There are a TON of books this month, so I’m going to get right to it!
Psst, get two audiobooks from LibroFM for the price of one!
In this month’s newsletter:
Ones I’ve Read
On My Shelf
On My Holds List
Audiobook Wish List
Paperback Releases
Note: Please check content warnings before picking up these books if there are certain things you’re trying to avoid. The StoryGraph is a great resource!
Ones I’ve Read
True Biz by Sara Nović
I read Nović’s Girl At War back in 2015 when my family took a trip to Croatia. It was wonderful, and so helpful to know the history of the country we were visiting. Their latest is even better. True Biz – an ASL expressing meaning “seriously” or “real talk” – brilliantly invites readers into the Deaf community, showing both the beauty and the struggle. I learned SO much from this story, in particular about ASL. ASL is its own distinct language, but there is no universal sign language, and it’s completely separate from English. One of the most unique aspects of the book was the ASL lessons interspersed throughout – it really gives you insight into the language and the characters experience. Chosen for Book of the Month and Reese’s Book Club this month, it’s a must read. The characters between these pages will stay with me for a long time. For fans of the Oscar-winning CODA. Released 4/5.
Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman
This book was pure fun, but with a lot of heart (and some steam, too!). Told in alternating timelines, Sussman slowly reveals what happened between Chani and Gabe, and what happens when they reunite 10 years later. I couldn’t stop turning the pages because I just had to find out their story. The chemistry between them is palpable, and the awkwardness of being in your 20s just starting out in your career, coupled with the complexities of being in your 30s is all too relatable. For fans of Love and Other Words and Seven Days in June. Releases 4/12.
Left on Tenth by Delia Ephron
The bestselling screenwriter covers a lot of territory in her memoir: from losing her husband and sister, to falling in love again and being diagnosed with cancer. All of which is emotional, at times funny, and incredibly honest. But by far my favorite part was how this book is a love letter to her friends and her city. The ways her friends showed up for her, the role New York City played, all of it was beautiful (or brutiful, as Glennon Doyle would say). I wasn’t sure I wanted to read about a woman in her 70s with cancer, but I thoroughly enjoyed Ephron’s voice. There aren’t enough books that feature women in the last stage of their life and I’m really glad I listened to this one, For fans of Joan Didion and Nora Ephron. Releases 4/12.
Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez
I’ve enjoyed Jimenez’s books in the past, but this one might be my favorite. An ER doctor working in the city falls for the mayor of a small town… 10 years her junior (gasp!). Hotness ensues. What else do you need to know? I could not keep the smile off of my face while listening to this one (narrated by Julia Whelan, FYI) and found myself volunteering to drive places just to keep listening. It’s like a rated R Hallmark movie in the best way: small town (there’s even a goat!), a bed & breakfast, city girl meets country boy, each of them wrestling with their family’s legacies, oh and LOTS of chemistry. Just read it, and let me know what you think. For fans of Emily Henry. Releases 4/19.
On My Shelf
Memphis by Tara M. Stringfellow – Read with Jenna’s pick for April! From the publisher: “A spellbinding debut novel tracing three generations of a Southern Black family and one daughter’s discovery that she has the power to change her family’s legacy.” Released 4/5.
Let’s Not Do That Again by Grant Ginder – (Currently listening to this on audio.) From the publisher: “A poignant, funny, and slyly beguiling novel which proves that, like democracy, family is a messy and fragile thing —perfect for fans of Veep’s biting humor, the family drama of Succession, and the joys of Kevin Wilson’s Nothing to See Here.” Released 4/5.
Easy Beauty by Chloe Cooper James – From the publisher: “From Chloé Cooper Jones—Pulitzer Prize finalist, philosophy professor, Whiting Creative Nonfiction Grant recipient—a groundbreaking memoir about disability, motherhood, and a journey to far-flung places in search of a new way of seeing and being seen.” Released 4/5.
The Sign for Home by Blair Fell – From the publisher: “When Arlo Dilly learns the girl he thought was lost forever might still be out there, he takes it as a sign and embarks on a life-changing journey to find his great love—and his freedom.” (Would make a great companion to True Biz.) Released 4/5.
Nobody Gets Out Alive by Leigh Newman – The publisher blurb gets a yes from me: “An exhilarating virtuosic story collection about women navigating the wilds of male-dominated Alaskan society.” If you’ve been following me for a while you know I LOVE books set in Alaska. Excited to start this one soon. Releases 4/12.
The Lonely Stories: 22 Celebrated Writers on the Joys & Struggles of Being Alone edited by Natalie Eve Garrett – I’ve spent a lot of the last two years alone (with Mike and Gus, of course) so I’m hoping this book makes me feel a little less so. Writers include Jhumpa Lahiri, Jesmyn Ward, Imani Perry, Maggie Shipstead, and more. Releases 4/19.
Marrying the Ketchups by Jennifer Close – A Chicago setting, three generations, a family restaurant – yes please! Plus a blurb from Katherine Heiny says it’s “funny and melancholy and astoundingly smart all at the same time.” Sounds exactly like what I love in a book. Releases 4/26.
The Children on the Hill by Jennifer McMahon – I’m a longtime fan of McMahons (my favorite so far is The Winter People) and this one sounds perfectly eerie. From the publisher: “A genre-defying new novel, inspired by Mary Shelley’s masterpiece Frankenstein, that brilliantly explores the eerie mysteries of childhood and the evils perpetrated by the monsters among us.” Releases 4/26.
On My Holds List
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus – When Annie B. Jones said will be one of her favorite books of the year, I immediately put it on hold. (It’s also GMA’s Book Club pick for April.) Claire Lombardo, author of The Most Fun We Ever Had, says it’s “a breath of fresh air – a witty, propulsive, and refreshingly hopeful novel populated with singular characters”. Released 4/5.
Unlikely Animals by Annie Hartnett – From the publisher: “A lost young woman returns to small-town New Hampshire under the strangest of circumstances in this one-of-a-kind novel of life, death, and whatever comes after from the acclaimed author of Rabbit Cake.” Releases 4/12.
Such Big Dreams by Reema Patel – This blurb from Zalika Reid-Benta sold me: “A page-turner of a story that doesn’t shy away from exploring hard and painful truths about the way people navigate the systemic conditions of society.” Releases 4/26.
When We Fell Apart by Soon Wiley – Abi Daré, author of The Girl with the Louding Voice, says “for me the true heart of the book was Min, and his search for a sense of belonging that neither America nor Korea is quite able to offer him.” Releases 4/26.
Audio Wish List
Time is a Mother by Ocean Vuong, narrated by the author, released 4/5
Bomb Shelter by Mary Laura Philpott, narrated by the author, releases 4/12
Conversations on Love by Natasha Lunn, narrated by various, releases 4/19
How to Tell a Story by The Moth, narrated by various, releases 4/26
Paperback Releases
The Nine Lives of Rose Napolitano by Donna Freitas – This was one of my favorite books of 2021 and the new paperback cover is stunning.
That Summer by Jennifer Weiner – Sutton Foster narrates the audio of this one and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to it last summer.
When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain – I’ve had this book on my shelf for far too long and have heard nothing but good things. Adding this to my summer TBR!
Let me know if you add any of these to your TBR! And tell me what books YOU’RE excited about this month 📚
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