PEOPLE's Best Books of April 2024: Salman Rushdie's Memoir and New Romance from Emily Henry

See our picks for the best books of the month

An arresting family story, meditations on backyard life, and the beach read of the season — here are PEOPLE's picks for the best books of April 2024.

'Knife' by Salman Rushdie

After the 2022 attack that almost took the novelist’s life comes a thoughtful, intimate meditation on the power of art and finding the courage to face adversity.

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'The Demon of Unrest' by Erik Larson

Abraham Lincoln devotees and Larson fans alike will devour this propulsive account of the five months between Lincoln’s election and the start of the Civil War. An all-too-prescient tale of tension and tragedy, clashing egos and miscommunication, power and betrayal.

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'Disability Intimacy' edited by Alice Wong

In essays, photos and poetry, this revolutionary collection explores what intimacy means for disabled people today in all its beautiful, complex forms.

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'I Just Keep Talking: A Life in Essays' by Nell Irvin Painter

For the first time in one volume comes historian Painter’s incisive criticism on art, politics, race and identity. An illuminating, essential journey.

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'Real Americans' by Rachel Khong

It’s a tale as old as time: Poor girl meets rich boy, they fall in love, and they live happily ever after. Well, not quite. Lily isn’t just poor; she’s the daughter of Chinese immigrants who moves to an isolated island with her son Nick after breaking contact with her ex Matthew. And Matthew comes from the kind of money that pollutes all it touches. When Nick sets off to find his long-lost father, it sets off an epic investigation into class, belonging and inheritance. A profound read.

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'The Backyard Bird Chronicles' by Amy Tan

If you’ve been bitten by the bird-watching bug, polish up your binoculars for this moving collection of essays from the celebrated author of The Joy Luck Club. Through diary entries, original sketches and questions to spark readers’ own introspection, this is a heartfelt look at the impact of the natural world—for those who take the time to look outside.

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'Funny Story' by Emily Henry

In what may be Henry’s coziest romance to date, a buttoned-up librarian falls for her new roommate—who’s also her ex’s best friend’s ex. During a whirlwind coastal Michigan summer, irresistible Miles helps Daphne let her guard down, and we learn it’s never too late to live the life you thought was out of reach. — McKenzie Jean-Phillipe

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'Colton Gentry's Third Act' by Jeff Zentner

After country singer Colton’s best friend is murdered onstage, he speaks out on guns—and gets canceled. His marriage falls apart, his career tanks and he moves back home to lick his wounds. There, he finds another chance where he least expects it. It’s a story of healing, friendship and fresh starts.

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'Lucky' by Jane Smiley

Follow folk singer Jodie Rattler as her star rises from growing up in St. Louis to performing on some of the world’s biggest stages. Holding her own in the wake of such greats as Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez and Janis Joplin, Jodie has to figure out if feeling like something's missing means it's time to find love, or something more within herself. A robust, atmospheric coming-of-age story.

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'The Band' by Christine Ma-Kellams

K-pop fans and readers who haven't yet fallen in with the phenomenon will both love this darkly funny novel about a troubled K-pop idol who disappears after he finds himself at the center of controversy, the discontented Chinese American woman who rescues him and the price of manufactured fame.

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'ADHD is Awesome' by Penn and Kim Holderness

Drawing from their family's personal experiences, and offering new tools and techniques, content creators Kim and Penn Holderness present a fresh, accessible look at living with ADHD in this uplifting guide.

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'Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent' by Judi Dench and Brendan O'Hea

In a collection of conversations with Brendan O'Hea, Dame Judi Dench pulls back the curtain on her life in Shakespearian theatre. Including reflections on each of Dench's iconic Shakespeare roles — from Hamlet's Ophelia to Titania in A Midsummer Night's Dream — this read is sure to delight fans of the actress and the Bard alike.

