The must-read books of spring 2024

After a long and dreary winter, spring is finally upon us, and with the longer days and warmer weather comes a veritable bounty of new books to keep you busy while you dig out your sun chair and count down the days until the pool opens. Below you’ll find a list of 19 new titles that hit shelves during the months of April and May (and one that came out in March that’s not to be missed).

Among them are tales inspired by Thai and Chinese folklore, evil overlords who might not be so evil after all, the return of a favorite author to one of her beloved worlds, and several vampires who will make you scared of the dark again.

Take a look and let us know what you’re most anticipating reading this spring!

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Forgotten Sisters by Cynthia Pelayo

March 19

Part fairy tale, part horror novel, and part thrilling police procedural, Cynthia Pelayo’s new novel, Forgotten Sisters, tells the story of Jennie and Anna, two young women living in a bungalow located along the Chicago River. The house itself is unsettling in the way that most houses in horror novels are. The girls hear strange, unexplainable noises late at night and, from time to time, even disembodied voices. More alarming, however, is the number of drownings reported in the area, and the stranger who has taken a sudden and intense interest in Anna. Pelayo has crafted a modern Gothic ghost story that will have you on the edge of your seat.

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The Book of Thorns by Hester Fox

April 2

Set during the bloody Napoleonic wars, The Book of Thorns by Hester Fox tells the story of two sisters, Cornelia and Lijsbeth, who were separated at birth but eventually find their way back to one another.

Cornelia is a talented naturalist with a love of plants and an innate gift that helps her bring even the most wounded soldiers back from the brink. Lijsbeth has lived a life of servitude, finding her only connection to nature in the flower arrangements she puts together for her employers. When they’re unexpectedly reunited, the sisters must put aside their differences and work together to find out what happened to their mother and father.

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Lake of Souls by Ann Leckie

April 2

Fans of Ann Leckie, beloved author of the Imperial Radch series and recipient of Hugo, Nebula, and Arthur C. Clarke awards, will be thrilled to know she has a collection of her short fiction — including a brand-new novelette — hitting shelves this April.

Lake of Souls includes several tales that take place within the Imperial Radch universe as well as stories about a lobster-like dog creature, gene hacking to help people stop crying when they cut into onions (which, let’s get real, is kind of the dream), and the mysterious Lake of Souls from which the collection gets its title.

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Catchpenny by Charlie Huston

April 9

It’s fair to say Sidney Catchpenny, the troubled antihero at the heart of Charlie Huston’s new novel, has a gift most thieves would sell their soul for. Sid has the ability to travel to and from one location to another through mirrors. It’s a strange ability, to say the least, and the loot he steals is even stranger. Rather than typical heist fare like expensive jewels, art, or money, Sidney takes everyday objects that gradually collect magical essence (known as mojo) over time. When an old friend comes calling, Sidney soon finds himself in the middle of a job that has apocalyptic stakes and, strangely, connections to his own past.

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The Gathering by C.J. Tudor

April 9

Vampires are back in a big way this year. Not just sparkly, piano-playing vampires, either. We’re talking absolutely terrifying vampires like the one Danny Huston plays in 30 Days of Night, and C.J. Tudor’s novel, The Gathering, is just further proof of that.

Set in the small Alaskan town of Deadhart (a wink and a nod to its undead inhabitants), The Gathering begins when a young boy is found dead. His throat has been ripped out and his body drained of blood, an act of violence reminiscent of a spate of killings that happened 25 years ago. The residents of Deadhart are positive the killer is one of the vampyrs living in an old mine outside of town, but Detective Barbara Atkins isn’t so sure. As the nights grow longer, and with the help of Deadhart’s former sheriff, Barbara begins to look into the town’s bloody history, wondering all the while whether the monsters they have excluded are monsters at all, or if a different kind of killer is afoot.

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Bless Your Heart by Lindy Ryan

April 9

Don’t let its delicate, illustrated cover fool you. Like the (sometimes) condescending turn of phrase that it takes its title from, Lindy Ryan’s novel, Bless Your Heart, packs a punch. Or, in this case, a bite.

It’s 1999 in Southeast Texas, and the Evans women are something of experts when it comes to death. Ducey Evans, her daughter Lenore, and her granddaughter Grace own a funeral home, and it falls to them to make sure that the dead that they tend to stay that way. They run a tight ship, but when the town’s biggest gossip refuses to stay dead and buried, it becomes quickly clear the town has a vampire problem on its hands.

