The Best April 2025 Releases To Pick For Your Book Club

There are so many good things about being a part of a book club. Not only do you discover great books, but you also get to have meaningful conversations about books with others. It's great to know you're not alone in feeling a certain way about a story, a certain character's choices, or a plot twist. Sharing findings and perspectives can help deepen your understanding of the book and make you appreciate the story in ways you hadn't before. But, there are endless options when it comes to books and it's easy to be overwhelmed when it's time to choose a read for your book club. That's why it's a good idea to have a few strong contenders lined up ahead of time.

Spring is here, and April is right around the corner. So, if you're in charge of picking a book for your book club's April read, don't wait until the last minute and start putting that list of potential books together. And, hey, who knows? You may even find your club's next book through this article, because we're about to dive into our choice of the top five books set to release in April. These picks, like our choices from March, are sure to spark insightful conversations and keep all club members engaged.

Amazing author, Emily Henry, has returned with a book just in time for spring. Henry's stories are unpredictable and witty, and her characters are flawed in some of the most authentic ways. It's no wonder why people find her characters so relatable. Her new novel, "Great Big Beautiful Life," seems like it will be no exception.

This heartwarming story is set on a quaint island and follows the lives of two writers competing to write the biography of the same woman, Margaret Ives. After the whirlwinds life has thrown at her, Margaret has become a mystery, but she's ready to reveal her life in this tell-all. With two writers vying for the opportunity, Margaret offers a month-long trial to see who can capture her life the best. The only problem is, she only shares bits and pieces of her story with each writer, and their NDA prevents them from sharing any notes at all. As the two writers spend more and more time together on the island, it becomes clear that any story —perhaps even their own — could be written as any genre, depending on who's telling it.

Despite being her debut novel, Liann Zhang's "Julie Chan is Dead" has already been featured in the New York Post's 30 must-read new thriller books list. And, we're pretty sure this book will have you captivated on every page. Zhang delves into the dark side of influencer culture in this witty and original thriller.

Julie Chan is a grocery store cashier, who always feels like she has nothing to lose. Her twin sister, Chloe VanHuusen, is the exact opposite. She has everything and more. Until one day, Julie happens to discover her twin's lifeless body. Now there's no Chloe, and Julie decides it's her chance to live the life she's always dreamed of. Julie is quick to adapt to her late sister's glamorous life as an influencer. But, she'll quickly realize that behind the scenes, Chloe's life was nothing like the one on display for the public to see. She heads to a weeklong retreat with Chloe's influencer friends and uncovers unsettling dark secrets about Chloe's death that may come to haunt her.

April is an exciting month for romance lovers as both Emily Henry and Abby Jimenez have books set to release. Abby Jimenez is back with "Say You'll Remember Me," and this book will have you hooked from the very beginning. Jimenez will do what she does best, infusing her writing with the deepest emotions and moments that will leave your stomach 'a flutter.

They say you've found a good man if he loves animals, but what about a veterinarian who resembles a Greek god, who also likes to cuddle kittens? Xavier Rush is just that, and maybe more. After the perfect first date, Samantha is crushing hard over the sexy veterinarian, but with her family life in turmoil, she can't commit to anything serious. Samantha asks Xavier to remember the unforgettable night they shared as a perfect moment in time and move on with his life. But how could Xavier and Samantha just forget each other and that special something they felt? Maybe they weren't meant to just have one unforgettable night together — maybe, just maybe, they were meant for a life together.

Another showstopping debut novel made it on our list, and this time, it's a horror story. "Their Monstrous Hearts" is written by Turkish author, Yiğit Turhan, and this story will surely have you looking over your shoulders as it pulls you into its dark, twisted world. In an exclusive conversation with Interview Magazine, Turhan shared that he began writing this novel while grieving the loss of his beloved grandmother, making this novel even more personal and close to his heart.

A strange man appears at Riccardo's apartment, only to give him the news of his grandmother, Perihan's passing, and that she has left her villa in Milan and her sacred butterfly collection to him. Struggling as a writer, Riccardo believes a change of scenery will be inspiring and ease his financial situation. But will it? The current state of the villa shocks him, as it's nothing like the luxurious place he remembers, and the butterfly collection is seriously eerie. Everything about the villa is unsettling, and the people that linger around are even more so. One day, he stumbles upon his late grandmother's diary, which may have the answers to her mysterious death. And if not, maybe it'll inspire his next book, but will he even survive to write it?

Jesse Q. Sutanto will release the second book of her Vera Wong series in April, "Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man)." The first book, "Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murders" maintains a 4.4 star average with more than 11,000 reviews on Amazon. And, it looks like the second book won't disappoint either. With a Goodreads early preview reviewer saying, "This sequel has everything I loved in the first book, and more. The writing is once again hilarious ... And this book has such a strong mystery, possibly even stronger than the first book ... I hope there will be many more Vera Wong books!"

Ever since there was a murder in her teahouse, life has been good for Vera. She's surrounded by loved ones, the teahouse is thriving, and her son is dating Officer Selena Gray. But, Vera can't help but hope for another mystery to appear to spice up her life a bit. That's when a young woman shows up in search of a missing friend, and Vera unexpectedly comes across a police file on the mysterious death of influencer, Xander Lin. Xander's life to the online world was nothing but picture perfect, but was it like that behind the scenes? Doesn't seem so. Vera is determined, yet again, to solve Xander's mysterious death and hopefully score some points from her future daughter-in-law along the way.

When we compiled this list, we knew we had to include big name authors like Emily Henry and Abby Jimenez. But we also wanted to introduce you to the work of new authors that serve as truly fresh picks for your next book club read. We got lucky this time around and came across two talented new authors and their debut novels. The synopsis of each book captured our attention, and we couldn't wait to tell you about them.

As always, we prioritize representing diverse perspectives and a comprehensive selection of books that are sure to resonate with a vast array of narratives and experiences. We've realized the best way to do this is by utilizing all kinds of resources and not just looking at lists by major media outlets. We like to know what everyday people are reading, so we analyzed a ton of reviews on Goodreads, #BookTok posts on TikTok, combed through book subreddits, and read blogs run by everyday bibliophiles. And, we can say with confidence, these books will spark discussions like never before.