Barnes & Noble Announces its April lineup of Monthly Picks

Barnes & Noble Announces its April lineup of Monthly Picks and Most Anticipated New Releases

April’s selections include books by Elizabeth Acevedo, Chelsea Bieker, and Jewell Parker Rhodes along with New Releases from Brandi Carlile, Jenny Lawson, Paul Van Doren and more

New York, NY – Barnes & Noble, Inc., with bookstores in every state across the United States, announced its Monthly Book Picks for April with six newly released paperbacks for spring with titles in literary fiction, nonfiction, YA, Young Reader, and speculative fiction. The bookseller also announced its Most Anticipated New Books for readers to look forward to this month.

April Monthly Picks

The days are getting longer and spring is popping up all around us. It’s time to welcome a new season with a fresh new list of must-read books — good thing our April Monthly Picks are here! So, reclaim the throne, dive into a haunting tale of zealotry, race the clock in a historical cat and mouse thriller, get lost in a shimmering memoir of a family, place, and the natural world, feed the soul with a dazzling novel in rhythmic prose and embark on a powerful journey of self-discovery.

Barnes & Noble’s Monthly Picks are available in-stores and on BN.com with a Buy One, Get One 50% off offer. April's selections are:

Speculative Fiction: The Bone Shard Daughter
Andrea Stewart
A stunning tale of magic and revolution in which a former heir to an emperor fights to reclaim her power and birthright. This fantasy debut has it all — forbidden magic, epic world-building, political unrest, vibrant characters, mysterious monsters and nonstop adventure! With an Asian-inspired setting and refreshingly unique magic system, this one is a standout in the fantasy space right now, and — best news of all — it's the first in a planned trilogy. Get ready to be completely absorbed in the drowning empire.

Fiction: Godshot
Chelsea Bieker
A gritty debut, Godshot follows a young girl, Lacey May, in a drought-afflicted central Californian town. When the town is taken over by a charismatic pastor hiding nefariously dark intentions, young Lacey May decides to fight tooth-and-nail for her family and freedom. A page-turning plot, soulful prose, and gothic feeling all combine to paint a redemptive portrait of motherhood in an unputdownable novel. A must-read

Mystery/Thriller: Three Hours in Paris
Cara Black
One of our favorite cat and mouse thrillers this year. Cara Black sets the tone with a deceptively simple premise: three hours in Paris. Kate Rees has just one job to do, and it’s not an easy one — assassinate the Führer. The clock is ticking, and we are at the edge of our seats. Along the way, we learn of Rees’ reason for putting herself in such danger and as you turn the pages, the tension ramps up. A thriller from the past that keeps us quite present.

Nonfiction: Late Migrations: A Natural History of Love and Loss
Margaret Renkl
Settle into this debut work, a shimmering memoir of family and place told in lyrical linked essays, some no more than a few enticing sentences and vivid illustrations by the author's brother. Late Migrations captures stories of kinship and personal legacies of grief, joy, cruelty, loss and caring, while rippling throughout with observations of the close natural world of her backyard, woods and fields, trees, grasses, flowers, birds, snakes and insects.

YA: With the Fire on High
Elizabeth Acevedo
Though on the verge of adulthood, high school senior Emoni Santiago has been making adult decisions for the past three years, ever since she got pregnant with her daughter as a freshman. Now, with senior year coming to a close, Emoni has even more decisions ahead of her — most importantly, whether or not to pursue her dream of becoming a chef. Authentic and heartfelt, With the Fire On High is a joyful read about finding the courage to pursue your passion even when it seems impossible.

Young Reader: Black Brother, Black Brother
Jewell Parker Rhodes
Twelve-year-old Donte is one of the few Black students at his wealthy prep school; even his brother is lighter-skinned and presents as white. When Donte is arrested after being framed by the captain of the fencing team, he sets out to beat him at his own game. However, through fencing, he embarks on a powerful journey of self-discovery and learns the importance of friendship, community and embracing his identity. While a relatively quick read, Black Brother, Black Brother is sure to spark important conversations on racism, colorism and the school-to-prison pipeline for a younger audience.”

April Most Anticipated New Books

The birds are singing, the bees are buzzing, flowers are starting to bloom. All this can only mean one thing — new books are coming your way! And what better way to welcome the joys of spring publishing than with a spectacular new read. From wickedly hilarious essays to magical realism, high-stakes thrillers, musical memoirs, and an explosive, previously unpublished novel that’s sure to be one of the biggest literary events of the year, here are a few of our picks for the best new books to look out for this April.

Our Most Anticipated Books of the Month are:

• Good Company: A Novel Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney’s talents are once again on full display; complicated family dynamics and smart, thoughtful characters that draw you in. Immerse yourself in the quirky, unpredictable NYC theater world. While the professional dramas are playing out, of course, the relationship drama takes center stage: Flora, Julian, Margot, and David’s lives are relatable, tragic, and charmed. You will empathize with every decision and sacrifice and won’t be tempted to leave at intermission. Good Company is an engaging story of love, marriage, and friendship — those bonds that equally heal and wound. Fans of The Nest will not be disappointed.
• The Man Who Lived Underground Richard Wright, Malcolm Wright (Afterword) It’s hard to tell what’s more shocking: The nature of the story when it was written or just how pertinent it is today. Maybe these points are equally so — which means you have a couple of great reasons to delve into this unearthed classic. This explosive, previously unpublished novel from the 1940s by the legendary author of Native Son and Black Boy is sure to be the literary event of the season.
• Broken Horses Brandi Carlile The five-time Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter pens her life story, filled with heart-wrenching drama and amazing fortitude. Carlile’s story takes readers through her impoverished childhood, tough adolescence dealing with her sexuality, being openly gay as a teen, and ultimately finding music to be a salve to her emotional wounds. This is will be one of the biggest music books of the year.
• The Drowning Kind Jennifer McMahon Does the allure of a New England summer retreat with an old hotel and a mysterious cold spring hold any pull? If so, then it’s time to take a dip into the deep end of the pool with The Drowning Kind. The bond of sisters, family dynamics and hidden diaries swirl through this horror novel that will keep you asking, “what’s next?” For those nights you just don’t want to fall asleep.
• What Comes After: A Novel JoAnne Tompkins JoAnn Tompkins’ What Comes After is an extraordinary debut literary thriller. In the wake of the devastating and shocking loss of two teenage boys, a community is shrouded in mystery and grief until an unfamiliar teenage girl arrives, changing everything. This is a tender and propulsive story of family — both biological and found — human connection, and forgiveness. A must-read for anyone searching for a mystery with heart.
• Northern Spy: A Novel Flynn Berry It takes a special skill to combine a historical political backdrop with personal conflict. This is the stuff of a great novel — to switch between the worlds where our hearts and mind reside daily. Flynn Berry takes us to Northern Ireland with the sweep of her pen into the thrilling tale of two sisters who become entangled with the IRA.
• Astrid Sees All: A Novel Natalie Standiford New York City, 1984: The glittering East Village club scene sets the stage for this irresistible novel around female friendship, sex and what it’s like to be young in search of your identity. Twenty-two-year-old Phoebe Hayes is Astrid the Star Girl, reading movie ticket stubs rather than tarot cards while she grieves the death of her father.
• We Are Watching Eliza Bright A.E. Osworth Sometimes it takes a work of fiction to dissect the ills of society. A.E. Osworth’s tech world and writing background make this one of the most important cyber-thrillers of the 21st century.
• Gold Diggers: A Novel Sanjena Sathian How far would you go for the American dream? Sanjena Sathian’s brilliantly original debut follows first-generation Indian immigrant neighbors Neil and Anita as they straddle the line between their ambitions and their parents’ pursuit of the American dream — all with a touch of magic. Anita has her sights set on Harvard and Neil has his sights set on making it through his summer math class and, well, Anita. Neil soon discovers the secret to Anita’s recent successes; it’s pure gold and he wants in. What happens next in this page-turning debut is all at once mystical, tragic, and at times pretty funny.
• Broken (in the best possible way) Jenny Lawson Jenny Lawson fans rejoice! This new collection of essays on depression and mental health, physical health, family, insurance companies, or shoes that go missing is often raw and hard, but incisive and original. Lawson’s generosity in sharing her darkest moment is matched by an equal capacity to find the absurd, the ridiculous, the sweet and tender, and to serve it up with a deliciously skewering, wicked sense of wry humor.
• Last Chance Texaco: Chronicles of an American Troubadour Rickie Lee Jones Two-time Grammy Award-winner Rickie Lee Jones has led an interesting life starting with being a teenage runaway, chasing gigs and having a love affair with Tom Waits. But her life story gave her the fuel to create amazing lyrics. Besides reading about her storied musical career, her somewhat notorious family history could fill a book. Fans will love her tenacity and showmanship, one of the many reasons she’s still just as relevant today.
• Crying in H Mart Michelle Zauner If you’re not familiar with the name, Michelle Zauner, you may recognize her band, Japanese Breakfast. Zauner is an amazing songwriter, and her writing chops are on full display in this often-wistful memoir describing life as a rebellious youth trying to reconcile her Asian heritage in a very white Eugene, Oregon. Her mom plays a major role in the book and she looms over her in varying degrees during her life especially when she becomes ill. Crying in H Mart is a story of family, food, grief and endurance, and one we can’t stop talking about!
• Authentic: A Memoir by the Founder of Vans Paul Van Doren Authentics, Old Skools, Sk8-Hi’s, Slip-Ons or Eras? How many smiling memories of life in your Vans, the fun in your footsteps, and that bit of connection to a culture of skaters, surfers, graffiti artists, rockers and “Off the Wall” renegades? All of this for the reasonable price of an excellent shoe, made by people who held fast to what was right and knowing what was wrong. Van Doren’s founding tale of an iconic brand is a delightful mix of biography, advice, business profile and inspiration.
• Philip Roth: The Biography Blake Bailey In more than 30 literary works over 50-plus years, Philip Roth captured indelible moments of the American temporal zeitgeist. He was towering, frustrating, charming, divisive, alarming and controversial. Blake Bailey has given us a brilliantly fitting, beautifully crafted and magisterial biography of this big life, this deeply influential writer, good, bad, ugly and sublime.
• The Light of Days: The Untold Story of Women Resistance Fighters in Hitler’s Ghettos Judy Batalion A riveting reclamation of a previously lost history and testimony to the powerful impact during WWII of Jewish female resistance fighters from the ghettoes of Poland. Battalion’s is a remarkable and keenly important feat of research and historical sleuthing. While Light of Days may read like hair-raising historical fiction, these stories of terrifying bravery at great personal risk are as real, as moving, and inspiring as they get.

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