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The Last Phi Hunter by Salinee Goldenberg

April 9

In a world inspired by Thai folklore and Buddhist practices, Ex is the youngest member of a group known as the Phi Hunters Order, who track down and kill demons and spirits across the kingdom they call home. Like many young heroes, Ex is determined to prove himself, and the best way to do so is to track down and kill the demon that has eluded some of the greatest Phi hunters, his masters included. When Arinya, a pregnant runaway, saves his life in the heat of battle, Ex finds himself indebted to her and agrees, despite his own quest, to accompany her through a particularly dangerous stretch of ghost-infested forest.

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A Letter to the Luminous Deep (The Sunken Archive #1) by Sylvie Cathrall

April 25

Lovers of epistolary novels, this one’s for you! Set in a gorgeous underwater world, A Letter to the Luminous Deep tells the story of a famous scholar by the name of Henerey Clel, and a solitary and mysterious woman known only as E. The two strike up a relationship, platonic at first, though it quickly becomes much more romantic, and they send letters back and forth after E makes an astounding discovery. But when a sea quake destroys her home, the two vanish. A year later, it falls to E’s sister Sophy and Henerey’s brother Vyerin to find out what happened to their siblings, with only the letters that they left behind and their field notes to guide them.

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Fragile Animals by Genevieve Jagger

April 25

As mentioned earlier, gone are the days of vampires that sparkle when they stand in the sun. Everyone’s favorite bloodsucking monsters are once again something to be feared and, from time to time, to feel sympathy for as they struggle with their own mortality (or lack thereof).

In Fragile Animals, an ex-Catholic woman by the name of Noelle travels to the tranquil island of Bute, located off the coast of Scotland. It’s there she meets a man who claims to be a vampire, and begins to build a relationship with him based on the act of confession. But as their connection grows, Noelle finds herself haunted by her past and, in particular, her intensely religious upbringing. Fragile Animals is a quiet and introspective vampire novel that’s perfect for fans of books like Woman, Eating and Thirst.

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Woodworm by Layla Martínez (translated by Sophie Hughes and Annie McDermott)

May 2

If you’re in the mood to read a story about a haunted house that will make your skin crawl, then I cannot recommend Woodworm by Layla Martínez enough. This book has everything, from witches to saints to angels that look like praying mantises to some of the most unsettling portrayals of ghosts that I’ve come across in a long time. Trust me when I say that you’ll never look at the space between the end of your bed and the floor the same way again.

Set in a remote village on the outskirts of Madrid, Woodworm is, above all else, a story about revenge. Written in alternating parts, it tells the story of a young woman who has been accused of a horrible crime and her grandmother, who has her own fair share of secrets. The house they live in is undeniably haunted, and as the tension between these women reaches a boiling point and the truth begins to reveal itself, the spirits of the dead grow more restless.

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The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

May 7

It feels like a pretty safe bet to say Polygon’s list of anticipated spring titles isn’t the only one where you’re going to see Kaliane Bradley’s debut novel, The Ministry of Time.

Set in a not-too-distant future, The Ministry of Time tells the story of a civil servant who is offered a lot of money as a member of a government ministry attempting to establish whether time travel is possible by collecting and studying people from across history. The person she is tasked with observing (and living with in order to do so) is a man by the name of Graham Gore, a commander on Sir John Franklin’s disastrous expedition to the Arctic. While he struggles at first with modern amenities — and the idea of living with an unmarried woman — Graham adapts to the 21st century, and as they spend more time together, the two unlikely companions begin to fall in love.

This is a lightning strike of a story that will appeal to fans of time travel, spy novels, romance, and bittersweet, satirical office drama alike. The result is part Kate and Leopold and part Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow.

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The Z Word by Lindsay King-Miller

May 7

With a title that’s a clever riff on the beloved lesbian drama series The L Word, Lindsay King-Miller’s debut promises to be the queer zombie apocalypse novel everyone will be talking about this spring.

What’s worse than finding out your ex has been hooking up with members of your immediate friend group behind your back? The dead coming back to life is definitely up there. For Wendy, a zombie outbreak is just icing on the cake that is her complicated, messy life, and the number of infected is growing at an alarming rate. Determined to stay alive, Wendy finds herself teaming up with a wonderful cast of queer characters — including her ex — to try and survive the end of the world, no matter what it takes.

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My Darling Dreadful Thing by Johanna van Veen

May 14

If you’re in the mood to read an atmospheric, sapphic murder mystery with a supernatural twist, My Darling Dreadful Thing by Johanna van Veen is the book for you.

Roos Beckman’s best friend is dead, but far from gone. Ruth, her strange and skeletal companion, has kept Roos company for her entire life and, as far as she’s concerned, is the only good thing that’s happened to her. Things take a turn when Agnes Koop, a wealthy young widow, invites Roos to live with her at the estate she has inherited from her husband. The attraction between Agnes and Roos is undeniable, but when Roos is accused of a murder she claims was the work of a restless spirit, she has no choice but to try and prove her own sanity in order to save herself and those she cares for most.

