LibraryReads: April 2026

       

 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. 

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

Now let's get to the April 2026 list.... 

Burke, Caro Claire    

Yesteryear: A Novel    

Knopf    

Natalie is an influencer with a seemingly perfect life: 6 perfect children, a perfect, if simple, husband, and a perfectly beautiful Idaho farm. Never mind the dozens of workers who actually run the farm, the nannies who care for the children. And never mind the “Angry Women” online who are jealous that Natalie can afford to be a trad wife who serves her family and, most importantly, her God. Natalie wakes one morning in her house...except it's not her house—electricity has been replaced by a fire, her children are dirty, and her husband is old and gruff. Where are the hidden cameras? Where is her real family? Creative, mind-bending, and incredibly well-written, this one is sure to be a blockbuster.

—Jenny Davies, Oak Creek Public Library, WI

NoveList read-alike: T he Influencers by Anna-Marie McLemore

Now the rest of the list...

Baker, Kylie Lee    

Japanese Gothic    

Hanover Square Press    

A troubled young man in 2026 begins communicating with the ghost of a female samurai from 1877 when he visits his father's new home in Japan. Both hold bloody secrets. A gory and suspenseful horror read that combines lyrical, dream-like writing with a compelling story of past meeting present.    

—Mara Bandy Fass, Champaign Public Library, IL

NoveList read-alike: The Fervor by Alma Katsu

Clarke, Evelyn    

The Ending Writes Itself   

Harper    

An oft-used trope—people lured to a remote island, then cut off from the outside world—gets a new life. Six writers, following the death of their famous host, must compete to finish his final manuscript for a massive payday. While hesitant at first, the competition soon becomes intense, no one is quite who they seem to be, and death stalks the halls. A wonderfully twisty mystery and a wickedly satirical look at the world of publishing.

—Beth Mills, New Rochelle Public Library, NY

NoveList read-alike: You Are F atally Invited by Ande Pliego

Corrigan, Moorea    

Thistlemarsh        

Berkley    

WWI nurse Mouse receives notice that she is next in line to inherit the Faerie-blessed Thistlemarsh Hall in the English countryside. But she must do the impossible: fix the crumbling manor in just one month with the surprise aid of a handsome Faerie who can help defeat the magic protecting the manor.  Fantastic atmospheric style, world-building elements, and sympathetic characters.  

—Kristin Skinner, Flat River Community Library, MI

NoveList read-alike: The Cottingly Secret by Hazel Gaynor

Cowan, Anna    

The Duke        

St. Martin's Griffin    

 

The romance between Celine and Kate is fraught with obstacles (mostly themselves) and the secret they are keeping from the ton: that Celine is a courtesan who is blackmailing Kate, a member of the House of Lords. A traditional historical full of yearning and intrigue, this is what every Sapphic Regency reader has been waiting for.

—Dontaná M., Oak Park Public Library, IL

NoveList read-alike: A Lady for All Seasons by T.J. Alexander

Grey, Emma    

Start at the End       

Zibby Publishing    

A thoughtful, emotionally resonant novel that will appeal to readers who enjoy stories about love, loss, and new beginnings. This “sliding-doors” novel balances tenderness and hope, offering a meaningful reading experience that lingers after the final page. An excellent choice for patrons who enjoy contemporary literary fiction and book club–worthy reads.

—Janie Hermann, Princeton Public Library, NJ

NoveList read-alike: What Might Have Been by Holly Miller

Keefe, Patrick Radden    

London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family's Search for Truth

Doubleday    

In November 2019, the lifeless body of teenager Zac Brettler was discovered in the Thames River. Police conclude that Zac was suicidal but his parents believe that something more nefarious led to his death and soon discover he was caught in a web of lies, surrounded by gangsters and criminals. Compelling narrative non-fiction that's deeply intimate and unnerving.

—KC Davis, LibraryReads Ambassador, CT

NoveList read-alike: Butler to the World by Oliver Bullough

Kim, Monika    

Molka        

Erewhon Books (Kensington)  

Dahye lives in the shadow of her late older sister, more perfect than she could ever be. She finds herself in a relationship with a rich, handsome man. But when a video scandal involving the two erupts, he flees the country, leaving Dahye alone. When she realizes the extent of the betrayal, she seeks a terrible bloody revenge. An unapologetic dive into female rage, exploitation, misogyny, and powerlessness. 

—Lila Denning, St. Petersburg Library System, FL

NoveList read-alike: My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

Kliewer, Marcus    

The Caretaker   

Atria/12:01 Books    

Macy thinks she’s finally caught a break when she answers an ad for a weekend house-sitting gig that pays a ridiculous amount of money, even if it comes with some...unsettling instructions.  Unsettling turns eerie, which turns to horrifying as Macy realizes—too late—this is one job that she should have never accepted. The chills ramp up fast and never stop in this page-turner horror novel.

—Sharon Layburn, South Huntington Public Library, NY

NoveList read-alike: The Spite House by Johnny Compton

Semple, Maria    

Go Gentle        

Putnam    

Adora is an Upper West Side philosopher who seems to have her life together. She practices stoicism, and it keeps her grounded and happy—until it doesn't. Who is the mysterious man who wants her to deliver a letter? What are her employers up to? How did she become a stoic? Readers follow along with Adora as she tries to find answers.

—Joan Hipp, LibraryReads Ambassador, NJ

NoveList read-alike: Crush by Ada Calhoun

Board Bonus picks:

Vlautin, Willy
The Left and the Lucky 

Harper 

Notable Nonfiction: 

Stark, Peter

The Lost Cities of El Norte: Coronado’s Quest, the Unconquered West, and the Birth of American Indian Resistance

Mariner Books

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. Please note, the current year's Hall of Fame lists are pulled out at the top of the page.

Clayborn, Kate   

The Paris Match        

Berkley    

  

Hepworth, Sally   

Mad Mabel    

St. Martin's Press        

Klune, TJ    

We Burned So Bright        

Tor Books    

9781250881236    

4/28/2026    

Liese, Chloe    

Happy Ending        

Gallery Books    

O'Leary, Beth    

The Name Game        

Berkley 

 

Perrin, Kristen    

How to Cheat Your Own Death: A Novel    

Dutton      

Richardson, Kim Michele    

The Mountains We Call Home: The Book Woman's Legacy    

Sourcebooks Landmark   

Rowell, Rainbow    

Cherry Baby

William Morrow     

Shaffer, Meg    

The Book Witch: A Novel    

Ballantine Books    

 

Straub, Emma    

American Fantasy: A Novel   

Riverhead Books