Happy April everyone. I hope you had a lovely Easter and that your spring has sprung and your flowers are out. Life has been busy here. I was reffing the U12 national tennis tournament last week so I was full on with the kids’ competition. So many matches!
Now our snow is melting quickly here after we had another flurry recently. This week we begin our spring road trip to California, Yay. I think there will be much to see along way as we pass through parts of Montana, Idaho, Utah, and Nevada and then on into the Golden State. We will get out to walk the dogs as necessary. So I’m not sure how much I will blog this month while I’m there, but I will take photos for whenever I do. We will be visiting with my parents at their senior community and also get to the beach.
Meanwhile there’s plenty of new April releases to check out. Months ago, I read an advance copy of Amor Towles’s new book Table for Two (due out April 2), which is a short story collection. It’s good, I enjoyed the stories. For those who are fans of his, it’s worth reading, but it’s not one of his big full-blown novels, so temper yourself just a bit. The last story in the collection features a sequel with his character Evelyn Ross from the novel Rules of Civility, who comes to work for a film studio in Hollywood. It’s pretty good to hear what becomes of her. And has anyone seen the new TV series adaptation of Towles’s novel A Gentlemen in Moscow? Is it a thumbs up or down?
I’m also looking to pick up some other novels (below), even a couple nonfiction books look good this month. So let’s get started.
Welsh author Carys Davies’s new novel Clear is one I’m looking to pick up. Set in the 1840s, it’s about a Scottish minister who is sent to evict the last inhabitant on an isolated island in the North Sea. At first, the two men do not speak a common language, but then after one is injured they gain a connection. It seems like a quiet novel that explores various themes.
It’s not exactly a new premise to me. I’ve read two other novels having to do with forced evictions on islands before, namely Michael Crummey’s superb 2014 novel Sweetland set on a remote island in Newfoundland, and Paul Harding’s 2023 award-nominated novel This Other Eden set on an island off Maine. But I haven’t read Carys Davies before and there’s something about books set on remote islands that make you want to read them. Ever since the tale of Robinson Crusoe!
Next is Matt Riordan’s debut novel The North Line (due out April 2), which Publishers Weekly calls “an irresistible portrait of commercial fishermen fighting for survival in early 1990s Alaska.” It’s about a college student named Adam who’s trying to earn quick money for college so he joins an Alaskan fishing crew.
I think he gets more than he bargained for on the rough Bering Sea. At first he thinks the adventure is quite revelatory and the work on the ocean invigorates him, but later he’s caught in a situation which turns dangerous and he’s fighting for survival. David Sedaris calls it “a frightening story of tough men pushed to the brink.” I haven’t read about such fisherman since Sebastian Junger’s The Perfect Storm in 1997, so count me in.
There’s also the new novel from Irish author Caoilinn Hughes called The Alternatives (due out April 16) about a female geology professor who disappears off the grid, prompting her three sisters to search and track her down, which opens old wounds and adds new insights. It’s said to be a portrait of a family perched on a collective precipice that’s “witty and unexpectedly hopeful by one of Ireland’s most gifted storytellers.”
Well that’s a tall order, considering there’s many wonderful Irish authors these days. Granted I’ve been on a binge of Irish authors the past couple years, so I plan to give Hughes a try as well. I haven’t been disappointed by any yet.
Next are two nonfiction reads that look good, which include Erik Larson’s latest book The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War. It’s said to bring to life the five-month period between Abraham Lincoln’s 1861 election and the outbreak of the Civil War, focusing on the intensifying showdown over Fort Sumter in Charleston, S.C.
Admittedly I rarely feature nonfiction books in my Preview posts, but I need to make an exception for Larson, whose books often weave such unbelievable true tales of historical significance. I have not read them all, but my favorite is In the Garden of Beasts about the American ambassador’s family in 1933 Berlin during the rise of Hitler’s Nazis. The story is unreal and scary too. Not sure this one can match that, but I plan to check it out all the same. I tried to get an advanced copy, but I was out of luck.
Lastly I’m interested in Hampton Sides’s new nonfiction book The Wide Wide Sea: Imperial Ambition, First Contact and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook (due out April 9). For anyone who has spent time in Hawaii or the South Pacific, this true tale of the great British explorer Captain James Cook, who stepped ashore at Waimea in 1778 and met resistance with the natives, might be of interest.
As Shackleton author Caroline Alexander says: the book “transports the reader to one of the most thrilling eras of human exploration. … Hampton Sides has conjured Cook’s fatal voyage in all its extraordinary and tragic magnificence.” I’m game for it since I like reading about the epic explorers, especially since Hampton Sides is said to be one of the best narrative nonfiction writers around. I will find out if this is so.
