25 of the Best New Books to Add to Your Reading List This Spring

We start off our list with The Grace Kelly Dress, which is my pick for the best book of the season . . . and not just because I wrote it! Inspired by Grace Kelly's iconic wedding dress, this special garment plays a different role in each woman's life: from Rose, in 1958, the lonely orphan who creates the dress, to Joanie, in 1982, the popular sorority girl who cannot wait to wear it, to Rocky, in 2020, the tech CEO whose vision for her wedding day might involve something just a bit different from what her family imagines. Called "exactly the type of book I love" by Emily Giffin, I can personally guarantee you'll love The Grace Kelly Dress.

When Judy found her son's old baby sling in the basement, she put her dog into it. But then once she started, she found it somewhat difficult to stop. After all, wearing her dog was comforting, and with her stalling career, sick best friend, and husband who she can't afford to divorce, Judy could use a little comfort. Separation Anxiety is Laura Zigman's much anticipated return to fiction, and this hilarious and deeply moving novel is entirely worth the wait.

Out March 3

A thoroughly modern re-telling of Anna Karenina, Anna K starts off by telling us that "[e]very happy teenage girl is the same, while every unhappy teenage girl is miserable in her own special way." When we meet Anna, she is seventeen years old, and at the top of the New York City and Greenwich social scene. But when she meets Alexia "Count" Vronsky, her whole life will change.

Out March 3

What would you do if a woman approached you on a subway platform and insisted that you take her baby? And what would you do if she thrust the baby into your arms, and then jumped in front of a moving train? That's the set up for Samantha M. Bailey's thrilling debut, Woman on the Edge. As Morgan Kincaid struggles to figure out why a total stranger would give away her baby and then take her own life, she soon becomes a suspect for murder. Already a bestseller in Canada, Woman on the Edge is sure to make a splash when it publishes this March.

Everyone's favorite Love Warrior is back—this time with a book about how you can be your best Untamed self. Glennon Doyle is candid about how she fell in love with a woman while on tour for her memoir about repairing her marriage, and through her personal stories, teaches us how we can tap back into the person we were, before the world told us who we should be.

Out March 10

Called "Beyoncé's Lemonade for a teen audience," A Phoenix First Must Burn: Sixteen Stories of Black Girl Magic, Resistance, and Hope begs to be read. These stories center on Black women and gender nonconforming people, and take on many genres, including fantasy, science fiction, and folklore. Featuring some of your favorite authors (Elizabeth Acevedo! Ibi Zoboi!), this YA collection is definitely not just for teens.

This debut novel follows the Trần family through four generations. Moving forward and backward in time, we see the toll history takes on its family members as they do what they need to do in order to survive. Epic in scope, and a celebration of the human spirit, The Mountains Sing is a story you won't soon forget.

In her first book The Upside of Being Down: How Mental Health Struggles Led to My Greatest Successes in Work and Life, Ban.do founder and CCO Jen Gotch shares the empowering story of building a multimillion-dollar brand, embracing her flaws, and finding creativity while struggling with mental illness. From her childhood in Florida — where her early struggles with bipolar, generalized anxiety, and ADD were misdiagnosed — to her rollercoaster career path, Gotch brings her signature wit, sense of humor, and inspiring energy to the page.

You may have fallen in love with Samantha Irby through one of her memoirs. Or her essays. Or her blog. Get ready to embarrass yourself on the subway by laughing out loud, because Samantha Irby is back with another essay collection. Wow, No Thank You is a hilarious, no-holds-barred, look at life that will have you shaking your head in agreement. (Going to the club when you're 40 years old and just want to be at home in your pajamas? Wow, no thank you.)

At 68 years old, Loretha Curry has got a great life: a successful beauty supply store, a loving husband, and a fabulous group of friends. She's determined to prove to everyone she knows that despite her age, It's Not All Downhill from Here. But when an unexpected tragedy rocks her whole world, she'll have to rely on her friends, family, and even her own strength to start over again. Are her best days behind her or will she find the determination to find new hope and joy?

In 1933, American Jessie Lesage has come to Indochine with her French husband Victor, heir to the Michelin rubber fortune, because of the rubber plantations. She meets Marcelle de Fabry, a French woman who promises to be her guide to the ex-pat lifestyle. But can Marcelle be trusted? When political upheaval erupts around her, Jessie is forced to ask herself what she truly believes. A Hundred Suns is an impeccably researched historical fiction novel that immerses readers completely in this beautiful and haunting place.

Out April 7

A beautiful heiress. A cunning con woman. When Nina's mother becomes ill, she has no choice but to do one last big scam job. And she has just the mark: socialite Vanessa Liebling. An Instagram influencer, she lives her life online, giving Nina everything she needs to ingratiate herself. As these two women's lives collide, secrets will be exposed as the plot twists and turns at a breakneck pace. Impossible to put down, Pretty Things is smart, seductive, and utterly captivating.

