Hot April Books

Rightly or wrongly, I usually consider the summer months a lean time for reading. Everyone is outdoors/traveling/whatevering, and reading is not a high priority.

In spite of that, I see some lovely books coming down the publishing pipeline this month.

Hot new books in April
Hot new books in April

Ruin Falls by Jenny Milchman is a mystery/thriller novel where a mom wakes up to find her children missing and has to uncover who took them and why. This book has fairly mixed reviews, but thrillers are generally easy reading for me, and this book does sound decent.

Paris at the End of the World by John Baxter is a non-fictional take on life in Paris during World War 1. Paris has been at the forefront of my mind ever since my botched plan to visit Paris last December, and even though this book is set during World War 1, it doesn’t sound like a grim war book.

What do I say about Frog Music by Emma Donoghue? This is the hottest book this month. I’ve already seen many glowing reviews from trusted book bloggers who were lucky to get an ARC of this one. The book features San Francisco, and burlesque, and prostitutes, and a murder or two – all elements that seem to have meshed perfectly in the writing of this book. I know I will definitely be reading this one.

Astonish Me by Maggie Shipstead deals with a protagonist who is a ballet dancer. When her son enters the competitive ballet world, he uncovers a bunch of secrets that could tear the family apart. The story sounds a little clichéd but it’s got fantastic reviews and I suspect/hope that there is more going on with the story than what I have guessed already.

Django Wexler is the only author among this lot who I have actually read. I liked The Thousand Names very much, but I think I”ll like The Forbidden Library a lot better. For one, the cover looks so fun, the protagonist is a girl named Alice, and it features a massive, magical, and mysterious library. What more could a reader want?

And the last book on this list is The Frangipani Hotel by Violet Kupersmith, which is a compilation of stories set in Vietnam. I don’t know much about the book or the author, but the setting of Vietnam and the background of the Vietnam War makes this sound like an intriguing read.

So, these are the new books coming out in April that caught my eye.

Which new books have pricked your interest lately?

18 comments

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  1. Books on the Table

    I’m trying to get into Frog Music, but it’s not grabbing me. Despite the subject matter, it’s a little dry. I really enjoyed Astonish Me. And I don’t know why, but I love anything about World War I — fiction or nonfiction. I’m really looking forward to Paris at the End of the World — especially since I’ll be going there in September!

    • Nishita

      @booksonthetable:disqus awesome. I heard Paris is great in September. I’m sure you will enjoy yourself 🙂

  2. Bookmammal

    Stopping by from Steadfast Reader–I’ve heard good things previously about Frog Music and Astonish Me–and this post reminded me that I need to add both of them to my TBR list!

  3. April @ The Steadfast Reader

    If you’ve been anywhere near my blog you know I’m about the recommend The Word Exchange. 🙂 That’s out 8 April.

    I liked Astonish Me quite a bit, but I thought The Frangipani Hotel was a little but of a let down, though I seem to be in the minority. Let me know what you think of Frog Music, it’s getting tons of love, but I’m not sure it’s for me.

    Thanks for linking up with Spread the Love!

    • Nishita

      @aprilthesteadfastreader:disqus off to read your review on Astonish Me right now.

  4. Tanya M

    Frangipini Hotel sounds interesting for my Around the World in 80 Books Reading Challenge I am trying to complete. It doesn’t sound like you can go wrong with any of these. Stopping by from #spreadthelove.

    • Nishita

      @disqus_jZnKAatlbx:disqus I think it’s a good pick for the challenge. I don’t know too many books set in Vietnam.

  5. Five-Eyed Bookworm

    I’m definitely going to check out Frog Music, The Frangipani Hotel and Astonish Me this year. Thanks for the other book recommendations, I’ll be checking them out.

    • Nishita

      @moderngypsy:disqus yeah, I am still interested in Frog Music. After I put up this post though, I read a few disappointing reviews of The Frangipani Hotel, so it looks like it does not live up to expectations 🙁

  6. readingtheend

    April does feel like a lean reading month — to me too! Not sure why. I guess it’s because the weather is so nice and I am always wanting to be outside? Anyway, nothing has especially pricked my interest to be my next read, but I’m hoping there’s something good on my horizons.

    • Nishita

      @readingtheend:disqus I envy you your weather. It’s scorching hot in here. I am in a bit of a reading slump but it’s because the heat has half-fried my brains these days. Can’t seem to focus on anything

  7. Cleo

    Some fantastic books, I’m certainly drawn to Ruin Falls, a little unsure about Frog Music and interested in Paris at the End of the World

    • Nishita

      @dreamzandclouds: I am hoping I will be lucky enough to get a book for review sometime. Fingers crossed 😀

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