The April Birthday Blog

Schedule e-Gift Cards and peruse the month's best gift books

Got any April-born friends and family to celebrate this month? Treat your loved ones to a bookish birthday! Choose something special for your April amigos, from our roundup of some of the hottest titles of the moment, like Emily Henry's newest romance, Great Big Beautiful Life by (coming out April 22).

New April-specific e-Gift Card designs!

If you'd prefer to go with ThriftBooks e-Gift Cards for your loved ones, we offer lots of fun designs you can choose from, including our new month-specific birthday e-gift cards (April showers!) to be delivered whenever you want. Purchase now and schedule for delivery on your recipient's special day. The process is quick and easy. This is a great way to get all your monthly birthday shopping done in one fell swoop!

This month's best gifting books

Here are some of the reads that are currently getting rave reviews from a range of readers.

Fiction finds

• Story of My Life by Lucy Score—A romance novelist struggling with heartbreak-induced writer's block relocates from Manhattan to tiny Story Lake, PA.
• Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall—A love triangle unearths dangerous, deadly secrets from the past in this thrilling tale for fans of Where the Crawdads Sing.
• Heat of the Everflame by Penn Cole—The third installment in the dazzling Kindred's Curse romantasy series, a #BookTok sensation.
• Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie—Four African women, linked by blood or friendship, grapple with turning points in their lives.
• Blood Moon by Sandra Brown—An unruly detective and an ambitious TV show producer race against time to solve the disappearances of several teenage girls.

Nonfiction gems

• The Tell by Amy Griffin—This astonishing memoir from the founder of the investment firm G9 Ventures recounts her efforts to recover from trauma.
• Waiting on the Moon by Peter Wolf—The frontman of the J. Geils Band shares stories from his more-than-six-decade music career.
• Outlive by Peter Attia with Bill Gifford—A groundbreaking manifesto on living better and longer that challenges conventional medical thinking.
• Care and Feeding by Laurie Woolever—The author of Bourdain reconsiders her life and work in the context of reckonings within the food industry.
• I'll Have What She's Having by Chelsea Handler—In a collection of hilarious and tender essays, the comedian shares her unforgettable story.

Winsome picture books

• How to Catch the Easter Bunny by Adam Wallace—The Easter Bunny evades traps while delivering goodies. (Ages 4–8)
• Buffalo Fluffalo by Bess Kalb—A silly buffalo tries to bluff and fluff his way into being bigger than he really is. (Ages 4–8)
• The Great Eggscape by Jory John and Pete Oswald—Good Egg and his pals escape their carton. Includes two sticker sheets! (Ages 4–8)
• Will the Pigeon Graduate? by Mo Willems—A hilarious and inspiring book for grads of all ages. (Ages 3 and up)
• Hello There, Sunshine by Tabitha Brown—Tab and her dog, Grady, look for the sun (Ages 4–8)

Middle-grade faves

• Wild Ghost Chase by John Patrick Green—Dive into the third volume of Agents of S.U.I.T. with the weirdest mystery yet. (Ages 7–10)
• The Cursed Campground by FGTeeV—It's a dark and stormy night in volume one of this hilarious new series from YouTube's favorite gamer family. (Ages 8–12)
• A Guide to the Dragon World by Tui T. Sutherland—Take a deep dive into the legends of the ten dragon tribes in the Wings of Fire series. (Ages 8–12)
• Resist: A Story of D-Day by Alan Gratz—Samira, a young resistance fighter, embarks on a dangerous mission to save her mother on D-Day. (Ages 9–12)
• Away by Megan E. Freeman—A group of children in a relocation camp investigate why they were driven from their homes. (Ages 10 and up)

