20 new books to read in April

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New Books for Tough Times

Illustration by EW

While much of the world slows down, publishing rolls on. A range of reads, from the hilarious to the immersive to the vitally escapist, crowds the April market. Here are our 20 picks for ideal quarantine reading.

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Godshot, by Chelsea Bieker

Catapult

In the barren wasteland of Peaches, Calif., water is precious, but blood runs thick. Lacey May's troubled family devotedly follows an enigmatic pastor who promises to bring rain to their devastated town, but she uncovers sinister truths about the cult after her mom deserts her. (Available now)

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Afterlife, by Julia Alvarez

Algonquin Books

The groundbreaking Dominican-American author of In the Time of Butterflies hasn't published an adult novel in well over a decade. Safe to call this exploration of the relationship between a recently widowed writer and the undocumented (and pregnant) teenager who shows up on her doorstep anticipated. (April 7)

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Breasts and Eggs, by Mieko Kawakami

Europa Editions

She's one of Haruki Murakami's favorite writers, and may soon be one of yours, too. A literary star in Japan for over a decade, at last Kawakami's first novel to be translated into English arrives, a bracing, feminist exploration of daily life in Japan. (April 7)

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Chosen Ones, by Veronica Roth

John Joseph Adams/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

The stylish but grounded adult debut from Veronica Roth, best-known for her mega-selling Divergent books, follows five adults wrestling with how to move on from teenage fame -- and the defunct prophecy that they were to take down an all-important, evil entity. (April 7)

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Conjure Women, by Afia Atakora

Random House

In this epic, lyrical portrait of Southern women, Atakora spans generations, pre- and post-Civil War, in its portraits of three indefatigable characters whose bonds (and secrets) are challenged by events much larger than themselves. (April 7)

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I Don't Want to Die Poor, by Michael Arceneaux

Atria Books

We were big fans of Arceneaux's sharp and original debut, which went on to become a New York Times best-seller. Now the essayist returns with another wide-ranging collection, ably tackling everything from Instagram to politics to weed. (April 7)

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Starling Days, by Rowan Hisayo Buchanan

The Overlook Press

Everyone could use a change of scenery — and nobody more than Oscar and Mina, a married couple who leave New York for London after Mina's second suicide attempt. But a trek across the pond can't keep some old baggage away. (April 7)

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You and I, as Mothers, by Laura Prepon

Abrams Image

The Orange Is the New Black alum returns to the written word with this heartfelt, honest look at motherhood, styled as both informative guidebook and raw memoir. (April 7)

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Miranda July (retrospective)

Prestel

If you're familiar with the award-winning author and filmmaker, this chronological survey of her idiosyncratic career will offer fascinating new insights into her cross-disciplinary work. And if you're not, well, get ready for a visually striking, celeb-filled (Carrie Brownstein! David Byrne! Spike Jonze!) introduction to one of the most interesting artists of our time. (April 14)

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Perfect Tunes, by Emily Gould

Avid Reader Press / Simon and Schuster

Friendship author Emily Gould basks readers in New York City in the early days of the new millennium, darting between the lives of a gifted songwriter and, 15 years later, her daughter, searching for answers about the father she never knew. (April 14)

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The Prettiest Star, by Carter Sickels

Hub City Press

Sickels' searing story about a young gay man in '80s New York, who leaves behind the city that promised freedom for the home that he was desperate to escape, is based on the lesser-known history of the AIDS epidemic, a moving meditation on the encroaching inevitability of death. Have tissues handy for this one. (April 14)

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St. Ivo, by Joanna Hershon

Farrar, Straus and Giroux

For those fantasizing about a weekend getaway right now, perhaps this rich psychological thriller will scratch (and then curb) the itch. Hershon's latest follows a seemingly idyllic married couple, grieving the disappearance of their daughter, as they're invited to spend a few days with some estranged friends in their new country home. We won't tell you what happens next. (April 14)

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Home Baked, by Alia Volz

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

The subtitle, "My Mom, Marijuana, and the Stoning of San Francisco" tells you much of what you need to know in terms of content. But as a portrait of a heroics, innovation, grit, and pot-baking in an epidemic (in this case, the AIDS crisis), it's also strikingly relevant. And beautifully written, too. (April 20)

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Good Morning, Destroyer of Men's Souls, by Nina Renata Aron

Crown

In Nina Renata Aron's scorching, unvarnished memoir, an addiction story gets spun from the perspective of the helpless partner, the lover too stuck in a dangerous dynamic to find her way out. (April 21)

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I'm Your Huckleberry, by Val Kilmer

Simon and Schuster

The kind of big, juicy celeb memoir we get a few times a year if we're lucky. The actor delves into his remarkable career, past loves, health struggles, and more. (April 21)

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If It Bleeds, by Stephen King

Scribner

Four Kings for the price of one! The latest horrific original from the literary icon features a quartet of novellas, each perfect for a little spine-chilling in one lengthy but satisfying sitting. (April 28)

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The Knockout Queen, by Rufi Thorpe

Knopf

Two adolescent neighbors who strike up a bond but don't have much in common find their unlikely friendship tested when the social Darwinism of high school takes a darker turn. (April 28)

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The Rakess, by Scarlett Peckham

Avon

A star in the indie romance game, Peckham makes her steamy big-house debut (under Avon/HarperCollins) with an introduction to the Society of Sirens, "radical, libertine ladies determined to weaponize their scandalous reputations to fight for justice and the love they deserve." (April 28)

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Take Me Apart, by Sara Sligar

MCD

Nothing like a juicy thriller to make those self-isolation days move a little bit faster (and more, erm, intensely). Sligar's debut follows a young archivist who gradually loses her grip on reality when her subject dies. And that's only the start of it. (April 28)

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Warhol, by Blake Gopnik

Ecco

Pitched as the definitive biography, this tome runs nearly 1,000 pages and promises no shortage of celeb and art-world intrigue. We'll get to know the man behind all that glitz and iconography, too. (April 28)

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Happy April! Here are this month's 20 must-reads

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New Books for Tough Times

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Godshot, by Chelsea Bieker

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Afterlife, by Julia Alvarez

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Breasts and Eggs, by Mieko Kawakami

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Chosen Ones, by Veronica Roth

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Conjure Women, by Afia Atakora

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I Don't Want to Die Poor, by Michael Arceneaux

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Starling Days, by Rowan Hisayo Buchanan

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You and I, as Mothers, by Laura Prepon

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Miranda July (retrospective)

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Perfect Tunes, by Emily Gould

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The Prettiest Star, by Carter Sickels

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St. Ivo, by Joanna Hershon

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Home Baked, by Alia Volz

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Good Morning, Destroyer of Men's Souls, by Nina Renata Aron

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I'm Your Huckleberry, by Val Kilmer

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If It Bleeds, by Stephen King

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The Knockout Queen, by Rufi Thorpe

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The Rakess, by Scarlett Peckham

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Take Me Apart, by Sara Sligar

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Warhol, by Blake Gopnik

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