The Goodreads Editors Share Their Book Picks for April
![](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/misc/1711044306-1711044306_goodreads_misc.png)
Here at Goodreads World Headquarters, we sort through a lot of books each month. Our monthly Readers' Most Anticipated Books feature is exactly that—selections based on the data about the books that Goodreads members are placing on their Want to Read shelves. Essentially, these are the books that your fellow Goodreads regulars are excited about.
Of course, the Goodreads editorial staff gets excited about books, too. And we regularly come across specific new releases that we can’t wait to read—or “won’t shut up about,” to borrow a phrase from the colleagues who sit right next to us.
As to be expected, there are always way more great books each month than we have time to read, so we're passing our findings along to you, complete with genre tags, our unhinged commentary, and general enthusiasm. Think of this list as our intel on the books you might not be hearing about absolutely everywhere else, from two people who really, really want to help you find a great read.
On the docket for April: atmospheric 19th-century historical fiction on a lonesome Scottish island, a deadly mystery in a New York City vacation rental property, and a modern love story wrapped in biblical apocalypse. Bonus pick: near-future dystopian adventures in the foggy harbors of Lake Superior.
Of course, the Goodreads editorial staff gets excited about books, too. And we regularly come across specific new releases that we can’t wait to read—or “won’t shut up about,” to borrow a phrase from the colleagues who sit right next to us.
As to be expected, there are always way more great books each month than we have time to read, so we're passing our findings along to you, complete with genre tags, our unhinged commentary, and general enthusiasm. Think of this list as our intel on the books you might not be hearing about absolutely everywhere else, from two people who really, really want to help you find a great read.
On the docket for April: atmospheric 19th-century historical fiction on a lonesome Scottish island, a deadly mystery in a New York City vacation rental property, and a modern love story wrapped in biblical apocalypse. Bonus pick: near-future dystopian adventures in the foggy harbors of Lake Superior.
Sharon can't wait to read this book because: You know how relatives will give the most unhinged advice? Well, Young Wang's uncle has convinced him that everyone gets seven great loves in their lifetime. This specific number theory gets tricky when Young meets the brilliant Erena in college and falls in love…but only for the sixth time.
Genre: Fiction
Genre: Fiction
Sharon can't wait to read this book because: Sometimes I'm just in the mood for a feel-good book—a trait I suspect I share with a good many Goodreads members. This book from the author of The Reading List looks like it'd fit the bill nicely. There's a neglected community garden, a group of neighbors who pull together to revive it, and a big ol' cast of endearing characters to fall in love with.
Genre: Fiction
Genre: Fiction
Cybil can't wait to read this book because: Fun fact: Kellye Garrett is the best! And, lucky you, she has a brand-new mystery out this month. This promises to be a thrilling page-turner. Try to resist this premise: A woman thinks she's on a romantic vacation with her boyfriend. But when she wakes up in their New York City vacation rental to find her boyfriend missing and a corpse in the foyer, well, this is going to be a wild Trip Advisor review…
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Cybil can't wait to read this book because: I love a debut novel, and this heart-pounding thriller is just perfect for a tune-out-the-world beach book. In this mystery, Annie “Anh Le” Shaw, a first-generation Vietnamese American artist, must confront her nightmares when her mother, a Vietnam War refugee, dies suddenly. Early readers are calling this a creepy, twisty read that keeps you in suspense to the final page.
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Cybil can't wait to read this book because: Early reviewers are raving about this debut that touches on themes of guilt and betrayal, family and friendship. In the days after Ukrainian World War II veteran Yefim Shulman's death, his widow finds a letter to the KGB in his briefcase that uncovers a lifelong secret, and his confession forces his family to reassess the man they thought they knew.
Genre: Historical fiction
Genre: Historical fiction
Sharon can't wait to read this book because: I first came to know Anthony Oliveira through his tremendous writing in Hazlitt (and also as the only other person on Twitter as obsessed with the '90s sitcom Frasier as I am), so I am just thrilled that his debut novel is hitting shelves! Billed as a biblical apocalypse meets contemporary love story, this one's got me saying "I'm listening" in my best Frasier Crane voice.
Genre: Literary fiction
Genre: Literary fiction
Sharon can't wait to read this book because: Tech founder Sara Chae discovers the hard way that there's a flaw in her One Last Word app, which sends posthumous messages to your loved ones and/or enemies, when the prototype is triggered by the obituary of a different Sara Chae. Now alive-Sara has a very big mess on her hands. Sounds a bit like a grown-up To All the Boys I've Loved Before!
