There’s something about spring that makes a fresh stack of books feel especially inviting. Maybe it’s the longer days, the open windows, or the simple pleasure of sitting outside with a cup of coffee and a story you can’t put down. It’s the perfect season to rediscover the joy of reading – whether you’re diving into something thought-provoking, transporting, or just delightfully entertaining.
This spring, the best reading lists strike a balance between escapism and substance. If you’re in the mood to travel without leaving your chair, A Far-Flung Life by M.L. Stedman offers beautifully written storytelling that pulls you into another world. For those who enjoy a fresh take on familiar tales, Lady Tremaine by Rachael Hockensmith brings a clever, layered perspective that feels both nostalgic and new.
If you’re drawn to stories rooted in real life, Judy Blume by Mark Oppenheimer offers a fascinating look at a beloved literary icon, full of insight and cultural context. Prefer something with a bit of intrigue? Daughter of Egypt by Marie Benedict blends history and imagination in a way that’s both engaging and inspiring.
And for those moments when you want something a little more reflective, Turn Off the Light by Jacquie Walters encourages you to slow down and consider life’s deeper rhythms: perfect for a quiet spring afternoon.
However you build your list, the goal is simple: choose books that make you linger a little longer, think a little deeper, and savor the season page by page.
This month, we’ve got bonus suggestions from our editor! Check them out below!
Sandy’s Top Selections for April Reading
A Far-Flung Life by M.L. Stedman | Historical Fiction
A Far-Flung Life begins in 1958 and follows several generations of a family on their million-acre sheep ranch in Southwest Australia. This novel is about the decisions people make in the wake of tragic circumstances. It is about family legacy, land, family, grief, and things that happen that are beyond anyone’s control.
Lady Tremaine by Rachael Hochhauser | Fantasy/Fiction
Lady Tremaine is the story of Cinderella from the ‘evil’ stepmother’s point of view with a feminist twist. She’s more complex and completely relatable when her background is revealed. She’s a single parent who wants the best for her two girls, and being widowed with a stepchild has its own challenges.
Judy Blume by Mark Oppenheimer | Memoir
Judy Blume is a straightforward tracing of Blume’s life and career. This biography examines how Blume’s personal experiences – including her Jewish identity and feminist awakening – shape her work. Judy Blume continues to write for children and adults. She is also involved in a new project adopting her earlier children’s novels into home videos.
Turn Off The Light by Jacquie Walters | Mystery
Turn off the Light’s storyline features two timelines, 400 years apart, which interconnect in a most surprising way. A woman returns to her haunted childhood home, where a 17th-century healer’s fate intertwines with her own. There is a terrifying twist that is ominous, with moments of genuine terror and historical authenticity.
Daughter of Egypt by Marie Benedict | Historical Fiction
Daughter of Egypt connects Lady Evelyn Herbert, whose father discovered the tomb of King Tutankhamun, with Hatshepsut, the only female pharaoh, whose legacy was erased by her male successors. The women had to fight for recognition in patriarchal societies. Both were forced to hide who they were during their lifetimes, yet ultimately changed history forever.
Check Out Our Editor Picks for the Month
Here are five buzz-worthy, conversation-starting books that are getting attention right now; each offers something a little different, but all are perfect for settling into a good chair and getting completely absorbed.
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
Told through letters and emails, this novel quietly pulls you into a decade-long exchange that reveals the complexities of relationships, time, and the things left unsaid. It’s intimate in the best way—like reading someone else’s life unfold in real time. No wonder it climbed bestseller lists and is already being adapted for film.
Why you’ll love it: Thoughtful, character-driven, and perfect if you enjoy stories that feel deeply human.
Dear Debbie by Freida McFadden
If you’re in the mood for something a bit sharper, this twisty thriller delivers. It centers on a woman pushed to her limits—then deciding she’s had enough. Readers are loving its bold, almost rebellious tone.
Why you’ll love it: Fast-paced, clever, and just a little bit wicked.
The Storm by Rachel Hawkins
Part mystery, part psychological drama, this story keeps you guessing from beginning to end. Hawkins has a knack for layering secrets, and this one is no exception.
Why you’ll love it: It’s the kind of book you promise yourself you’ll read slowly… and then don’t. Note: This was on Sandy’s Selections list for February… It’s a double suggestion!
Strangers A Memoir of Marriage by Belle Burden
Raw, reflective, and quietly powerful, this memoir explores the shifting terrain of a long relationship. It’s honest without being heavy, offering moments of recognition that linger.
Why you’ll love it: Insightful and relatable, especially if you appreciate real-life stories that don’t shy away from complexity.
Katabasis by R.F. Kuang
For something more imaginative, this novel blends academia, mythology, and emotional depth in a way that feels both intellectual and gripping. It’s already earned major literary recognition and plenty of buzz.
Why you’ll love it: Smart, original, and just different enough to surprise you.
In Case You Missed It: Here are Sandy’s Selections from April 2025!
SAVING FIVE: A MEMOIR OF HOPE by Amanda Nguyen | Memoir
Saving Five details Amanda Nguyen’s healing journey and groundbreaking activism in the aftermath of her rape at Harvard. From one of the most influential activists (and now astronaut) of her time, Saving Five is at once a tribute to resilience, a celebration of healing through action, and a resounding cry to change the world. “I taped Never Never Never Give Up to my computer monitor to remind myself that I will not let him win,” and it went to Space with her.
FAGIN THE THIEF by Alison Epstein | Historical Fiction
Fagin the Thief is an imaginative retelling of Oliver Twist, taking one of literature’s greatest rogues, Fagin, and giving him a soul, a backstory, and a spotlight. Fagin is a captivating, complex, deeply human character adrift in a London that’s as richly described and grittily alive as Dickens’ own city. What the book Wicked did for the Wicked Witch of the West, Fagin the Thief does for Fagin. It is colorfully written and wickedly funny.
BROKEN COUNTRY by Clare Leslie Hall | Women’s Life Fiction
Set in a rural English village in the 1960s, the environment itself is a character in this story. The impossible choices and consequences when faced with the dilemmas these characters face make it a propulsive and heartbreaking read. Broken Country toggles between the past and present to explore the far-reaching legacy of first love. It is a story of love, loss, and the choices that shape our lives.
RAISING HARE by Chloe Dalton | Nonfiction
Raising Hare is a beautifully written book about a woman’s unexpected encounter with a newborn wild hare (a leveret) and her experience caring for it. To return it to the wilderness, she learns to feed and care for the leveret. Instead, it becomes her constant companion. Raising Hare chronicles their journey together while also delving deeply into the lives and nature of hares and how they are portrayed in art, literature, and folklore.
BLOOD MOON by Sandra Brown | Crime Thriller
In Blood Moon, an embittered detective and an ambitious TV show producer race against the clock to prevent another young woman from disappearing before the next blood moon—only four days away. Sandra Brown has honed her craft masterfully, and the reader is captivated by her intense situations and highly detailed plot, which keeps pulling you in. This murder mystery is believable and reads like a true crime news story.
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