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Weekly Bestselling Books List for April 5 Features New Fiction and Nonfiction Releases

publication · 2026-04-01

The Los Angeles Times published its weekly bestselling books list for the week of April 5, 2026, featuring new releases across multiple categories. In hardcover fiction, Abby Jimenez's 'The Night We Met' leads with a story about friendship and pivotal decisions. Virginia Evans's 'The Correspondent' follows, exploring themes of correspondence and personal history. Tayari Jones's 'Kin' examines enduring friendships in the American South, while Lily King's 'Heart the Lover' revisits a romantic triangle. George Saunders presents 'Vigil,' a supernatural narrative about an oil tycoon's afterlife reckoning. Lauren Groff's 'Brawler' offers short stories on human duality, and James Patterson collaborates with Viola Davis on 'Judge Stone,' a legal thriller. Jennette McCurdy's 'Half His Age' depicts a secret student-teacher relationship, Rebecca Serle's 'Once and Again' involves familial time-altering abilities, and Marie Benedict's 'Daughter of Egypt' uncovers historical truths about a pharaoh. In hardcover nonfiction, Michael Pollan's 'A World Appears' investigates consciousness, Belle Burden's 'Strangers' delves into marital dissolution, and 'The Best Dog in the World,' edited by Alice Hoffman, collects essays on canine bonds. Gavin Newsom's 'Young Man in a Hurry' recounts his political origins, Christina Applegate's 'You with the Sad Eyes' shares personal and professional challenges, and Liza Minnelli's 'Kids, Wait Till You Hear This!' tells her life story. Omar El Akkad's 'One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This' critiques Western values, Stewart Reynolds's 'Lessons From Cats for Surviving Fascism' uses feline metaphors for political resistance, David McCullough's posthumous 'History Matters' compiles historical essays, and Sue Monk Kidd's 'Writing Creativity and Soul' reflects on authorship. Paperback fiction includes Andy Weir's 'Project Hail Mary' and other titles, while paperback nonfiction features Rebecca Solnit's 'The Beginning Comes After the End' and Julia Cameron's 'The Artist's Way.' The list provides a snapshot of current literary trends and reader interests, sourced from the Los Angeles Times entertainment section.

Key facts

  • The list was published on April 1, 2026, for the week of April 5.
  • Abby Jimenez's 'The Night We Met' tops the hardcover fiction category.
  • Michael Pollan's 'A World Appears' leads the hardcover nonfiction section.
  • James Patterson and Viola Davis co-authored 'Judge Stone,' a legal thriller.
  • George Saunders's 'Vigil' involves supernatural elements and corporate greed themes.
  • Christina Applegate's memoir discusses her career and multiple sclerosis diagnosis.
  • David McCullough's 'History Matters' is a posthumous essay collection.
  • The list includes categories for hardcover fiction, hardcover nonfiction, paperback fiction, and paperback nonfiction.

Entities

Artists

  • Abby Jimenez
  • Virginia Evans
  • Tayari Jones
  • Lily King
  • George Saunders
  • Lauren Groff
  • James Patterson
  • Viola Davis
  • Jennette McCurdy
  • Rebecca Serle
  • Marie Benedict
  • Michael Pollan
  • Belle Burden
  • Alice Hoffman
  • Gavin Newsom
  • Christina Applegate
  • Liza Minnelli
  • Omar El Akkad
  • Stewart Reynolds
  • David McCullough
  • Sue Monk Kidd
  • Andy Weir
  • Allen Levi
  • Matt Dinniman
  • Kaveh Akbar
  • Jacqueline Harpman
  • Shelby Van Pelt
  • Rachel Reid
  • Gabrielle Zevin
  • Octavia E. Butler
  • Liz Moore
  • Rebecca Solnit
  • Julia Cameron
  • David Grann
  • bell hooks
  • Erik Larson
  • Chloe Dalton
  • Joan Didion
  • Robin Wall Kimmerer
  • Graydon Carter

Institutions

  • Los Angeles Times
  • Hachette Book Group
  • Crown
  • Knopf
  • Grove Press
  • Random House
  • Riverhead Books
  • Little, Brown & Co.
  • Ballantine Books
  • Atria Books
  • St. Martin’s Press
  • Penguin Press
  • The Dial Press
  • Scribner
  • Grand Central Publishing
  • Simon & Schuster
  • Ballantine
  • Ace
  • Vintage
  • Ecco
  • Carina Press
  • Haymarket Books
  • TarcherPerigee
  • William Morrow Paperbacks
  • Farrar, Straus & Giroux
  • Milkweed Editions
  • Penguin Books

Locations

  • California

Sources