The sun is shining and it’s just begging to be soaked up on a warm patch of meadow. But don’t go yet! We have ten different spring releases to bring along! Whether it’s by poolside, on the lake or in the shade of a cozy café, BookTrib editors Meagan and Rebecca have the perfect companion for you with their own recommendations.
Supermarket by Bobby Hall (Logic) March 26
Rebecca: Bobby Hall’s debut novel Supermarket (Simon & Schuster) is gritty and consuming. While the author may be largely recognized for his status as a platinum-selling recording artist, he writes with shaking accuracy on the difficult topics such as depression and anxiety that plague every level of society. Within the inconspicuous setting of a supermarket, Hall combines dark humor and relatable messages with a fast-moving plot to create a psychological thriller you won’t want to put down.
The Affairs of the Falcóns by Melissa Rivero April 2
Meagan: The Affairs of The Falcóns (Ecco) is a powerful and moving debut that offers an intimate look at immigration in the United States. At once deeply human and personal, Rivero opens up the reader to the setbacks, joys and fears of living in a foreign country under the power of a loan shark. An invaluable addition to immigration literature, Rivero has set herself apart from other fiction authors with beautiful prose and strong plotlines.
The Ghost Manuscript by Kris Frieswick April 2
Meagan: The Ghost Manuscript (Post Hill Press) is a suspenseful thriller that will have you charging from your seat to lock all the doors in your home. The protagonist is a recluse and enjoys her solitary lifestyle until she is forced to take part in an adventure of a lifetime. In search of a missing tomb that could change the history of Western Civilization, she learns more about herself and the world around her as the plot thickens.
The Tradition by Jericho Brown April 2
Meagan: This new poetry collection is already a bestseller on Amazon in Gay and Lesbian poetry, and let me tell you, it is not enough. The Tradition (Copper Canyon Press) should be ranked as the number one debut, poetry title and first in all other applicable options.
A Palm Beach Wife by Susannah Marren April 9
Meagan: Amid the galas and high society demands of living a Palm Beach lifestyle, Faith Harrison feels her carefully constructed world falling apart in the first chapter of A Palm Beach Wife (Saint Martin’s Griffin). Her perfect husband has bankrupted the family and Faith is left in the shambles. This novel calls to question what lengths one will go to in order to remain on the good side of the American Dream.
City of Flickering Light by Juliette Fay April 16
Rebecca: Juliette Faye transports us to the Roaring 20s and the Golden Age of Hollywood as a trio of friends attempts to find their respective places in the growing film industry. Before the film craze depicted in “La La Land” or even “Singin’ in the Rain,” City of Flickering Light (Gallery Books) takes us behind the scenes to the beginnings of a booming industry.
The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters by Balli Kaur Jaswal April 30
Rebecca: Balli Kaur Jaswal, author of the Reese Witherspoon Book Club selection Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows (William Morrow), is back with another potent tale. To fulfill their mother’s final wish, three sisters journey to the Golden Temple of Amritsar to carry out her final rites. Polar opposites growing up, the sisters are even more physically and emotionally estranged in adulthood. However, the three experience revelations on their pilgrimage that change their ties to one another and bring new perspectives into clarity.
The Bride Test by Helen Hoang May 7
Rebecca: If you loved The Kiss Quotient (Berkley) by Helen Hoang, get ready for another rapid read. The Bride Test is an enchanting story of love, perseverance and acceptance. Khai Diep feels that his autism makes him broken and incapable love. It takes a patient and determined woman from Vietnam to prove that there are all different kinds of love, ultimately worth just the same.
Sunset Beach by Mary Kay Andrews May 7
Rebecca: Mary Kay Andrews’ Sunset Beach (Saint Martin’s Press) delivers the perfect beach read you’ve been scouting for. Out of need, Drue Campbell accepts a job from her estranged father. However, Drue balances the dreary tasks of working under the nose of an old frenemy at her stepfather’s personal injury attorney office with her newly learned inheritance, a gorgeous beach house. When an eyebrow-raising death takes place at a neighboring beach resort and suggests a connection between her father’s law firm, Drue must turn Nancy Drew and play detective.
Words and Worlds: From Autobiography to Zippersby Alison Lurie May 14
Meagan: Bestselling and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Alison Lurie has put together a powerful essay collection that ranges from reminiscences on her writing career to commentary on societal issues and their change over time. This nonfiction collection is playful and intimate. Words and Worlds: From Autobiography to Zippers (Delphinium) is a must-read this season.
There you have it! Spring forward with a good beach read or just an excellent copy of nonfiction poetry or essays. Either way, do it in the bright sunshine and enjoy.
This is a fantastic list! Thank you! Thrillers/Suspense/Psychological Thrillers are my ALL-TIME favorite genre.. I have a book that needs to be added to a future reading list called “All the Broken People” by author Amy Rivers. The book follows Alice, a successful writer who’s haunted past puts her marriage and her life on hold. She decides to go to her husband’s hometown in Georgia to help her mother-in-law who fell and hurt herself. She is hoping this trip will help her marriage as well. There is a LOT about her husband’s past that she was unaware of and it doesn’t seem like her mother-in-law’s injury was an accident. This story really has everything that I look for in a novel: intrigue, suspense, horror, compassion, drama, and much more. Not only that, there are some fantastic a-ha! moments along the way. You can read about the book on the author’s website – http://www.amyrivers.com/