“Reading outside weather” – the best forecast for a bibliophile – is finally here.
While we still stand firmly planted in spring, it’s just about time to look ahead to all the summer reading you’re going to dive into on hot days. It’s an especially ripe time for romance readers, who get a beach read boom in May and June.
But if you’re looking for a new read right now, we know plenty of recently published titles that’ll whisk you away on coastal extravaganzas and into thrilling wilderness mysteries. Check out this list of our favorite books published in April across genres.
What should I read next? 15 new books from April
Whether you’re in search of a meaty family drama, an eerie dystopian or something more lighthearted, we’ve got book recommendations. Here are 15 new releases we think you should read next.
‘Mỹ Documents’ by Kevin Nguyen
Sometimes, when times are hard, we search for books that will make us feel comforted about the state of the world. This is not one of those books. But it’s all the more reason to read “Mỹ Documents,” a timely and important dystopian novel about four young half-siblings whose paths diverge when the government begins forcibly detaining Vietnamese Americans. Nguyen’s characters feel full and real and his prose is quickly captivating. It’s a powerful commentary on the use of language as propaganda, including the narratives we tell about people without power.
‘Great Big Beautiful Life’ by Emily Henry
One of the romance titles on our most anticipated list is finally here, and it offers a slight departure from the classic rom-com structure loyal Henry readers have grown to love. It follows two warring journalists – Alice and Hayden – vying for the once-in-a-lifetime chance to write the biography of a tragic, scandalized heiress. It’s a sprawling novel (a whopping 432 pages), offering plenty of well-loved beach read elements while also looking at the invisible strings that tie lives together.
‘Fun for the Whole Family’ by Jennifer E. Smith
Told across 50 states and several decades, “Fun for the Whole Family” tells the story of the four Endicott siblings, once inseparable road trip buddies and now estranged adults. The modern-day timeline starts when the youngest, Jude (now a glamorous movie star), summons them to North Dakota for the weekend. All at a crossroads in their own lives, Gemma, Connor and Roddy realize that Jude is hiding secrets of her own. “Fun for the Whole Family” is an engaging, heartwarming tale with larger-than-life characters readers are sure to connect with.
‘Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng’ by Kylie Lee Baker
Gory and haunting, “Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng” will have you hooked from the get-go. It follows a young crime scene cleaner, scrubbing the remains of murders and suicides in Chinatown during the throes of the 2020 pandemic. Cora is tormented by her sister’s death, which she witnessed months ago when a man pushed her in front of a train in a racist attack. Her dread only builds in preparation for the Hungry Ghost Festival, haunted by the bat carcasses and bodies of East Asian women she finds at her job – she can’t tell what’s real and what’s in her head.
‘The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits’ by Jennifer Weiner
If you liked “Daisy Jones and the Six” or love a good surprise nepo baby American Idol audition, check out “The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits.” This sisterly drama follows the legacy of a fictional music duo that defined early 2000s pop music. Sisters Cassie and Zoe Grossberg catapulted to stardom as the Griffin Sisters, but broke up after one turbulent year. Now, decades later, they have disappeared from the public eye. But when Zoe’s daughter Cherry goes digging in pursuit of her own music career, secrets from the infamous breakup beg to resurface.
‘Open, Heaven’ by Seán Hewitt
Full of teenage longing and quiet devastations, Hewitt’s “Open, Heaven” proves the continued staying power of poets-turned-novelists. In this book, two teenage boys meet in a sheltered village in the north of England. James, shy and recently coming to terms with his sexuality, longs for a larger life beyond his rural community. Luke, beautiful and captivating, brings a cloudy reputation with him to his uncle’s farm after his parents abandon him. Fans of “Call Me By Your Name” will enjoy this rumination on the angst of a first love, set across one transformative year.
