9 Books We Can’t Wait to Read in April
From a timely reflection on the immigrant experience and a memoir about honeybees to the story of estranged sisters forced to reconnect on a pilgrimage to India, here are nine new books we can't wait to get our hands on in April.
RELATED: Quiz: What New Book Should You Read This Spring?
The Honey Bus: A Memoir of Loss, Courage and a Girl Saved by Bees by Meredith May (April 2)
When Meredith May was five years old, her parents split, and she found herself living with her grandfather, an eccentric beekeeper who made honey in an old military bus in the yard. In her debut memoir, she details how, while her mother struggled with mental illness, she learned —from the bees surrounding her—about family and community, loyalty and survival.
Women Talking by Miriam Toews (April 2)
In a fundamentalist Mennonite community in South America, all of the women and girls frequently wake up bruised and bloodied with no memory of what happened. Assuming that demons were perpetrating the attacks, they're shocked to find out that it's actually the men in the colony. Toews's unforgettable novel recounts the two days when—while the men are away—a group of the women gather to decide how to proceed in the wake of this betrayal.
The Art of Simple Living by Shunmyo Masuno (April 2)
Written by a Japanese Zen monk, this is a clear and practical guide to finding happiness through actions as simple as lining up your shoes after you take them off or putting down your fork after every bite.
The Affairs of the Falcóns by Melissa Rivero (April 2)
Ana, her husband Lucho and their two young children flee the economic and political strife of Peru for a chance at a new life in New York City in the 1990s. Because they're undocumented, though, the American dream proves elusive, as their housing and job options are limited and they're forced to lean on loan sharks who cause more problems than they solve.
Fifty Things That Aren’t My Fault: Essays from the Grown-Up Years by Cathy Guisewite (April 2)
Ack! From the creator of the iconic "Cathy" comic strip, a debut collection of essays about middle age, from aging parents and aging children to finding a purpose post-retirement. Sound serious? If you've ever read one of her comics, you're familiar with Guisewite's penchant for quirky humor. (Look out for her equal parts frustrating, funny and relatable story about teaching her parents about TiVo.)
Trust Exercise: A Novel by Susan Choi (April 9)
In the early 1980s, two students at an elite performing arts high school fall obsessively in love with each other, not understanding that their relationship will soon take a dark and thrilling turn.
Normal People: A Novel by Sally Rooney (April 16)
Irish writer Rooney's second novel (after 2017's Conversations with Friends) is about Connell and Marianne, classmates in a small Irish town, where Connell is popular and Marianne is essentially friendless. Despite their differences, they form an unlikely bond. They eventually enroll at the same college, where their roles are flipped and suddenly Marianne's the cool one. They date, break up and make up—a few times over—in a funny and awkward relationship that will be instantly recognizable to anyone who's dated in the past ten years.
Southern Lady Code: Essays by Helen Ellis (April 16)
From the author of American Housewife, a fiercely funny essay collection about living life as a “proper” Southern lady. (Hint: "If you don't have something nice to say, say something not-so-nice in a nice way.”)
The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters by Balli Kaur Jaswal (April 30)
The British-born Punjabi Shergill sisters were never close as kids. As adults, they've drifted even further apart. That is, until their mother, on her deathbed, requests that her daughters make a pilgrimage together to a temple in India to carry out her final rites. Reminiscent of Jonathan Tropper's This Is Where I Leave You, Jaswal's novel is about how, forced to be together, the sisters make unexpected discoveries about themselves, each other and their mom.
