Our Most Anticipated Book Releases of April 2023 

If you’re a grown-up fan of Mo Willems, we have great news for you: fan favorite pigeon is back with a humor book for adults! Be the Bus is a profound collection of Pigeon-isms that will make you laugh and ponder life. With his trademark art style, wit, and comedy, Mo Willems’ first adult book is a triumph of whimsy and wisdom.  

For anyone looking for some belly laughs in their life, we urge you to pick up Comedy Bang! Bang! The Podcast: The Book. With legends like “Weird Al” Yankovic, Bobby Moynihan, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Bob Odenkirk contributing, this brings the hit podcast to the page in an absolutely chaotic way that will leave readers with aching sides and entertainment for days.  

Sharp and satirical, Romantic Comedy is another Curtis Sittenfeld novel that delivers both romance and a nuanced exploration of physical attraction, celebrity, and youth. When a sketch writer notices a trend of gorgeous actresses falling in love with mediocre men on the team, she writes a sketch about it. What she doesn’t expect is to fall in love with the pop star hosting the show. This delightful story draws you in and is perfect for fans of SNL and Sittenfeld’s other books. Stay tuned for a Poured Over Podcast this month with Curtis Sittenfeld to discuss Romantic Comedy.

Emily Henry is one of those authors whose every book feels like returning to an old friend. Happy Place is an absolute delight, perfect for fans who love People We Meet on Vacation. Certain to make readers laugh, cry, and everything in between during this complicated and sweet friend group’s yearly trip that includes one couple’s fake relationship to hide their breakup.   

Escape into a world of wealth, lust, and blackmail with Ana Huang’s newest romance, King of Wrath. Perfect for fans of Lauren Asher, this book tells of a billionaire CEO forced into an arranged marriage with the daughter of his enemy. Spicy and addictive, this book kicks off a new series that will keep readers hooked and pining for more.  

Anyone who loves New York City and witches will be thrilled with Olivie Blake’s newest book filled with rival families and intense conflict. When the precarious peace is shattered our protagonists must figure out where their loyalties lie. Thrilling and reminiscent of Romeo & Juliet, One for My Enemy is a whirlwind of fantasy and romantic suspense! 

TJ Klune is back with another fantasy full of his trademark coziness. In the Lives of Puppets will wrap readers up in its family of misfits and robots as they embark on an adventure to save their fatherly android. This stand-alone story full of adventure, betrayal, and affection is a wholesome read people won’t be able to stop talking about. 

Fans of the Drowning Empire series will be delighted by the conclusion. Lin Sukai’s fate hangs in the balance, and despite her enemies’ desires to kill her, she’s hopeful that she’ll find the swords of legends before she falls. Engrossing and intricate, The Bone Shard War is an imaginative tale masterfully written full of twists and turns that will keep readers hooked until the final page. 

Dark, magical, and spellbinding, The Last Heir to Blackwood Library will transport readers to post-World War I England, and book lovers will rejoice at this story of a mysterious library and its secrets. Lady Hayworth moves into an eerie abbey with a library of every bibliophile’s dreams only to encounter all sorts of murky happenings. Hester Fox’s newest story is utterly irresistible.  

We might know Hollywood as the city of stars, but City of Dreams drags readers into the life of a criminal, his empire, and the love that threatens to destroy him. An epic saga that is simultaneously intimate and sweeping, Don Winslow has written a story of family, revenge, and survival that will grip readers tightly as this action-packed story unfolds.  

An intricate spy thriller that will keep readers in suspense, Partisan is the type of pulse-raising book that will leave you breathless. Taking readers back in time spanning WWII, the 1960s, and the early aughts, this is the tale of two chess prodigies whose meeting sets off an unexpected chain of events. Full of high stakes, old-fashioned spycraft, Soviet life, and a star-crossed romance, Patrick Worrall’s debut is an ambitious triumph that is certain to please fans of James Bond and Dr. Zhivago. 

Nick Medina’s debut is at once compassionate, heartbreaking, and gripping. Blending Native mythology, a coming-of-age story and the mystery of missing Indigenous women, Sisters of the Lost Nation tells of a girl trying all she can do to bring her little sister home. Powerful and horrifying, Sisters of the Lost Nation is a masterfully written story that every horror fan must read.  Stay tuned for a Poured Over Podcast this month with Nick Medina to discuss Sisters of the Lost Nation.

Dennis Lehane is known for his thrillers that are infused with issues of social injustice, and Small Mercies is no exception. Set during the summer of 1974, this book takes a heatwave in Boston, a woman on the verge of bankruptcy, her missing daughter, and a young Black man murdered, and blends them all together for a read that keeps you on the edge of your seat. An unflinching portrait of American racism, Lehane has penned a novel that readers won’t be able to shake. Stay tuned for a Poured Over Podcast this month with Dennis Lehane to discuss Small Mercies.

The Five Sorrowful Mysteries of Andy Africa is a brilliantly subversive debut addressing colonialism, race, romance, and life in modern Africa. Andrew Aziza is a fifteen-year-old in Nigeria who falls in love with a white girl, leaving him to reckon with his identity and desires. A whip-smart and hilariously tragic novel, Stephen Buoro’s debut will leave readers impatient for his next. 

This wry debut is a page-turner through and through, drawing you in and breaking your heart. Ghost Girl, Banana explores themes of family, identity, and the cost of belonging over the course of several tumultuous decades in Hong Kong. When a young woman in London uncovers familial secrets after receiving a mysterious inheritance, she is set on a course of discovery. Wiz Wharton brings us a fresh story that is all at once expansive and intimate, and you won’t be able to forget it.  

Kate Morton has penned a book perfect for fans of historical fiction and mysteries that will draw readers in with an unsolved murder. When a journalist returns home to her beloved grandmother, she discovers her family’s connection to a homicide that leads her to uncover long-buried secrets. Elaborate and suspenseful, Homecoming is a must-read.  

The House is On Fire is a riveting historical fiction exploring humanity in the wake of tragedy through the lives of four people intertwined by the Richmond Theater Fire of 1811. After extensive research, Rachel Beanland captures the night 76 lives were lost as well as the few days following, capturing the night with well-rounded characters and evoking a deep sense of empathy.  

Cursed Bread is a mesmerizing novel about the real unsolved mystery surrounding the 1951 mass poisoning of a French village. After WWII, the small town is left reeling, and the baker’s wife is drawn into a dangerous game of cat and mouse with the charismatic new couple. The dark tale will entangle readers within its web, leaving you unsettled and yet utterly engrossed within its story. 

The bestselling author of Killers of the Flower Moon has returned with yet another totally true tale, this one a hair-raising story of shipwreck and savagery. Discover the survivors of the Wager, the accusations of treachery and murder, and the court martial that exposed the truth. Full of twists and turns, David Grann’s newest book will have you glued to your seat as you uncover what really happened to the castaways. Stay tuned for a Poured Over Podcast this month with David Grann to discuss The Wager.

When following the careers of actors, it’s easy to feel a bit like you know them. These deeply personal conversations between Laura Dern and Diane Ladd will give readers an inside look at their lives and relationship as mother and daughter. Discussing personal topics and providing reflections and anecdotes, this book makes a perfect gift for mothers, daughters, and movie fans alike. 

A highly informative book about staying limber, Built to Move is an accessible guide for gym lovers and haters alike. With 10 practices to enhance mobility and prepare your body for whatever the future may bring, this practical and instructive book will help ease the aches and pains of life. Crack it open to get detailed and effective steps to keep you moving for years to come.