, political stand-up comedian, but on top of that he’s a novelist, sit-com writer, and even written musicals. This has been recommended by a friend of mine and I’d like to see what’s he’s up to. I greatly enjoyed Popcorn when I read that.
Maps and Legends by Michael Chabon
McSweeney’s Publishing
Synopsis:
A series of linked essays analyzes works of literature important to the author, argues for the importance of enjoying a diverse range of reading options, and explores the author’s own writings from a perspective of personal history.
Comment: Another one from the end of April. His novel, The Yiddish Policemen’s Union, brought him to attention and it would be interesting to see some non-fiction.
Death Message by Mark Billingham
Sphere
Synopsis:
The first message sent to Tom Thorne’s mobile phone was just a picture - the blurred image of a man’s face, but Thorne had seen enough dead bodies in his time to know that the man was no longer alive. But who was he? Who sent the photograph? And why? While the technical experts attempt to trace the sender, Thorne searches the daily police bulletins for a reported death that matches the photograph. Then another picture arrives. Another dead man …It is the identities of the murdered men which give Thorne his first clue, a link to a dangerous killer he’d put away years before and who is still in prison. With a chilling talent for manipulation, this man has led another inmate to plot revenge on everyone he blames for his current incarceration, and for the murder of his family while he was inside. Newly released, this convict has no fear of the police, no feelings for those he is compelled to murder. Now Tom Thorne must face one of the toughest challenges of his career, knowing that there is no killer more dangerous than one who has nothing left to lose.
Comment:
I keep meaning to try Mark Billingam… maybe this one.
Whatever Makes You Happy by William Suttcliffe
Bloomsbury
Synopsis:
In William Sutcliffe’s new novel, the hapless gap-yearers of “Are You Experienced?” have given way to three men in their early thirties who are not (in the eyes of their alienated mothers) properly settled. Matt works for lads mag BALLS! and is a serial dater of girls half his age. Paul is an experienced hand at lying and evasion to keep his life choices a secret from his mother. Daniel spends his Saturday nights alone in his flat reading novels, pining for ex-girlfriend and love of his life Erin. The mothers decide to launch a co-ordinated attack: they will arrive, without warning, to stay with their sons for one week with the intention of man-handling them back onto the right path. Wonderfully funny, with some characteristically hilarious set pieces, William has once again shone a brilliantly incisive spotlight on his generation.
Comment:
I read two of Sutcliffe’s novels what I was an emotional teenager and really enjoyed them. I wonder what he’s like now he’s grown up,
The Alchemist by Michael Scott
Corgi Childrens
Synopsis:
Nicholas Flamel was born in Paris on 28 September 1330. Nearly seven hundred years later, he is acknowledged as the greatest Alchemyst of his day. It is said that he discovered the secret of eternal life. The records show that he died in 1418. But his tomb is empty and Nicholas Flamel lives. The secret of eternal life is hidden within the book he protects - the Book of Abraham the Mage. It’s the most powerful book that has ever existed. In the wrong hands, it will destroy the world. And that’s exactly what Dr. John Dee plans to do when he steals it. Humankind won’t know what’s happening until it’s too late. And if the prophecy is right, Sophie and Josh Newman are the only ones with the power to save the world as we know it. Sometimes legends are true. And Sophie and Josh Newman are about to find themselves in the middle of the greatest legend of all time.
Comment:
A mix of fantasy, fact and fiction for children. I’d give it a go.
The Deep by Helen Dunmore
HarperCollinsChildren’sBooks
The Gone Away World
Astropolis Book One: Saturn Returns
After Dark
Sea of Poppies
Happy Hour of the Damned
Making Money
Island of the Sequined Love Nun
Moon Called
Stealing Light
Bloodheir
The Snake Stone
The Name of the Wind
I must admit that at the moment this looks like it could be my literary book of the year. It might be the only literary book I’ve read so far, I could be wrong about that, but it’s going to be hard to beat.