Spring has sprung, the sun is shining, and there are SO many good books on the market! There’s nothing quite like being able to sit outside on a park bench and enjoy a good book in the great outdoors of NYC. Admission: I’ve already dug into 4321, and it is beyond fantastic. Here is a round-up of the books I will be eagerly consuming this April.

4321 – Have you ever wondered how the everyday decisions that you make determine the course of your future? 4321 follows the life of Archie Ferguson, and traces it through 4 distinct paths his life may have taken, all stemming from one crucial point in his life. This is the ultimate manifestation of the “road not taken” idea, and I’m excited to see the depth of character that stems from a total exploration of this young boy’s life and its many paths.

Blood, Bones, & Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef – If you’ve been to NYC’s lovely restaurant Prune, you’ll want to pick up this autobiography of its chef, Gabrielle Hamilton. The story dives into her life pre-Prune, and all of the kitchen adventures leading up to this restaurant’s launch.

Perennials – The first book from Brooklyn-based author Mandy Berman, this novel details the lives of a group of girls growing up at summer camp. It came highly recommended by the editor who worked on this book, and I cannot wait for this to be one of my first summer reads.

It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want To Be – Billed as “the world’s best-selling book,” this must-read is written by a top advertising exec and focuses on the power of creative and imagery. Regardless of if you work in advertising, we can all take a leaf out of this powerful manifesto for dealing with and capitalizing on the visual-heavy world that we live in.

The Devil in the White City – This chilling work is based on the story of H.H. Holmes, a Chicago-based serial killer who preyed on single women during the late-19th century. The main event here was the World’s Fair, which serves as the backdrop for this exploration of growth and modernity, as well as its dark side.

Dreams From My Father – Am I the only person in America who has yet to read this book? It’s about time that I settled down with this biography of our former president. I’m looking forward to learning more about his young life and how it shaped his future presidency.