And for April, I’m going to skip posting about new screen (TV & movie) releases since I’m busy packing up here and likely will not be watching much while I’m away, so let me know if you see anything good. But there’s quite a few new music albums coming out by such artists as The Black Keys, Pearl Jam, Iron & Wine, Maggie Rogers, and a little known singer named Taylor Swift. She apparently has her 11th studio album due out April 19, but for my own listening tastes I’ll pick singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers new one called Don’t Forget Me (due out April 12), which is her third studio album. Maggie grew up on the Eastern shore of Maryland in Easton, which I know well from my D.C. days. Here’s her new single.
That’s all for now. What about you — which new releases are you looking forward to this month? Have a great month and happy reading.
Hi Susan, Amor Towles is someone I must read. He’s very popular and also a booktuber I was watching raves about Rules of Civility. She read it years ago and has never forgotten it.
I did read Erik Larson’s Devil In The White City and I went into it with high hopes but I ended up putting the book down. The World’s Fair aspect of the story didn’t interest me. And I was creeped out by the serial killer side of the book which is odd because I like True Crime.
But in the True Crime books I like the author is very much on the side of the victims and the detectives trying to catch the killer. In comparison I found Larsen’s description of Holmes and the murders he committed cold and matter of fact.
Hi Kathy, did you say Towles is also a booktuber? Or did I miss something? I need to check him out there if so.
I have not read Devil in the White City and maybe it’s because of some of what you mention. That topic didn’t really interest me to start with — but his other histories appeal to me more. You make some good points about why you didn’t care for it. Happy spring to you.
Hi Susan, Towles is not a booktuber to my knowledge but one of the booktubers I listen to named BookOlive raved about Rules of Civility so I am curious.
I found Devil In The White City disturbing but I must give another book by Eric Larson a try.
Happy Spring!
Okay Kathy, thanks. That makes more sense. I missed that about BookOlive in the first comment. I just checked out her recent video. She seems fun and I like the book chat. So thanks for letting me know!
Have a wonderful and safe road trip; it sounds wonderful. And time with your parents will be great, I’m sure. My dad has a hip replacement this week so I’ll be spending a few nights at my parents’ house.
Thanks Helen. We are ready to go. And I hope your Dad’s hip replacement goes well. I think the first two weeks will be the toughest. But hopefully it’ll be better after that. Best wishes to him and it’s good you’ll be there.
Have a great trip, Susan! I’ve seen several books to be released this month that have piqued my interest, but I don’t know if/when I’ll be able to get to them. Right now I’m juggling two reads: Enlightenment by Sarah Perry (TBR in June) and James by Percival Everett, which I started last night. Both are good so far. Enjoy your getaway and drive safely!
Thanks Carmen. We are ready to go today. Good luck with your reads. I’m glad you are reading both novels before me so I can get the word about them. I hope they work out. I might be reading Apples Never Fall soon b/c my book club is discussing it in early May … and it looks long. So I better start. Could be a good beach book? It’s on my e-reader though. Enjoy your week.
I can imagine how excited you must be about the coming road trip. Hitting the road for really long drives is one of my very favorite things to do, and the anticipation is almost as much fun sometimes as the actual drive (don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing, really). I’m a big Erik Larson fan, having read most of what he’s written in recent years, and I’m a Civil War history buff, so his new one is one I know I’ll be reading at some point relatively soon. It’s getting a lot of buzz, but I haven’t read any actual reviews yet. His books are always so well researched and written that I have high hopes for this one, too.
Have a safe trip. I’ll look forward to the pictures.
Thanks Sam. I think you are better at road trips than I am but I’m keeping an open mind and giving it a go. We are excited to be underway soon.
I hope the Erik Larson book is a good one and I look forward to your thoughts if you get to it before me. Larson said he’d never write a Civil War book but now here he is with it. I’m Okay about that. & Good to hear you are a Civil War buff. There’s much to read this spring. Have a great week.
Hope you guys have a great trip! We’ll be looking forward to hearing about it after you get back. Enjoy the April books and take care!
Thanks Kay. Appreciate it. We are excited to head out. And I will catch up with a post sometime while we’re gone. Hope all is well there. Enjoy the wildflowers! Happy spring.
