April 2023 Releases I’m Excited to Read

Hello everybody! Today, I have my most anticipated April releases to share with you, of which there are rather a lot. Onto the post!

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Olly Brown, God of Hamsters– I’ve been meaning to pick up Bethany Walker’s books for ages now! This is a story about a boy who it seems like hamsters are beginning to worship him as their god. A totally original and very quirky premise!

Clutch– this is the third book in the fantastic Twitchers series, which blend bird watching and mystery solving. It’ll be perfect springtime reading since it’s set during April.

The Dark and Dangerous Gifts of Dolores McKenzie- I’m honestly quite a bit ashamed I haven’t gotten to this yet, but as I haven’t, I think I’m going to take it to Edinburgh for my trip next month with my boyfriend. I think it’ll be fun reading it while I’m actually in the same city as the story!

My Life on Fire- I was sent a copy of this by the publisher and I’ve enjoyed a Cath Howe book previously. It’s about a girl whose family loses their home and possessions in a house fire, and her turning to kleptomania as a coping mechanism.

Nic Blake and the Remarkables– The synopsis of this is quite vague, but it’s got magic and the search for a powerful weapon involved, so I’m sure it’ll be great. Hoping my library copy doesn’t take too long to arrive 🤞

The Great Fox Heist– this is the sequel to the fabulous Great Fox Illusion, which I finally got round to reviewing last week. I’m looking forward to seeing Flick and Charlie again for another adventure! I’ll hopefully be reviewing it as part of Are You With Us? as Flick is a disabled character.

Time to Shine at the River School– Jummy at the River School was a boarding school story set in Nigeria that I found very charming and fun, and I look forward to a new term at the River School to see how these characters are getting on as their journey progresses.

The Boy Who Saved a Bear – the Serendib series focuses on a stunning setting and sweet animal-child relationships. I’m a big fan, they’re always a great read!

Lost on Gibbon Island – Jess Butterworth is one of my favourite middle grade writers and it’s been ages since Into the Volcano, so I’m very excited! She writes so beautifully about nature and animals and how they connect to our lives.

The First Shadowdragon– the Last Firefox was such a gorgeous, cosy middle grade fantasy, which I adored last year. I’m so excited to be back in this world and I think the cover of this is one of the most stunning things I have ever seen.

Skandar and the Phantom Rider- I loved the first book in this series, especially the explosive twist at the end, so I’m very excited for the sequel. It’s going to be epic, I just know it! Finding Folkshore- I really liked Rachel Faturoti’s middle grade so I’m interested to see what her YA is like. I also really like the concept of finding a fairytale world within London.

The First Move – this is a debut YA romance, with a disabled main character and a chess theme, so it’s obviously one of my most anticipated releases of this entire year. I can’t wait for my preorder to arrive!

My Love Life and the Apocalypse – this is a love story set at the end of the world. I quite enjoyed All That’s Left in the World last year, and this sounds even better since it’s set in New York City and seems to have a more feelgood vibe.

Let’s Play Murder – this has such a cool concept. It’s about a virtual reality murder mystery game which a girl is drawn into playing against her will, and what she has to do when a real murderer hijacks the game.

Love You to Death– Gina’s last YA thriller You Can Trust Me was one of my favourite books of last year, and I just know I’m going to love this. It has a super interesting premise of a copycat stalker getting murdered, and I know it’ll tackle the themes of obsession so well.

Cursed Crowns– I loved the first book in this series SO MUCH last year, and I’m dying to get my hands on the second one. It’s such a gorgeous romantasy vibe, written by Katherine Webber and Catherine Doyle, two authors who are brilliant solo and even better together.

The Plus One- I actually haven’t read Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake (the second in this companion series) yet, but a friend just read and really enjoyed this as a standalone so there’s a good chance I’ll end up picking it up first, but I do also want to buy Lizzie Blake soon so who knows. This has anxiety rep and Lizzie Blake has ADHD rep, so both would work well for my upcoming celebration of disability rep Are You With Us?

Love on the Menu– this sounds like the Flatshare, but they communicate through notes in takeaways, and it just sounds so cute. I saw the cover in a Facebook ad and I was instantly sold to be honest.

Mr and Mrs Witch – this is a witchy romcom about a witch and a witch hunter realising the secret identities the other has concealed on their wedding day. I think the title is super clever too and the concept feels so fresh and new.

Happy Place– who doesn’t love Emily Henry?? Book Lovers was my favourite from her to date, but this story about a married couple who’ve decided to separate but have to get through a holiday with their friends first by faking it might steal the prize.

Sizzle Reel- this is a romcom about a bi woman working in Hollywood and coming out in her 20s. It sounds fabulous and the author is very funny on social media, so I have very high hopes indeed for it.

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Thank you so much for reading! Which April releases are you excited about? What do you think of my list, did you find anything new? I’d love to chat in the comments!

Amy xx