Books you need to read in May, including Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey's The Office BFFs and Remarkably Bright Creatures

Bill Gates (Knopf, May 3)Yes, it’s grim to imagine preparing for another pandemic as the COVID-19 virus rages on more than two years into this godforsaken nightmare. But there’s real value in considering how this public health crisis has impacted humanity in the long term—and taking serious steps to make changes for the future begins with concentrated reflection in the present. Epidemiology enthusiast/billionaire Bill Gates shares what his researchers have learned from the coronavirus pandemic in his tidily titled How To Prevent The Next Pandemic. Gates also lays out a three-step plan for future public health disaster prevention that includes improvements in vaccination technology and a worldwide “pathogen surveillance system” which, going just by the name, sounds cool as hell. [Alison Foreman]

Shelby Van Pelt (Ecco, May 3) Novelist Shelby Van Pelt weaves a tender tale of friendship and resilience in Remarkably Bright Creatures—the story of a giant Pacific octopus in his last weeks of life and a widowed aquarium worker looking for connection in grief. Told partially from the perspective of Marcellus the octopus, this charming two-hander (OK, two hands plus eight tentacles, but you get the idea) takes an unafraid look at the impermanence of life. Protagonist Tova Sullivan is a worthy character for the weighty material, reflecting readers’ loneliness back at them in a touching display of kaleidoscopic curiosity and compassion you won’t want to put down. Plus, Marcellus is a genuine poet. [Alison Foreman]

Michelle Hart (Riverhead Books, May 3) Debut novelist Michelle Hart takes on the great LGBTQ romance in What We Do We Do In The Dark—the intriguing and passionate story of a college freshman who falls for an elusive older woman. Complex in its premise with rich character work apparent from just the first few pages, this tale of forbidden love promises more than a tawdry affair. Intense interiority exudes from heroine Mallory, making for a magnetic read that’s feels at once revelatory and invitingly personal in its exploration of self. [Alison Foreman]

Clare Mac Cumhaill & Rachael Wiseman (Doubleday, May 10)Explore philosophy through the eyes of four female students at Oxford—Iris Murdoch, Mary Midgley, Philippa Foot, and Elizabeth Anscombe—during the height of fighting in World War II with Clare Mac Cumhaill and Rachael Wiseman’s spectacularly clever Metaphysical Animals: How Four Women Brought Philosophy Back To Life. When the draft takes effect in Britain, these young women come together to ponder life’s biggest questions in their ever-changing world ravaged by the pains of war. Cozy and yet cosmic, Metaphysical Animals is a great choice for amateur philosophers and appreciators of well-written, history-making accounts alike. [Alison Foreman]

D. J. Palmer (St. Martin’s Press, May 10)  D. J. Palmer continues to build on his roster of roller coaster page-turners with My Wife Is Missing. In this thriller, a dysfunctional marriage is at the core of the suspense. Michael and Natalie Hart are struggling to keep their marriage afloat when she disappears with their two kids during a New York City family vacation. Is it because her insomnia and hallucinations have become worse? Or because she’s discovered her husband’s secretive past? My Wife Is Missing lays all its cards on the table, and then like a good ole’ mystery novel, it manages to subvert readers’ expectations. [Saloni Gajjar]

Selma Blair (Knopf, May 17)Selma Blair, Cruel Intentions actor and the most underrated part of Legally Blonde, shares details, thoughts, and musings from her childhood, career, and motherhood in Mean Baby: A Memoir Of Growing Up. We haven’t checked this title out yet, but Blair’s increasingly vibrant voice in activism promises poignant reflections on a life spent in and out of the spotlight. [Alison Foreman]

Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey (Dey Street Books, May 17)Fans of The Office are in for a real treat. Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey, a.k.a. Pam Beesly and Angela Martin, are expanding their wonderful Office Ladies podcast into a book. Sort of. The two best friends will dive even further into their time on NBC’s iconic comedy and celebrate their bond. They’ll share stories from the early days of The Office and its eventual success—as “only two people who were behind the scenes can tell you.” Okay, okay, that’s a quote from their podcast opening, but it still applies here. Office BFFs will also feature many previously unseen photos from their time on the show. Can you think of a better gift for The Office lover in your life (even if it’s you?). [Saloni Gajjar]