April book‑club picks out

Publishers Weekly’s April 2026 roundup put two debut novels at the center of this month’s book-club conversation: Caro Claire Burke’s *Yesteryear* and Woody Brown’s *Upward Bound*. (publishersweekly.com) The trade publication posted the list on April 14, 2026, as a guide to current selections across multiple clubs, from Good Morning America and Read with Jenna to Barnes & Noble and Belletrist. (publishersweekly.com) Good Morning America chose *Yesteryear*, Burke’s first novel, after announcing the pick on April 7. The book follows Natalie Heller Mills, a “traditional wife” influencer with 8 million followers who wakes up in 1855 and has to live the pioneer life she branded online. (goodmorningamerica.com) Read with Jenna selected *Upward Bound*, Brown’s debut novel, on April 1. Jenna Bush Hager said she read it in one airplane ride, and TODAY described Brown as autistic and nonverbal. (today.com) Publishers Weekly said Brown’s novel reached No. 6 on its hardcover fiction list in the week of April 13. The magazine’s starred review said the book centers on disabled residents of an adult day care center in Southern California. (publishersweekly.com) The April list also shows how celebrity-backed clubs keep steering discovery toward new fiction. Publishers Weekly’s roundup grouped television-linked picks alongside bookstore and specialty clubs, turning one monthly list into a map of what reading groups may buy next. (publishersweekly.com) Other April selections in the roundup include Barnes & Noble’s *Mothers and Other Strangers* by Corey Ann Haydu, Belletrist and Good Housekeeping’s *The Fountain* by Casey Scieszka, and Black Men Read’s *Decent People* by De’Shawn Charles Winslow. (publishersweekly.com) For April reading groups, the headline is straightforward: the month’s most visible club picks are not backlist staples but first novels, and one of them is already showing up on the bestseller charts. (publishersweekly.com)