Top new literary-fiction books in April 2024
Last updated:
April 30, 2024
April 2024 featuring new releases by Amor Towles, Isabel Allende, Nicholas Boulton, David Nicholls, Ruth Reichl, Coco Mellors, Jean Grainger, Nancy Thayer, Jennifer Chiaverini, Jeff Zentner, Lionel Shriver and many more.
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Table for Two: Fictions by Amor Towles
From the bestselling author of The Lincoln Highway , A Gentleman in Moscow , and Rules of Civility , a richly detailed and sharply drawn collection of stories set in New York and Los AngelesThe millions of readers of Amor Towles are in for a treat as he shares some of his shorter six stories set in New York City and a novella in Los Angeles...fiction · historical-fiction · contemporary · literary-fiction · season-spring · urban · marriage · anthologies · 20th-century · adult -
![Lovers at the Museum: A Short Story by Isabel Allende, Nicholas Boulton]()
Lovers at the Museum: A Short Story by Isabel Allende, Nicholas Boulton
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Wind Knows My Name comes a mesmerizing tale of two passionate souls who share one magical night that defies all rational explanation.Love, be it wild or tender, often defies logic. In fact, at times, the only rationale behind the instant connection of two souls is plain magic...romance · fiction · fantasy · magical-realism · contemporary · mystery · literary-fiction · audiobook · magic · paranormal -
![You Are Here by David Nicholls]()
You Are Here by David Nicholls
Marnie is stuck.Stuck working alone in her London flat, stuck battling the long afternoons and a life that increasingly feels like it's passing her by.Michael is coming undone.Reeling from his wife's departure, increasingly reclusive, taking himself on long, solitary walks across the moors and fells...romance · fiction · contemporary · literary-fiction · mental-illness · humor · family · book · adult -
![The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl]()
The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl
Bestselling author Ruth Reichl takes readers on an adventure of food, art, and fashion in 1980s Paris in this dazzling, heartfelt novelStella reached for an oyster, tipped her head and tossed it back. It was cool and slippery, the flavor so briny it was like diving into the ocean..europe · western-central-europe · france · urban · romance · fiction · historical-fiction · contemporary · family · literary-fiction -
![Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors]()
Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors
Blue Sisters tells the story of three exceptional – and exceptionally different – sisters as they return to their family home in New York from their respective lives in Paris, London and LA in the wake of the death of their beloved fourth sister...contemporary · fiction · literary-fiction · family · grief · season-summer · friendship · female-mc · book · adult -
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![Closer than you think: A Mags Munroe Story by Jean Grainger]()
Closer than you think: A Mags Munroe Story by Jean Grainger
Mags Munroe is juggling a lot. A Gen Z new Garda recruit who lectures everyone on political correctness, teenage daughters who are determined to fill the house with unruly animals, a mother-in-law that is not improving with age, and a husband with a loud new hobby...cozy · animals · historical-fiction · fiction · literary-fiction · epic · family · mystery · book · adult -
![The Summer We Started Over: A Novel by Nancy Thayer]()
The Summer We Started Over: A Novel by Nancy Thayer
Two sisters reconnect and pursue their dreams on the beautiful island of Nantucket, overcoming life’s challenges and finding new love, in this heartwarming and hopeful novel by New York Times bestselling author Nancy Thayer.Eddie Grant is happy with her life and her work as a personal assistant to Dinah Lavender, one of the most famous and renowned romance authors in the business...season-summer · fiction · family · audiobook · womens-fiction · friendship · epic · romance · literary-fiction · contemporary -
![The Museum of Lost Quilts by Jennifer Chiaverini]()
The Museum of Lost Quilts by Jennifer Chiaverini
Jennifer Chiaverini’s beloved and bestselling Elm Creek Quilts series returns with the first Elm Creek Quilts novel since 2019’s The Christmas Boutique.Summer Sullivan, the youngest founding member of Elm Creek Quilts, has spent the last two years pursuing a master’s degree in history at the University of Chicago...fiction · historical-fiction · contemporary · ww2 · literary-fiction · friendship · female-mc · 20th-century · book · adult -
![Colton Gentry's Third Act by Jeff Zentner]()
Colton Gentry's Third Act by Jeff Zentner
Colton Gentry is riding high. His first hit in nearly a decade has caught fire, he’s opening for country megastar Brant Lucas, and he’s married to one of the hottest acts in the country. But he’s hurting. Only a few weeks earlier, his best friend, Duane, was murdered onstage by a mass shooter at a country music festival... -
![Mania by Lionel Shriver]()
Mania by Lionel Shriver
Set in a parallel yet all too familiar near past, a brilliant subversive novel from the New York Times bestselling author about a lifelong friendship threatened by the Culture Wars. In an alternative 2011, the Mental Parity movement takes hold. Americans now embrace the sacred, universal truth that there is no such thing as variable human intelligence...fiction · dystopia · politics · literary-fiction · audiobook · sci-fi · humor · contemporary · satire · alternate-history -
![Lucky by Jane Smiley]()
Lucky by Jane Smiley
From the best-selling, Pulitzer Prize–winning writer, a soaring, soulful novel about a folk musician who rises to fame across our changing times.Before Jodie Rattler became a star, she was a girl growing up in St. Louis... -
![Escape to the Rome Apartment by Kerry Fisher]()
Escape to the Rome Apartment by Kerry Fisher
Sara’s eyes fill with tears as she reads the letter, her last words from her dearest ‘I’m buying you your freedom. You don’t need to ask your husband’s permission and you have to put yourself first for once. Have an incredible adventure before it’s too late for both of us…’Sara has lost her zest for life...romance · humor · womens-fiction · second-chances · fiction · literary-fiction · female-mc · contemporary · epic · family -
![The Spoiled Heart by Sunjeev Sahota]()
The Spoiled Heart by Sunjeev Sahota
A brilliant and riveting story of ambition, love, family secrets, and the devastating cascade a small, unthinking act can unleash, from “bold storyteller” (The New Yorker) and two-time Booker Prize nominee Sunjeev SahotaNayan Olak is mounting a run for general secretary of the union that has become the center of his life since losing his family in a tragic accident twenty years earlier, when he...europe · scandinavia · fiction · literary-fiction · contemporary · audiobook · racism · medieval · drama · politics -
![The Great Divide by Cristina Henríquez]()
The Great Divide by Cristina Henríquez
An epic novel of the construction of the Panama Canal, casting light on the unsung people who lived, loved, and labored there, by Cristina Henríquez, acclaimed author of The Book of Unknown AmericansIt is said that the canal will be the greatest feat of engineering in history. But first, it must be built...fiction · historical-fiction · literary-fiction · historical · poc-mc · latinx-mc · social-commentary · hispanic · family · book -
![The Cemetery of Untold Stories by Julia Alvarez]()
The Cemetery of Untold Stories by Julia Alvarez
Literary icon Julia Alvarez returns with an inventive and emotional novel about storytelling itself that will be an instant classic. Alma Cruz, the celebrated writer at the heart of The Cemetery of Untold Stories , doesn’t want to end up like her friend, a novelist who fought so long and hard to finish a book that it threatened her sanity...fiction · magical-realism · fantasy · literary-fiction · historical-fiction · latinx-mc · hispanic · low-fantasy · poc-mc · book -
![A Better World by Sarah Langan]()
A Better World by Sarah Langan
The author of Good Neighbors , “one of the creepiest, most unnerving deconstructions of American suburbia” (NPR), returns with a provocative and disconcerting novel about a woman questioning her new home in an exclusive company town after a night out goes terribly wrong.Welcome to Plymouth Valley...mystery · fiction · horror · dystopia · sci-fi · suspense · audiobook · contemporary · literary-fiction · psychological -
![Tourist Season by Brenda Novak]()
Tourist Season by Brenda Novak
A summer by the ocean promises new beginnings—until old secrets resurface.Ismay Chalmers is ready for a relaxing summer reconnecting with her fiancé at his family’s luxurious beachfront cottage. But before Remy can join her, a hurricane bears down on Mariners Island. Alone in the large house, Ismay makes a disturbing discovery in Remy's childhood closet...romance · contemporary · mystery · womens-fiction · fiction · literary-fiction · family · friendship · female-mc · book -
![I Cheerfully Refuse by Leif Enger]()
I Cheerfully Refuse by Leif Enger
Set in a not-too-distant America, I Cheerfully Refuse is the tale of Rainy, an aspiring musician setting sail on Lake Superior in search of his departed, deeply beloved, bookselling wife. An endearing bear of an Orphean narrator, he seeks refuge in the harbors, fogs, and remote islands of the inland sea... -
![The Evolution of Annabel Craig by Lisa Grunwald]()
The Evolution of Annabel Craig by Lisa Grunwald
A young Southern woman sets out on a journey of self-discovery as the infamous 1925 Scopes Trial tests her faith and her marriage in this moving novel from the author of Time After Time and The Irresistible Henry House.“Lisa Grunwald is a national treasure. . . . An essential American story from a master craftsman... -
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![Bride and Groom by Rona Halsall]()
Bride and Groom by Rona Halsall
Walking down the aisle in the packed church, sunlight glints off my ivory silk gown. This should be the happiest day of my life. But as I carefully lift my veil and greet my husband-to-be, my heart is pounding with fear. Does someone out there, know what we’ve done?Ethan gently squeezes my hand as he slides the golden ring onto my finger. But I know we aren’t worthy of happiness...psychological · audiobook · fiction · female-mc · thriller · contemporary · literary-fiction · book · adult -
![The Stars Are Our Witness by Siobhan Curham]()
The Stars Are Our Witness by Siobhan Curham
Auschwitz, 1943. Adela stuffs small cloth pouches containing the stolen gunpowder into the folds of her dress. As she joins the column of exhausted women heading back to the barracks, the guard shouts ‘Inspection!’ and her blood turns to ice…Working in the camp’s munitions factory, Adela Rubenstein discovers the underground network fighting against the devastating cruelty all around them...fiction · ww2 · historical-fiction · female-mc · 20th-century · romance · epic · historical · literary-fiction · book -
![The Girl from the Grand Hotel by Camille Aubray]()
The Girl from the Grand Hotel by Camille Aubray
The #1 bestselling author of Cooking for Picasso and The Godmothers returns with The Girl from the Grand Hotel, a dazzling historical novel that brings readers into the glamorous world of the first (and doomed) Cannes Film Festival and the deadly atmosphere of Europe on the brink of war. Summer, 1939...historical-fiction · fiction · historical · ww2 · season-summer · female-mc · womens-fiction · politics · espionage · literary-fiction -
![Cage of Ice and Echoes by Pam Godwin]()
Cage of Ice and Echoes by Pam Godwin
Frankie’s story continues in this second book in the Frozen Fate trilogy by Pam Godwin. Frankie and her ruthless protectors conquered unspeakable evil. But their fight to escape the hills of shivers and shadows is far from over. Stranded in Alaska, survival becomes paramount against starvation, hypothermia, and the dangerous predators lurking outside their isolated cabin...romance · reverse-harem · dark · mental-illness · contemporary · forced-proximity · suspense · enemies-to-lovers · survival · mystery -
![There Goes the Groom by Esther Hatch]()
There Goes the Groom by Esther Hatch
Catching a husband has never been so complicated.Matthew Harrison has only one task in life: to marry money. After failing miserably in London, his family takes matters into their own hands by arranging his marriage to the wealthy Lucy Bateman. But when he meets Lucy for the first time, his resolve to save his family from ruin crumbles...romance · historical-fiction · industrial-era · regency · victorian · historical · fiction · humor · literary-fiction · satire -
![Clear by Carys Davies]()
Clear by Carys Davies
A stunning, exquisite novel from an award-winning writer about a minister dispatched to a remote island off of Scotland to “clear” the last remaining inhabitant, who has no intention of leaving—an unforgettable tale of resilience, change, and hope...historical-fiction · fiction · historical · literary-fiction · lgbtq · audiobook · outdoors · book · adult -
![Days of Wonder by Caroline Leavitt]()
Days of Wonder by Caroline Leavitt
New York Times bestselling author Caroline Leavitt returns with a tantalizing, courageous story about mothers and daughters, guilt and innocence, and the lengths we go for love. As a teenager, for a moment, Ella Fitchburg found love—yearning, breathless love—that consumed both her and her boyfriend, Jude, as they wandered the streets of New York City together...fiction · family · drama · literary-fiction · contemporary · audiobook · mystery · female-mc · urban · coming-of-age -
![The Limits by Nell Freudenberger]()
The Limits by Nell Freudenberger
The most thrilling work yet from the best-selling, prize-winning author of The Newlyweds and Lost and Wanted , a stunning new novel set in French Polynesia and New York City about three characters who undergo massive transformations over the course of a single year... -
![The Sleepwalkers by Scarlett Thomas]()
The Sleepwalkers by Scarlett Thomas
From “one of the UK’s most interesting authors” (Kirkus Reviews), Patricia Highsmith meets White Lotus in this surprising and suspenseful modern gothic story following a couple running from both secretive pasts and very present dangers while honeymooning on a Greek island.Still reeling from the chaos of their wedding, Evelyn and Richard arrive on a tiny Greek island for their honeymoon...fiction · suspense · audiobook · gothic · epistolary · thriller · family · literary-fiction · psychological · book -
![The Titanic Survivors Book Club by Timothy Schaffert]()
The Titanic Survivors Book Club by Timothy Schaffert
A remarkable tale about the life-changing power of books, following the Titanic librarian whose survival upends the course of his life.For weeks after the sinking of the Titanic, Yorick spots his own name among the list of those lost at sea. As an apprentice librarian for the White Star Line, his job was to curate the ship’s second-class library...europe · western-central-europe · france · urban · romance · historical-fiction · fiction · historical · lgbtq · literary-fiction -
![The Stone Home by Crystal Hana Kim]()
The Stone Home by Crystal Hana Kim
“It is a privilege to read Crystal Hana Kim’s fiction, which both edifies and enlightens.” —Min Jin LeeA hauntingly poetic family drama and coming-of-age story that reveals a dark corner of South Korean history through the eyes of a small community living in a reformatory center—a stunning work of great emotional power from the critically acclaimed author of If You Leave Me...historical-fiction · fiction · historical · coming-of-age · literary-fiction · abuse · poc-author · feminism · family · religion -
![Better by Far by Hazel Hayes]()
Better by Far by Hazel Hayes
A genre-bending story about love and loss, hope and heartbreak, and the healing to be found in life’s little limbos, those in-between spaces where you’re no longer who you were and not yet the person you will be Following a breakup, Kate and Finn decide to keep sharing their house until the lease runs out in twelve weeks, alternating week by week so that they are occupying the same space but...romance · fiction · contemporary · literary-fiction · audiobook · female-mc · breakup · domestic-drama · psychological · family -
![Honey by Victor Lodato]()
Honey by Victor Lodato
Meet a woman as tenacious as Elizabeth Strout’s Olive Kitteridge and as irresistible as Andrew Sean Greer’s Arthur Less: Honey Fasinga, the glamorous daughter of a notorious New Jersey mobster, is returning home at last, ready to reckon with her violent past...fiction · literary-fiction · contemporary · audiobook · mystery · historical-fiction · trans-mc · romance · family · lgbtq -
![Choice by Neel Mukherjee]()
Choice by Neel Mukherjee
“How ought one to live?” This is the question that obsesses London-based publisher Ayush, driving him to question every act of consumption. He embarks on a radical experiment in his own life and the lives of those connected to his practical, economist husband; their twins; and even the authors he edits and publishes. One of those authors, a mysterious M. N... -
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![The Widow Spy by Megan Campisi]()
The Widow Spy by Megan Campisi
The author of the “magnificent…complex, vivid” (New York Journal of Books) Sin Eater returns with a rousing and propulsive novel based on the astonishing true story of the first female Pinkerton detective whose next assignment could end the Civil War.Kate Warne is many the country’s first female detective, a Pinkerton agent, and a union spy... -
![The Night in Question by Susan Fletcher]()
The Night in Question by Susan Fletcher
A lyrical and emotionally engaging novel infused with mystery and wisdom about love, friendship, and the power of forgiveness.Florrie Butterfield—eighty-seven, one-legged, and of cheerful disposition—believes there can't be any more adventures or surprises in life to experience...mystery · fiction · contemporary · cozy · literary-fiction · audiobook · female-author · amateur-sleuth · female-mc · psychological -
![My Season of Scandal by Julie Anne Long]()
My Season of Scandal by Julie Anne Long
In USA Today bestselling author Julie Anne Long’s latest installment in the Palace of Rogues series, a notorious rake meets his match in a doe-eyed girl from the country, changing the course of both of their futures…A London season is the chance of a lifetime for Catherine Keating...romance · historical-fiction · historical · fiction · female-author · politics · industrial-era · victorian · regency · female-mc -
![High Tea at The Beach House Hotel by Judith Keim]()
High Tea at The Beach House Hotel by Judith Keim
Guests can be surprising…Ann and Rhonda continue their work at The Beach House Hotel, always striving to make their upscale property the best on the Gulf Coast of Florida. As they’ve learned, not all guests are easy...womens-fiction · psychological · cozy · fiction · female-mc · romance · humor · contemporary · breakup · domestic-drama -
![There's Going to Be Trouble by Jen Silverman]()
There's Going to Be Trouble by Jen Silverman
A woman is pulled into a love affair with a radical activist, unknowingly echoing her family's dangerous past and risking the foundations of her future in this electrifying novel.The course of your life can change with one split-second decision.Minnow has always tried to lead the life her single father modeled—private, quiet, hardworking, apolitical...fiction · historical · historical-fiction · literary-fiction · lgbtq · audiobook · action-adventure · politics · family · book -
![Relative Strangers by A.H. Kim]()
Relative Strangers by A.H. Kim
A twenty-first-century family drama featuring two sisters, their ex-hippie mother, multiple messy love affairs, and one explosive secret that could ruin everythingAmelia Bae-Wood’s life is falling apart. Unemployed, newly single, and completely broke—for reasons she hasn’t told anyone yet—she hitchhikes across California to deal with the fallout of her mother’s eviction from the family estate...romance · fiction · retellings · contemporary · womens-fiction · literary-fiction · female-mc · family · book · adult -
![The Garden by Clare Beams]()
The Garden by Clare Beams
The discovery of a secret garden with unknown powers fuels this page-turning and psychologically thrilling tale of women desperate to become mothers and the ways the female body has always been policed and manipulated, from the award-winning author of The Illness Lesson (“A masterpiece” – Elizabeth Gilbert)In 1948, Irene Willard, who’s had five previous miscarriages in a quest to give her...horror · historical-fiction · fiction · historical · fantasy · gothic · literary-fiction · mystery · audiobook · spooky
