LibraryReads: April 2025

   

 It's LibraryReads day and that means four things here on RA for All

1. I post the list and tag it “Library Reads” so that you can easily pull up every single list with one click.
2. I can remind you that even though the newest list is always fun to see, it is the older lists where you can find AWESOME, sure bet suggestions for patrons that will be on your shelf to actually hand to them right now. The best thing about LibraryReads is the compound interest it is earning. We now have hundreds and hundreds of titles worth suggesting right at our fingertips through this archive OR the sortable master list allowing you to mix and match however you want.
3. You have no excuse not to hand sell any LibraryReads titles because there is a book talk right there in the list in the form of the annotation one of your colleagues wrote for you. All you have to say to your patron is, “such and such library worker in blank state thought this was a great read,” and then you read what he or she said.
4. Every upcoming book now has at least 1 readalike that is available to hand out RIGHT NOW. Book talk the upcoming book, place a hold for it, and then hand out that readalike title for while they wait. If they need more titles before their hold comes in, use the readalike title to identify more readalike titles. And then keep repeating. Seriously, it is that easy to have happy, satisfied readers.

So get out there and suggest a good read to someone today. I don’t care what list or resource you use to find the suggestion, just start suggesting books.

Please remember to click here for everything you need to know about how to participate. Click here to see a database of eligible diverse titles sorted by month.

And finally, here is LibraryReads' extremely helpful Resources page.

Now let's get to the April 2025 list.... 

The Sirens

Emilia Hart

(St. Martin's Press)

In 1800s Ireland, twin sisters are taken from their father and put on a ship bound for Australia. During the voyage, they begin to change as they hear the call of the sea. In 2019, while Lucy looks for her missing sister, she reads her old diary full of strange stories of the sea  Spanning centuries, this novel casts its magic with the story it weaves.

—Jennifer Winberry, LibraryReads Ambassador, NJ

NoveList read-alike: To The Sea by Christine Dibley

Now for the rest of the April 2025 list!

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng: A Darkly Funny, Gory, and Ghostly Horror Novel 

Kylie Lee Baker

(MIRA)

In the midst of the COVID pandemic of 2020, Cora's haunted by her deceased sister and stalked by a serial killer as her chaotic life spirals further out of control. The journey to finding her way back to some semblance of normal won't be easy. Readers seeking a book blending slasher and bio-horror need look no further.

—Jolie Hanlon, Girard Free Library, OH

NoveList read-alike: The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

Cold Eternity

S.A. Barnes

(Tor Nighfire)

Hiding out due to a political scandal, Halley decides to take a job in the most remote place she can find. That turns out to be a large space barge holding cryogenically frozen wealthy people. The horror begins as Halley starts hearing noises and notices a presence at the foot of her bed. Thrilling and downright scary, this is a must-read.

—Terri Smith, Cornelia Library, GA

NoveList read-alike: Crypt of the Moon Spider by Nathan Ballingrud

A Drop of Corruption: An Ana and Din Mystery

Robert Bennett Jackson

(Del Rey)

Din and Ana return in a new sci-fi/fantasy mystery. This time an official in the Treasury delegation has gone missing from a locked room. Tense negotiations are ongoing between the Treasury and a small outpost kingdom. What Din and Ana find is a hidden hornet’s nest and extreme danger to the Empire. Can the two stop a terrorist from destroying everything?

—Michelle Ogden, Crawfordsville Dist Public Library, IN

NoveList read-alike: The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Older

Murder by Cheesecake: A Golden Girls Cozy Mysteryy

Rachel Ekstrom Courage

(Hyperion)

Golden Girls plus cozy mystery equals match made in heaven! This novel is nostalgic fun for fans of the

TV show and might even draw some new fans in with the atmospheric 80s Miami vibes. The story is over-the-top silly at turns, but it's all part of the fun. Readers will be left hoping the series continues with more mysteries for the ladies to solve.

—Elizabeth Motyka, Wheaton Public Library, IL

NoveList read-alike: The Excitements by C.J. Wray

The Correspondent: A  Novel

Virginia Evans

(Crown)

Sybil's life has centered around her correspondence with both people she knows and with strangers. Why she finds writing easier than conversing soon becomes clear, and her sadness and remove are explained through the events of her past and in her encroaching blindness. The plot unfolds with wonderful character development.

—Mary Robinson, Vernon Area Public Library District, IL

NoveList read-alike: Olive Kittiredge by Elizabeth Strout

I See You've Called in Dead: A Novel

John Kenney

(Zibby Books)

In this sensational novel, Bud gets a new lease on life after he starts visiting wakes and funerals. With equal measures of laughter and tears along the way, this character-driven novel probes the psyche of the contemporary male mind and takes readers in unexpected directions, all leading to a very satisfying conclusion.

—Todd Krueger, Baltimore County Public Library, MD

NoveList read-alike: Keya Das's Second Act by Sopan Deb

Any Trope but but You: A Novel

Victoria Lavine

(Atria Books)

Margot and Forest are genuinely likeable, though flawed characters, and seeing through their perspective is a delight. The conflicts come from practical issues, and the couple is not kept apart by miscommunication, but by respect for each other’s priorities and values. A love letter to "romancelandia" and the tropes it celebrates.

—Katrina Dagenais, Bucks County Free Library, PA

NoveList read-alike: Unromance by Erin Connor

How to Seal Your Own Fate: A Novel

Kristen Perrin

(Dutton)

This second book in the Castle Knoll series has Annie involved in another mystery of long past and current murders. Annie realizes she's being set up when all of the clues point to her. Readers will love that

this book builds so well on the last one, and wonder just how many secrets exist in this small rural town.

—Linda Quinn, LibraryReads Ambassador, CT

NoveList read-alike: Agatha Raisin series by M.C. Beaton

The Staircase in the Woods

Chuck Wendig

(Del Rey)

Four friends are haunted when another climbs a mysterious staircase and never comes down. Years later, they decide to rescue the boy they lost. What they find is a haunted house preying on their personal nightmares. A coming-of-age story reminiscent of Stranger Things and It—plus all the perfect scary things that Wendig is known for.

—Kimberly McGee, Lake Travis Community Library, Austin, TX

NoveList read-alike: The Children of Red Peakby Craig DiLouie

Board Bonus picks:

The Library of Lost Dollhouses: A Novel

Elise Hooper

(William Morrow) 

Notable Nonfiction: 

No More Tears: The Dark Secrets of Johnson & Johnson

Gardiner Harris

(Random House)

See our social media for annotations of the bonus picks

Click here to see the entire Hall of Fame

The LibraryReads Hall of Fame designation honors authors who have had multiple titles appear on the monthly LibraryReads list since 2013. When their third title places on the list via library staff votes, the author moves into the Hall of Fame. Click here to see the Hall of Fame authors organized in alpha order.

Say You'll Remember Me    

Abby Jimenez

(Forever)

Swept Away   

Beth O'Leary 

(Berkley)

The Amalfi Curse    

Sarah Penner

(Harlequin Trade Publishing)

The Maid's Secret: A Maid Novel

Nita Prose

(Ballantine Books)

Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man)  

Jesse Q. Sutanto

(Berkley)

Wild and Wrangled: A Rebel Blue Ranch Novel

Lyla Sage

(Dial Press) 

The Griffin Sisters' Greatest Hits: A Novel

Jennifer Weiner

(William Morrow)