Most Anticipated New Book Releases of April 2025
Spring has sprung, so the time has come to begin diving into great books while soaking up some sun!
The end of March through the end of April is the busiest time of year of me. As a school administrator, I find my days, evenings and some weekends wrapped up in the world of standardized state testing. While I still try to find time to read, I find a lot less time to write. Hence the delay in getting this out. But, it’s something I love doing!
A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to travel to the Tucson Festival of Books for the second year in a row. It was an amazing weekend and I got meet some amazing authors like Ali Hazelwood, Victoria Aveyard, T Kingfisher and so many others! I’m already looking forward to next year’s event. If you have the chance to go, I highly encourage you to make the trip!
Anyways, it’s time to get into my top 10 list for April and all those honorable mention releases. Don’t forget to let me know if I have forgotten one by leaving me a comment!
Heartwood by Amity Gaige (Apr. 1)
Having grown up in Virginia and been on parts of the Appalachian Trail myself. There was something that drew me into this book. I enjoy hiking, but I truly am terrified of hiking for excessive distances and not on popular, trails. FROM AMAZON: In the heart of the Maine woods, an experienced Appalachian Trail hiker goes missing. She is forty-two-year-old Valerie Gillis, who has vanished 200 miles from her final destination. Alone in the wilderness, Valerie pours her thoughts into fractured, poetic letters to her mother as she battles the elements and struggles to keep hoping. At the heart of the investigation is Beverly, the determined Maine State Game Warden tasked with finding Valerie, who leads the search on the ground. Meanwhile, Lena, a seventy-six-year-old birdwatcher in a Connecticut retirement community, becomes an unexpected armchair detective. Roving between these compelling narratives, a puzzle emerges, intensifying the frantic search, as Valerie’s disappearance may not be accidental. Heartwood is a “gem of a thousand facets—suspenseful, transporting, tender, and ultimately soul-mending,” (Megan Majumdar, New York Times bestselling author of A Burning) that tells the story of a lost hiker’s odyssey and is a moving rendering of each character’s interior journey. The mystery inspires larger questions about the many ways in which we get lost, and how we are found. At its core, Heartwood is a redemptive novel, written with both enormous literary ambition and love.
The Notorious Virtues by Alwyn Hamilton (Apr. 1)
Another book that has some type of competition. Sure! Why not? I’m all for some magical fighting and family drama. FROM AMAZON: At sixteen, Honora "Nora" Holtzfall is the daughter of the most powerful heiress in all of Walstad. Her family controls all the money—and all the magic—in the entire country. But despite being the center of attention, Nora has always felt like an outsider. When her mother is found dead in an alley, the family throne and fortune are suddenly up for grabs, and Nora will be pitted against her cousins in the Veritaz, the ultimate magical competition for power that determines the one family heir. But there's a surprise contestant this time: Lotte, the illegitimate daughter of Nora's aunt. When Lotte's absent mother retrieves her from the rural convent she'd abandoned her to, Lotte goes from being an orphan to surrounded by family. Unfortunately, most of them want her dead. And soon, Nora discovers that her mother's death wasn't random—it was murder. And the only person she can trust to uncover the truth of what happened is a rakish young reporter who despises everything Nora and her family stand for. While the dangers of the Veritaz competition threaten each of the Holtzfall girls, and the stark class differences turns political outrage to terrifying violence—the new cousins must fight to stay alive, no matter what. Incredible tests, impossible choices, and deadly odds await both girls. But there can only be one winner.
The Library of Lost Dollhouses by Elise Hooper (Apr. 1)
While I’m not much of a historical fiction reader, I feel that this one uses the historical aspect as an enhancement to the story versus the sole setting. I love everything about this book! FROM AMAZON: When a young librarian discovers historic dollhouses in a hidden room, she embarks on an unexpected journey that reveals surprising secrets about the lost miniatures. Tildy Barrows, Head Curator of a beautiful archival library in San Francisco, is meticulously dedicated to the century’s worth of inventory housed in her beloved Beaux Art building. She loves the calm and order in the shelves of books and walls of art. But Tildy’s life takes an unexpected turn when she, first, learns the library is on the verge of bankruptcy and, second, discovers two exquisite never-before-seen dollhouses. After finding clues hidden within these remarkable miniatures, Tildy sets out to decipher the secret history of the dollhouses, aiming to salvage her cherished library in the process. Her journey introduces her to a world of ambitious and gifted women in Belle Époque Paris, a group of scarred World War I veterans in the English countryside, and Walt Disney’s bustling Burbank studio in the 1950s. As Tildy unravels the mystery, she finds not only inspiring, hidden history, but also a future for herself—and an astonishing familial revelation. Spanning the course of a century, The Library of Lost Dollhouses is a warm, bright, and captivating story of secrets and love that embraces the importance of illuminating overlooked women.
