Zibby Owens is a podcaster, author, publisher, and columnist for "Good Morning America."
April showers bring May flowers … and this April, a flood of fantastic fiction, non-fiction, poetry, stories and more, will delight even the most discerning reader. Below is a list of top picks:
'Lessons in Chemistry' by Bonnie Garmus
Publish date: April 5
In her debut novel, "Lessons in Chemistry," Garmus has created Elizabeth Zott, a super-bright scientist and single mother who becomes a TV cooking show star in the 1950s. "Lessons in Chemistry'' is already being turned into an Apple TV+ feature starring Brie Larson.
"Lessons in Chemistry" is also "GMA's" April Book Club pick. Read an excerpt here and get your copy below.
Garmus' debut novel takes place in 1960s California and follows Elizabeth Zott, a chemist who works at Hastings Research Institute. Though brilliant and a highly trained scientist, her colleagues don't think so just because she's a woman.
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Read along with us and join the conversation all month long on our Instagram account -- GMA Book Club and #GMABookClub.
MORE: 'Lessons in Chemistry' by Bonnie Garmus is our April 'GMA' Book Club pick: Read an excerpt
'Princess Charming' by Zibby Owens
Publish date: April 19
Okay, I have to recommend my own picture book, "Princess Charming," written by me and illustrated by The New York Times bestselling illustrator Holly Hatam. It's a story for anyone who has struggled to find their thing. Inspiring, upbeat and with a twist at the end, this modern tale will be sure to delight the little ones in your life and make the endlessness of bedtime a little more bearable. As a mom of four, I know what I'm talking about here.
'Nobody Gets Out Alive: Stories' by Leigh Newman
Publish date: April 12
Former Oprah editor and co-founder of two publishing houses Catapult and Zibby Books (yes, that's me!), Leigh Newman knows good literature. Her literary collection is filled with stories based in Alaska, where Leigh grew up as a child. It tackles the power of women, the relationship between the landscape and the personal, addiction, and inner resilience in Leigh's trademark literary superstar style.
'Arrival Stories: Women Share Their Experiences of Becoming Mothers' by Amy Schumer and Christy Turlington Burns (ed.)
Publish date: April 5
This compilation of stellar, personal and emotional stories was the brainchild of former model Christy Turlington Burns and comedian Amy Schumer after they confided in each other about their difficult pregnancies. Highlighting the discrepancies in maternal health care based on color and other factors, the editors unite and inspire readers to affect positive change in the world, one delivery at a time. Contributors like Serena Williams make this anthology truly one-of-a-kind.
'Left on Tenth: A Second Chance at Life' by Delia Ephron
Publish date: April 12
The late Nora Ephron's sister Delia, an award-winning author and screenwriter ("You've Got Mail") went through a lot. Her sister and her husband died. She was diagnosed with leukemia. Yet all along she wrote humorous reflections on loss, love and aging.
'Grief is Love: Living with Loss' by Marisa Renee Lee
Publish date: April 12
Marisa recently lost her mother, a pregnancy and a cousin to COVID-19 -- losses which transformed her life. She explores the impact of grief on Black people and what it means to really heal, especially by keeping the memory of the lost ones vibrantly alive.
'Bomb Shelter: Love, Time, and Other Explosives' by Mary Laura Philpott
Publish date: April 12
The essays in Mary Laura Philpott's first book, "I Miss You When I Blink," were poignant, beautiful and memorable. While this book is billed as a memoir, Mary Laura uses her wit to fuel the story along in her tale of confronting her son's illness -- and her own anxiety.
'Take My Hand' by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
Publish date: April 12
A Black nurse in post-segregation Alabama visits two tweens who are curiously on birth control. That begins their intersecting lives; they all shudder when the unthinkable happens. Years later when that same nurse has become Dr. Civil Townsend, the secrets rise up again.
'Wise Women' by Gina Sorrell
Publish date: April 5
Wendy Wise, an advice columnist, can solve anyone's problems except, perhaps, her own. Both her daughters have gotten into trouble, one with her scheming husband, the other with her ex-girlfriend. Can Wendy fix everything at home or is she perhaps hiding her own secrets?
'Again, Rachel' by Marian Keyes
Publish date: April 5
The long-awaited sequel to "Rachel's Holiday," bestselling author Marian Keyes's novel from 2000 is about a 27-year-old who ends up in a hospital room after indulging in too much of everything. Her family puts her in an Irish rehab clinic where she meets Chris. Now, in 2022 in "Again, Rachel," Rachel is back and doing great. She works as an addiction counselor, gardens and is quite happy -- until a certain someone suddenly comes back into her life.
'Sari, Not Sari' by Sonya Singh
Publish date: April 5
A former entertainment reporter, Sonya Singh has stepped out of the camera and behind-the-scenes to spin this tale of a CEO who helps others manage relationship break-ups.
'Write for Your Life' by Anna Quindlen
Publish date: April 12
Quindlen's question to readers in her new book is, "Wouldn't you love to find a journal by a loved one you've lost?" If yes, write for the ones who love you now.
'How to Keep House While Drowning: A Gentle Approach to Cleaning and Organizing' by KC Davis
Publish date: April 26
KC Davis was a therapist with a newborn and a toddler when lockdown began and let her home get so messy that she posted it on social for laughs (#breastfeeding). When a comment called her lazy, she recoiled: new mom, anxiety, ADHD, depression, yes. Lazy? No. This is a guide to when you feel stuck and need a little help with your next steps -- and your laundry.
'The Younger Wife' by Sally Hepworth
Publish date: April 5
The New York Times bestselling thriller writer is back with "The Younger Wife," an immersive, propulsive tale about a man marrying a woman who is younger than his two daughters and what the daughters (and ex-wife) do to figure out who this new woman really is.
'I'll Be You' by Janelle Brown
Publish date: April 26
I never saw the twists coming in the latest fabulous book by Janelle Brown, author of "Pretty Things," about two identical twin sisters -- and former child actors -- and what happens when one of them disappears.
