14 New Books for April
This month, we’ve got our eyes on Chipped, Like Love, and 12 other titles by writers on the West.
THE AGE OF MAGICAL OVERTHINKING, BY AMANDA MONTELL
The 24-7 news cycle. Twitter rebranding as X. An internet teeming with “experts.” The plethora of information in modern society can make anyone anxious. In this pointed work, Montell explains how sensory overload and cognitive biases keep people trapped in cycles of self-loathing and abuse. The bright side? A bit of practiced rationality and reasoning can help bring order to the chaos of contemporary life. Atria/One Signal Publishers, April 9
CHIPPED: WRITING FROM A SKATEBOARDER’S LENS, BY JOSÉ VADI
Vadi’s memoir-in-essays focuses on skate culture and his specific experiences within it, including ruminations on heroes, aging, jazz, and the pandemic. In this book, skating becomes a lens through which Vadi can see his own California journey, from the changing suburbs of Southern California to the cities of the Bay Area. Soft Skull, April 16
FAMILY RESERVATIONS, BY LIZA PALMER
Palmer’s novel revolves around Maren Winter, who has built a formidable restaurant empire. Maren is aging and has begun to look to her three daughters for a successor. Each brings her own qualifications, but when humiliation strikes on New Year’s Eve, the three women enter a cutthroat competition to have it all while trying to preserve their family. Lake Union Publishing, April 1
THE FORGETTERS, BY GREG SARRIS
A parable about two crow sisters, Answer Woman and Question Woman, Sarris’s new book is a paean to the mysterious world that Indigenous people inhabited before the current age. Even though Answer Woman knows all the tales, she can recall them only when asked by her sister. As they sit atop Gravity Hill, a hidden realm is revealed through their conversation, which promises power and healing. Heyday Books, April 16
INTERTWINED: WOMEN, NATURE, AND CLIMATE JUSTICE, BY REBECCA KORMOS
Even though women are more likely to be affected by climate-related events, they are still underrepresented in leadership roles across climate nonprofit organizations and negotiating groups. In this heavily researched work, Kormos examines the issue and women’s involvement in environmental politics. New Press, April 3
LIKE LOVE: ESSAYS AND CONVERSATIONS, BY MAGGIE NELSON
In Like Love, Nelson gathers writing from the past two decades. Even as she ranges widely, Nelson often returns to the themes that center her work and give this book its heart: queerness, love, the specific practice of being a critic, creativity, and the necessities of living an embodied life. Graywolf Press, April 2
LUCKY, BY JANE SMILEY
Smiley’s new novel introduces Jodie Rattler, born in the 1940s and coming of age in the 1960s. Jodie has one goal: to sing. As the book progresses, she travels from St. Louis to New York City, Cleveland, and Los Angeles in search of a rock ’n’ roll life. Knopf Publishing Group, April 23
OTHER PEOPLE’S WORDS, BY LISSA SOEP
After losing two friends at young ages, Soep turned to the writings of Mikhail Bakhtin, whose ideas about language inspired her to speak the words these friends most often used. In these pages, she argues that preserving the speech of others can help connect us to their experiences and add depth to our relationships. Spiegel & Grau, April 16
REAL AMERICANS, BY RACHEL KHONG
In this multigenerational saga, Khong follows a Chinese American family from the 1960s to the 21st century. Beginning with Lily Chen, a struggling intern who falls in love with Matthew, a wealthy man set to inherit a large company, the novel then flashes forward to another Chen, Nick, a young man on a quest to find his biological father. The family drama raises questions about belonging and whether destiny is assigned or created. Knopf Publishing Group, April 30
SING, I, BY ETHEL ROHAN
Rohan tells the story of Ester Prynn, who, after a gunman robs the convenience store where she works, begins to reexamine her life. Ester focuses on her overlooked desires, rethinking the way she has pushed her own wants aside to tend to an ailing father, a difficult son, and a loveless marriage. As the robber continues to evade law enforcement, she must learn to balance trauma and anxiety with newfound enjoyments. Triquarterly Books, April 15
TABLE FOR TWO: FICTIONS, BY AMOR TOWLES
This collection of short fiction by the author of A Gentleman in Moscow splits into two areas: a few short stories set in New York and a novella during the golden age of Hollywood, in which, fresh off the train to California in 1938, a young woman named Eve navigates a gritty new city. Viking, April 2
WHAT KIND OF BIRD CAN’T FLY, BY DORSEY NUNN
After 10 years in San Quentin State Prison, Nunn set out on a mission to help those who had been convicted in the U.S. legal system. In these pages, Nunn uses his knowledge of the law, societal inequities, and community building to piece together a national movement aimed at restoring dignity to formerly incarcerated people, especially brown and Black men. Heyday Books, April 30
WILD LIFE: FINDING MY PURPOSE IN AN UNTAMED WORLD, BY RAE WYNN-GRANT
Wildlife ecologist Wynn-Grant recalls nearly two decades of adventures across the globe, always sharing the obstacles she encountered and how she was able to overcome them. As a Black female scientist, Wynn-Grant serves as an inspiration for future generations. Get Lifted Books, April 2
YOU ARE HERE: POETRY IN THE NATURAL WORLD, EDITED BY ADA LIMÓN
Featuring more than 50 poems, this collection, edited by U.S. poet laureate Limón, highlights the ways the natural world is changing, with emphasis on locality and the authors’ relationships to their specific landscapes and communities. Milkweed Editions, April 2
Elizabeth Casillas is an assistant editor at Alta Journal. A graduate of California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, she has previously written for the Poly Post and Enspire Magazine.
Jessica Blough is a freelance writer. A former associate editor at Alta Journal, Blough is a graduate of Tufts University where she was editor in chief of the Tufts Daily.
Ajay Orona is an associate editor at Alta Journal. He earned a master’s degree from USC Annenberg’s School of Journalism in 2021 and was honored with an Outstanding Specialized Journalism (The Arts) Scholar Award. His writing has appeared in Los Angeles Review of Books, Ampersand, and GeekOut.
14 New Books for September
15 New Books for August
New Releases for July
Upcoming Releases: Moderation and Cozy Dystopias