When We Were Real by Daryl Gregory (Apr. 1)
While I don’t read a lot of science fiction, I am fascinated by the genre and all the sub-genres that take us to space or into the matrix. I feel the diversity is it’s greatest feature. With that said, I’m a sucker for books with road trips. FROM AMAZON: JP and Dulin have been the best of friends for decades. When JP finds out his cancer has aggressively returned, Dulin decides it’s the perfect time for one last adventure: a week-long bus tour of North America’s Impossibles, the physics-defying glitches and geographic miracles that started cropping up seven years earlier—right after the Announcement that revealed our world to be merely a digital simulacrum. The outing, courtesy of Canterbury Trails Tours, promises the trip of a (not completely real) lifetime in a (not completely deluxe) coach. Their fellow passengers are 21st-century pilgrims, each of them on the tour for their own reasons. There’s a nun hunting for an absent God, a pregnant influencer determined to make her child too famous to be deleted, a crew of horny octogenarians living each day like it’s their last, and a professor on the run from leather-clad sociopaths who take The Matrix as scripture. Each stop on this trip is stranger than the last—a Tunnel outside of time, a zero gravity Geyser, the compound of motivational-speaking avatar—with everyone barreling toward the tour’s iconic final stop Ghost City, where unbeknownst to our travelers the answer to who is running the simulation may await. When We Were Real is a tour-de-force and exploration of what really matters, even in an artificial world.
Fair Play by Louise Hegarty (Apr. 8)
I don’t think there was anything particular that jumped out at me about this one. It just seems like it’ll be a good book. How doesn’t like a little locked room mystery? FROM AMAZON: A group of friends gather at an Airbnb on New Year’s Eve. It is Benjamin’s birthday, and his sister Abigail is throwing him a jazz-age Murder Mystery themed party. As the night plays out, champagne is drunk, hors d’oeuvres consumed, and relationships forged, consolidated or frayed. Someone kisses the wrong person; someone else’s heart is broken. In the morning, all of them wake up—except Benjamin. As Abigail attempts to wrap her mind around her brother’s death, an eminent detective arrives determined to find Benjamin's killer. In this mansion, suddenly complete with a butler, gardener and housekeeper, everyone is a suspect, and nothing is quite as it seems. Will the culprit be revealed? And how can Abigail, now alone, piece herself back together in the wake of this loss? Gripping and playful, sharp and profoundly moving, Fair Play plumbs the depths of the human heart while subverting one of our most popular genres.
House of Blight by Maxym M. Martineau (Apr. 8)
There is something I find very special about duologies. There are not that many out there, but sometimes I feel that they can be just the perfect amount of time spent in a world. This is the first book in a now gothic fantasy duology. FROM AMAZON: Edira Brillwyn is a threadmender. She holds a rare, lifesaving power that can cure disease and heal injuries in the blink of an eye. But magic always comes with a cost, and saving anyone sacrifices a sliver of her own life. She’s always kept her abilities hidden…until the powerful Fernglove family discovers her secret. The Ferngloves are charming and beautiful, possess powerful magic, and don’t take no for an answer—especially Orin, the head of these ruling elites. When Edira’s brothers unexpectedly contract blight—an incurable virus killing people throughout the town, and an illness too strong for her to heal them both—Orin offers to help. Together at his estate they’ll research a cure while Orin slows their sickness and Edira hones her magic. His kindness and honesty surprises Edira, as does her undeniable attraction to him. But the other Ferngloves are suspicious of her power and may be more dangerous than the ever-present disease. The longer Edira stays within the confines of the Manor, the more the family’s pristine exterior begins to crack—until Edira discovers a terrifying secret and must choose who she can save and at what cost…
Fun for the Whole Family by Jennifer E. Smith (Apr. 8)
I love family dramas. That is all. FROM AMAZON: The four Endicott siblings—Gemma, Connor, Roddy, and Jude—were once inseparable, a bond created by the absence of their dazzling, mercurial mother, who would return for a few weeks each summer to whisk them off on sprawling road trips around the country. Decades later, the unthinkable has happened: the Endicotts haven’t spoken in years . . . until an out-of-the-blue text arrives from Jude, now a famous actress, summoning them to a small town in North Dakota. They’re each at a crossroads: Gemma, who put her own ambitions aside to raise the others, now isn’t sure if she wants to be a mother herself; Connor, a celebrated novelist, is floundering after his recent divorce and suffering from an epic case of writer’s block; and Roddy, at the tail end of a professional soccer career, is dangerously close to losing his future husband for the chance at one last season. Jude is the only Endicott who seems to have it all together—but appearances can be deceiving. As the weekend unfolds, and the siblings wrestle with their shared past and uncertain futures, they’ll discover that Jude has been keeping three secrets . . . each of which could change everything. A captivating journey and an ode to forgiveness that takes readers across all fifty states, Fun for the Whole Family brims with heart and resonates long after the final page.
