5 books not to miss: E.L. James' 'The Mister,' 'Normal People,' David Burtka's cookbook

1. “The Mister,” by E.L. James (Vintage, fiction, on sale April 16)

What it’s about: She may be giving up the whips and chains of “Fifty Shades of Grey,” but it looks like E.L. James is largely sticking with her winning formula. Maxim Trevelyan is good looking, well connected and fabulously wealthy. But then tragedy strikes, and he inherits his family’s noble title and all the responsibility that comes with it. With his life already in tumult, he falls hard for Alessia Demachi, a mysterious young woman with a secret that may undo them.

The buzz: How do you top a trilogy of BDSM erotica that sold over 150 million copies around the world? Consider us curious.

2. “Normal People,” by Sally Rooney (Hogarth, fiction, on sale April 16)

What it’s about: Connell is the popular star of the school football team. Marianne is a lonelier, more private sort. But an undeniable connection develops between the two, one that they’re determined to conceal. A year later at Trinity College, their positions flip, and now it’s Marianne who’s the social butterfly, and the two continue to circle each other, irresistibly drawn as magnets. A coming-of-age story about the electricity of first love, it’s Rooney’s second novel, following “Conversations with Friends” (2017), and was longlisted for the 2018 Man Booker Prize.

The buzz: The Guardian hails it as a future classic, while in a starred review Kirkus Reviews says, “In outline it's a simple story, but Rooney tells it with bravura intelligence, wit, and delicacy.”

3. “The Binding,” by Bridget Collins (William Morrow, fiction, on sale April 16)

What it’s about: Bridget Collins’ first adult novel, “The Binding,” is a gothic fable about the spellbinding power of books. Young Emmett Farmer is summoned from the fields to begin an apprenticeship as a bookbinder, a mysterious vocation that binds memories in leather. As he settles into his new position, Emmett makes a shocking discovery: his name on one of the mystical books.

The buzz: Sandra Newman of The Guardian says, “Many readers of The Binding will simply sink gratefully into the pleasures of its pages, because, like all great fables, it also functions as transporting romance.”

4. “Life Is a Party: Deliciously Doable Recipes to Make Every Day a Celebration,” by David Burtka (Grand Central Publishing, nonfiction, on sale April 16)

What it’s about: Actor, entertainer, chef and host extraordinaire David Burtka knows how to throw a party (and he’s thrown a lot of them with husband Neil Patrick Harris). He shares his tips and tricks in his debut book, as well as 106 recipes, 16 creative party themes, music playlists and 250 gorgeous photos.

The buzz: Burtka studied at Le Cordon Bleu culinary school, and his recipes include the delectable-sounding grilled chocolatehazelnut cookies, thyme and Gruyere popovers and mojito slushies.  

5. “Department of Sensitive Crimes: A Detective Varg Novel,” by Alexander McCall Smith (Pantheon, fiction, on sale April 16)

What it’s about: The author of "The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency" series takes on Nordic noir. The Swedish Malmö’s Sensitive Crimes Department, headed by detective Ulf Varg, investigates cases considered too weird and wild for regular detectives.

The buzz: Publishers Weekly calls the book an “appealing series launch” and says “fans of gentle mysteries will look forward to the sequel.”