As we charge ahead, full throttle into Spring, the world opens up: we can once again venture outside to walk, to eat, and to socialize. We can shed our winter layers and try new things whether it be a new outfit or a new hobby. The comfort of Spring, for me, lends itself to some flexibility and to some experimentation; not yet burdened by the oppressive heat of summer, Spring is when I’m most inclined to try new things.

And that extends, certainly, to my reading habits. I never read more than I do in the Spring; at my home in New England we take the outdoor furniture from storage and as soon as I can sit outside comfortably in a sweater, I am out there every single day with a book. The more I read, the more variety I crave in my books; I’m a mood reader by nature and I often riccochet between genres as I make my way through my TBR. This April brings a selection of new titles perfectly timed for those of us whose Spring activity of choice is sitting outside, taking in the warm air, and tucking in with a good book. Because whether you are craving the eerie chill of an unsettling horror novel or want to transport yourself to a time, or place far away, this month has something for everyone.

‘Communion’ By Jon Doyle: Named an Observer Best Debut Novel of 2026, Communion follows a young man who leaves the seminary, only to find himself back in his home town years later. Working as a security guard, he encounters a woman from his past and their reconnection challenges his sense of loyalty, and of what justice looks like.

‘Harmless’ By Miranda Shulman: Two years after the death of her twin sister, Harmless’ protagonist is ready to start anew. With plans to open a dog kennel in her sister’s memory, she sets off to repair fractured friendships–but her sister’s absence is keenly felt, revealing fractures between the friends and tensions to surface.

‘Wifehouse’ By Sonya Walger: This novel, which takes place over the course of the year provides an intimate and felt examination of motherhood, marriage, and happiness as one woman finds herself drawn to her enigmatic French tutor, who is closer in age to her daughter than to herself.

‘Yesteryear’ By Caro Claire Burke: When a tradwife influencer wakes up in the era she fetishizes for content, she’s faced with the brutal reality behind the lifestyle she’s been selling. “The premise is…an ingenious, exquisite, be-careful-what-you-wish-for,” lauds Michelle Ruiz in the New York Times.

‘The Scoop’ By Erin Van Der Meer: This satirical novel takes aim at the world of tabloid journalism following a down on her luck reporter who finds out the hard way the real cost of crossing the line in a world where outrage is currency.

‘Underlake’ By Erin L. McCoy: Lush prose that deftly unpacks grief, familial love, and religious zealotry earned this new release a starred review from Booklist which praised it saying, “In the vein of Margaret Atwood and Emily St. John Mandel, McCoy’s novel is a thoughtful, ethereal story that sometimes feels as though it came from the eerie depths it describes.”

‘Like This, But Funnier’ By Hallie Cantor: When a young TV writer is at a loss for ideas, she turns to an unlikely source of inspiration: her therapist husband’s notes. What ensues is a debut that Publisher’s Weekly called “comedic gold.”

‘Go Gentle’ By Maria Semple: In novel about self discovery and midlife, Semple provides readers with the story of a divorcee who lives with her teenage daughter and “coven” of friends on the Upper West Side. It’s all bliss until a handsome stranger crosses her path catapulting her into the world of black market art deals and tantalizing intrigue, and dredging up a past she has fought to keep buried.

‘Permanence’ By Sophie Mackintosh: Hailed by Oprah Daily as “Severance for relationships” Permanence follows a couple in love who happen to both be in relationships with other people; when the two secret lovers find themselves in a world where adultery can exist out in the open they’re confronted by the reality of their desires.

‘The Caretaker’ By Marcus Kliewer: It sounds simple enough: answering a job posting to house sit, but this house is… far from a home. Instead, its caretaker must perform a series of ‘Rites’ to keep sinister visitors out and even more sinister forces at bay.

‘The Memory Museum’ By M Lin: This debut short story collection deftly examines race, migration, class, and politics. In one story a couple at odds embark on their honeymoon in Morocco; in another, a filmmaker is stifled by censorship, forcing her to reckon with her own relationship to motherhood. In each story, told with sharp and imaginative prose, Lin examines the lives of women in China and the Chinese diaspora.

‘The Take’ By Kelly Yang: A young writer is offered a life changing deal–all she has to do is sign her name on the dotted line, and in blood. Kind of, that is. When she agrees to partake in anti-aging infusions for a veteran Hollywood producer, it’s her golden ticket for success. But as their dynamic intensifies, lines begin to blur.