Genre: Romance
Genre: Romance
Sharon can't wait to read this book because: OK, I'm not above admitting that sometimes I put books on my WTR shelf simply because of their covers…but look at this beautiful cover!!! Add in a second-chance romance, a Hollywood setting, and some stellar early reader ratings? I'm feeling like chances are good that the plot will be just as sexy and swoony as the cover art here.
Genre: Romance
Genre: Romance
Cybil can't wait to read this book because: Harbors, fog, remote islands, and an Orphean narrator. Yes, please. Set in the near future, this literary dystopia features an aspiring musician sets sail on Lake Superior in search of his departed, deeply beloved, bookselling wife. Through his strange odyssey, he eventually lands to find an increasingly illiterate people and a billionaire ruling class. Oh, did I mention that this journey is brought to you by the author of Peace Like a River?
Genre: Dystopia, Sci-Fi, Literary
Genre: Dystopia, Sci-Fi, Literary
Sharon can't wait to read this book because: If you've been following along with our picks for any amount of time, you'll know that I love both a slightly unhinged premise and an atmospheric historical novel. This book mashes up those two interests with a plot about a Scottish minister tasked with clearing out the lone remaining inhabitant of an island north of Scotland in the 1840s.
Genre: Historical fiction
Genre: Historical fiction
Cybil can't wait to read this book because: What happens when a human-eating shapeshifter falls in love? Ah, yes, that age-old question! To further complicate matters of the heart, the monster has fallen for someone sworn to hunt them down. Will true love prevail? Will any humans survive? And could any creature put up with these toxic in-laws? This seems bonkers in the best possible way.
Genre: Fantasy/Horror/Romance/???
Genre: Fantasy/Horror/Romance/???
Cybil can't wait to read this book because: At some point, I refused to overuse an exclamation point. However, I have now adapted to the times and have gotten used to it! So, my eye was drawn to this THREE-exclamation-point book title. I can't wait to dive into this story collection from playwright Marshall that promises a brash telling of a dozen women's lives.
Genre: Short stories
Genre: Short stories
Cybil can't wait to read this book because: Forget moderation, this essay collection celebrates excess and abandon, examining topics from Sally Rooney and sadomasochism. Goodreads' early reviewers are calling the cultural critics collection smart and thought-provoking.
Genre: Essays/Nonfiction
Genre: Essays/Nonfiction
Sharon can't wait to read this book because: As the mom of a toddler (and a lifelong control freak), I actually laughed out loud when I read the title of Emily C. Bloom's upcoming memoir. I'm looking forward to digging into her personal story of navigating the gaps between the idealization and realities of modern motherhood.
Genre: Memoir
Genre: Memoir
Sharon can't wait to read this book because: First of all, the word jamboree is great and should be used in more book titles. This collection of foodie vignettes comes from the author and illustrator team behind World of Wonders, which is one of the loveliest nature-writing books from the past few years. Sounds like a smorgasbord for the senses!
Genre: Nonfiction/essays
Genre: Nonfiction/essays
Comments Showing 1-31 of 31 (31 new)
date
newest »
![Down arrow](https://cdn.statically.io/img/s.gr-assets.com/assets/down_arrow-1e1fa5642066c151f5e0136233fce98a.gif)
message 1:
by
Law
(last edited Mar 31, 2024 01:31AM)
(new)
Mar 29, 2024 03:46AM
![Law](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1663675779p1/156286696.jpg)
reply
|
flag
![Sharon](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1580538380p1/16600.jpg)
Books can appear on multiple lists in our coverage!
![Misha](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1497498956p1/5627027.jpg)
![Stephanie](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1313092632p1/1316000.jpg)
So many books. So little time.
![Julie Bock](https://cdn.statically.io/img/s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_25x33-ccd24e68f4773d33a41ce08c3a34892e.png)
![Laura Rogers](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1651728142p1/59161878.jpg)
![Nikki](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1477449033p1/6688690.jpg)
![Kristi Duncan-priest](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1347077031p1/12635977.jpg)
Books can appear on multiple lists in our coverage!"
There is that pesky exclamation mark again...
![slauderdale](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1487464544p1/14653543.jpg)
![Emma Grace](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1693673855p1/155578916.jpg)
![Veronica Anrathi](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1505261096p1/35103653.jpg)
![Law](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1663675779p1/156286696.jpg)
Okay. I'll skip that one. I'm not too fond of cultural appropriation and read You Don't Know What War Is instead. I don't see why some people find it okay to do that.
![Pavithra Rajasekar](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1674342057p1/51313602.jpg)
![Aihebholo-oria N. Okonoboh](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1715182740p1/13734450.jpg)