Now that it’s April, we’re finally starting to see signs of spring – the crocuses fighting their way through the frozen ground, the rain showers that promise to bring May flowers. It’s a great time of year to hunker down with a good pile of new April books and watch the rain fall outside your windows (So. Much. Rain).
Luckily, this month is packed full of awesome new April books. Here are the top 10 we can’t wait to dive into:
April Books Preview
One Perfect Lie, Lisa Scottoline (St. Martin’s Press, April 11, 2017)
The tranquility of the suburbs hides deep secrets in Scottoline’s new thriller about family, community, and dark truths that simmer just below the surface. Susan Sematov, Heather Larkin and Mindy Kostis are three mothers in different circumstances all struggling with the demands of raising teenage kids. It doesn’t help that Chris Brennan, prospective high school teacher and assistant baseball coach, is living a lie – and it’s a lie that has the potential to impact all of their lives.
The Chosen, J.R. Ward (Ballantine Books, April 4, 2017)
The fifteenth book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, The Chosen gives us the story of Xcor, the leader of the Band of Bastards. Facing a grave punishment for his crimes, Xcor is used to living in darkness. The only light he knows is in the sacred Layla, the woman he can never make his. The two will need to overcome betrayal, sacrifice, hidden identities and even potential war if they ever want to be together. And with old enemies resurfacing and ancient tensions rising, it might take a miracle for Xcor and Layla to finally give in to true love.
Alex & Eliza: A Love Story, Melissa de la Cruz (G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, April 11, 2017)
For those of us who love Hamilton (which, lets face it, is everyone), then you’ll definitely want to get your hands on de la Cruz’s latest young adult novel about the early love story between Alexander Hamilton and Eliza Schuyler. Set against the backdrop of the American Revolution, this is one epic historical relationship that transcends time, social standing and politics.
Wild Ride, Julie Ann Walker (Sourcebooks Casablanca, April 4, 2017)
Part of Walker’s popular Black Knights Inc. series, Wild Ride tells the story of Ethan “Ozzie” Sykes, a former Navy SEAL who’s been sidelined at Black Knight Inc. after a terrible injury. He’s assigned to distract Samantha Tate, a beautiful journalist who’s trying to find out the secrets behind BKI (i.e., that they’re actually a government firm moonlighting as a motorcycle shop). As Samantha and Ozzie grow closer, he finds it more and more difficult to protect his secrets – especially when all he wants is to give her his heart.
All By Myself, Alone, Mary Higgins Clark (Simon & Schuster, April 4, 2017)
Higgins Clark is a powerhouse of suspense, and this time she’s taking us to the sea. After her fiancé is arrested on the night of their wedding, jewelry expert Celia Kilbride takes a job on a luxury cruise ship in order to escape the embarrassment and heartache. But when a wealthy older woman is killed and her prized necklace goes missing, Celia decides that it’s up to her to find the culprit. As Celia investigates her fellow employees and passengers, she places herself in the middle of a crime that could turn even more deadly.
The Stars Are Fire, Anita Shreve (Knopf, April 18, 2017)
Set in 1947, The Stars Are Fire takes us to the coast of Maine, where wildfires are spreading up and down the shoreline, decimating entire towns. Grace Holland and her best friend Rosie are left alone to protect their small children as their husbands volunteer to fight the fires. With everything they own reduced to ash, Grace finds both heartache and freedom in the act of starting over.
The Most Beautiful: My Life with Prince, Mayte Garcia (Hachette Books, April 4, 2017)
If you’re still devastated over Prince’s untimely death in April of last year, then you’ll definitely want to pick up Garcia’s memoir. Married to Prince from 1996 to 1999, Garcia shared key parts of her life and work with the revolutionary artist. This is an in-depth recounting of their life together, including how and why their marriage eventually ended. Honest and personal, The Most Beautiful is a close look at Prince as a man, a husband and an artist.
Beartown, Fredrik Backman (Atria Books, April 25, 2017)
A small community at the edge of a forest, Beartown always seems on the brink of becoming obsolete. But when the junior ice hockey team makes it the national semifinals, the town is reinvigorated – that is until a violent act rocks the community. Now neighbors are turning against each other, secrets and lies are spreading like wildfire, and the fate of this small town is more precarious than ever.
American War, Omar El Akkad (Knopf, April 4, 2017)
Akkad’s debut novel imagines a dark future in a United States torn apart by a Second American Civil War. In 2074, Sarah Chestnut is 6 years old, barely aware of the war that’s breaking out around her. But now oil is outlawed, the seas have risen, and displaced camps are popping up to house refugees of war. When Sarah and her family find themselves at Camp Patience, she’ll be exposed to the realities of war in ways she never could have imagined.
The Sacrifice of Sunshine Girl, Paige McKenzie (Weinstein Books, April 4, 2017)
The third book in the Haunting of Sunshine Girl series continues the story of Sunshine Griffith and the world of ghosts and demons that she unknowingly joined. But with her luiseach powers in hand, Sunshine realizes that her death would have severe consequences for the entire world. Along with her boyfriend, Nolan, Sunshine must decide how to stop a supernatural war and how much of herself she’s willing to sacrifice in order to do so.
