This was another great month of reading. I finished my friend Chassity’s book, Pink Sand Summer and really loved it. I read more non-fiction than usual. I finally tackled Project Hail Mary (very excited for the film!). Plus, some really good thrillers (omg, the new Sarah Pekkanen was my personal favorite — well worth pre-ordering!).
Everything i read in April 2026
I would really love to hear what you’re reading in the comments! And if you are new here, check out The Library. I have kept this page meticulously updated for the past twelve+ years. It has every book I’ve read, and you can search, filter by genre, and rank from best to worst.
PS – Last month’s list. Everything I read in March 2026.
Thrillers
The Women in White, by Sarah Pekkanen (out 8/4)
I am a huge fan of Sarah Pekkanen; I have read all of her books and love them all! This one was a little bit of a departure for her as it has an alternate timeline (it’s partially set in the 1960s), and I loved it! In 1964, a group of four women (who became best friends) became the subjects of a series of parapsychology experiments at the local university. The experiments are conducted by a visionary scientist who believes he’s on the precipice of a historic breakthrough. In the same year, these women each vanish, and the program is shut down. Meanwhile in modern day, Riley Bell is newly divorced and looking for a fresh start. She accepts a caretaker job for Betty, an elderly widow. Betty seems pretty self-sufficient. While confined to a wheelchair, she can do most things on her own. That said, she seems to be stuck in the sixties. There’s no internet or television, no microwave, no cell phones . . . no modern technology whatsoever. Betty is isolated and lonely. Riley becomes determined to help her figure out the truth about her missing friends. As she does this, old secrets come out, and Riley finds herself at the center of a decades-old mystery. I couldn’t put this down. I thought it was really clever and smart (and as with all of Pekkanen’s books, super fun to read!). Overall Score A // Order on Bookshop or Amazon
A Good Person, by Kirsten King
When Olivia Muenter blurbed this, she called it “A love letter to Amy Dunne of Gone Girl,” which a) got me to buy it and b) is completely accurate. This is the sort of book that will keep you up all night (and I really don’t recommend reading it before bed; I couldn’t sleep — the ending was wild!). I mean this as a compliment, of course: dark and twisty is my favorite. I would just recommend starting it earlier in the day because you won’t be able to stop reading. Lillian is, to be clear, very much not a good person. She’s living in Boston and hooking up with Henry, her situationship, who she is certain will eventually fall in love with her. When Henry does not fall in love with her and instead breaks up with her, Lillian loses her mind a little bit. She decides to exact revenge upon him by casting a hex. She expects the hex to ruin his life or maybe cause him to come groveling back. Instead, she wakes up to the news that Henry has been found dead. Did Lillian’s hex work? When Lillian finds herself a prime suspect in his murder case, her life is thrown into a dangerous tailspin. This is dark and funny and very toxic (in the best way). I loved it! Overall Score: A // Order on Bookshop or Amazon
The Ending Writes Itself, by Evelyn Clarke
This is a twisty whodunnit with Agatha Christie vibes. Six authors across very different genres are invited to spend a weekend in Arthur Fletch’s castle on a private island. Fletch is one of the world’s best-selling novelists. When they arrive, they sign an NDA and learn an explosive secret: Fletch is dead, and there is a contest amongst them to finish his final book. The winner will receive a contract with his prestigious agent, as well as a million dollars. (This is huge, potentially career-changing news for this group of authors as each of them are struggling in some way.) The catch? Their devices have been taken away; they have to finish it on a typewriter, and they have just 72 hours to write their perfect ending. From there, the cozy writing retreat quickly escalates to a murder mystery. I liked this a lot, but it was not a love for me, simply because locked-room murder mysteries are generally not my favorite. But it’s good, definitely worth reading, especially if you are more into mysteries than thrillers! Also, kinda cool: Evelyn Clarke is the pseudonym for authors V.E. Schwab and Cat Clarke. Overall Score B+ // Order on Bookshop or Amazon
Romance
Pink Sand Summer, by Chassity Evans (out 5/12)
My friend Chassity wrote a book, and it is so wonderful. Truly, the perfect beach read that I think everyone will love (even if you are like me and romance is not always your first choice). It’s heartfelt, cozy, and a joy to read. What I loved most about it was how transportive her writing was. Having visited Harbour Island a few times, it felt like I was right back there again. Bring it somewhere warm, park yourself in the sunshine, and give yourself a few hours to relax and get immersed in Lucy, Jack, and Noah’s world. Lucy (an artist, based in Charleston) has inherited her grandmother’s beloved island house on Harbour Island. She’ll spend the summer on the island, getting the house in order and figuring out what comes next. Upon returning to the island, she finds herself face-to-face with the man she once thought was the love of her life but broke her heart (Jack), and a handsome new love interest (songwriter Noah). Summer on Harbour Island is a blur of parties and dinners. Lucy is invited to be part of a prestigious art show at a photographer’s home (he feels very Slim Aarons adjacent). And she finds herself torn between these two men. Can she trust Jack again? Should she take a chance on someone new? Overall Score A+ // Order on Bookshop or Amazon
Science Fiction
Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir
Something I have learned about myself is that I don’t really like books about space. They are, I think, just below books about war. Of course, there are exceptions (Atmosphere!), but for whatever reason, I find space to be super stressful and — if I’m being totally honest, a little bit tedious. Also, so much science speak. So, to be totally honest, a lot of this book was a slog for me. It’s very long and there’s a lot of scientific language (Andy Weir is honestly a genius with what he created here). I ultimately ended up loving it because the plot took a turn and something happened that I wasn’t prepared for (I went in knowing very very little!). I am really happy that I slogged through because I loved that twist, and I adored the ending (it made me emotional, which I didn’t see happening). My advice, if you are like me and want to read the book, is to stick with it, it’s completely worth it!!! Now, I can’t wait to see the film. Overall Score A- // Order on Bookshop or Amazon
Non-fiction
The Company I Keep, by Leonard Lauder
I read this as background research for my book (a big part will be around a “family business” similar to Estée Lauder) but would recommend it to absolutely anyone. It’s an incredible look at how Estée and her two sons built The Estée Lauder Companies. From starting a brand during the war and taking it from the family kitchen to department stores, to building Clinique, Origins, Prescriptives, and more . . . it’s fascinating. We learn about the Revlon Wars (Charles Revson seems like such a villain; I am dying to read up on everything related to him next!). It gave me great material for the book, but something I forgot about was Lauder’s incredible art collection and his work for The Whitney Museum. I couldn’t get enough! He seems like he was an incredible person and led such an interesting life. I could not get enough and genuinely think that anyone and everyone will love this book. Besides all of the great stories, there is some fantastic leadership (and life!) advice. I highly (highly!) recommend it. Overall Score A+ // Order on Bookshop or Amazon
Extra Sauce, by Zahra Tangorra
It is rare for me to pick up a memoir by someone I’m not familiar with, but I’d heard fantastic things about this one. Also, I am obsessed with food writing (and miss my old life in New York), so it felt like the appropriate thing to read when I got home from my trip. I am so happy I picked it up, because the writing is so incredibly good that I felt absolutely transported into Tangorra’s world (and also very hungry). The book opens with a near-death experience: Tangorra is on a tour bus. The driver falls asleep at the wheel. The bus goes off of the cliff. Miraculously, she survives . . . and with the money from a settlement, opens up the cult-favorite Brooklyn restaurant, Brucie. She takes us through the Brucie years (and needing to close it and file for bankruptcy). The way she writes about food is extraordinary. But also, family and romantic love. The chapters about her father (and cooking his last meal) had me in tears. And as an added bonus, the book is filled with her recipes (old family ones, plus Brucie favorites). I want to make them all! I keep saying this, but it would be the perfect book club/cookbook club hybrid. This is an absolute must for all of the food lovers! Overall Score A // Order on Bookshop or Amazon
Start With Yourself, by Emma Grede
I absolutely loved this book, and all of the stories within it. I found it to be both realistic and inspirational. Emma Grede has built an empire, and this is her no B.S. story of how she got to where she is today, packed with stories and inspiration. There has been a lot of coverage in the media that have been pretty critical of Grede and some of her takes. Those takes feel a little sexist to me, and also, out of context. I don’t agree with all of her advice, but I’m also not trying to build a billion-dollar brand. (That sounds stressful to me!) Whether you aspire to build an empire or just grow your own small business, I think there are so many incredible takeaways. And so few women are honest about what it really takes to succeed at that level: she’s refreshingly candid. As with anything, you can take and leave some parts to apply it to your own goals and lifestyle, but wow — I certainly took a lot away from it. And I loved learning more about her early childhood (from the daughter of a single mother who didn’t grow up with much to becoming one of America’s richest self-made women). Each chapter breaks down an “old thought” (stale thinking, outdated ideas) into a “new thought” (a reframe, modern way of thinking). If you’ve ever felt like a bystander in your own life, this is for you. I recommend listening to it as she has a great accent and it feels like she’s speaking directly to you, giving you advice. Overall Score A // Order on Bookshop or Amazon
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