I bet you had fun at the tennis tournaments reffing. Sounds like busy and fun events. By the way, love the photos of the snow you post 🙂
Thank you for calling my attention to the Carys Davies book and other suggestions. This will go on my Goodreads list and I’ll check the library. What I love about the blogging world is finding new suggestions or learning about an upcoming release of an author I have previously enjoyed.
I looked forward to Tana French’s ;atest but after getting it, couldn’t engage with the plot. How I miss her Dublin Murder Squad stories. Have you read any of those? The Likeness was my favorite but I liked them all.
I finished a Valerie Perrin novel called Three and had previously enjoyed her book Fresh Water for Flowers. The translation from French was done by Hildegarde Serle – excellent.
Safe trip to California and please post doggie photos!
Thanks Tina. We are on our road trip now, woohoo! The dogs are funny in a hotel but they’re being good. I agree the blogging world is good for new suggestions — I always get a lot from you & others … and I also like discussing books with others who’ve read the same ones. That’s fun too. I’m glad you read Hannah’s The Women before me. So I know what to expect.
Too bad about the new Tana French book. I haven’t read any of hers, which is crazy I know, but I don’t read too many mystery/crime books but I think I’d like to try one of her murder squad novels. I have one on my e-reader, I believe.
I will stop by your site. Cheers. Hope you have a wonderful April.
Ooh, I love a good road trip and hope you are enjoying yours! It will be good to spend time with your folks, too. Our big road trip north will probably happen in mid to late May. The itinerary is still in the planning stages.
April has a lot of releases that look good. I’m looking forward to Amor Towles and Erik Larson, and Clear sounds pretty interesting, too!
Thanks JoAnn, our road trip is underway. We are hitting some beautiful areas and mountains on the way. But I can’t wait till we arrive, lol.
I hope you enjoy some great books this month. Cheers!
You are either on the road or just about to head out. I hope you have a great trip and maybe get to see some wildlife as you drive through Montana & Idaho. We head out in the RV tomorrow morning, but I doubt we’ll see anything other than elk. This trip will be fun for us, but it’s one we’ve done several times so not much new in the way of sightseeing or adventures. It’s mainly to visit family & friends with some R&R for us. I’m already busy with our plans for Wyoming in September and that will be great fun!! I may finally get to see a moose!
I’m not a huge fan of short stories, but I do plan to read Towles latest release. I’m going to hold off on watching A Gentleman in Moscow until we get back from California so we can watch it with my mom.
My husband is eager to read The Demon of Unrest. I’m not sure it’s one for me, but I did love The Splendid and the Vile, so who knows. Rod will also be interested (I think!) in the new Hamton Sides book. By the way, Rod’s new book has gone back to the publisher for final edits and then to the presses for a November release. Pretty exciting! As much as I enjoyed Sailing by Starlight, I think this new one is even better.
I read Tina’s comment about Tana French and I agree with her that The Likeness is French’s best. Loved that one!
Oh, I keep meaning to ask… how’s your knee? Fully recovered at this point?
Safe travels!
Hey Lesley, I was just commenting on your blog when your comment came in — how coincidental is that?! We are on Day 2 of our road trip and the mountains have been really pretty along the way. Great sights! I hope you have a fun road trip too to Santa Rosa, right? And that’s wonderful news about Rod’s new book, wow terrific! It’ll be out by November. That’s quick from when he started. We look forward to it. It sounds great. Does he have a cover pic yet?
I guess if I ever read a Tana French book — it should be the Likeness since you both agree that that is her best.
My knee is basically fully recovered now — as I don’t have to think about it really anymore. I hope to start biking outside while in Calif. We’ll see if I can add strength to it. Enjoy your weeks ahead. & happy reading in April.
I noticed that we were commenting at the same time, too! 🙂 Glad you’re having a good time on your road trip. Yes, we’re heading to Santa Rosa, then over to Carmichael and back up toward Dunsmuir, etc. And yes, Rod has the cover art for his book. I’ll do a blog post about it in the next week or two. Glad your knee is back to normal! Enjoy your time in SoCal. Hope it’s nice and sunny!
Thanks Lesley. You sound like you have a great trip ahead. I have not been to those areas yet. We arrived in SoCal and there’s much to do. I look forward to your post about Rod’s book! Enjoy your RVing ….
I hope the trip goes well. At least with the dogs, you will have to stop and take regular breaks.
As Tina says, I wish Tana French would return to her Dublin Murder Squad series. Her standalones have not appealed to me at all, and her American character was not at all convincing.
Hi Constance, thanks. All is well on the road trip, we arrived after 1,600 miles, lol. The dogs did well with the various overnights as long as we kept the periodic walks going.
