The Goodreads Editors Share Their April Book Picks

Posted by Cybil on April 1, 2026
 
Here at Goodreads World Headquarters, we sort through a lot of books each month. Our monthly Readers’ Most Anticipated Books feature is exactly that—selections based on the data about the books that Goodreads members are placing on their Want to Read shelves. Essentially, these are the books that your fellow Goodreads regulars are excited about.
 
Of course, the Goodreads editorial staff gets excited about books, too. And we regularly come across specific new releases that we can’t wait to read—or “won’t shut up about,” to borrow a phrase from the colleagues who sit right next to us.
 
As to be expected, there are always way more great books each month than we have time to read, so we’re passing our findings along to you, complete with genre tags, our unhinged commentary, and general enthusiasm. Think of this list as our intel on the books you might not be hearing about absolutely everywhere else, from two people who really, really want to help you find a great read.
 
Some of the stories on tap for April: Jewish folk magic in 1900s Russia. Sapphic romance in Regency London. Seaborne snakemen in 16th-century India. Plus: Heartland Rock in the 1980s!
 


Sharon can’t wait to read this book because: Talk about a hooky premise! After a former professor reaches out, out of the blue, 45-year-old Jean finds herself reexamining their “complicated” relationship decades ago and prays to Saint Monica for help. As in Saint Monica Lewinsky. Even wackier, Saint Monica answers her! This one looks like a romp and a half, and I’m all in for the ride!

Genre: Fiction


Cybil can’t wait to read this book because: Get ready for this darkly funny and moving novel about a grieving woman mourning the death of her newborn who decides to take a job at a funeral home. Did I mention this novel is from the author of the humorous Sunshine Nails?? Early reviewers are warning that you’re going to Feel All the Feels reading this one. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll probably recommend this for your book club.

Genre: Contemporary fiction


Sharon can’t wait to read this book because: Got a baby shower or Mother’s Day gift to buy this season but your personal tastes lean more Werner Herzog than Chuck E. Cheese? Don’t worry, Hayley DeRoche of Sad Beige fame is here with a hilarious (and unexpectedly moving) handbook for modern parenthood.

Genre: Nonfiction


Cybil can’t wait to read this book because: This tale set in Russia during the pogroms—an era of violent attacks against Jews—melds historical fiction, gothic horror, and Jewish folklore for a shocking and unforgettable reading experience. When a teen is killed during the violence, her father finds a way to bring her back to life, with some dire consequences. 

Genre: Historical horror


Sharon can’t wait to read this book because: Sci-fi linguistics nerds, unite! This slim novella caught my eye with its ambitious premise: a Linguist spy is the first in generations to make a successful “jump” to take over the mind of another being from a species that may hold the key to his civilization’s survival. But might the “perfect understanding” required for this act of espionage lead to destruction? Let’s find out!

Genre: Science fiction


Cybil can’t wait to read this book because: Looking for an epic crime thriller? Well, Jordan Harper is here for you!  A Hollywood pedophile is arrested. A young woman goes missing, and men in black rubber gloves clean out her apartment in the middle of the night. And a serial killer known as the LA Ripper is on the loose. Find out how these three events come together…if you dare! 

Genre: Thriller


Sharon can’t wait to read this book because: If you binge-watched Bridgerton Season 4, I suspect you’ll want to pick up this book, stat. Dreamt I Found You features two star-crossed lovers who might be doomed to live out Korea’s version of Romeo and Juliet in the modern day.

Genre: Contemporary fiction/Retelling


Cybil can’t wait to read this book because: Washed-up journalist Frankie Miller finds herself grinding out clickbait at a tabloid in this debut novel that takes us inside the 24/7 news cycle…and what happens when a reporter becomes the one causing harm instead of exposing it. If you like your satire biting, add this to your Want to Read shelf!

Genre: Literary fiction 


Sharon can’t wait to read this book because: The title of this newest book by Karen Tei Yamashita (I Hotel) refers to the questionnaire issued by the Department of War during World War II to Japanese Americans incarcerated by their own government. From that moment in history, the book spirals backward and forward in time, mixing fact, fiction, archival research, narrative styles, and genres into a chorus of stories. 

Genre: Historical fiction


Cybil can’t wait to read this book because: This new memoir by running phenom Mary Cain is about shining a needed spotlight on the abuse so many young athletes endure under the pretext of becoming the greatest. Cain details her teenage years at Nike’s famed Oregon Project, where she endured mental and physical torture under the guise of “winning.”

Genre: Memoir


Sharon can’t wait to read this book because: Lerner’s latest is a slim meditation on the nature of truth and memory; our narrator travels to Providence, Rhode Island, to conduct a final interview with his 90-year-old mentor. But! He drops his phone (and only recording device) in his hotel sink beforehand. For some reason, he is unable to confess this mishap and carries on as though all is well. This book isn’t technically horror, but some of us have nightmares about this kind of thing…

Genre: Literary fiction


Cybil can’t wait to read this book because: There should be a lot more historical mysteries. Luckily, I have this novel! In one timeline, we have the prophecies of a 16th-century nun who’s executed for having strong opinions about Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. Jump forward in time, and a modern scholar discovers the nun’s lost papers and becomes academically famous (is that a thing?). But a scholarly conference at a crumbling manor will bring both new and old mysteries to light.

Genre: Historical mystery 


Sharon can’t wait to read this book because: An unlikely ruler, monstrous villains (they’re HALF SNAKE!), a richly imagined fantasy world in a non-European setting…these are some of my favorite things! Early readers are calling this debut gripping and perfectly paced.

Genre: Historical fantasy


Cybil can’t wait to read this book because: A multigenerational saga with mystery at its heart, Livonia Chow Mein follows four generations of the Wong family all circling back to one (literal) burning question: Who set those two tenements on fire in 1978, and why? Told through the eyes of a journalist piecing together her own family’s past, this is yet another great debut novel to check out this April.

Genre: Historical fiction/Dual timeline


Sharon can’t wait to read this book because: I’ve been watching our recent societal family vlogger reckoning with the kind of deep fascination that other people bring to true-crime narratives. Journalist Fortesa Latifi brings a compassionate, eye-opening lens to the conversation with this book that centers the perspectives of children who grew up in front of the entire internet.

Genre: Nonfiction


Cybil can’t wait to read this book because: Set in Seoul during the 2008 financial crash, this debut novel follows a teenage girl who runs away from an abusive home and lands in a boardinghouse full of women just trying to get by. This book promises to be a sucker punch about what it costs to survive— financially, emotionally, and physically.

Genre: Literary fiction 


Sharon can’t wait to read this book because: Fans of Rachel Khong’s novels will be glad to hear she’s back this spring with a collection of short stories, ranging from wacky to tender and everything in between. Some topics: The U.S. government injects all citizens with a drug that makes them see everyone else as members of their own race and gender. God does away with humans in favor of something much better. That sort of thing!

Genre: Short stories


Cybil can’t wait to read this book because: Do you enjoy ear worms? Because just reading the title of this book has derailed my Spotify algorithm for the rest of the day. If you know all the lyrics to 1980s Heartland rock, this one will be a fun read for you. Hey, baby, there ain’t no easy way out…

Genre: Nonfiction 


Sharon can’t wait to read this book because: Post…French Revolution historical romance, but butch it up with a coldhearted female duke and the courtesan she saved from the guillotine (and subsequently abandoned)? SIGN ME UP! The romance writer community has been buzzing about how hot this book is all spring, so I’m very much looking forward to seeing what all the fuss is about!

Genre: Romance