Looking Ahead: April Books I Can't Wait to Read

Spring publishing season is sneaking up on me more quickly than I like to admit... and though the influx of shiny new titles will be even larger next month, as everyone gears up for the infamous Summer Reading Season, there's no shortage of books calling my name this month:

(all title links lead to Indiebound, where you can pre-order any of these titles from an independent bookstore of your choice)

This Side of Providence, by Rachel M. Harper (Prospect Park Books, March 29): I'm including this in April even though it technically released last week, because the pub date moved and I didn't capture it in my March round-up. And I've read it, and it's excellent, and you all should read it too. Review to come in Shelf Awareness for Readers.

The First Book of Calamity Leek, by Paula Lichtarowicz (Flatiron Books, April 5): I mentioned this in my March round-up because I read it for #Weirdathon, so I'll just use my same description here: "A strange and wonderful story about a group of sisters living in a secluded Garden, featuring old movies, recommended beauty treatments, and showtunes. Odd but thoughtful. Review to come in Shelf Awareness for Readers."

Now and Again, by Charlotte Rogan (Little, Brown & Company, April 5): This one hopped on my radar after a mention in the Millions Book Preview. The publisher calls it a novel that promises to explore the "fallout from the search for the truth."

Consequence: A Memoir, by Eric Fair (Henry Holt & Co, April 5): Eric Fair's memoir of his time as an interrogator with a private contractor in Iraq. This sounds like it will be a difficult--but important--book to read, even if we may prefer to look away.

Everything I Found on the Beach, by Cynan Jones (Coffee House Press, April 5): From the publisher: "Three men, each trying to break free from desperate circumstances, tied together by one kilo of cocaine and the sea."

Rare Objects: A Novel, by Kathleen Tessaro (Harper, April 12): Historical fiction set in Depression-era Boston that promises two "unlikely friends" bound by a "dangerous secret." This could be cliche, or it could be excellent. I hope to find out on the plane to Boston this month.

Lazaretto, by Diane McKinney-Whetstone (Harper, April 12): Set in a quarantine hospital in Philadelphia in shadow of Lincoln's assassination, this historical novel promises stories of "love, friendship and humanity amid the vibrant black community that flourished amid the troubled times."

Mothering Sunday: A Romance, by Graham Swift (Knopf, April 19): This short novel tells the story of one romance on one day, but fills its pages with what-ifs and could-have-beens and other imaginings that result in a quick read on romance, yes, but also on the nature of storytelling and imagination. Unexpected, but a delight. Review to come in Shelf Awareness for Readers.

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What books are you looking forward to in April?

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Don't forget, we're kicking off what is hopefully the first occurrence of the Social Justice Book Club with a month-long, no-rules readalong of Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption. Join in anytime with the hashtag #SJBC on Twitter, IG or Facebook!