These 10 books are at the top of our reading list this April
Spring has well and truly sprung — the flowers are blooming, the weather is getting finer and there’s a grand old stretch in the evenings. Spring is such a wonderful time for new beginnings, a fresh perspective and a brand new novel to sink your teeth into.
With so many new books being released each and every day, it can become quite a challenge to decide which ones to put at the top of your reading list. However, we’ve narrowed it down and put together this list of our top 10 new releases which we’re most excited to dive into this April.
Whether you’re in the mood for a bit of romance, or craving a nail-biting thriller, we guarantee there’s something for everyone!
Mirrorland by Carole Johnstone
Out on April 20
With the startling twists of Gone Girl and the haunting emotional power of Room, Mirrorland is a thrilling work of psychological suspense about twin sisters, the man they both love, and the dark childhood they can’t leave behind.
When El mysteriously disappears after going out on her sailboat, Cat, her estranged twin sister is forced to return to 36 Westeryk Road, which has scarcely changed in twenty years. The grand old house is still full of shadowy corners, and at every turn Cat finds herself stumbling on long-held secrets and terrifying ghosts from the past. Because someone—El?—has left Cat clues in almost every room: a treasure hunt that leads right back to Mirrorland, where she knows the truth lies crouched and waiting…
The Inverts by Crystal Jeans
Out now
Bettina and Bart have grown up as best friends, so surely they will end up together? After all, Bettina is young, rich, headstrong…. and gay. Bart is young, rich, charismatic… and also, definitely, gay. Any doubts are dispelled by, in short order: that ghastly kiss; a torrid encounter for Bettina in the school boiler-rooms; and an eye-opening Parisian visit for Bart.
Society will never stand for it. What else can they do but enter into a ‘lavender marriage’ and carry on indulging their true natures in secret? As the ’20s and’ 30s whizz past in a haze of cigarettes, champagne and casual sex, Bart and Bettina have no idea that they are hurtling, via Hollywood and Egypt, Paris and London, towards tragedy and bloodshed…
The Road Trip by Beth O’Leary
Out April 29
Addie and her sister are about to embark on an epic road trip to a friend's wedding in rural Scotland. The playlist is all planned and the snacks are packed. But, not long after setting off, a car slams into the back of theirs. The driver is none other than Addie's ex, Dylan, who she's avoided since their traumatic break-up two years earlier.
Dylan and his best mate are heading to the wedding too, and they've totalled their car, so Addie has no choice but to offer them a ride. The car is soon jam-packed full of luggage and secrets, and with four hundred miles ahead of them, Dylan and Addie can't avoid confronting the very messy history of their relationship…
Will they make it to the wedding on time? And, more importantly… is this really the end of the road for Addie and Dylan?
Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Out April 27
When Meddelin Chan ends up accidentally killing her blind date, her meddlesome mother calls for her even more meddlesome aunties to help get rid of the body. Unfortunately, a dead body proves to be a lot more challenging to dispose of than one might anticipate.
A hilariously quirky novel that is equal parts murder mystery, rom-com, and a celebration of mothers and daughters as well as a deep dive into Chinese-Indonesian culture, by debut author Jesse Q. Sutanto.
Girl in the Walls by A.J. Gnuse
Out now
She doesn’t exist. She can’t exist.
Elise knows every inch of the house. She knows which boards will creak. She knows where the gaps are in the walls. She knows which parts can take her in, hide her away. It’s home, after all. The home her parents made for her. And home is where you stay, no matter what.
Eddie is a teenager now, almost a grown-up. He must no longer believe in the girl he sometimes sees out of the corner of his eye. He needs her to disappear. But when his fierce older brother senses her, too, they are faced with the question of how to get rid of someone they aren’t sure even exists.
And, if they cast her out, what other threats might they invite into their home?
The Accidental Soberista by Kate Gunn
Out now
Kate Gunn was a social drinker, usually having a few drinks about three nights a week. But she had an inkling that alcohol was holding her back from getting on top of her life, and the hangovers were getting worse. So, when Kate's partner had to take a break from alcohol for a month, in solidarity with him, she decided to dip her toes in the water and try being a non-drinker too.
Not long into her transformational journey, Kate discovered that breaking free from alcohol improved every single aspect of her life: from relationships to health to work to happiness. By giving up one thing, she gained so much more.
In The Accidental Soberista, Kate chronicles the challenges and obstacles on the path to giving herself the greatest gift she has ever received – freedom from alcohol. Whether you're sober-curious or want to remove the final obstacle in the way of your own health and life goals, this could be just the journey for you too.
Second First Impressions by Sally Thorne
Out April 13
From the USA Today bestselling author of The Hating Game and 99 Percent Mine comes the clever, funny, and unforgettable story of a muscular, tattooed man hired as an assistant to two old women—under the watchful eye of a beautiful retirement home manager.
The Best Things by Mel Giedroyc
Out now
Sally Parker is struggling to find the hero inside herself. All she wants to do is lie down.
Her husband Frank has lost his business, their home and their savings, in one fell swoop. Their bank cards are being declined. The children have gone feral. And now the bailiffs are at the door. What does an ordinary woman do when the bottom falls out?
Sally Parker is about to surprise everybody. Most of all herself.
A big-hearted story of a family on the brink, The Best Things is a life-affirming tale of failing, falling… and finding a way back up.
Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price
Out now
When a scandalous murder shocks London high society, seventeen-year-old aspiring lawyer Lizzie Bennet seizes the opportunity to prove herself, despite the interference of Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, the stern young heir to the prestigious firm Pemberley Associates.
Convinced the authorities have imprisoned the wrong person, Lizzie vows to solve the murder on her own. But as the case—and her feelings for Darcy—become more complicated, Lizzie discovers that her dream job could make her happy, but it might also get her killed.
Pretty Things By Janelle Brown
Out now
Nina once bought into the idea that her fancy liberal arts degree would lead to a fulfilling career. When that dream crashed, she turned to stealing from rich kids in L.A. alongside her wily Irish boyfriend, Lachlan. Nina learned from the best: Her mother was the original con artist, hustling to give her daughter a decent childhood despite their wayward life. But when her mom gets sick, Nina puts everything on the line to help her, even if it means running her most audacious, dangerous scam yet.
Vanessa is a privileged young heiress who wanted to make her mark in the world. Instead she becomes an Instagram influencer—traveling the globe, receiving free clothes and products, and posing for pictures in exotic locales. But behind the covetable façade is a life marked by tragedy. After a broken engagement, Vanessa retreats to her family’s sprawling mountain estate, Stonehaven: a mansion of dark secrets not just from Vanessa’s past, but from that of a lost and troubled girl named Nina.
Nina’s, Vanessa’s, and Lachlan’s paths collide here, on the cold shores of Lake Tahoe, where their intertwined lives give way to a winter of aspiration and desire, duplicity and revenge.