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'My Beloved Monster' by Caleb Carr

Thirty years ago he wowed us with The Alienist—now he’s written what’s likely the most brilliant feline portrait in literary history. Rescued from abusive owners, Masha fought off everyone in the shelter until the author showed up—and at that moment a love affair of 17 years began. Carr reveals his own struggle to overcome the brutal legacy of his famous Beat Generation father and his own lifelong sense that he may be part cat himself. Read if you don’t believe it. — Marion Winik

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'The Paris Novel' by Ruth Reichl

When Stella St. Vincent’s mother dies, her inheritance comes with a caveat: She must visit Paris. There she tackles an art-world mystery, eats at legendary restaurants and explores her estranged father’s identity. A rollicking tour of 1980s Paris with culinary legend Reichl as the consummate guide. — Claire Martin

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'The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers' by Samuel Burr

For fans of crosswords, word searches and mazes, this cozy, old-fashioned novel features a group of quirky British geniuses who raise a baby dropped off on the doorstep of their club headquarters. He grows up to solve the greatest puzzle of all—who is he? Bring your pencil! — Marion Winik

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'You Know What You Did' by K.T. Nguyen

After her mother dies, a rich woman vanishes, and she finds herself under scrutiny, Annie’s life starts to unravel, and so does she. A dizzying thriller that centers around mental illness, generational trauma, and how much we really know even those closest to us.

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'Days of Wonder' by Caroline Leavitt

Ella and Jude are madly in love, but after an attempted murder, Ella goes to prison and is forced to give up their daughter. When she’s released and goes to find her, it’s all page-turning drama.

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'Indian Burial Ground' by Nick Medina

Something sinister is lurking on the reservation, and Noemi’s world is falling apart. Is it human? Or something worse? Read this Native American mythological horror with the lights on, or you may never sleep again.

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'Rebel Rising' by Rebel Wilson

The Pitch Perfect and Bridesmaids star opens up about motherhood, shocking details from her film career and finding true love. A bold memoir filled with humor and heart.

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Related: Rebel Wilson Alleges Sacha Baron Cohen Humiliated Her on Set in Graphic Account He Says Is 'Demonstrably False' (Exclusive)

'Table for Two' by Amor Towles

Eve Ross, the spirited heiress from Towles’s Rules of Civility, makes a satisfying reappearance in the noirish novella that ends this collection. But the six stories that precede it shine brightest. Set mostly in turn-of-the millennium Manhattan, they center on the quirks of fate or character that can send settled lives in new directions—including, in the case of the staid banker in the standout “I Will Survive,” one that might call for some bright-red shorts. Delightful. — Kim Hubbard

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'The Marriage Sabbatical' by Lian Dolan

After 23 years together, Jason and Nicole are taking an empty-nester vacation. Apart. He goes on a motorcycle trip, while she learns jewelry-making in Santa Fe, with some extracurricular romantic activities for them both. A hopeful take on commitment. — Rennie Dyball

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'How to End a Love Story' by Yulin Kuang

Grant and Helen’s past, marked by devastating tragedy, seems impossible to overcome in this debut novel about grief and passion. As they’re forced to confront their trauma in a Hollywood writers’ room, angsty stolen moments and fleeting touches will make your heart ache in the best way. — McKenzie Jean-Phillipe

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'The Wives' by Simone Gorrindo

When New Yorker Gorrindo has to move to Georgia after her husband joins the Army, she feels like a fish out of water at first. This hopeful, unifying memoir details her experience finding a supportive community in a place where she initially least expected it.

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'Rabbit Heart' by Kristine S. Ervin

Ervin was 8 when her mother, Kathy Sue Engel, was kidnapped from a mall parking lot and murdered. As new details emerge decades later, Ervin and her family have to grapple with the unspooling aftermath and she learns how complex justice can be. A poetic, moving memoir.

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'All We Were Promised' by Ashton Lattimore

Formerly enslaved Charlotte is still in hiding even in supposedly free Philadelphia, until she meets Nell, a budding abolitionist who helps her let go of her fear. But that doesn't last, especially when shadows from Charlotte's past arrive. A gripping novel about standing up to impossible odds.

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