April books

April came in like a wreckingball, I blame the early easter for this. I barely had time to note down which books I’m planning to read. But I got myself a pocketbook e-book reader since my phone is slowing down due to book overload and my eyes are getting strained from all the screentime. I’m hoping this will help with both issues. So far, I’m not a huge fan. It’s slow and kinda dull. Anyway… Here’s whats up for April – hopefully some lighter books after binging a lot of crime during easter!

April’s book club picks:

GMA: Just for the summer by Abby Jimenez

Justin has a curse, and thanks to a Reddit thread, it’s now all over the internet. Every woman he dates goes on to find their soul mate the second they break up. When a woman slides into his DMs with the same problem, they come up with a plan: They’ll date each other and break up. Their curses will cancel each other’s out, and they’ll both go on to find the love of their lives. It’s a bonkers idea… and it just might work.

I’ve been dying to read Abby Jimenez, and now would be a good time to start!

Read with Jenna: The Husbands by Holly Gramazio

An exuberant debut, The Husbands delights in how do we navigate life, love, and choice in a world of never-ending options?

When Lauren returns home to her flat in London late one night, she is greeted at the door by her husband, Michael. There’s only one problem—she’s not married. She’s never seen this man before in her life. But according to her friends, her much-improved decor, and the photos on her phone, they’ve been together for years.

Honestly, my favorite tropes are amnesia and time travel. This sounds so fun!

Reese Witherspoon: The most fun we ever had by Claire Lombardo

I love it when Reese picks an older book, because more often than not, I have it in my shelf already! I’m jumping on this one! A great way to get some TBR’s off my shelf!

A multigenerational novel in which the four adult daughters of a Chicago couple–still madly in love after forty years–recklessly ignite old rivalries until a long-buried secret threatens to shatter the lives they’ve built.

Belletrist: Memory piece by Lisa Ko

I loved Ko’s novel “The Leavers” so this was an automatic add for me. I actually started listening to it last month, but decided that I wanted a physical copy of this one! Three teenage girls in the 80’s! And they’re asian american – with one filipino mix!

The story moves from the 80’s and 90’s to an imagined 2040’s… so it’s sci-fi? That’s not my preferred genre, but I’m reading it and I’m gonna be so annoyed if I don’t love it!

New releases April 2024:

The cemetery of untold stories by Julia Alvarez

Ever wondered where untold stories end up? Well, now we know. This literary magical realism novel from author Julia Alvarez (In the Time of the Butterflies) follows writer Alma Cruz, who returns to her Dominican Republic homeland to bury some stories. Quite literally. But Alma’s DIY graveyard is getting a little spooky as her manuscripts and characters come to life… Expected release: April 2

Real Americans by Rachel Khong

Real Americans traces three generations of one family on either side of the new millennium. In 1999, Lily Chen, the daughter of scientists who fled Mao’s Cultural Revolution, marries into East Coast pharmaceutical money. As the book moves backward and forward through time, elements of speculative technology and magical realism creep into the multigenerational family saga. Expected release: April

Funny story by Emily Henry

Daphne is feeling rather adrift since her ex-fiancé bailed. Her new roommate Miles has an interesting connection to all that, actually. Is Daphne really falling in love with her ex-fiancé’s new fiancée’s ex? Funny story…

I never really got into her books, but she has a lot of fans, I might try again, cause I so want to be on this bandwagon. Expected release: April 23

888 love and the divine burden of numbers by Abraham Chang

THIS!!! sounds like my type of book! I love a good asian superstition narrative!

You know how relatives will give the most unhinged advice? Well, Young Wang’s uncle has convinced him that everyone gets seven great loves in their lifetime. This specific number theory gets tricky when Young meets the brilliant Erena in college and falls in love…but only for the sixth time. Expected release: April 30

Missing white woman by Kellye Garrett

I’ve never read Kellye Garrett before, but people are saying she’s the bees knees, so I guess I’m going to try! The premise sounds interesting enough.

A woman thinks she’s on a romantic vacation with her boyfriend. But when she wakes up in their New York City vacation rental to find her boyfriend missing and a corpse in the foyer, well, this is going to be a wild Trip Advisor review… expected release: april 30

You know what you did by K.T. Nguyen

I love a debut novel, and this heart-pounding thriller is just perfect for a tune-out-the-world beach book. In this mystery, Annie “Anh Le” Shaw, a first-generation Vietnamese American artist, must confront her nightmares when her mother, a Vietnam War refugee, dies suddenly. Early readers are calling this a creepy, twisty read that keeps you in suspense to the final page. 

Diversity reading prompt April: Immigrant experience