YA winners

• The Rose Bargain by Sasha Peyton Smith—A new Victorian-inspired romantasy, perfect for fans of Bridgerton and The Cruel Prince. (Ages 13 and up)
• Rebel Witch by Kristen Ciccarelli—In the conclusion to the Crimson Moth duology, Rune and Gideon must join forces to stop a sinister plot by Cressida Roseblood. (Ages 13 and up)
• Powerless by Lauren Roberts—A powerful prince and an ordinary girl as they try to survive their kingdom's grueling laws pitting them against each other. (Ages 13 and up)
• Fable for the End of the World by Ava Reid—The Last of Us meets The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes in this stand-alone dystopian romance about survival, sacrifice, and love that risks everything. (Ages 14 and up)
• Legendborn by Tracy Deonn—This YA contemporary fantasy reinvents the King Arthur legend, weaving in Southern folk traditions and Black Girl Magic. (Ages 14 and up)

Culinary keepers

• Shred Happens: So Easy, So Good by Arash Hashemi—100+ protein-packed Mediterranean favorites with a low-carb twist.
• The Art of Mixology—Become your own bartender at home with this collection of artisan cocktail recipes.
• Today Loves Food—Today show hosts curate a collection of the show’s most popular recipes.
• The Perfect Loaf by Maurizio Leo—The craft and science of sourdough breads, sweets, and more.
• So Easy So Good by Kylie Sakaida—Discover accessible everyday recipes and no-nonsense nutrition info from social media sensation Nutrition by Kylie.

Deluxe special editions

• Nightweaver: Deluxe Limited Edition by M. Gray—A propulsive YA romantasy about an iron-willed heroine avenging her brother and discovering her destiny.
• Wildfire by Hannah Grace—Book 2 in the Maple Hills romance series is available now in a spectacular deluxe hardcover edition.
• The Griffin Sisters' Greatest Hits by Jennifer Weiner—Get the Limited First Edition of this glimmering novel set in the world of pop music about sisters, motherhood, young love, and the dreams we chase.
• The Fine Print by Lauren Asher—This Collector's Edition from the Dreamland Billionaires series features a specially designed case, beautiful printed edges, exclusive full-color art, and foiled endsheets.
• Jane Austen Boxset—A stunning collection of all six of Austen's novels, commemorating the beloved English author's 250th birthday this year.

Famous authors born in February

This month produced some of history's most celebrated literary luminaries. Here are some of these distinguished authors along with one of their highly rated titles.

• Anne McCaffrey, April 1, 1926—Dragonflight
• Hans Christian Andersen, April 2, 1805—Andersen's Fairy Tales
• Maya Angelou, April 4, 1928—I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
• Booker T. Washington, April 5, 1856—Up From Slavery
• William Wordsworth, April 7, 1770—The Works of William Wordsworth
• Barbara Kingsolver, April 8, 1955—Demon Copperhead
• Beverly Cleary, April 12, 1916—The Mouse and the Motorcycle
• Tom Clancy, April 12, 1947—The Hunt for Red October
• Nella Larsen, April 13, 1891—Passing
• Samuel Beckett, April 13, 1906—Waiting for Godot
• Eudora Welty, April 13, 1909—The Collected Stories of Eudora Welty
• Henry James, April 15, 1843—The Portrait of a Lady
• Gertrude Chandler Warner, April 16, 1890—The Boxcar Children
• Thornton Wilder, April 17, 1897—Our Town
• Charlotte Brontë, April 21, 1816—Jane Eyre
• Louise Glück, April 22, 1943—The Wild Iris
• William Shakespeare, April 23, 1564—Hamlet
• Vladimir Nabokov, April 23, 1899—Lolita
• Charles Johnson, April 23, 1948—Middle Passage
• Daniel Defoe, April 24, 1660—Moll Flanders
• Sue Grafton, April 24, 1940—A is for Alibi
• Bernard Malamud, April 26, 1914—The Natural
• August Wilson, April 27, 1945—Fences
• Harper Lee, April 28, 1926—To Kill a Mockingbird
• Terry Pratchett, April 28, 1948—The Colour of Magic
• Annie Dillard, April 30, 1945—Pilgrim at Tinker Creek

Happy, happy birthday to all the April babies! Whether you're celebrating a loved one or yourself, we hope you can find something perfect here at ThriftBooks to bookify the occasion!

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Read more by Ashly Moore Sheldon