Well Read: 5 Books You Won't Be Able To Put Down This April

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Reading is undeniably a key wellness practice—and one that many of us have ignored for far too long. It's proven to build empathy, reduce stress, and even lessen sugar cravings (yes, really!). With that in mind, we're excited to share Well Read, a column that curates the absolute best fiction and narrative nonfiction picks of the month. Here's what you should read this March. (Want more Well Read? You can find our past picks here.)

Fifty Things That Aren't My Fault: Essays From the Grown-Up Years

You remember the comic strip Cathy, featuring a perpetually dissatisfied 30-something eating way, way too much cake. Well, now the strip's author, also named Cathy (yes, the comic was, to a certain extent, autobiographical), is releasing her first book of essays. The humorous and at time poignant book reflects the concept of aging, tackling, in turns, feminism, the difficulty of removing sports bras, kids moving out of the home, the death of parents, and more. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll definitely say, "That's so me!" Fifty Things That Aren't My Fault: Essays From the Grown-Up Years by Cathy Guisewite (April 2)

Miracle Creek: A Novel

The Miracle Submarine is a pressurized oxygen chamber that promises patients a cure for issues like autism or fertility—until one day it explodes and kills two people. The book largely chronicles the murder trial that follows the event, and the author, a former trial lawyer herself, brings these scenes to life with heart-pounding accuracy. At once a page-turning thriller and a more emotional look into the lives of parents to special needs children, this is a unique book that will grab you with its mystery but reel you in with its astute observations about how we relate to one another. Miracle Creek: A Novel by Angie Kim (April 16)

Normal People: A Novel

The literary world is abuzz with Sally Rooney's new novel, which reads as if it were written by a millennial Jane Austen. The book chronicles the lives of two teenagers, Connell and Marianne. Despite their differences (one is popular and one is not, one's mom works as a cleaner in the other's house), they fall in love. The book chronicles their love story with a stark and intimate lens; its heaps of acclaim (the BBC already snatched it up for a series) are likely due to how well it portrays teenage life today, from the sexual to political. This is sure to be one of the watercooler books of spring. Normal People: A Novel by Sally Rooney (April 16)

Machines Like Me: A Novel

Set in a world like ours but slightly different in the 1980s, this new book from award-winning author Ian McEwan (you may remember Atonement) features a timeline where Alan Turing, famously persecuted for his homosexuality, is allowed to live and love freely and as such invents a new kind of artificial intelligence. The book uses the concept of AI to deeply explore our notions of memory, consciousness, and what, at its core, being human is all about. This is a dense read but worth the effort, as you'll come away with plenty of fodder for your next dinner party conversation. Machines Like Me: A Novel by Ian McEwan (April 23)

The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World

If you're looking for an inspiring read, look no further: Philanthropist Melinda Gates has written a new part-memoir/part-call-to-action book that reflects the lessons she's learned over the years. Gates combines sharing personal stories and anecdotes, including opening up about her marriage, with startling statistics that showcase the importance of empowering women to stop child marriage, end hunger, and more. The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World by Melinda Gates (April 23)

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