New Books
April marks the beginning of the biggest publishing season for adult fiction. I’m featuring some recently released novels that I’ve read and enjoyed. April is also National Poetry month, so I’ve rounded off my list with two of my favorite 2026 poetry collections. Both contain accessible, easy-to-understand poems.
American Fantasy by Emma Straub
’90s band Boytalk is doing a reunion cruise on the ship American Fantasy, and 50 year old Annie has reluctantly agreed to go with her sister. While both loved Boytalk as kids, Annie thinks it’s kind of silly that grown women (“Talkers”) are still obsessed with the group. When her sister backs out, Annie is paired with a roommate, who shows her the ropes and helps Annie embrace the American Fantasy experience. I love Straub’s writing and especially appreciated how lovingly she treats her characters–mostly middle aged women–highlighting their strengths, praising their awesome, diverse bodies of all sizes, and forgiving them their weaknesses. I enjoyed this cruise ship drama.
Go Gentle by Maria Semple
Adora Hazzard is a philosopher and author. She lives in New York City and works for a wealthy philanthropic family, teaching their children about morals and philosophy. Adora and her friends, all single women in their 50s or older, have been buying apartments on the same floor of a building so they can support each other as they age in place. The plot gets a bit unhinged near the end of the book, but if you can put up with suspending disbelief for the ending, I would recommend this book.
All the World Can Hold by Jung Yun
Just days after 9/11, the three main characters of this book board a cruise ship for the Bahamas. Unable to have their trips refunded, they’ve reluctantly gone on the cruise. Franny is trying to be a good Korean daughter and celebrate her mother’s 70th birthday. Doug spent years as the star of a TV show set on the cruise ship, and his agent got him a job for a reunion cruise. Lucy is graduating from MIT and has just interviewed with a company on the rise: Google. Each of them are struggling with different aspects of their lives, and they have choices to make that will be influenced by the cruise and the terrible events on 9/11. This is a delicious family drama wonderfully written.
A Suit or a Suitcase by Maggie Smith
In gorgeously-written, easy-to-understand poems, acclaimed poet Maggie Smith examines the relationship between our bodies and our minds. In the title poem she asks “Do I wear it/ or does it carry me? Is the body a suit/ or a suitcase? Bear with me here” This collection is full of reflections on life. In “The Score,” Smith writes “Is this what they call plot? This daily/ picking up of the same things–/ glasses, coffee cup, pen, book, keys–/ and setting them back down again?” and “If the score is plain/ and sweet, it’s because the life is–/ mostly. I don’t know how it ends,/ but given the budget, it will end quietly.” In my favorite lines, Smith says “You ask what I’ll miss about this life./ Everything but cruelty, I think.” My copy is already well dog-eared, and this would make a great gift if you have a poetry lover in your life.
How About Now by Kate Baer
In her newest collection of poetry, Baer refers to us as “dark matter held in mortal hope” and reminds us to seek the present: “You say we have a lifetime./ Love, we’re in our lifetime./ How about now?” Baer looks at life with compassion and humor. She tackles topics especially relevant to women in midlife, although this volume certainly transcends this audience as well. “My children ask why I make/ so many mistakes/ and I don’t have the heart to tell them/ this is my first rodeo/ just as much as it is theirs.” She says that “Time dripped from the faucet until, late thirties,/ an invisible hand reached down and turned the tap/ to a steady stream.” Grab a copy for your nightstand and buy this for a friend, along with “A Bit Much” by Lyndsay Rush.
Katelyn Boyer is the Adult Services Librarian at the Fergus Falls Public Library