April's 11 Best Books Fright and Delight

A horror for the modern age, this book mixes tradwife influencer culture with time travel. Natalie seemingly has a picture perfect life on the farm with her husband and six kids, but what people don’t know about is all the nannies and producers behind-the-scenes that make her brand possible. One morning she wakes up and her life is seemingly the same, but the electricity is gone, her kids are dirty and her husband is actually working on the farm. Did she time travel, is this an elaborate prank or is she being tested by a higher power? Now, Natalie needs to plan her escape and stay alive as things get serious —and way more dangerous.

Annie is dragged onto a boyband cruise reluctantly by her sister, but nostalgia kicks in and the idols of her youth are making her act like a feral teen once again. When she gets to meet one of them, dreams she could never even imagine might just come true, even in middle age.

Platonic female friendship gets the romance treatment in this new novel. Remy is a writer who becomes famous with a book based on her friend group, only for them to drift apart post-publication. Simone, a kindergarten teacher with a side hustle, feels isolated after her secret is revealed. When the two women meet, it isn’t cute as both are still smarting from their previous friendships and holding secrets close. If they can let their guards down, this might be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Cherry’s husband Tom is out in Hollywood, being celebrated for his webcomic-turned-movie and he's the new boyfriend of the internet. A character in the comic looks like plus-sized Cherry and now she’s getting recognized at the grocery store in Omaha — something she never wanted. Now, life has to go on without Tom since she knows he’s never coming back. Russ knows Cherry from back in the day and it’s time for him to make his move.

Rainy is a third-generation Book Witch who can jump in and out of novels and “fix” things like malicious alterations. According to Book Witch code, she’s not to get too deep and become part of the story. She’s definitely not supposed to fall in love with a British detective from her favorite mystery series, but here we are. When her grandfather disappears, she knows just the character for the job.

A group of writers are summoned to the private island of a reclusive genius and one of the world’s best-selling novelists, Arthur Fletch, only to find him dead, with an unfinished novel. Fletch’s agent and editor have gathered them together with an offer they can’t refuse: finish the novel and not only get paid handsomely, but also get the help of Fletch’s team to relaunch their career. They have 72 hours to write a killer ending, if the twists and turns of the island don’t finish them first.

When a young mother sees signs of intelligent life light years away, it shifts her and her family’s reality for decades to come. Carol, the mother, seeks spiritual meaning as the communication continues with the beings while her son Michael’s life is grounded. Her daughter Ro aspires to work in interstellar communication, but her future is even brighter. As the world navigates its understanding of the universe, one family makes their way with a special connection to the great beyond.

Macy sees a caretaker job at a house on the Oregon Coast and is intrigued: it’s only three days of work. She needs a gig desperately and though this one is kind of creepy, she can handle three days. But evil starts to reveal itself and it’s going to be a long three days, if Macy even lasts that long.

In present day, Lee just killed his college roommate (the details as to how or why are fuzzy) but he knows he has to flee and his father’s house in Japan seems safe. Something is off, as animals stay away and a woman with a sword appears outside at night. In 1877, Sen, a young female samurai, is hiding outside from soldiers after she did something terrible. An omen shows a young man in her window. Lee and Sen’s fates collide across time, but which of them is the ghost?

Molka is an abbreviation of molrae-kamera, or sneaky camera in Korean. In an office in Seoul, Junyoung can see everything on his IT network, even the bathrooms, including the women’s room. Dahye is struggling to hold onto her relationship or appreciation from her family. When the hidden camera scandal is revealed, Dahye is shunned by everyone and she begins to see her dead sister in visions. Meanwhile, Junyoung is obsessed with Dahye, bringing both their stories into sharp focus.

Travel through America via this guide, which stops at thirteen places that define America, including historic sites, roadside attractions and Disneyland. It’s a great way to celebrate America's 250th anniversary and a fun audio book to cue up on your next road trip.