Revitalize your “must-read” list with these juicy novels, thrillers, and memoirs.
When flowers are blooming like they are now (when did all these trees explode with color in New York City?), all I want to do is sit in the park and read. The cherry blossoms in Central Park create the perfect shade to plop under and leaf through a new book. If you see a woman carrying stacks of books around, that’s me, and it’s because I’m getting ready to devour them but cannot possibly choose just one.
I’m sure I’m not the only one, which is probably why Independent Bookstore Day is planted perfectly before the end of April, and it’s celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. Mark your calendars for April 29 and be sure to visit a local indie bookseller that day. Even American Express is getting involved by partnering with the American Booksellers Association (ABA) and six indies across New York and L.A. to encourage card members to shop at those local bookstores. (Cardholders who shop there will get a $25 gift card for a book of their choice!)
If you’re in L.A. you can shop at Octavia’s Bookshelf, The Last Bookstore, or The Ripped Bodice, and in New York at The Lit Bar, Greenlight Bookstore, or Book Club Bar. Of course, you’re also always welcome at Zibby’s Bookshop (my new bookstore!) on Montana Avenue in Santa Monica, CA, where we’ll be celebrating all day. Don’t forget to peruse Katie’s personally curated shelf.
This spring, there are so many fabulous reads coming that my head is spinning. Here are a few I’m most excited about.
Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune
What if your parent left you what you least wanted? That’s what happens in Meet Me at the Lake, but in this case, Fern Brookbanks is left an entire resort. When a new guest checks in with painful reminders of the past, what’s one jaded, grown daughter to do? This novel, set in Toronto and on a nearby lake, is beautiful, charming, witty, poignant, and all the things you could want in a spring read.
Super Bloom by Megan Tady
When a grieving massage therapist at a Vermont spa meets a quirky romance novelist — who asks her to spy on clients! — her life takes a huge turn. Can this undercover assignment help her rediscover humor, grief, and her own voice? Funny and fresh, Super Bloom is the perfect novel to help you hit refresh.
Drowning by T.J. Newman
When a plane crashes and heads underwater in this chilling thriller, the survivors are trapped. Helpless, they fall deep into the ocean until a rescue ensues. It’s a race against time in this breathtaking, heart-pounding read that already sold for the screen in a heated auction. Read it before you watch it.
Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See
Lady Tan’s Circle of Women has everything you could want in a dramatic tale of female friendship. A solemn vow. An arranged marriage. Conventions and traditions mixed with desire and independence. This novel will hold women’s friendships up to the light paired with ambition, loyalty, and long ago life by Lisa See, the bestselling author of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan.
Hedge by Jane Delury
Passion versus children? Hmm… In Jane Delury’s novel, it isn’t quite so simple. But as a landscape historian grows closer to a work colleague, her loyalties grow divided when her two daughters come to visit. Hedge is a soulful and tender novel about mothers and daughters, midlife love, and longing — and it will be the book everyone’s reading behind their own hedges.
Social Engagement by Avery Carpenter Forrey
This is a story about a wedding gone wrong, a bride with regrets, and the role of social media in creating false narratives about relationships. Since this debut novel is light but also has a poignant message, it’s a perfect gift for someone planning a wedding.
Oh My Mother: A Memoir in Nine Adventures by Connie Wang
Connie Wang’s memoir explores the funny, poignant, and unforgettable moments of a mother-daughter relationship — complete with edibles, trips to Vegas, Versailles, and more unexpected adventures. In other words, this is the perfect Mother’s Day read.
The Wreck: A Daughter’s Memoir of Becoming a Mother by Cassandra Jackson
Cassandra Jackson learns early on in life that she’s named after her father’s late niece. It turns out that the first Cassandra perished along with his mother, sister, and first wife. As Cassandra copes with the ever-presence of her lost family and her father’s loss, she explores racism, the past, and the journey to reclaiming a sense of self.
Zibby Owens is the award-winning podcast host of Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books. As founder and CEO of Zibby Media, she runs a publishing house, magazine, education platform, retreats, a book club, and more. She also owns Zibby’s Bookshop, an independent bookstore in Santa Monica, CA. Author of Bookends: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Literature and Princess Charming, plus editor of two anthologies, Zibby has a debut novel coming out in March 2024 called Blank.
