Hi friends,
I have a metric ton of book recommendations for you. In March, I was neck-deep in a third draft of my own novel (I filed it yesterday, YAY!), so I prioritized a lot of comfort reading, which for me is romance. There were a lot of book-in-a-day Saturdays as I decompressed from my own writing. But the best news is that I read two books that I think will make my personal best of 2024 ranking. Let’s get to it, shall we?
Best of the Best:
(Out June 4)Who is this for? Extremely online thriller/suspense lovers.
Mark my words: people are going to be talking about this influencer suspense novel. The book follows internet curmudgeon Hazel, the eldest daughter of an influencer family that rose to fame on YouTube, who’s investigating the mysterious disappearance of her younger sister, mega-viral child star Evie. The book has so much to say about the dark sides of social media and influencer culture. And the twists and turns had me GLUED to my seat (no, really, I cancelled plans so I could finish it in a single day). The ending… my god, I’m still thinking about it. You’re going to want to pre-order this one ASAP.
PS: In case you are, like me, a thriller scaredy cat, this one’s safe. It's more unsettling re: internet culture than outright scary.
MARGO’S GOT MONEY TROUBLES by Rufi Thorpe (Out June 11)
Who is this for? Anyone who loves rooting for an oddball underdog.
I cannot stop telling people about this weird and wonderful gem of a book. It’s so completely different than anything I’ve ever read. A 19-year-old new mom finds herself in a precarious financial position and starts an Only Fans account with tips from her semi-estranged ex-pro-wrestler father. Were those a combination of words you thought you’d ever be reading? Me either. This book was so singular and full of heart and I fell hard for both the titular Margo and her father, Jinx. If nothing else, read it for the last line alone, which FLOORED me. My prediction is this will be the Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow of 2024, so if that’s your jam, get in on the ground floor.
All the Recs:
BRIDE by Ali Hazelwood
Who is this for? Twilight fans still chasing the high.
I’d had a hard week and needed something guaranteed to turn my brain off, so I picked this up because I had not seen a single person on bookstagram give it less than 5*. Reader, I am not the exception to this rule. The book follows a vampire bride who is “given” to a werewolf alpha as part of a political alliance. Think Beauty and the Beast, but make it smutty. REALLY SMUTTY. The book has the kind of toxic alpha-male plot that would be abhorrent if written about humans, but is confusingly satisfying in the creature world? I can’t justify it, but the heart wants what it wants, and sometimes that’s vampire/werewolf porn.
SYLVIA’S SECOND ACT by Hilary Yablon
Who is this for? Golden Girls comfort watchers.
The word that comes to mind to describe this book is ZANY! Sylvia is a 60-something retiree living in Boca, who upends her life and moves to New York City to live her dream of becoming a wedding planner after she discovers her husband cheating. I have a giant soft spot for kooky grandmother characters in fiction, so this really did it for me. Also, I think this would make a great gift if you have a 50- or 60- or 70-something person in your life going through a divorce. The book has a great message of it never being too late.
THE SEVEN YEAR SLIP by Ashley Poston
Who is this for? Fans of lightly speculative fiction like Rebecca Serle.
This 2023 book has belatedely been going viral on booktok, and I was intrigued. The book is about a magical apartment that sometimes lets the inhabitants travel back in time, which is how Clementine falls in love with an aspiring chef living there for the summer seven years ago. The book is utterly swoony and romantic, and combines the publishing and food industries in a way that just did it for me. Highly recommend for any poolside reading needs you have coming up.
JUST FOR THE SUMMER by Abby Jimenez
Who is this for? Romance-heads chasing the squeeee-my-heart’s-about-to-explode-feels.
Is it just me, or is this book EVERYWHERE right now? It’s with good reason, this novel is at once a fun romp about two people who are afflicted by the same curse who date to counteract each other’s curses, but also a much deeper story about childhood abandonment issues and toxic parents. If you’ve enjoyed Jimenez’s past romances, there are also some fun and unexpected cameos.
What’s coming out in April?
Looking for even more new releases? Here’s what’s on my radar that’s out this month.
Apr 1: FAMILY RESERVATIONS by Liza Palmer: A foodie family drama
Apr 2: HERE WE GO AGAIN by Alison Cochrun: Sapphic roadtrip rom-com
Apr 2: THE SICILIAN INHERITANCE by
: Solving a century-old murder in SicilyApr 9: THE AGE OF MAGICAL OVERTHINKING by
: Diagnosing our collective millennial neurosesApr 9: THE PROSPECTS by KT Hoffman: a tender trans-baseball romance
Apr 23: FUNNY STORY by Emily Henry: the latest from the reigning queen of rom-coms
Apr 23: THE PARIS NOVEL by Ruth Reichl: Paris in the 80’s from a former New York Times restaurant critic
Apr 23: RESTLESS STAR (Zodiac Academy #9) by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti: If I got you addicted to this fantasy saga, I’m sorry; if I haven’t yet, proceed with caution… this will take over your life
Apr 30: REAL AMERICANS by Rachel Khong:
said she thinks this is 2024’s Tx3, so we have ourselves a showdown
That’s what’s on my list. I’d love to hear your favorite read of the month in the comments.
Becca
PS: Want to read along with the Bad on Paper book club in real time? Our April pick is EXPIRATION DATES by Rebecca Serle We’ll be discussing it in our April 24 episode.
PPS: Need even more recs? Check out February’s book report.
Oooh, this is one of those Substack issues that I'm putting an asterisk next to in my email folder because it's choc full of such good stuff. When you said Sylvia's Second Act is for Golden Girls comfort watchers, I was IN! Everything else looks DELICIOUS, too. I'm so excited for Olivia's book and for yours as well...CONGRATS on filing your third draft! 👏
Okay so go crack open my copy of Bride asap— 🫡 roger that!
And I’m LOOOVING Funny Story!!