19 Books Scary Mommy Editors Loved In April (&...

*Releases Could 19

If you wish to cry completely satisfied and unhappy tears about love and household and life, look no additional. Damoff’s forthcoming novel is a lovely portrait of romantic and familial love — how each change and morph over time, how they’ll go fully sideways, and the way they are often introduced again from the brink. Deb and Billy’s devotion to at least one one other, specifically, had me beside myself. 10/10 life-affirming learn. — Katie McPherson, Affiliate Editor, Way of life & Leisure

Why did it take me this lengthy to learn a comfortable homicide thriller with woodland creatures?! What a enjoyable learn! I stay up for the others within the sequence as nice palate cleansers or after I really feel burnt out on studying. — Katie Garrity, Information & Social Editor

It is a Southern Gothic horror novel that additionally reads like a darkish fairy story — and I liked it. The writing is beautiful, and the story, which follows a lady named Judith after she runs away from her abusive mom and strikes into a wierd home within the woods, is enthralling. That is fairly experimental and poetic, however if you happen to’re into that, you will be into this. — Sarah Aswell, Deputy Editor, Information & Social

My 11-year-old checked this out of her center college library, wolfed it up in three days, had nightmares for every week, after which begged me to learn it, too. It is a creepy YA horror novel a couple of younger lady who performs with a Ouija board app together with her finest buddy, making an attempt to attach together with her cousin who died years earlier than, after which chaos ensues. It is received all the pieces you need in a horror ebook — bizarre youngsters, scary porcelain dolls, a secluded Scottish island — and it is simply the proper stage of scary, whether or not you are a horror fan or not. — Samantha Darby, Senior Editor, Way of life & Leisure

A tremendous debut that’s humorous, page-turning, and touching. This ebook follows all the wayward members of the Flynn household, all of whom are struggling A LOT. The dad and mom have fallen out of affection and opened their marriage (to disastrous outcomes), whereas all three daughters are stepping into a wide range of robust spots. Can they get their stuff collectively, handle to like each other, and perhaps cease a criminal offense ring whereas they’re at it? I liked the heat and enjoyable of this ebook, together with every of the loopy characters. Because of Macmillan Audio for the pay attention! — Sarah Aswell

Set off warning: When you’ve got ever lived with an offended man in the home, this ebook will not be for you. The story follows Peggy, Drew, and their teenage son Samson. The trio stay on a ship in a canal within the Midwest, the place Drew obsessively works on his novel every evening and controls his household’s each transfer and selection, shifting them additional down the canal and away from connections every time they kind. There was a lot pressure all through this complete ebook; it is loads, however fantastically written, and you actually get hooked up to and root for the characters. — Katie McPherson

What a bizarre, wild trip! And a love letter to STORIES. All I stored considering after I was studying this was, ‘Who was *my* Nancy Drew?’ And I stored considering again to my time as a baby, studying with wonderment and simply falling in love with magical worlds and quirky characters. What a cute, enjoyable, magical trip that had simply the correct amount of cheese. 💕 — Katie Garrity

This one goes straight to my daughter, and I already know she goes to completely lose her thoughts over it — it is the cutest Little Golden Guide biography celebrating Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s love story, executed in that basic illustrated storybook model all of us grew up with. It is the proper present for any little Swiftie who additionally occurs to know each Chiefs sport day stat, and truthfully it is simply as pleasant for the mothers studying it aloud at bedtime. A candy, enjoyable, completely giftable second! — Katie Garrity

I listened to this as an audiobook, and was happy to search out it is narrated by Gagne herself. It has just a few enjoyable asides from her that I am undecided are printed within the ebook itself. This was an extremely eye-opening examine how sociopathy feels to the individual dwelling with it, what drives somebody to be good after they genuinely cannot care about proper versus mistaken, and the coping mechanisms we flip to when one thing in our mind cries out for reduction, however medication would not know find out how to assist us. — Katie McPherson

*Releases Could 26

A WARM HUG OF LOVE IN A BOOK. Annabel Monaghan is an auto-read for me, and Dolly All The Time was simply *chef’s kiss.* Nobody writes a number one man like her. — Katie Garrity

Do you ever discover out simply how little you understand about one thing? That occurred to me with this ebook, which is a small however mighty look into the previous, current, and way forward for tuberculosis… and the way it has had an impact on nearly all the pieces you may consider, from historical past and science to trend and the humanities. This ebook truly made me have a look again at my household tree — and I used to be shocked to learn how my very own ancestors had been affected by the illness. — Sarah Aswell

In some way I’ve by no means learn something by Joan Didion, and I got down to change that with this ebook. It is a memoir in regards to the sudden demise of Didion’s husband on the dinner desk, and the yr following wherein she felt he may stroll again within the door at any second. It is fantastically written and actually seems like a stroll via somebody’s psyche — precisely what I need from a memoir. — Katie McPherson

Libby Ward writes with the sort of unflinching honesty and humor that makes you are feeling deeply seen on each single web page. Equal elements memoir and manifesto, the ebook tackles the guilt, the invisible labor, the not possible expectations, and the unstated rage that so many mothers carry however not often say out loud. I felt very validated studying this! — Katie Garrity

That is considered one of my favourite reads of the yr thus far! A lady in Nigeria is compelled by tragedy to go stay together with her cousin in England — and the 2 pals quickly develop shut. However household issues, tradition, and misunderstandings complicate their relationship. It is a free retelling of Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park, and it made me really feel ALL of the feels. — Sarah Aswell

I’m shopping for this for my daughter, and I like that it makes studying really feel like an journey. As a substitute of a standard ebook, it follows a path of 400 related details that lead from one stunning subject to the subsequent, so youngsters can comply with their curiosity wherever it takes them. It is the sort of ebook that will get picked up time and again as a result of each web page leads someplace surprising and genuinely cool. Excellent for the child who loves random information and at all times has a enjoyable truth able to share! — Katie Garrity

Patricia Lockwood is now a must-read writer for me. How come extra individuals do not speak about how humorous she is? I laughed as a lot as I do throughout a David Sedaris ebook as she informed the story of her non-traditional household — her father is a uncommon married Catholic priest, and so they grew up dwelling in a rectory. This ebook is so good, enjoyable, and peculiar… I’m recommending it to everybody. — Sarah Aswell

*Releases Could 19

This is without doubt one of the most anticipated books of 2026, and it has all of the hallmarks of a Steven Rowley novel — equal elements humorous and deeply shifting with a premise that sounds absurd however hits you proper within the chest. Faculty professor Jesse witnesses his husband of thirty years stroll into their Joshua Tree yard, step into a wierd beam of sunshine, and disappear, leaving Jesse to grapple with grief, reinvention, and what it means to be alone for the primary time in his grownup life. That is on the TOP of my TBR! — Katie Garrity

What a enjoyable trip of a ebook! I’m not normally into fairytale retellings (this one is by Cinderella’s evil stepmother), however this ebook is totally pleasant and enjoyable to learn. The writer does an ideal job of integrating Cinderella into the story whereas additionally providing a completely unique story to the story, and I liked so most of the characters by the tip. A completely satisfying ebook and considered one of my favorites of 2026! Because of Macmillan Audio for the pay attention! — Sarah Aswell

I requested Scary Mommy Guide Membership for some suggestions for a really spicy and darkish ebook, and so many individuals named Butcher & Blackbird. This very foolish however enjoyable story follows two serial killers who fall in love whereas competing to see who can homicide essentially the most evil individuals. Sure, that is bizarre, fluffy, unrealistic, and graphic, and sure, I had a extremely nice time studying it. — Sarah Aswell