We’re all aware that book buying and book reading are entirely different hobbies, and my poor bookshelves will probably agree with you. So let’s look at some amazing books coming out this April you absolutely can’t miss.
1. Happy Place by Emily Henry
Expected 27th April 2023 (Hodder & Stoughton)
Harriet and Wyn are the perfect couple – aside from the fact they broke up months ago. But as Harriet gets ready for her yearly best friends vacation and Wyn is invited, they decide to just make it through this last week together before they break the news and have to face the truth.
Witty, wise and wonderful, Emily Henry always manages to write the perfect beach read with lots of heart, charm and humour. This is a messy, chaotic story about second chances with beautiful characters. Happy Place has got quite heavy undertones despite its appearance as a light-hearted story, so read the blurb with a pinch of salt. But it’s undeniably a brilliant and moving read.
2. The Sharp Edge of Silence by Cameron Kelly Rosenblum
Expected 11th April 2023 (Bonnier Books)
Charlotte is the perfect student with the perfect boyfriend and social life. Meanwhile at the same school, Max struggles to balance his scholarship with the high demands of his fellow students. And there’s Quinn, who has to watch quietly while the boy who abused her walks around with an untarnished reputation… but not for long.
Following three different students at an elite boarding school, The Sharp Edge of Silence is a searing indictment of rape culture and the dangerous toxicity that outdated patriarchal institutions cause. It is painfully authentic, balancing the cinematic intensity of a thriller with the brutal honesty of a woman speaking up about the injustices she’s faced in the world.
3. Death of a Bookseller by Alice Slater
Expected 27th April 2023 (Hodder & Stoughton)
Roach is quite happy acting like her namesake, scuttling about in the dark in the bookstore where she works and staying away from people. She prefers her pet snail and murder stories to human interaction. But when Laura starts working there, she sees something in her and becomes obsessed. If only Laura would just look at her.
Sickeningly dark and twisted, this is a thrilling book about obsession, desperation and desire. Unlike most thrillers, this is quiet and patient, allowing information to slowly rise to the surface rather than a shock reveal, and that made it even more excruciatingly anxiety-inducing. This book provides a searing look into the parts of the world that are obsessed with the morbid, with murderers and monsters, and tries to find that thin line between curiosity and compulsion.
4. Oh Sister by Jodie Chapman
Expected 13th April (Penguin Random House)
Jen, Isobel and Zelda have one thing in common – The Disciples of the Last Days. All three of them have been under the control of this oppressive religious group, but find themselves on the outside for the first time. And now they need to find out who they are without the rules and punishments that have decided their entire lives until now.
This is a horror story, but not one with ghosts and full moons. This one is truly terrifying as it tells a story of monsters that exist in real life and control countless women around the world today. It talks openly about religious extremism and coercion, indoctrination and cult mentality in such an open and genuine way that I couldn’t stop reading.
5. Arthur and Teddy are Coming Out by Ryan Love
Expected 13th April (HQ)
Arthur and his wife are separating because now – in his 70’s – he’s finally ready to live his life as an openly gay man. His family are thrown, aside from his grandson Teddy, who was actually trying to find a way to come out, but now doesn’t want to. At least now, Teddy knows one person he can turn to as he navigates this chapter of his life.
This was a truly delightful coming-out story that is full of heart and warmth. I adored a story that not only showed the process of finding yourself as a young person, but highlighted the queer people from generations that might never have had the chance to. Of course there were tough moments, as there always is with coming out, but this story handled it beautifully to create something very special.
Happy Reading!
[Please note: release dates are estimated for UK/Europe, please check in your region for local release details]
Feature Image by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash