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Kittentits by Holly Wilson

May 21

If its incredible title and violently pink cover aren’t enough to get you to pick up Kittentits of your own volition when it hits shelves in May, then it’s my hope that seeing it on this list will be the extra incentive you need.

The year is 1992 and Molly, a quick-witted, foul-mouthed 10-year-old who can see ghosts (yes, really), is sick and tired of her living situation at the Semi-Cooperative Living Community of Peace Faith(s) in Action. All of that changes the day Jeanie, a 23-year-old ex-con, moves into the building. Molly, understandably, thinks Jeanie and her dirt bike are cool as hell. When her new idol fakes her own death, Molly sets out on her own across the city of Chicago to find her.

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Escape Velocity by Victor Manibo

May 21

In his second novel, Victor Manibo transports readers to Space Habitat Altaire, a luxury resort that orbits Earth. Think of it like a futuristic super cruise ship or the front of the train in Snowpiercer. It’s top of the line in every way possible, which makes it the perfect fit for the Rochford Institute’s 25th reunion. Far below, Earth itself is dying, and the people who are unlucky enough to still call the planet home are, rightly, angry about it. So, while Rochford’s best and brightest reunite, they fail to see the encroaching dangers on the Altaire.

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Swiped by L.M. Chilton

May 21

Anyone who has ever attempted online dating knows it can be a complicated affair and endlessly frustrating. Add a serial killer with a vendetta against you to the mix, and it’s a whole other ballgame.

In Swiped by L.M. Chilton, Gwen Turner’s life is on the rocks. Recently single, out of a job, and dealing with her best friend’s impending marriage, she turns to dating apps to try and find a perfect match. What she finds instead is disaster after disaster as each date goes horribly awry. When reports of a serial killer in the coastal city where she lives reaches Gwen, she realizes the only thing the victims seem to have in common is that they’ve been on dates with her. Soon Gwen finds herself on a race against time to clear her name and find out who the real killer is before she’s accused of a crime she didn’t commit.

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How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying (Dark Lord Davi #1) by Django Wexler

May 21

It’s hard not to get excited about a book billed as “Groundhog Day meets Guardians of the Galaxy,” so Django Wexler’s rollicking time-travel comedy is one to keep an eye on.

Davi is sick and tired of protecting the world from the Dark Lord. She’s done it time and time again, over and over, stuck in an endless loop that always results in her defeat and, ultimately, her death, no matter how hard she tries. This time around, she’s determined to make it out alive, even if that means becoming a dark lord herself in the process.

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Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis

May 28

Don’t let its title fool you. Caitlin Rozakis’ novel, Dreadful, is an absolute delight, perfect for fans of TJ Klune and Travis Baldree.

After waking up amid the ruins of an evil wizard’s workshop without any memories — or eyebrows — Gav is mortified to learn he and the Dread Lord Whomever are one and the same. But what at first feels like a curse — Gav can’t figure out why he decided to lock a princess in a cell in his tower and now has a goblin valet to contend with — might be a blessing in disguise as he gets the chance at a fresh start. Will he pick up where the Dread Lord Gavrax left off or leave his evil past behind and start anew?

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Ninetails: Nine Tales by Sally Wen Mao

May 28

In her collection of short stories, Ninetails, Sally Wen Mao reimagines the fox spirit often depicted throughout Chinese folklore through nine vibrant, feminist tales.

Often depicted as a supernatural seductress and trickster, here readers will find the fox spirits present take many forms, like sex dolls that self-actualize and find new purpose, shape-shifting women, and many others. They avenge those who have been wrongly hurt and haunt the islands they once called home. Mao’s own poetic roots are on full display in these vibrant fairy tales that feel at once like they have existed for hundreds of years and are freshly imagined.

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From the Belly by Emmett Nahil

May 30

For reasons unbeknownst to me, I’m a huge sucker for any work of historical fiction that puts a bunch of guys on a boat together. The weirder, the better. From the Belly, Emmett Nahil’s debut horror novel, promises to be all that and more, making it one of my most anticipated books of this spring.

When a whaling vessel called — somewhat ironically given their bloody work — the Merciful catches a whale that has a living man in its stomach lining, it falls to Isaiah Chase to keep him alive. Stranger still are the series of violent misfortunes that befall the rest of the crew and the deeply unsettling — and seemingly divinatory — dreams that Isaiah begins to experience. As paranoia and greed overtake the crew, Isaiah becomes torn between the truth of what has come to transpire and their growing attachment to the man they saved.