Reader's Corner: Books We Can’t Wait to Read in April 2026
+ Fierce Female Comedians, Mary Shelley's Sister, and a Magical Nancy Drew
Hello, Protagonists!
Spring is feeling lovely over here. If you’re looking for a book to read in the sunshine, here are the new releases we’re excited about—the ones that warmed our hearts, tugged at our curiosity, or whisper-shouted “Read me!”
xo, Joanna & Evelyn
Note: We don’t receive affiliate commissions or payment for these mentions. We haven’t read these yet; these are genuine picks based on love of the author, intriguing premises, or early buzz that feels promising.
📚 March/April 2026 Most Anticipated New Releases
Into the Blue by Emma Brodie (April 7th release)
In the summer of 2000, AJ Graves dreams of writing for Saturday Night Live; instead, she’s stuck working in a video rental store, with slim odds of escaping her small Massachusetts town. Then in walks Noah Drew, the enigmatic and intense scion of the Drew acting dynasty, and her life changes forever. Despite wildly different upbringings, the two forge a deep, cosmic bond, first as friends, then as acting partners—until one day, Noah disappears without a word.
The Book Witch by Meg Shaffer (April 7th release)
Rainy March is a proud, third-generation Book Witch, sworn to defend works of fiction from all foes, real and imaginary. With her magical umbrella and feline familiar, she jumps in and out of novels to fix malicious alterations and rogue heroes like a modern-day magical Nancy Drew.
Start at the End by Emma Grey (April 7th release)
A "sliding-doors" romance about Audrey and Fraser, two soulmates whose epic love story is upended by a tragic event, forcing them to confront guilt and "what-ifs" as they try to start over, told with a unique structure exploring how different choices could have changed their lives.
The Midnight Show by Lee Kelly & Jennifer Thorne (April 7th release)
A Daisy Jones & The Six-style novel about surviving as a funny woman in the 1980s male-dominated world of comedy—and what happens when Lillian Martin, the most promising female star of her generation, vanishes. Forty years after her unsolved disappearance, a young journalist investigates the story, stirring up decades-old secrets from the Friday night live comedy show's original cast and crew.
Love and Other Monsters by Emily Franklin (April 7th release)
Maggie O’Farrell’s Hamnet meets Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice in this historical fiction novel focusing on Claire Clairmont, Mary Shelley's step-sister, during the bizarrely cold, scandalous summer of 1816. As a group of famous young writers gathered at a mansion on the shores of Lake Geneva, Switzerland, Claire strives to escape her sister’s shadow and find her own voice, documenting the dangerous secrets of a summer that birthed some of literature’s most enduring monsters.
Cherry Baby by Rainbow Rowell (April 7th release)
As her husband’s viral, semi-autobiographical comic turns her into a public caricature, Cherry struggles with a looming divorce and a lost sense of identity in Omaha. Her life takes a turn when she encounters Russ, an old flame who sees her for who she truly is, and, mercifully, has no idea her husband’s comic even exists.
Your Turn: What Are You Looking Forward To?
💗 What have you read recently that you tell everyone about?
🤩 What new releases are you most excited about this month?
📚 Leave a comment below — let’s grow our TBRs together!
The Midnight Show sold me with Daisy Jones and the Six style.
I’m definitely picking up American Fantasy by Emma Straub. Cruise with a 90s boy band? Sign me up!
The Escape Game by Marissa Meyer. The Thorn Queen by Sasha Peyton Smith.
Though I think my most anticipated is Mrs Shim is a Killer by Kang Jiyoung. I do love a quirky novel and a recently fired butcher accidentally becoming an assassin after applying for a cleaning job sounds amazing.
Absolutely loved Last Summer on State Street by Toya Wolfe. It’s a gritty coming-of-age novel set in the projects amid drug use and gang violence. I’ll be attending a writing retreat with her as the instructor!