The Best Paperbacks of April 2025

All’s fair in love and chemistry. It’s 1960s California and there are certain things that women just don’t do. When scientist Elizabeth Zott finds herself the host of a television cooking show, she kicks off a revolution that does more than just challenge the status quo. You will fall in love with the cast of characters in this dazzling debut.

We’re on the fifth deadly sin out of seven — and this one is the steamiest of all. Vuk’s oldest friend is engaged to the woman of his dreams, and there’s nothing he can do to stop it. This burly billionaire can’t get no satisfaction (and neither can we).

Ann Patchett is back with a gorgeous novel about family, our pasts and how our lives are built on so many small choices. Weaving the past with the present, Patchett reminds readers that our parents had entire lives before us and are so much more than we can ever know. This is a rich tapestry of a novel made up of many beautiful story threads.

What’s the first thing you think of when you think of our planet? Be prepared to reconsider everything you think, know or believe to be true, thanks to this engaging and thoughtful new look at our world.

A striking memoir detailing the author’s journey to understanding herself and her mental disorder. With a dynamic and empathetic narrative voice that’s impossible not to root for, this is the kind of memoir that will inspire not just in what the author did for herself, but in the light it sheds on sociopathy as a whole.

The always adored Amor Towles is back with all the essentials readers love — wit, humor, intrigue, panache, atmosphere and the list goes on. With a compelling character cast and settings ranging from Golden Age Hollywood to New York City, this collection of short stories is a genuine treat for long-time readers and newcomers alike.

A time-traveling romance and a high-stakes spy thriller all in one? We’re in. Escapist and relatable, poignant and funny, this genre-bending novel is firing on all storytelling cylinders and is a terrific pleasure to read.

Fans of Richard Osman and Nita Prose, meet Kristin Perrin and her new feel-good whodunit. Amateur sleuthing, a quiet village, a stately home — and another book on the way. What’s not to love?

The author of The Wedding Date and By the Book is back with a red-hot romance that takes two women out of their comfort zones and into each other’s hearts. This is perfect for fans of Kennedy Ryan and Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers.

A wistful and whimsical tale of sorrows, secrets and sweets, Evie Woods’ latest is perfect for fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold and The Full Moon Coffee Shop.

Informed by traditional adventure stories, this is a timely and engaging novel written with a beautiful combination of infectious humor and vivid characters. While jostling with serious themes, I Cheerfully Refuse never loses its glorious optimism.

 The author of the bestselling memoir of all time is back with a deeply moving novel about the redemptive power of love and the gray area between truth and lies. Gorgeously written with characters that will stick with you, this is historical fiction at its best.

After inheriting a plot of land in the Dominican Republic, Alma knows what she has to do to keep her sanity in check — bury all her unfinished manuscripts. This is a funny, life-affirming novel about storytelling, friendship and death from the author of How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents.

This is a gorgeous travel story, an ode to the world and its changes and a search for home, full of curiosity, compassion and characters that come to life. Fans of Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library and V. E. Schwab’s The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, we have your next favorite read right here.

Stella figures she has two options: wallow in the grief of finding her mother and then losing her again or get on a one-way trip to Paris and leave the past behind. Drop everything and run to Paris with Ruth Reichel in her charming new novel.

Sure, marriage is hard, but it makes for great reading. Julia has everything she could want in life: a loving husband, two kids and the house of her dreams. So why does she feel like her life is spinning out of control? Lombardo is a joy to read — especially when your own family starts to stress you out.

Edited by Poet Laureate Ada Limón, this anthology of poetry is an ode to the natural world and the way we interact with it. Featuring 50 poems from some of our greatest voices.

If anyone knows AI, it’s Mustafa Suleyman, and here he goes deep into what the future may look like and what role AI has to play in it. Immensely insightful and candidly written, this is a staple read on the subject.