Too bad about Tana French’s standalone books. They sound pretty slow to me. The Murder Squad books sound a lot better. I have not waded into any French books yet, but if I do it’ll be those. Hope the start the spring has been nice. Enjoy the weekend.
I hope your trip is going well. I would not want to go on a road trip at this point in my life but seeing Montana, Idaho, Utah, and Nevada would be interesting. I have only been to Nevada and that was to Las Vegas. My first husband and I had a close college friend stationed near Las Vegas and he lived in North Las Vegas, I think, but that was in the 1970s.
I will someday get a copy of and read Table for Two. I think it will be very good, but as you say, writing short stories is different from novels. Erik Larson’s latest book sounds good. I also liked In the Garden of Beasts and his book about the Lusitania was good.
Hi Tracy, thanks. We just arrived in SoCal after four days — we went around Vegas to see the Hoover Dam. Wow what a big thing. I’m not too big into road trips either but my husband talked me into this, with the dogs. I’m a flyer!
I still need to read Towles’s acclaimed A Gentlemen in Moscow and Erik Larson’s book on the Lusitania. I’m always usually way more behind on the nonfiction books. I hope all is well there. Happy spring & reading.
By now, you are presumably on your road trip to California. Hope everything is going well and that you are enjoying every minute of it. I look forward to see some photos later. 🙂 Whilst I do like Amor Towles, short stories aren’t my favourite thing, so I will probably skip Table for Two. Happy travels!
Hi Stargazer — I plan to update on the trip later — but things are busy. I can understand about your feelings on short stories. I’m sort of so-so on them but prefer novels. I hope all is well in London & with your work. Have you seen spring flowers yet? Cheers.
I tried to leave a comment, but it may have gone into your spam filter? Anyway, hope you are having an amazing road trip and I look forward to see some photos later! 🙂
Sorry Stargazer it took me a long while to find your comments. Goodness not sure why they would ever be there. The road trip was easier and better than I thought it would be. So a plus there. I will reply to up above too.
I hope you have a lovely and safe road trip to visit your family, Susan. April does have many good releases coming. . . So much temptation! Take care, and enjoy your travels!
Thanks Wendy. We made it to SoCal and things have been busy. I haven’t been able to do much reading but it’s good to be here.. Wishing you a good month!
I’m looking forward to The Demon of Unrest too. I hope you have a fabulous trip!
Thanks AJ. I appreciate it. So far it’s nice being in California. I’m glad you’re looking to read the Larson book. I hope it’s a good one.
Happy April! Enjoy your beach time and the warm spring sun of the south coast.
Thanks for the tip about the last story in the Towles collection–now I will read Rules of Civility before I read this collection, or at least that story 🙂
I love Erik Larson–so many excellent books, and I am on a Civil War reading/listening binge right now, so The Demon of Unrest will be perfect addition to my spring/summer reading. I’m actually thinking about putting a Stephen Ambrose tour on my wish list for next year.
I had an acquaintance in college (light years ago) who did work on Alaska fishing boats during the summer and made excellent money–this sounds like a book I would like. The Perfect Storm was riveting. Worth a reread, I think.
Thanks for the link to the Maggie Rogers single–now that I am retired, I am trying to listen to artists new to me, and she has a sound I truly like.
Enjoy your travels!
Hi Jane, thanks for your comments, all good. Things have been busy in Calif. but we’re enjoying it here. Checking on my parents.
It’s nice you’re on a Civil War binge. You might get to The Demon of Unrest before me, so I look forward to your thoughts on it. I loved Stephen Ambrose’s book on Lewis & Clark called Undaunted Courage. And I’d read more of his.
I hope you like Rules of Civility. It’s nice the character returns for the last story in his new collection. See what you think. Enjoy your April!
I’m interested about your stops in Montana, Idaho, and Utah! We visit Montana several times in the summer, meeting up with my daughter, SIL, and grandkids, and I love it there. Much better to meet them there instead of Texas in the summer, lol!
The North Line sounds like an interesting read. I’m currently reading *listening* to The Sweet Blue Distance by Sara Donati and loving it! It was on my April TBR.
Hi Rachel, Which parts of Montana do you go to? We like it as well. This time we stopped in Butte, which is an interesting old mining town. We also like Bozeman and Missoula. My brother lives near Great Falls.
I don’t think I can take the heat of Texas anymore. I’ve adapted to the North!
I’m glad you’re enjoying the Donati novel; sounds like a winner. I look forward to reading your review of it. Have a great week.