Bloodlily by Jessika Grewe Glover (Apr. 15)
Jessika is an amazing person IRL, and I adore her books. This is an absolute no brainer, and I already have the copy sitting in my app to read ASAP. Don’t miss our interview with Jessika on our Speaking LITerally podcast in May! FROM AMAZON: She will be my ruination Ophelia has lost everything. Since her parents' deaths a decade ago, she has worked hand-to-mouth to make rent and fund the boutique hotel she is opening, which has led her to a job as blood donor to a centuries-old vampire. Javier has one rule: no carnal acts with his donors. He's been reclusive since before the Great War. His new donor, Ophelia, awakens something fevered in him he hasn't known in decades. If ever. The more he tries to fight his smoldering attraction to her, wary of exposing her to his world of violence, the more futile his efforts become. When Ophelia's body responds to Javier during a feeding appointment, it sets them both on a path neither expected. Something ancient and deadly is stalking Ophelia's life, using her to get to Javier. The presence will try to tear the two apart, but the danger and bloodshed only draw them closer, revealing parts of their pasts that could lead to their destruction. Or the star collision of fate that brings them together.
Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry (Apr. 22)
I have enjoyed the last several books by Henry. She just has this way of connecting romance to real life. I love her style and how she develops her character. As always, this one sounds just as good as Book Lovers or Happy Place. FROM AMAZON: Alice Scott is an eternal optimist still dreaming of her big writing break. Hayden Anderson is a Pulitzer-prize winning human thundercloud. And they’re both on balmy Little Crescent Island for the same reason: to write the biography of a woman no one has seen in years—or at least to meet with the octogenarian who claims to be the Margaret Ives. Tragic heiress, former tabloid princess, and daughter of one of the most storied (and scandalous) families of the twentieth century. When Margaret invites them both for a one-month trial period, after which she’ll choose the person who’ll tell her story, there are three things keeping Alice’s head in the game. One: Alice genuinely likes people, which means people usually like Alice—and she has a whole month to win the legendary woman over. Two: She’s ready for this job and the chance to impress her perennially unimpressed family with a Serious Publication. Three: Hayden Anderson, who should have no reason to be concerned about losing this book, is glowering at her in a shaken-to-the core way that suggests he sees her as competition. But the problem is, Margaret is only giving each of them pieces of her story. Pieces they can’t swap to put together because of an ironclad NDA and an inconvenient yearning pulsing between them every time they’re in the same room. And it’s becoming abundantly clear that their story—just like the tale Margaret’s spinning—could be a mystery, tragedy, or love ballad . . . depending on who’s telling it.
The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig (Apr. 29)
It’s tagged as a horror, and if you know me, I’m always on the hunt for a good horror book. One that will rattle me or leave me unsettled. Not sure if this will be the one to do that, but I am intrigued by the concept of this book. FROM AMAZON: Five high school friends are bonded by an oath to protect one another no matter what. Then, on a camping trip in the middle of the forest, they find something extraordinary: a mysterious staircase to nowhere. One friend walks up—and never comes back down. Then the staircase disappears. Twenty years later, the staircase has reappeared. Now the group returns to find the lost boy—and what lies beyond the staircase in the woods. . . .
So there it is! My top ten list. There are so many diverse books this month, so if you need a few more titles to look at. Here are my honorable mentions.
Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez (Apr. 1)
Where Shadows Meet by Patrice Caldwell (Apr. 1)
A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett (Apr. 1)
The Never List by Jade Presley (Apr. 8)
Audition by Katie Kitamura (Apr. 8)
Fearless by Lauren Roberts (Apr. 8)
The Griffin Sisters Greatest Hits by Jennifer Weiner (Apr. 8)
I summon the Sea by Mona Archer (Apr. 11)
Watch Me by Tahereh Mafi (Apr. 15)
The Guilt Pill by Saumya Dave (Apr. 15)
Wild and Wrangled by Lyla Sage (Apr. 15)
The Seven O'Clock Club by Amelia Ireland (Apr. 15)
Voice of the Ocean by Kelsey Impicciche (Apr. 22)
Origins of Desire in Orchid Fens by Lynn Hutchinson Lee (Apr. 22)
Julie Chan is Dead by Liann Zhang (Apr. 29)
April is in the books. Literally! I hope that everyone has an amazing month and that all your reads are five stars!
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