Out April 21

"I am Ana. I was the wife of Jesus." A bold start to a novel that imagines the life of an unforgettable woman, written with reverence to the topic it covers. This intricate story is an epic journey, which fans of The Red Tent will devour. A novel about the power of women's stories, The Book of Longings is perfect for book clubs.

Out April 21

When someone live-tweets Katrina King's innocent conversation with a stranger at a coffee shop, it gets misinterpreted, gets a hashtag (#CafeBae), and goes viral. But not everyone wants to go viral, least of all Katrina, who lives a very private life by design. And anyway, that's not the guy she wants. Inspired by the real life #PlaneBae social media phenomenon, Girl Gone Viral is a fun, sexy rom com that's impossible to resist.

Out April 28

In Everything Beautiful in Its Time: Seasons of Love and Loss, Jenna Bush Hager shares stories from her beloved Gampy and Ganny (that's President George Bush and first lady Barbara Bush to you) which shaped her into the person she is today. Funny, moving, and bittersweet, these essays celebrate family and teach lessons about life, humanity, and kindness.

Out April 28

Book lovers know Emma Straub from her fabulous Brooklyn bookstore, Books are Magic. Her new novel, All Adults Here, is one of the most anticipated novels of the year. The story of Astrid Strick, her granddaughter, and her three grown children is the sort of book that Straub is known for: an irresistible cast of very flawed characters that you will come to love. A moving story about family, life, and becoming an adult.

Out May 5

Ruth Cooperman is ready to retire, and because of her fond memories of the beachside town, Provincetown, she rents a house there while looking for a place to buy. When a baby is left on her doorstep, her plans for a quiet retirement are upended, and she'll turn to the eclectic group of women she's met on the island for help. This may not be what she wanted, but could it be what she needs? Summer Longing is Jamie Brenner at her best: an emotionally honest story about motherhood, friendship, and belonging.

Out May 5

When Conley Hawkins finds out that her new job has disappeared while she's at the going-away party for her old job, she doesn't know where to turn. News jobs are hard to come by, so she finds herself in the last place she ever thought she'd be: her family's small town newspaper, now run by her brother. A sleepy news beat is not exactly what she's looking for, but when Conley witnesses a car accident, things start to get interesting. Hello, Summer is another gem by the always wonderful Mary Kay Andrews.

Out May 5

Chloe Wynn Berringer thinks she's got life all figured out. She's got the perfect prom date, a celebrity mom, and is going to the college of her dreams in the fall. But when her mother gets put under arrest in a massive college admissions scandal, Chloe loses everything in an instant and is forced to consider why her parents thought that the only way for her to be a success was to cheat. Admission is a ripped-from-the-headlines read that gives an inside look to the lives of the rich and famous.

Out May 5

Catherine House is a school unlike any other—once you are admitted, tuition is free. But that does not mean that there isn't a price to pay. A gothic debut filled with suspense, this was the book that Elisabeth Thomas was born to write. Her grandfather was one of three Black men in Yale's class of 1953, and her father followed in his footsteps, just as she did. Her time at Yale, as well as the respect for higher education that was instilled in her, inspired this novel. Catherine House is a page turner that is equal parts dark, dreamy, and disturbing.

Out May 12

Charlie Savoy was once the hottest actress out there. But after a car accident lands her in Boston Harbor (literally!), she's forced by the court to do community service at a Summer Shakespeare theater in the Berkshires. Only catch? Her old boyfriend, Nick, is the director. The Summer Set is a fun charmer about the lives of actors both on and off the stage. You'll never look at theater the same way again.

Out May 12

Readers first fell in love with the charms of Marisa de los Santos with her novel, Love Walked In. Her new novel, I'd Give Anything, is the story of Ginny Beale, who discovers that her husband has lost his job in the midst of a brewing scandal at work. The upheaval of her adult life makes her think about the one night everything changed for her, back when she was eighteen. Written in gorgeous prose, I'd Give Anything is a novel about the mistakes we make, and how we can confront them and move forward.

Out May 12

Daphne Berg has moved on with her life. She finally accepts her plus-size body, and has the Instagram following to prove it. When an old friend comes asking for a favor, she's forced to consider if she can forgive the past. Big Summer is the perfect beach read, but one that's filled with thoughtful ideas about how we live our lives online and the nature of friendship. Get ready for another big-hearted novel by Jennifer Weiner.

Out May 19

You know you've missed the world of Panem, haven't you? In The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, fans will be transported to the tenth annual Hunger Games, where Coriolanus Snow prepares for his role as mentor to the tribute from District 12.

Out May 19

The Sullivans are true Hollywood royalty, and at age ten, Caitlyn Sullivan was already a star. But a game of hide and seek leads to a real-life kidnapping, and Caitlyn will need to rely on herself to survive. She escapes, but is that the end? Hideaway is everything you want from the iconic Nora Roberts: suspense, vengeance, and of course, romance.

Out May 26

Go inside the aesthetically pleasing walls of an all-female social club in Andrea Bartz'z sophomore thriller, The Herd. POPSUGAR has an exclusive excerpt to get you hooked on this mystery!

Out March 24