Spring Into Reading
Exciting New April Releases by Diverse Authors
April is upon us so let’s talk about some anticipated reads! There are so many amazing books releasing this month. I’ve added about 25+ books to my TBR list. But, for this post, I narrowed that list down significantly to my top 5.
To do so, I decided to mostly focus on authors of color. I figured everyone else would be talking about some of the other book releases this month from popular authors, so I wanted to offer something a little different.
Also – if you like this short list, be sure to check out my full April New Release Guide which highlights about 16 new releases that you may enjoy.
Blood Debts by Terry J. Benton-Walker – 4/4/2023
Thirty years ago, a young woman was murdered, a family was lynched, and New Orleans saw the greatest magical massacre in its history. In the days that followed, a throne was stolen from a queen.
Terry J. Benton-Walker’s contemporary fantasy debut, Blood Debts, with powerful magical families, intergenerational curses, and deadly drama in New Orleans.
Why it made my list –
I don’t think I’ve read a fantasy about a black magical family set in the South. Something about this sounds really interesting and I’m excited to check it out.
Symphony of Secrets by Brendan Slocumb – 4/18/2023
Bern Hendricks has just received the call of a lifetime. As one of the world’s preeminent experts on the famed twentieth-century composer Frederick Delaney, Bern knows everything there is to know about the man behind the music. When Mallory Roberts, a board member of the distinguished Delaney Foundation and direct descendant of the man himself, asks for Bern’s help authenticating a newly discovered piece, which may be his famous lost opera, RED, he jumps at the chance. With the help of his tech-savvy acquaintance Eboni, Bern soon discovers that the truth is far more complicated than history would have them believe.
Why it made my list –
I LOVED Slocumb’s last novel, The Violon Conspercy, so I knew this was going to be one I wanted to pick up. His writing really captivates me and I find the prose of his books unique.
The Haunting of Alejandra by V. Castro – 4/18/2023
Alejandra no longer knows who she is. To her husband, she is a wife, and to her children, a mother. To her own adoptive mother, she is a daughter. But they cannot see who Alejandra has become: a woman struggling with a darkness that threatens to consume her.
Nor can they see what Alejandra sees. In times of despair, a ghostly vision appears to her, the apparition of a crying woman in a ragged white gown.
Why it made my list –
I don’t read a lot of horror novels. But when I do I want the book to grip me with more than the typical horror elements. So with the combination of Mexican folk lure and history, I think I’ll enjoy this story.
Zora Books Her Happy Ever After by Taj McCoy – 4/25/2023
Zora has committed every inch of her life to establishing her thriving DC bookstore, making it into a pillar of the community, and she just hasn’t had time for romance. But when a mystery author she’s been crushing on for years agrees to have an event at her store, she starts to rethink her priorities. Lawrence is every bit as charming as she imagined, even if his understanding of his own books seems just a bit shallow. When he asks her out after his reading, she’s almost elated enough to forget about the grumpy guy who sat next to her making snide comments all evening. Apparently, the grouch is Lawrence’s best friend, Reid, but she can’t imagine what kind of friendship that must be. They couldn’t be more different.
Why it made my list –
I’m a sucker for a good romance plot but I’m not usually a fan of the love triangle trope. The synopsis for this book, however, piqued my interest enough to give it a try.
Freedom House by KB Brookins – 4/11/2023
In this debut full-length collection, KB Brookins’ formally diverse, music-influenced poetry explores transness, politics of the body, gentrification, sexual violence, climate change, masculinity, and Afrofuturism while chronicling their transition and walking readers through different “rooms”. The speaker isn’t afraid to call themselves out while also bending time, displaying the terror of being Black/queer/trans in Texas, and more — all while using humor and craft.
Why it made my list –
Another genre I don’t read often. But, April is National Poetry Month so it seems fitting to pick up a new poetry book.
Want more April new release suggestions?
Grab my free April Release Guide here!
What April books are you excited about?
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