April’s Most Wanted: The Top 10 Books Trending on Goodreads Right Now

It’s hard to believe we are already heading into the final days of April! As the spring weather finally starts to settle in, there is nothing better than finding a great new read to take out to the porch or the park.

Following our monthly tradition here at Living Well, I’ve headed over to Goodreads to see what everyone is talking about this month. From high-stakes historical fiction to heartwarming mysteries, here are the top 10 books trending this April.

• February’s Most Wanted: The Top 10 Books Trending on Goodreads Right Now
• March’s Most Wanted: The Top 10 Books Trending on Goodreads Right Now

1. Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke

This has been the breakout hit of the month. It follows a modern-day “trad-wife” influencer with millions of followers who suddenly wakes up in the brutal reality of 1805. It’s a fascinating, darkly funny look at the “pioneer” lifestyle versus the actual grit required to survive it.

2. Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth

Don’t let the “cranky senior” trope fool you, Mabel is much more than a difficult neighbor. She is a woman with a dark past and a body count that she has managed to keep hidden for decades. When a newcomer threatens to dig up her secrets, Mabel proves that she hasn’t lost her lethal edge. It’s a deliciously dark, “pro-aging” thriller that flips the script on the little old lady next door, showing that some secrets never die—and neither do the women who keep them.

3. American Fantasy by Emma Straub

Moving away from her usual contemporary settings, Straub delivers a sweeping, multi-generational saga that explores the “fantasies” we build around our own families and the American Dream itself. It’s a sophisticated and deeply moving look at how the stories we tell ourselves about our past can shape, and sometimes distort, our future. It is a must-read for anyone who loves a rich, character-driven family drama.

4. The Book Witch by Meg Shaffer

Meg Shaffer returns with a spellbinding story about the literal magic of reading. When a young woman discovers she is a “Book Witch”—someone with the rare ability to physically enter the world of any book she touches—she finds herself recruited for a dangerous mission to rescue a character who has been kidnapped out of a beloved classic. It is a breathtaking adventure that serves as a high-stakes love letter to literature, exploring what happens when the boundaries between our world and our favorite stories finally dissolve.

5. London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe

The master of narrative non-fiction returns with a deep dive into the “London-grad” phenomenon. Keefe investigates the suspicious death of a high-profile Russian defector, pulling back the curtain on the murky world of billionaire oligarchs, international money laundering, and the British establishment that looked the other way. It is a chilling, meticulously researched true-crime story that reads like a Bond novel, exposing the dark side of extreme wealth and the high cost of the truth.

6. The Girls Trip by Ally Condie

From the author of Reese’s Book Club Pick and instant USA Today bestseller The Unwedding, a novel of suspense and friendship about three friends who decide to disappear from their lives for a few days while on a trip to a national park, only to have one of them vanish.  

7. Annie Knows Everything by Rachel Wood

What if you knew exactly what people thought of you? Annie discovers she has the uncanny (and often unwanted) ability to hear the private thoughts of those around her, but only when they are thinking about her. This sharp, “sliding doors” style novel is a brilliant exploration of social anxiety, the weight of others’ expectations, and the liberating truth that we aren’t always the center of everyone else’s universe.

8. The Caretaker by Marcus Kliewer

For fans of high-tension psychological thrillers, this is the book of the season. When a man takes a job as a live-in caretaker for a secluded, high-tech estate, he begins to realize the house, and its absent owners, are hiding something far more sinister than simple security measures. It’s an eerie, atmospheric read that will keep you turning pages long into the night (and perhaps checking your locks twice).

9. Into the Blue by Emma Brodie

In the summer of 2000, AJ Graves dreams of writing for Saturday Night Live; instead, she’s stuck working in a video rental store, with slim odds of escaping her small Massachusetts town. Then in walks Noah Drew, the enigmatic and intense scion of the Drew acting dynasty, and her life changes forever. Despite wildly different upbringings, the two forge a deep, cosmic bond, first as friends, then as acting partners, until one day, Noah disappears without a word. This is a gorgeous, sprawling story that feels like the ultimate spring read.

10. The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke

This “locked-room” mystery is a collaboration between V.E. Schwab and Cat Clarke. Six struggling authors from different genres are invited to a remote Scottish island to finish the final manuscript of a legendary novelist who died unexpectedly. It’s a twisty, lethal competition that doubles as a wicked satire of the publishing industry.

What are you reading this month? Have you picked up any of these, or is there a hidden gem I missed? Let me know in the comments!