7 Books I Can’t Wait to Read in April

In the latest from author Julia Spiro (Someone Else’s Secret), Brynn should be the happiest she’s ever been. She has a healthy newborn baby, a devoted husband, a successful career and a busy life on Martha’s Vineyard. But she’s struggling. Her husband, Ross, is growing more distant by the day, and she feels like she’s slowly losing pieces of herself to motherhood. Pieces that she might never get back. Then, tragedy strikes when a friend of the family is found washed ashore…and Ross is arrested for the crime. Brynn’s only path forward is to find out who really killed the woman, even if it means it was her husband.

Somewhere in New York City, Lata Murthy knows there is another person with her name living a much more interesting life. That's because Lata often receives the other Lata's emails, and her own life feels pathetic in comparison. So, one day she decides to take on this other Lata's identity and jumps headfirst into the glamorous New York lifestyle: She gets a higher-paying job, moves into a chic Chelsea apartment and is embraced by an elite friend group that includes. But once the Other Lata gets wind of the scheme, there are major consequences…

Gianna Toboni is an Emmy award–winning investigative reporter who has faced some of the world’s most dangerous people: ISIS fighters, cartel hitmen and sex traffickers. In The Volunteer, she covers the life of Scott Dozier, a death row inmate, while uncovering the shocking, dirty truths about our criminal justice system. When Dozier was sent to Nevada’s death row in 2007, convicted of a pair of grisly murders, he didn’t try to fight it; instead, he sought to expedite his execution and hasten his inevitable death. Toboni traces the twists and turns of Dozier’s story, offering a hard look at the history and controversy that surround the death penalty today—a system rife with black market dealings, supply chain labyrinths, disputed drugs and botched executions. It’s an insightful and profound look at how the death penalty went so terribly wrong that brings to light the horrifying realities of state-sanctioned killings.

This witty debut novel follows polar opposite best friends Beth and Serena. Beth is a demisexual (she’s only sexually attracted to someone after they've developed a close emotional bond) who lacks confidence. Serena is a free spirit who’s confident in her job and her sexual proclivities. And yet, they’re platonic soulmates. So, when Beth decides that she wants to take charge of her sex life and explore the things that scare her the most, Serena is more than happy to help. But when Beth’s crush from her old job comes back and Serena’s favorite friend-with-benefits pushes for more than just sex, this sexual odyssey is more than a fun gag—and has the potential to end their friendship for good.

Hailee Catalano is my favorite TikTok creator in the food space, so I’m naturally super excited for her debut cookbook. Growing up cooking Sunday dinner alongside her Italian American grandmother, Catalano developed a passion for food, eventually going to the Culinary Institute of America and cooking in restaurants. In By Heart, she presents more than 100 recipes designed to be made in your home kitchen, from seasonal pastas and simple meat dishes to perfect beach sandwiches and Malted Milk Butter Cookies I’m absolutely dying to try.

A man’s future is derailed by a series of events that he is unable to control in this new novel from Booker Prize finalist David Szalay (Turbulence). The story centers around István, a teenager living with his mother in a quiet apartment complex in Hungary. Shy and new in town, he soon becomes isolated, his only companion being his neighbor, an older married woman whom he begrudgingly helps with errands. But as these errands shift into a clandestine relationship, his life soon spirals out of control, ending in a violent accident that leaves a man dead. Fast-paced and immersive, Flesh reveals István’s life through intimate moments with lovers, employers and family members, charted over the course of decades, and dives deep into unresolved trauma and its aftermath amidst an ever-globalizing Europe.

Meryl Wilsner is well-known for their charming queer romance books. Their latest introduces readers to Elsie, who has been engaged to her college boyfriend for a year and a half. Meanwhile, her best friend Ginny has been in love with Elsie for almost a decade and a half. When Elsie unexpectedly breaks things off with her fiancé, she brings Ginny on her non-refundable honeymoon trip with one rule in place: for the next week, Elsie can have whatever she wants. And what starts as choosing activities soon turns to much, much more. But what happens when the honeymoon is over? My Best Friend’s Honeymoon is about not only learning to ask for what you want, but for the happiness you deserve.