Dame Judi Dench's Shakespearian Secrets and More of the Very Best Books Coming Out in April

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This month, pile your nightstand with a peek inside an iconic performer's life on stage, a look at the lives and work of five brilliant danvers, a true story of Hollywood's gritty underbelly, and so much more. Here are T&C's picks for the best books of April 2024.

Real Americans

When Nick Chen sets out to find his biological father, he has no idea what his quest will bring. His mother, on the other hand, has an idea—and isn't too thrilled about it. Back when Nick's parents first met, their vast differences seemed dwarfed by their romance, but as their relationship unfolded, things didn't work out quite as planned. Still, Nick has questions about his family and his history, and Rachel Khong's sweeping, smart, and totally engrossing story about destiny, determination, and what truly makes us who we are explores them with style and smarts.

Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent

From Lady Macbeth to Cleopatra, the Shakespearian roles that Judi Dench has played run the gamut. In this new book, the great Dame discusses her own experiences with the Bard, and peppers in notes on a life on stage and screen—including everything from dressing-room etiquette to never-before-revealed secrets of her life in the limelight. To quote A Midsummer Night's Dream, "though she be but little, she is fierce!"

The Audacity

Things are not going well for Victoria Stevens. The tech billionaire has disappeared in the hours before a story will drop exposing her entire operation as fraudulent, and it seems as though she's left her husband holding the bag. In this funny, observant novel, Ryan Chapman follows the pair in their very different ways of dealing (one goes off the grid, the other goes wild on a private island where the world's richest people have convened) and in doing so, looks closely at the state of wealth and the world today. Pick this one up with Dorothy Parker's immortal words in mind: "If you want to know what God thinks of money, just look at the people he gave it to."

The Swans of Harlem: Five Black Ballerinas, Fifty Years of Sisterhood, and Their Reclamation of a Groundbreaking History

Five of the world's greatest dancers helped change the face of ballet—they performed at the White House, they appeared on Broadway, they were on the covers of magazines. So, why don't we know who they are today? This insightful history from Karen Valby tells the stories of Lydia Abarca, Gayle McKinney-Griffith, Sheila Rohan, Karlya Shelton, and Marcia Sells, celebrating the contributions they made to their art form and giving them the recognition they so greatly deserve.

The Fixer: Moguls, Mobsters, Movie Stars, and Marilyn

Fred Otash had seemingly something on everyone, from JFK and Judy Garland to Rock Hudson, Frank Sinatra, and Marilyn Monroe. The former Marine turned LAPD officer was perhaps best known for his work as a private detective, which brought him close to some of his era's biggest names during their darkest moments. This thrilling biography, based on personal archives and investigation files, tells not only the story of Otash and how he became the most powerful man in Hollywood's shadows, but also charts the beginning of a celebrity culture still raging today.

Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder

In August of 2022, Salman Rushdie—the writer of books including Midnight's Children and The Satanic Verses—survived a vicious attack a lecture in New York State. Here, he shares for the first time his recollections of the event and also his thoughts on life and art in the wake of it.

The Limits

Nell Freudenberger's latest is a globe-spanning epic that tackles questions of family, faith, and the fate of the world. When teenager Pia leaves her scientist mother behind in Tahiti to spend time with her father (and his new wife) in New York City, she had no idea what would lay ahead for her. But as she tries to find her place in this new family dynamic, the world comes grinding to a halt, what's important to Pia—and a cast of other unforgettable characters—shifts dramatically, revealing the true desires that drive a seemingly disparate but ultimately intertwined group of people across the world.

The Paris Novel

In her latest novel, T&C's own Ruth Reichl takes on the City of Lights one bite at a time. The story follows Stella, a cautious American, whose mother's dying wish is that she go to Paris. When she first arrives, she behaves with the same carefulness as always, but a bit of divine intervention—in the form of a Dior dress and a well-connected new friend—opens up a new world for Stella, one that's full of adventure, mystery, and oysters.

An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s

During their marriage, Dick and Doris Goodwin saw a lot of American history. Not only did the couple spent 42 years together, but each was a major player in U.S. politics, working for presidents including JFK and Lyndon Johnson. Before Dick died in 2018, the two of them poured over their archives, more than 300 boxes that provides the backbone to this book—part history, part memoir—that tells the story not only of an unparalleled decade in our nation's history, but also of a one-of-a-kind union between two of the country's sharpest minds.

Reboot

Justin Taylor has a knack for depicting our modern moment with a wisdom that often only comes from hindsight. His latest follows David Crader, a ne'er-do-well former child star who finds himself called back to Los Angeles for what might be a chance to start over—and not only on screen. But there's more at play here than just stardom; David's situation asks big questions about who we are as a culture, what we value, and the things that bring us together and tear us apart. You know, like teen soaps.

What the Mountains Remember

This latest from the author of All the Pretty Places and The Grand Design follows Belle Newbold, a young woman at the turn of the 20th century who thinks she knows what it is she wants, but finds herself surprised and changed by what fate has in store. When a trip brings Belle and her soon-to-be-husband—practically a stranger–together in the mountains, a terrain she's attempted to avoid since a tragedy years before, everything she thought she knew about love and the life she desired is changed forever.

Everest, Inc.: The Renegades and Rogues Who Built an Industry at the Top of the World

It isn't only the mountain climbers finding their purpose at the top of the world's highest peak. In this fascinating look at the big, big business of guides on Mount Everest, Will Cockrell uncovers how a group of entrepreneurial adventurers began guiding well-heeled clients up the mountain to become an integral part of the big-money adventure economy and help change the way we see mountain climbing, and the mountains themselves.

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