New Book Releases: April 20, 2021

Each week, I’ll catalog the biggest and most exciting adult and YA fiction — and the occasional nonfiction — coming out that Tuesday.

THREE-MARTINI AFTERNOONS AT THE RITZ: THE REBELLION OF SYLVIA PLATH & ANNE SEXTON, Gail Crowther. The true story of the friendship — and eventual rivalry — between the two legendary poets. “Deliriously fast-paced and erudite, this is highly recommended,” writes Library Journal in a starred review. Bookshop.

UNDER THE SOUTHERN SKY, Kristy Woodson Harvey. A journalist discovers that a cluster of embryos belonging to her friend and his late wife have been deemed “abandoned” — but telling him would dredge up old wounds. In a starred review, Publisher’s Weekly calls it “a heart-wrenching tale of love and loss.” Bookshop.

THE HAPPIEST GIRL IN THE WORLD, Alena Dillon. When her best friend reports an acclaimed gymnastics doctor for sexual abuse, a gymnast denies knowledge of the allegations and is forced to grapple with the aftermath. “Dillon’s nuanced treatment makes for a stirring and complicated picture… [this] excellent psychological drama will stay with readers,” says Publisher’s Weekly. Bookshop.