Where we live in California, the weather has been quite nice since spring started. A time of renewal, this season is a great time to recommit to your reading goals and start making time for the things you want to accomplish. Here are a few of the new releases in April that we’ll be throwing onto our TBR, all in the spirit of a new season! Bookshop list can be found here.
Fiction
Sistersong by Lucy Holland
Fans of Circe and other mythological retellings will love Sistersong, a historical fantasy about an ancient kingdom and three siblings. A retelling of The Two Sisters, the novel follows King Cador’s three children (including a transmasculine one!) when two visitors threaten to tear apart everything they know. The story touches on evil and murder, and we just know we’re going to love it (look at that cover!).
Expected Publication: April 1, 2021
Gold Diggers by Sanjena Sathian
This magical realism tale seems incredibly unique and has piqued our interests! Neil is a second-generation teenager who needs some luck. His perfect sister is going off to college and his parents are excited for him to do the same. Neil is more interested in Anita, his neighbor across the street. He gets involved with Anita and her mother who are using an ancient alchemy trick in their basement to create gold. Will this be harmful to their lives or will it help them both receive a bit of luck?
Expected Publication: April 6, 2021
Zara Hossain Is Here by Sabina Khan
The Love & Lies of Rukhsana Ali is one of the few books about a queer South Asian Muslim girl, and it is super well-written. Lucky for the universe, Sabina Khan is back with a story about a 17-year-old Pakistani immigrant who lives in Texas. Dealing with Islamophobia at school, she is bullied by the star football player of her high school. It all comes to a head when a violent crime puts Zara and her family at risk. Khan is committed to telling the stories of Muslim teens who live in United States, and we love that.
Expected Publication: April 6, 2021
Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet by Laekan Zea Kemp
Who doesn’t love a cute young adult romance? We simply can’t resist. After completing her paranormal romance series, Laekan Zea Kemp is releasing a book about aspiring pastry chef, Penelope, whose dad owns a restaurant called Nacho’s. It’s here that she meets Xander Amaro and falls in love with him. They navigate issues with the restaurant, Xander’s immigration status and the pressure to support their families in a community where family means everything.
Expected Publication: April 6, 2021
Hana Khan Carries On by Uzma Jalaluddin
24-year-old Hana Khan lives in Toronto and works at her mother’s halal restaurant, Three Sisters Biryani Poutine, when she’s not interning at a popular local radio station. Her dream is to be a broadcaster, but she also needs to support her family, including a father who was in a debilitating accident and needs a lot of support. As her family struggles to pay the bills and stay afloat, new competition is coming in across the street, headed by Aydin. Enemies-to-lovers with a South Asian Muslim flavor, Hana Khan Carries On is a quick read that you’ll easily devour.
Expected Publication: April 6, 2021
She Drives Me Crazy by Kelly Quindlen
Billed as a book perfect for fans of Casey McQuiston (sign us up!), She Drives Me Crazy is another enemies-to-lovers queer YA romance. Scottie Zajac gets into a minor car accident with her nemesis, Irene Abraham. They’re subsequently forced to carpool together to school. For those that love romance tropes, there’s even a fake-dating scheme in here! You’ll laugh, you’ll cry (from laughing) and you’ll squeal from the cuteness. Can’t wait!
Expected Publication: April 20, 2021
Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto
We mentioned this one way back in January, and it’s finally coming! Debut author Jesse Q. Sutanto writes about something many Asians know all too well: meddling aunties. When Meddelin Chan somehow accidentally becomes a murderer, her mom and nosy aunties help to hide the body. A hilarious book that doubles as a mystery/thriller, this one will appeal to lovers of Kevin Kwan and the Crazy Rich Asians series.
Expected Publication: April 27, 2021
Nonfiction
The Light of the Days: The Untold Story of Women Resistance Fighters in Hitler’s Ghettos by Judy Batalion
This true story of Jewish resistance during World War II looks at the way in which the Nazis turned youth groups into resistance fighters. In these groups, girls used creative methods to help secure the freedom of Jewish people in their communities. The book has already been optioned for a movie. Be sure to read it quickly!
Expected Publication: April 6, 2021
Crying in H Mart: A Memoir by Michelle Zauner
You may know Michelle Zauner as the impressively talented lead singer of Japanese Breakfast and now you can get to know her through this gorgeous memoir. Crying in H Mart is the long journey that Michelle went through as her family discovered her mother’s cancer and the journey to her death. At times heartbreaking, Michelle’s writing on the special relationship she had with her mother is just not to be missed.
Expected Publication: April 20, 2021
Thanks to NetGalley, Kelly Quindlen and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for an advanced reader copy of She Drives Me Crazy.
Thanks to NetGalley, Uzma Jalaluddin and Berkley for an advanced reader copy of Hana Khan Carries On.
