We are — somehow, mysteriously — already into the second quarter of the year. Following last month’s array of new books dedicated to baseball, April’s new releases are a more wide-ranging bunch. True, there is a book about sports, but that’s to be expected in a year that brings both the Olympics and the World Cup. Elsewhere, you’ll find everything from fiction rooted in family histories to a gripping look at extremism in a small town. Here are 10 books we’re excited to spend time with this month.
David MacFarlane, On Sports (Apr. 7)
Biblioasis’s “Field Notes” series has become a great go-to destination for short books on big topics, whether you’re looking for ruminations on community or meditations on oil’s effects on the world. The latest work in the series comes from acclaimed writer David MacFarlane. Here, MacFarlane turns his gaze on the world of sports, exploring their appeal as both participant and observer and describing the evolution of our own connection to them.
Zahra Tangorra, Extra Sauce: The Good, the Bad, and the Onions (Apr. 14)
Over the course of her work at culinary destinations like Brucie and its successor Zaza, Zahra Tangorra discovered compelling ways to blend home dining with the communal experience of a great restaurant. Her new memoir Extra Sauce chronicles the unconventional path she took to the food world and the lessons she’s learned from her time there.
Michael Edison Hayden, Strange People on the Hill: How Extremism Tore Apart a Small American Town (Apr. 7)
You might know Michael Edison Hayden’s name from his writings as a journalist, or for his work as co-host of the excellent podcast Posting Through It. His new book explores a chilling moment in recent history: the decision of a racist group to purchase a storied building in a Virginia town, and the efforts of residents there to push back against their work. It’s a gripping exploration of political extremism and local activism that’s more relevant by the day.
Violaine Huisman, The Monuments of Paris (Apr. 14)
Violaine Huisman’s work has been longlisted for the International Booker Prize, and her work has also encompassed essential cultural event programming. Her new novel takes on substantial themes, including imposing familial legacies and long-buried secrets that threaten to upend beloved memories. There’s a reason that love, war and lies have long made for compelling fiction, and this novel is a powerful reminder of that.
Patrick Radden Keefe, London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family’s Search for Truth (Apr. 7)
Following the publication of books like Say Nothing and Empire of Pain, it isn’t an exaggeration to say that Patrick Radden Keefe is writing some of the most notable nonfiction out in the world right now. His latest book, London Falling, explores the wake of a young man’s sudden death in London, and grows to encompass a complex array of connections throughout the city and the intrigue that eventually became tragic.
Caroline Bicks, Monsters in the Archives: My Year of Fear with Stephen King (Apr. 21)
For more than 50 years, the writings of Stephen King have — pardon the phrasing — haunted readers around the world. In her new book Monsters in the Archives, Caroline Bicks describes what it was like to spend a year immersed in King’s archives. It’s a fascinating look into one writer’s evolution, as well as the development of books like Night Shift and The Shining.
Nora Lange, Day Care (Apr. 7)
Nora Lange’s debut, the novel Us Fools, was one of 2024’s best books, an ambitious work about familial bonds, mental health and class. Lange’s new book shows off another facet of her literary work: a series of short stories that take the reader to a wide range of locations. And if you’d like a taste of what’s inside, Granta recently published an excerpt.
What to Read Right Now, According to Cool Men
This month’s recommendations include a Pulitzer winner, a memoir set in Jamaica and “an extremely funny, incredibly dark novel about Philadelphia”
Roland Betancourt, Disneyland and the Rise of Automation: How Technology Created the Happiest Place on Earth (Apr. 28)
When you look at Disneyland, what do you see? For some, it’s the place where cherished memories were made; for others, it’s a window on a nation’s class dynamics. For Guggenheim Fellow Roland Betancourt, Disneyland is a place where the practice of automation gained ground, and where an unlikely template was set for the decades to come.
Megan O’Grady, How It Feels to Be Alive: Encounters with Art and Our Selves (Apr. 21)
When you take in a work of art, you aren’t necessarily just seeing it; instead, you’re experiencing it with your whole body and bringing a whole set of memories to bear on the process. In her new book How It Feels to Be Alive, Megan O’Grady describes that very process, as well as the ways in which our relationship to certain pieces of art can evolve over time. It’s a mesmerizing look at, well, looking at art.
George Grella Jr, Minimalist Music (Apr. 30)
Minimalism doesn’t just mean art or design; it also applies to a whole school of musical composition. And minimalist composers are frequently in the spotlight nowadays, whether that’s the posthumous revival of Julius Eastman’s compositions or the recent celebrations of Arvo Pärt’s 90th birthday. So if you’re looking to brush up on your musical history, this new volume by George Grella Jr is an excellent way to do so.
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