Best Books of April
As I say every month, I’m shamelessly stealing this idea from Jessica Lahey. She has a recurring monthly date where she reviews all the books she read that month. Book reviews are important for authors, and I want to get better about doing this.
So. I’m going to review them here and also online, but I’m going to do it a little differently. I’m only going to review the stuff I really liked. I don’t see a reason to spend my time writing about something I didn’t love; it’s just using up more of my energy. So only positive reviews.
These are the books I liked (or mostly liked) from April.
The Magicians (Lev Grossman): ChickieNob and I listened to the audio while we did our daily indoor walk. This is one of my favourite books, so it made it easier to carve time into every afternoon to exercise because I knew I was going to be spending time listening to the adventures of my book friends.
A Game of Cones (Abby Collette): This is the second book I’ve read in her Ice Cream Parlour Mystery series. I adore this series. I like every character. I like that she throws in a Hebrew or Yiddish word here and there. Is the plot believable? Of course not—it’s a cozy mystery. But reading it was a true pleasure. I liked every minute I was with this book.
Her Dark Lies (J.T. Ellison): I didn’t rate this book on GoodReads because I didn’t know how I felt about it. It had zero plot twists. Everything you think will happen, happens. I didn’t understand what she was doing with this. It was like the romance equivalent of a mystery in the sense that you knew everything that would happen, and there were no surprises. But, at the same time, I devoured the book. It was like… a paper soap opera.
Murder in G Major (Alexia Gordon): Another cozy mystery—this one set in Ireland with paranormal elements. If you like cozy mysteries, this is a perfect cozy mystery. Loved the characters, the town, and the plot. I plan to read the whole series because the first book ends of a cliffhanger.
The Two Towers (J.R.R. Tolkien): I’m still rereading Lord of the Rings every morning in 15 minute increments. And I love it. Of course.
Good Girl, Bad Blood (Holly Jackson): This is a sequel that may be even better than the original book. A warning: it has a really dark twist at the end. But the only thing I would change about this book is the title. It’s a terrible title, right? For a really amazing book. I cannot wait for the third book in this series.
The Good Sister (Sally Hepworth): This is another book that I didn’t rate on GoodReads because I didn’t know how I felt about it. Once again, infertility plays a role in the plot in Hepworth’s book. It’s super read-able in the sense that you’ll race through it. But a bunch of pieces of the book made me feel squicky. I’d be curious how other people felt about the book.
What did you read last month?
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I read 7 books in April — a pretty good number for me! — and they were all pretty good. (They’re all reviewed on my blog, as well as Goodreads.):
* “Do You Have Kids? Life When the Answer is No” by Kate Kaufmann. A thoughtful look at the actual lived experiences of childless and childfree women of all ages.
* “The Bright Side” by Cathrin Bradbury. I loved this memoir about Canadian journalist Bradbury’s personal “annus horribilus” (2015), in which just about everything that could go wrong did.
* “The Princess Saves Herself in This One” by Amanda Lovelace (poetry — for the Gateway Women book club).
* “I Had a Miscarriage” by Jessica Zucker. A psychologist specializing in reproductive and maternal mental health issues, Zucker suddenly found herself relating to her patients in an entirely different way after her second pregnancy ended in miscarriage at 16 weeks.
* “Lady in Waiting” by Anne Glenconner — a lifelong friend & lady-in-waiting to Princess Margaret, maid of honour at Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation. Hugely enjoyable, albeit sometimes a little bizarre.
* “Shang-a-lang” by Les McKeown (lead singer of the Bay City Rollers, who passed away last month).
* “She I Dare Not Name” by Donna Ward. A beautifully written memoir about how Donna came to find herself in her 60s with neither husband nor children. Added bonus: a glimpse of life in Australia.
Can you believe that I have never read Lord of the Rings?
I will come back tomorrow and share my favorite April reads if I remember.
Coming back to share the books I enjoyed in April. . . .
In the Woods by Tana French. This book has sat unread on my bookshelf for an embarrassingly long time after being given to me by a dear friend. I finally picked it up this past month and was sorry I’d waited so long to read it, as I loved it. Can’t wait to read more by this author.
Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore. Interesting concept and well executed.
I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown. Although this topic is a difficult one, this book was an accessible read. I’ve read a lot about race in America over the past several years and am still glad I read this book.
Blood Moon: A Captive’s Tale by Ruth Hull Chatlien. Full disclosure, the author of this book is a relative of mine (second cousin, I think?). I enjoyed this book, which is set in 1862 Minnesota and based on true events.
The Silent Wife by Karin Slaughter. I always enjoy Slaughter’s books, and this one was no exception. Someone new to this series (this is the tenth book) could read it as a stand-alone but would probably get more out of it having read the other books in the series.
America’s First Daughter by Stephanie Dray. This book was my book club’s April selection. I enjoyed it, but it was LONG, at 589 pages in the Kindle edition.
Never Have I Ever by Joshilyn Jackson. This book was my second by this author. Parts of it were disturbing but overall a good read.