Now that it’s officially spring (aka jean jacket season), we’re ready to enjoy the rising temperatures. Look out, parks, beaches, and botanical gardens! After a long (long, looong) winter, we’re ready to spend as much time outside as possible. We have big plans to read as many books as we can in the great outdoors before the scorching summer weather sets in. And the clock starts…now! Say hello to the 10 best April books.
1. Peaces by Helen Oyeyemi, out April 6th
Helen Oyeyemi’s imagination never ceases to amaze us. Her latest book, about a couple that boards a train and enters a world personalized to them beyond their wildest dreams, is her most entertaining tale yet.
2. Caul Baby by Morgan Jerkins, out April 6th
To read Morgan Jerkins is to experience a powerful change. Her fiction debut tells the story of the Melanchons, a family known for their caul—a layer of skin with great healing power. It’s a stunning story of womanhood, generational trauma, and the exploitation of Black women for white profit.
3. Broken (In the Best Way Possible) by Jenny Lawson, out April 6th
For the last 12 months, we’ve had two modes: cry so hard we laugh, or laugh so hard we cry. If anybody knows how we feel, it’s Jenny Lawson. The Bloggess is back with painfully funny (and honest) essays about bear attacks, her experimental treatment for depression, and all the things she wants to pitch to Shark Tank. We’re already laughing (and crying) thinking about it.
4. You Love Me by Caroline Kepnes, out April 6th
Did you ever think there would be a third book in the You series? Well, believe it! The story continues, and this time, Joe is taking on an island in the Pacific Northwest. Maybe things will be different this time? Nope, that plan falls apart when he meets Mary Kay and knows he’ll do anything to win her over. Here we go again.
5. Gold Diggers by Sanjena Sathian, out April 6th
Magical realism is the genre of the month, and there’s yet another tale you don’t want to miss. Gold Diggers is an ambitious coming-of-age story about Neil, a second-generation teenager feeling pressured to achieve his family’s version of success, and Anita, the girl next door secretly brewing an ancient potion made with stolen gold.
6. My Broken Language: A Memoir by Quiara Alegría Hudes, out April 6th
You’ve watched her stories come to life onstage. (ICYMI, Hudes co-wrote the book for In the Heights with Lin-Manuel Miranda, among other things.) Now, she’s telling her own story on the page: growing up in a North Philly barrio, searching for identity amidst her big Puerto Rican family, and fighting for a career in the arts. It’s a lyrical coming-of-age masterpiece.
7. Kisses and Croissants by Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau, out April 6th
Paris is always a good idea, and so is this sweet read about Mia, a 17-year-old American girl studying ballet in the City of Lights who falls for a charming French boy named Louis. It’s a magnifique love story you won’t be able to put down. As the title suggests, there are plenty of carbs.
8. Crying in H Mart: A Memoir by Michelle Zauner, out April 20th
Crying in H Mart is more than a memoir about losing a parent to a terminal illness—though it definitely is one of the most moving accounts of loss and grief you’ll ever read. It’s also about identity, family, food, memories, and the ways they weave together.
9. I Am a Girl from Africa by Elizabeth Nyamayaro, out April 20th
Elizabeth Nyamayaro was 8-years-old when she knew she wanted to be a humanitarian. A drought hit her village in Zimbabwe, a United Nations aid worker showed her kindness, and she was inspired to spend her life uplifting others. This empowering memoir tells her story of perseverance from her small village to London, New York, the UN, and beyond.
10. Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto, out April 27th
Say hello to your new favorite genre: accidental murder rom-com. It all starts when Meddelin accidentally kills her blind date. She enlists the help of her mother and her over-the-top meddling aunties to help her dispose of it, and things only get quirkier from there. Don’t miss this over-the-top fun, wild ride.
