What a great month for me and my books! I finished eleven books in April, and of those, seven were in the 4 – 5 🍷 range. That is a very good month for sure! I am continuing with my reading plan that I made in January, and I do think that is part of why I am reading so many great books lately. With that said, I have been getting some others in too – some of which are early releases. I hope this great reading trend I am on continues this spring and into the summer.
Here are the books that I read in April.
Goodnight Beautiful – Aimee Molloy
I loved this twisty tale that really brought to light some interesting things about me, as a reader. The twists were frequent, with two biggies – that both left me reeling. I do tend to be one to figure out what is going on so to have two big twists like that really get me, it’s a winner!! I really cannot tell you a lot about the book, I just don’t want to give anything away.
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Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted – Suleika Jaouad
I listened to this beautiful memoir on audible and although so much of it is heartbreaking, I loved it. Suleika is far from perfect and she is the first to admit it. Her very human and imperfect tale is how she battled for her life in her twenties with the support of a brand new boyfriend and her family. She is absolutely inspirational and I look forward to seeing what she tackles next.
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Learning to Pray – James Martin. S. J.
I think religion is so personal and because of that I am really not going to review this. I will say it was wonderful and it a book I will read over and over. I have followed Father Jim for some time and this is not his first book I have read, but probably my favorite. I share it more here because if someone has seen it and wondered about it, I think it is most definitely worth the read.
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The House in the Cerulean Sea – T.J. Klune
One genre I don’t normally do well is fantasy/magic. Once I realized what this book was about, fantasy/magic, I was nervous and apprehensive. Once I realized what this book is really about, I was in love. A sweet tale about acceptance and the family we choose. And about nerves, apprehension and being different.
🍷🍷🍷🍷1/2
The Last Thing He Told Me – Laura Dave
This was probably closer to a 3.5 but I am going to say a 4 due to not being able to put it down. I was completely absorbed by the story from the get-go. Hannah has married Owen, a widower with 16 year old daughter Bailey. Anyone that has lived through the teen years as a parent knows that Bailey is right-on as to how she is portrayed. She can’t stand Hannah and she lets the world know it. Owen disappears and leaves Hannah a note – Protect Her. And we’re off. I was flipping the pages until the late hours of the night. I found the last 15-20% of the book a tiny bit weaker than the rest, but I still liked it a lot. Great family suspense type book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advance copy. The Last Thing He told Me will be available on 5/4/21.
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When The Stars Go Dark – Paula McLain
It is hard for me to consider the 1990’s as historical fiction, but I guess 1993 is “history”, even though I remember it like yesterday. And I certainly remember the time of Polly Klaas’ kidnapping and murder – it was news everywhere. While When The Stars Go Dark isn’t specifically about the Polly Klaas case, pieces of it are sprinkled throughout and the setting is nearby. I did enjoy the book, it is a slow burn mystery with a good deal of suspense. Anna is a missing person’s detective who is deeply grieving numerous accounts from her past and she will stop at nothing to find missing Cameron – a teenager that disappeared one night from her home. There is a fair amount of trigger elements in here, so it may not be for everyone.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review. When The Stars Go Dark is now available.
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The Plot – Jean Hanff Korelitz
The Plot is a slow burn suspense that I enjoyed! Jake is an author that has had one somewhat successful release but after that hasn’t been able to continue or grow his success. He takes a job teaching writing at a small college in Vermont and meets Evan, an unlikeable student, who swears he has the plot for next blockbuster novel. Evan won’t share the idea in class, only turns in a few pages for review that are not super impressive, but then shares the plot with Jake during a conference – and Jake knows he’s right. It’s a sure thing. Fast forward a few more unsuccessful years for Jake and he learns Evan has died, only shortly after taking that class, and it appears he never wrote the book. So Jake does, using Evan’s plot. And what a success it was. We’re talking – – Oprah Book Club and a Spielberg movie signed.
And that is when we really get going. He starts getting harassed by email that he is a thief and it gets much more interesting. I did figure out the big twist pretty early on but I get the sense that the author intended that. There is a bonus whammy in here that the book that is written from Evan’s plot is intertwined in the story – so there are a few times I had to take a breath to get straight which story line was the “story” and which was the “novel.”
I enjoyed hearing more about Jake as a struggling and then successful author, the writing process, his thought process about writing, how he thought about working completely solo, his publishing team, and everything involved in his work. He was a fairly likable character to me that made some bad decisions. There are also quite a few literary references dropped in that you may catch depending on your reading history.
Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for an advance copy of The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz in exchange for my honest review. The Plot will be available on May 11, 2021.
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The Good Sister – Sally Hepworth
The Good Sister is a somewhat suspenseful family twisty story that has good character development and a smidge of “What is Going On?” Fern and Rose are fraternal twins that are very different and through this dual viewpoint drama we will hear their versions of the past and present. I really enjoyed getting to know Fern and the path she took us on. It was an interesting page turner and a very quick read.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this advance copy in exchange for my honest opinion. The Good Sister is now available.
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Everything Beautiful in Its Time: Seasons of Love and Loss – Jenn Bush Hager
This was my second memoir that I have read by Jenna Bush Hager, the other she co-wrote with her sister Barbara. I thought this one was very sweet and sentimental. There were fascinating stories about the Bush family, lovely tidbits and letters of deep familial love shared. While I enjoyed it and am glad I read it, it wasn’t as captivating as her first book with Barbara for me. If you love learning about the Bush family, you will like it.
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My Oxford Year – Julia Whelan
Julia Whelan is an audible narrator that I listen to often. As a narrator, she is awesome and easily one of my favorites! One of the very best! When I heard she was also an author, I downloaded her book immediately. It wasn’t what I thought it would be at all. I thought her narration was beautiful but the story turned into a bit of a sappy romance that I wasn’t expecting.
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The First Shot – Liv Constantine
The was a free offering on the audible membership that was a prequel to The Last Mrs. Parrish. Amber is still an awful person in this one, just like how we meet her in The Last Mrs. Parrish. In this prequel we will hear the story of her first big con. I finished it but can’t say I recommend strongly.
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DNF – The Babysitter: My Summers with a Serial Killer – Liza Rodman