‘Girl on Girl’ by Sophie Gilbert
If you seek a new nonfiction title or a pop culture critique, try “Girl on Girl” by Sophie Gilbert. Gilbert paints a clear and narrative odyssey of 21st-century feminism and how society has regressed toward the hyper-objectification, sexualization and infantilization of women. “Girl on Girl” analyzes music, film, television, fashion, internet culture, porn and tabloid journalism to investigate the deeply seeded roots of misogyny from the ‘90s to today.
‘Flirting Lessons’ by Jasmine Guillory
The first queer romance from genre expert Jasmine Guillory does not disappoint. Set against the backdrop of the picturesque Napa Valley, this dual-perspective romance follows a 30-something, fresh off the heels of a breakup and looking for something more. Avery wants to date women, but she doesn’t have experience or much confidence. And Taylor, a notorious flirt, has just agreed to a two-month no-sex bet. She needs to keep busy, and Avery needs help – how about a little flirting lesson?
‘All that Life Can Afford’ by Emily Everett
Take a trip to the lives of the rich and privileged in “All That Life Can Afford,” where a struggling young American girl finds herself swept up in the antics of the Wilders, who hire her to tutor their teenage daughter in Saint-Tropez. Between the parties and glitz, she meets two handsome young men – one who offers to show her the finer things in life and another who is a reminder of the past she’s outrunning.
‘Happy Land’ by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
This sweeping, multigenerational novel starts as a woman visits her grandmother, hoping to learn all she can about the mysterious estrangement between her and her mother. But Nikki gets much more than she anticipated when they begin to talk, and her grandmother wraps her into the tales of a real kingdom nestled in the mountains of North Carolina, where her great-great-great-grandmother became queen.
‘The Seven O’Clock Club’ by Amelia Ireland
Touching and heartfelt, “The Seven O’Clock Club” follows four strangers as they embark on an experimental treatment to heal broken hearts. The only thing Freya, Callum, Mischa and Victoria have in common is their loss, and this weekly support group promises to help them finally find closure. Their unconventional group leader is determined to get them to trust each other before revealing the real reason they’re all connected.
‘The Amalfi Curse’ by Sarah Penner
This tale of witchcraft, sunken treasure and forbidden love from the author of “The Lost Apothecary” weaves historical fiction, mystery and fantasy in under 350 pages. “The Amalfi Curse” follows a nautical archaeologist investigating mysterious shipwrecks to locate a priceless gemstone her father spotted on his final dive before his death. It’s not until she arrives to Positano that strange events unfurl throughout the village, just as she uncovers an ancient tale of sorcery.
‘Heartwood’ by Amity Gaige
This literary thriller centers on the disappearance of a 42-year-old experienced Appalachian Trail hiker under circumstances that may not be accidental. “Heartwood” weaves between several perspectives, including the hiker Valerie, who writes fractured letters addressed to her mother as she struggles to survive. Meanwhile, a Maine State Game Warden leads a search on the ground and an elderly birdwatcher from Connecticut develops a fascination with the case.
‘Julie Chan is Dead’ by Liann Zhang
This thriller takes a bizarre turn we guarantee you won’t see coming. Estranged twins Julie Chan and Chloe VanHuusen were separated by adoption when they were young, and their lives could not have turned out more differently. Julie is a sardonic, supermarket cashier with sticky fingers and Chloe is a glamorous influencer with millions of adoring fans. But when Julie stumbles upon Chloe’s lifeless body, she decides it’s her opportunity for change and masquerades as Chloe, only to realize there was something much more sinister behind the pictures.
‘I See You’ve Called in Dead’ by John Kenney
What if you could write your own obituary? What if you accidentally published it? This is how “I See You’ve Called in Dead” starts, with a down-on-his-luck obituary writer whose wife has recently left him. But then he has few too many to drink and accidentally publishes his own tribute. Now, by all technical accounts, Bud is listed as dead. In this dark comedy, Bud’s own fictionally fatal mishap may be the thing to give him a second chance at freedom and life.
Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY’s Books Reporter, where she covers buzzy releases, chats with authors and dives into the culture of reading. Find her on Instagram, subscribe to our weekly Books newsletter or tell her what you’re reading at [email protected].
Contributing: Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY
