Anticipated April 2026 Releases

  

April is right around the corner, and of course that means more new books! I'm extremely excited many of these and am currently reading/have read a few on this already (hooray for getting to ARCs on time--sometimes it really happens, haha) and it is shaping up to be a great month. Which April releases are you most excited for!? Let me know! I also have a very strong feeling that I've somehow left out a lot of great April releases from this list, so please do let me know also if I've forgotten any that you are most excited for. 
Happy reading, everyone!

The Caretaker by Marcus Kliewer || 21st -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker || 14th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Subtle Art of Folding Space by John Chiu || April  7th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances by Glenn Dixon || April  7th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Wolvers by Taylor Brown || April  7th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Morsel by Carter Keane || April 14th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

An Arcane Study of Stars by Sydney J. Shields || April 28th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Odessa by Gabrielle Sher || April 21st -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

If We Cannot Go at the Speed of Light by Kim Cho-yeop || April 28th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Witch by Marie Ndiaye || 7th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Molka by Monika Kim || April 30th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Photonic Effect by Mike Chen || April 21st -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Labyrinth of Waking Dreams by Michelle Kulwicki || April 21st -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Honey in the Wound by Jiyoung Han || April 7th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Verdant Cage by Jess Lourey || April 7th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Year of the Mer by L.D. Lewis || April  7th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Witch and the Huntress by Luna McNamara || April 21st -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

We Call Them Witches by India-Rose Bower || April 7th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Tricky Business of Faerie Bargains by Reena McCarty || 7th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

We Burned So Bright by TJ Klune || April 28th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Penguin Book of International Short Story by Rabih Alameddine || April 7th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke || April  7th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Those Who Are About To Die: A Day in the Life of a Roman Gladiator by Harry Sidebottom || April 14th -- Bookshop.org

Stealing America: The Untold Story of Indigenous Slavery in American History by Linford D. Fisher || April 28th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Small Boat by Vincent Delecroix || April  21st -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Hexes of the Deadwood by Agnieszka Szpila || April  7th -- Bookshop.org

Go Gentle by Maria Semple || April  14th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Last Night in Brooklyn by Xochitl Gonzalez || 21st -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Neverending Book by Naoki Matayoshi, Shinsuke Yoshitake || April 21st -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

What are your anticipated April releases?

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Molka by Monika Kim, Wolvers by Taylor Brown, & We Call Them Witches by India-Rose Bower

     

 Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released

Molka by Monika Kim
Publication: April 28th, 2026
Erewhon Books
Hardcover. 304 pages.
Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:
"molka (n): the Korean term for spy cameras secretly and illegally installed, often to capture voyeuristic images and videos

Dahye can't believe her luck when she finds herself in a whirlwind romance with handsome, charismatic Hyukjoon, the heir to a multi-million dollar fortune.

But then a shocking revelation threatens: the couple has been caught on a spycam amid Korea's growing molka epidemic, and the video is all over the internet. When Hyukjoon flees the country to avoid the intense public scrutiny, Dahye is left to grapple with the ramifications on her own; and the demons from her childhood, long dormant, begin to surface.

Amid the chaos, she catches the attention of Junyoung, a nerdy, introverted IT tech at work. Junyoung harbours a dark secret: he has been spying on the women at work with his own hidden cameras. As Dahye's life begins to unravel, she unknowingly becomes the sole target of Junyoung's perverse obsession.

When the facts surrounding the invasion of her privacy come to light, Dahye is faced with the humiliating truth. Her pain and hurt turn to rage as she faces her past. Her desire for vengeance is insatiable, and she will not rest until the men who have wronged her have paid in blood..."

Wolvers by Taylor Brown

Publication: April 7th, 2026

St. Martin's Press

Hardcover. 320 pages.

Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:

"From the Southern Book Prize winning author of Rednecks: a thrilling novel of pursuit, survival, and redemption between two species in the American Southwest

Broke, dispossessed, and angry at the government after losing his family’s New Mexico ranch, Trace Temple is looking for revenge. He’s living out of his truck when a shadowy militia movement hires him to take down the legendary she-wolf of the Dark Canyon pack, One-Eleven. But One-Eleven is no ordinary wolf. Cunning, fiercely protective of her young, and seasoned in the ways of men, she leads her pack deep into the forbidding desert peaks and canyons, always one step ahead of pursuit.

After a harrowing brush with death in the backcountry, Trace has a change of heart—only to be replaced by a professional hunter and assassin named Murdoch, who ruthlessly pursues his animal quarry while stalking Trace himself.

To survive, Trace must join forces with a pair of unlikely a survivalist animal protector who deploys feral senses and deep wilderness skills to protect the wolves, and Imogen Cruz, a local rancher, childhood friend, and unrequited love of Trace’s early years. Together, they must fight to protect not only themselves and the Dark Canyon pack, but ultimately, the Gila Wilderness itself—the world’s first designated wilderness area.

In Wolvers, award-winning author Taylor Brown presents a suspenseful, thrillingly-written tale set at the burning edge of today’s Southwest, where once-extinct wolves have returned, the land is tinder-dry and fragile, and desperate men seek to reclaim what they believe is theirs to rule."

We Call Them Witches by India-Rose Bower
Publication: April 7th, 2026
Poisoned Pen Press
Paperback. 320 pages.
Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:
"'Most people have been devoured by the eldritch creatures, but Sara and her family have been fighting for survival, armed with their knowledge of folklore and pagan rituals - the only weapon that seems to work against these monsters.

And then a young woman, Parsley, comes out of nowhere into Sara's life. Found in their garden, they have no idea where she is from.

Sara and Parsley begin to fall in love, but disaster strikes when Sara’s brother Noah is taken by the creatures.

They set out to find him, across a landscape of merciless terror, haunted by death.

But can Parsley truly be trusted in a world where humanity is as scarse as humans themselves?"
Note: I adore the UK cover, so I've featureed the UK cover here, but the information on this post is for the US release date, and the US cover can be found here (it's also lovely!).

Review: The Feather Wars: And the Great Crusade to Save America's Birds by James H. McCommons

The Feather Wars by James H. McCommons 
St. Martin's Press

Publication Date: March 17th, 2026
Hardcover. 416 pages.

About The Feather Wars:

"A definitive history of bird conservation in America.” (Kirkus Reviews, starred)

From the time the country was founded, early Americans assumed that the land’s natural resources were infinite, including its birds, which were zealously hunted for food, game, and fashion. With the rapid extinction of the passenger pigeon―a bird once so numerous that its flocks darkened the sky in flight―many realized actions needed to be taken if other birds were to be saved. What followed was both a spiritual awakening and a great crusade to save birds and their habitat. The campaign took place on many battlefields: society teas in Boston, hunt clubs on the East Coast, the mangroves in the Everglades, and in the editorial pages of newspapers and periodicals. From many corners of the country the bird protection movement was born and brought together a remarkable coalition of people and organizations to save America’s birds.

The Feather Wars is an entertaining and expansive work of American history, an incredible story about how disparate characters―progressive politicians, free-thinking society belles, nature writers and artists, bird-loving U.S. presidents, gunmakers, business titans, and brave game wardens―came together to save hundreds of species of birds. Heroes, martyrs, villains, and conflicted do-gooders―the early bird conservation movement had them all. Together they transformed how Americans thought and cared about birds, forever altering the American landscape."

The Feather Wars is incredibly well-researched and I think does an amazing job of telling readers about a long and complicated history of birds in America in a way that felt accessible and compelling. This was a bit of a random read for me and I'm so glad I decided to take a chance and pick it up. I learned so much and am now even more curious about all the populations of birds in my area. 

Growing up, I was never very much into birds. There were cool, but you know, I never really thought about them much--they were just there, and I had no idea how tumultuous their history in the United States was. However, as an adult, I've found myself more and more interested in birds and I've really grown more curious about all the birds that live in my area and how they got there. (I also regularly feed some crows in my neighborhood so they now follow me and my dog on walks and it's both really cool and a little bit weird sometimes, but I like it.)

The Feather Wars really opened my eyes to so much about the history of birds and their interactions with the human population as the United States developed. In doing so, it thoroughly explains the immense impact hunting--whether for sport, fashion, scientific study, collection, or a variety of others reasons--has had on the populations of birds and just how much humans have impacted them. And a majority of those impacts have been pretty negative, or at least they started out that way, as now there is more awareness and work being done to preserve their populations in the wild. Personally, I am not a huge fan of hunting in general, and I know that some hunting is done in ways meant to help population and all that, but I'm personally not planning to go hunting and there is plenty of hunting done just for sport, which is what is really highlighted in this book as having a huge impact on birds. Even those who hunted simply to collect the birds to study caused detrimental harm, and I appreciated how clearly this book was able to document so many of these examples while then pivoting into the different conservation efforts undertaken throughout the years. 

The Feather Wars also discusses many modern day issues, most notably common domestic cats, which have decimated and continue to cause great harm to bird populations. Cats are not natural to these environment and people don't tend to realize just how many birds their cats kill, or how this affects their population.

It was actually quite devastating to read about how birds have been treated over time, and it's made me really consider more just how important their populations are. McCommons really takes the time to dive into many specific examples of bird populations that have been harmed, as well as people throughout history who have done both positive and negative things in relation to conservation efforts, and I found these extremely compelling to learn about. There was so much that I never knew about, and it was also really interesting to learn about the founding of things I have heard of but don't know many details about, such as the Audubon society. 

Overall, I highly recommend this one for anyone interested in birds or honestly anyone who wants to learn about a fascinating topic that is still very relevant.

Buy the book: Bookshop.org | Amazon

Review: Crawlspace by Adam Christopher

Crawlspace by Adam Christopher

Tor Nightfire
Publication Date: March 17th, 2026
Paperback. 240 pages.

About Crawlspace:

"Enter an edge-of-your-seat nightmare to the darkest frontiers in Crawlspace, a sci-fi horror novel from New York Times bestselling author Adam Christopher, perfect for fans of S.A. Barnes and Event Horizon.

Mission Lead Olivia O’Connor and her team from the Artemis Corporation, along with their military liaison, are in the final preparations for an undertaking that will alter the course of human history: a test flight that promises to open up new frontiers in the expanse of the universe.

But their journey between dimensions is one they never trained for. Strange voices in the corridors. Long lost faces not forgotten. Strange symbols carved into the hull. And gathering outside the ship, ancient forces beyond reckoning.

The crew will need all their skills to survive and uncover the twisted truth behind their mission.

Commencing countdown..."

I have some extremely mixed feelings about Crawlspace and I've been struggling to put them into words. 

The story follows a crew sent on a high-level mission that quickly becomes far stranger and more dangerous than they expected (and more than it already was). As they attempt to navigate the unknown, the team begins to encounter increasingly unsettling phenomena that raises a lot of questions about what exactly is going on and what they're dealing with--and whether or not that fully understand the mission that they've been sent on. This setup alone was incredibly intriguing to me and full oof potential for both suspense and a vast amount of discovery.

Crawlspace is for sci-fi fans first and horror fans second, and I think that's important to note right away. The concept and premise are fascinating and have some really strong elements to them. That being said, I do think the execution could've used a little something more really to bring those ideas to life and make the story feel more compelling and immersive for the reader.

The characters were all generally competent at their jobs and relatively interesting, but I never found myself really becoming that invested in their personal experiences or perspectives. There were also, of course, some very frustrating decisions made that I feel tend be par for the course in any story such as this. Communication issues between characters were another area that felt a bit frustrating, such as moment where information was withheld in ways that seemed to heighten the drama or mystery in ways that felt somewhat artificial, as if they were there solely to try to make things more interesting, but didn't really do much for the plot or progression of the story.

I did also find the overall mission concept interesting and I enjoyed seeing how the crew worked together to solve different problems along the way. When things started to go pretty sideways, we got glimpses of how each character reacted under some pretty intense pressures, and I think this added some great tension to the story, as well as worked well to highlight their different personalities and approaches to situation.  

I got about halfway through Crawlspace when I started feeling like I must be missing something, so I went to Goodreads to look at some other reviews and noticed that quite a few other readers seemed to be feeling similar to me. While things are technically happening in the story, it often felt like not very much was actually progressing at the same time, which is always a weird experience in a book. I think some of the reviews I read were a bit overly harsh, but I can definitely understand whether the reactions are coming from. 

There are a few moments spread throughout this book where I found my interest piqued the most, and that's where I felt like the story's potential really shone through. Those moments are honestly some of the main reasons I kept reading, and without them, I likely would have DNF'd the book. Unfortunately, I'm not entirely sure if those areas were strong enough to really make this book that much better, but I think they did show some strong potential from the author and added just enough intrigue to make me curious about the direction of this narrative. I also did find the ending to be pretty interesting and I really wish I had felt more of that throughout the entire book, rather than just the last parts of it. 

Overall, I think Crawlspace has an interesting premise and some really promising ideas, but the pacing and characters made it a harder read for me than I expected, and I really expected to fly through this book. I can absolutely see sci-fi readers who enjoy slower, technical space sci-fi stories finding more to enjoy from this one, but for me, it ultimately felt like a book that didn't quite live up to what it was trying to do. I would still absolutely read more from Adam Christopher in the future, though, because I believe his wring is strong and his ideas are there, so I'd be curious to see what he has up next. 

*I received a copy of Crawlspace courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my opinions.*

Buy the book: Bookshop.org | Amazon

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Morsel by Carter Keane, The Subtle Art of Folding Space by John Chu, & An Arcane Study of Stars by Sydney J. Shields

      

 Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released

Morsel by Carter Keane
Publication: April 14th, 2026
Tor Nightfire
Hardcover. 208 pages.
Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:
"The Blair Witch Project meets The Ritual, with a generous helping of The Menu, in Morsel, a delicious folk horror novella perfect for fans of T. Kingfisher, Cassandra Khaw, and Paul Tremblay.

Lou did what the children of parents with back-breaking, poor paying jobs are supposed to do; pulled up her bootstraps, went to college, and got an office job with coworkers who won’t stop talking about their multi-level marketing scheme disguised as self-betterment.

Determined to lift her ill mother out of poverty before it's too late, and in the spirit of climbing the corporate ladder, Lou accepts an assignment in the rural hills of Ohio. She quickly finds herself stranded in the middle of nowhere with a sabotaged truck, a dog she’s determined to keep safe, and something stalking her through the ancient Appalachian woods.

If she can’t escape the woods in time, she’ll come face to face with the fact that her job isn’t the only thing that wants to eat her alive.

Morsel is a chilling testament to the burden of generational poverty and the all-consuming nature of capitalism, where the monster and the monstrous, in the end, are not the same."

The Subtle Art of Folding Space by John Chu

Publication: April 7th, 2026

Tor Books

Hardcover. 240 pages.

Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:

"The Subtle Art of Folding Space , is the exhilarating debut science fiction novel from Nebula and Hugo-winning author John Chu channels unhinged physics, generational trauma, and the comfort of really good dim sum. This isn't your usual jaunt through quantum physics.

Ellie’s universe, and this one, is falling apart. Her ailing mother is in a coma; her sister, Chris, accuses her of being insufficiently Chinese between assassination attempts; and a shadowy cabal of engineers is trying to hijack the skunkworks, the machinery that keeps the physics of each universe working the way it’s supposed to.

Daniel, Ellie's cousin, has found an illicit device in the skunkworks—one that keeps Ellie's comatose mother alive while also creating destabilizing bugs in the physics of this universe. It's not a good day.

If she can confront her mother’s legacy and overcome her family’s generational trauma, she just might find a way to preserve the skunkworks and reconcile with her sister…but digging into her family’s past is thornier than it seems, and the secrets she uncovers will force Ellie to choose between her family and the universe itself."

An Arcane Study of Stars by Sydney J. Shields
Publication: April 28th, 2026
Orbit
Paperback. 368 pages.
Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:
"From Sydney Shields, the breakout author of The Honey Witch, comes An Arcane Study of Stars, a historical dark academia fantasy filled with ancient secret societies, a swoon-worthy rivals-to-lovers romance, and dangerous deals made after dark. Perfect for fans of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and The Atlas Six.

When Claudia Jolicoeur is rejected from Cygnus University, a devilish stranger named Dorian appears in her nightmares and offers her a bargain: he will get her into Cygnus if she learns how to free him from a prison of stars. He takes a bite of her soul to seal the deal, and Claudia wakes to a letter from the High Sage of Cygnus stating she will take the place of Odette Dufort, a Rhetoric student who passed away.

Her arrival raises suspicions, rumors that she had a hand in Odette's death spread like wildfire, and Cassius MacLeod, the High Sage’s apprentice and Claudia's fellow Rhetoric student, seems hellbent on humiliating her. Determined to clear her name, she searches for any evidence that could prove her innocence. When someone—or something—starts slipping her pieces of Odette’s diary, Claudia uncovers a horrifying truth: over the last century, celestial witches at Cygnus have been murdered. Odette was one of them, and Claudia could be next. For her own protection, Claudia needs to free Dorian—and fast. By night, she studies the stars, slowly unraveling the mystery of Dorian's prison.

By day, she and Cassius wage rhetorical war as debate partners in class. What begins as a fierce rivalry devolves into something deeper, darker, and dangerously sensual. As Claudia inches closer to the truth, she must decide: would trusting Cassius be the last mistake she ever makes?"

Review: Lucien by J.R. Thornton

The Optimists by Brian Platzer

Harper Perennial
Publication Date: March 17th, 2026
Paperback. 320 pages.

About Lucien:

"A gifted yet financially disadvantaged artist falls victim to the manipulative control of his wealthy, enigmatic Harvard roommate in this incendiary novel from the author of Beautiful Country—a piercing exploration of class, ambition, identity, and the perilous cost of reinvention in the tradition of Patricia Highsmith and Donna Tartt.

The son of working-class Czech immigrants, Christopher “Atlas” Novotny is a talented painter who arrives at Harvard on a full scholarship. Raised amid hardship, he is unprepared for the privileged world introduced to him by his freshman roommate, Lucien Orsini-Conti.

Born to wealthy European diplomats, Lucien plays the part of the confident, sophisticated bon vivant. Where Lucien is bold and brash, Atlas is timid and introverted. Growing up a lonely outsider, Atlas is insecure, impressionable, and in awe of his brilliant roommate. But is Lucien all that he seems?

Sensing a willing disciple, Lucien introduces Atlas to a glittering new world of lavish parties and elite social clubs. When Atlas struggles to afford his new lifestyle, Lucien offers a solution, convincing the naïve artist to become a forger, passing off fakes to galleries and dealers.

But Lucien’s charismatic facade conceals something darker and more sinister. As Lucien’s behavior grows increasingly unstable, Atlas is forced into escalating risks with devastating consequences.

Drawing inspiration from the true crime stories of Christian Gerhartsreiter (a.k.a. “Clark Rockefeller”) and Adam Wheeler, Lucien is as darkly seductive and addictively readable as The Secret History, The Incendiaries, Creation Lake, and The Talented Mr. Ripley."

Lucien is a solid, captivating "dark academia" type of book, although it isn't doing anything particularly new--and that's okay. I'm not someone who believes every books needs to be some new groundbreaking work that reimagines an entire genre. Sometimes you know what you want and you want a book that does it well, and I think that is Lucien. I think if you like academia focused books that vibes of The Secret History/etc., then you'll enjoy this. Or if you've never read dark academia or books like this, I think it's a great introduction to the idea. There are a lot of dark academia books out there and many are not very good at all. Lucien is actually one that I would consider one of the better ones.

This story develops our protagonist well and gives him an interesting story and background, making him both complex and easily relatable. He's a bit of a basic "good" guy, but his new surroundings introduce him to some new ideas and such that cause him some new moral dilemmas and an introduction to a world that's new to him.  In general, it was enjoyable to follow a protagonist who is such a talented painter, and I almost wish we had somehow spent even more time on that. I loved that Christopher/Atlas was a bit of an idiot and made some horrible choices, as it made it feel realistic for a young kid freshly off to a hot-shot school like Harvard to do just that. But I also loved that there were many instances where he really did stick true to himself and his values, even if Lucien occasionally tried to bend them (and continue trying to bend them more and more until they would just about break). His journey is one that feels relatable in the way that I think many of us have gone through periods of time where we felt lost or alone and really just wanted to feel like we belong somewhere (or maybe we still do!). And we sometimes forget just a little bit of who we are in that process until there's often a bit of a jolt at some point to knock us back into reality. Who hasn't been a young, insecure kid in a new environment looking to feel confident and a part of something?

Lucien was actually much less interesting to me than Atlas. He felt fairly predictable and I found his antics not that exciting or shocking, but they worked well for the story and for Atlas who was much more sheltered and unused to the ways Lucien was. Lucien was actually a fantastic foil for Atlas' naiveté. What Lucien does perfectly is play his defined role. Lucien is meant to be a certain type of character and he does it excellently for the purposes and plot of this book. He's a bit mysterious and enigmatic, fairly chaotic and seems to have the world at his fingertips. This is exactly the type of character you need to draw someone like Atlas to them and wrap them up in a world that feels new, glittery, and irresistible.

This book is also frustrating because I felt like I could see through Lucien at every point and I just wanted to yell at Atlas to ditch him and do better, and I can only assume this was what the author wanted. If the author intended for readers to also be taken in by Lucien, then it didn't quite work for me, but if he was wanting us to watch this gradual development of a relationship between the two and to see how things played out, then he did it wonderfully. I think he captured Atlas' enamored state really well, and as frustrating as it was to watch, I felt like everything seemed generally realistic and done in a way that tells a bit of a tragic story. All I wanted was for Atlas to be happy with the woman he liked and be an amazing, successful painter with all his talent, but instead we get something that is much messier and more like the way life sometimes goes for us. It's always a bit of a surprise, and there are plenty of secrets that turn up in this book as well to keep us readers on our toes.

The pacing of Lucien is on the slower side, but in a way that fits the story and gives us time to settle in with our characters, and it speeds up as necessary at different points along the way. I also found Thornton's writing to be very thoughtful and carefully executed, and I found it easy to lose myself in the pages of this book.

The art and painting forgery was some of the most interesting parts of this one. I was interested to learn about the history of forgeries and the artists mentioned (and I may or may not have further looked up some stuff that was mentioned to find out how true it was, as I do know that there is a huge world of fakes and all that out there). And assuming some/most of the techniques and whatnot that Thornton describes Atlas replicating are true, it was so interesting to follow along with Atlas and his paintings and see how he does it.

Overall, I think Lucien is a captivating story that explores a variety of themes that we can all relate to, as well delves deep into the reality of how easy it is to get caught up in things that we never really expect. I'd absolutely recommend this one to any fans of dark academia or simply fascinating character studies, as Lucien will check many of those boxes. 

*I received a copy of Lucien courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my opinions.*

Buy the book: Bookshop.org | Amazon