What I Read: April

We had a lot of traveling this month which led to a lot of reading. I hit a lot of really good books and went through a long phase of mostly winners. It felt like my longest run of really good books that I've had in a while. We also brought the hammock back out which is my favorite reading spot.

How bright and fun is this cover?!

Not the best choice for reading on the plane.

Books:

• Elsewhere by Alexis Schaitkin- This storyline sounded really interesting. I started it and didn't really like it, but wanted to keep reading to find out what was going on. I kept reading and it never explained any of it. I was very disappointed.

Gorgeous cover, disappointing book

• Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez- I was super excited for this book to be released. I pre-ordered a signed copy and later when Target announced they had a special edition with a bonus chapter, I pre-ordered it too. Since I pre-ordered from an indie bookstore in MN, they were able to mail my copy early and I got it before it was released. I loved it so much I read it in 2 days. It was so hard to stop reading. It wasn't my favorite of her book, but all her books have been 5 stars for me.

• The Last Flight by Julie Clark- This book was so good and hard to put down! I loved all the twists and turns. I also liked the two different characters and how the story was spliced between one character in the past and the other one after the crash.

• Mongrels by Stephen Graham Jones- I love his writing. It is always so beautiful. This was not at all what I was picturing when he said he'd written a werewolf novel at his book release I went to last month. It was such an interesting take on what the life of a werewolf might be like.

• The Party Crasher by Sophie Kinsella- I go to Sophie Kinsella when I want a fun story with a happy ending. I came across this one at Goodwill and it has a purple spine which I need more of for my rainbow bookshelf, so I picked it up. This was my least favorite book of hers and the only one I had a hard time reading. It was so cringy with the main character hiding out the whole time, spying on everyone. I couldn't stand it and almost didn't finish it, but as promised with Kinsella, it did have a sweet and happy ending!

eBooks:

• Symphony of Secrets by Brendan Slocumb- This book was incredible. I loved the slow reveal and how the book went back and forth between the past and present. His imagining of a neurodivergent musical genius was fascinating. He effortlessly showed the challenges minorities face/d in the past as well as in the present.

• Choosing to Run: A Memoir by Des Linden- I have always loved Des and rooted for her underdog status and deep grit and determination. Reading this book right before the Boston Marathon was so inspiring and made me behond excited to run miles that Des has covered so many times before. The way the book was structured was genius and I loved reading about her win in little snippets throughout the book. I highly recommend reading this right before traveling to Boston to run the marathon!

• Network Effect by Martha Wells- Book #5 in the Murderbot series. I was surprised when I downloaded it and it was a full length novel. All the other books in the series are novellas. I liked it just as much as the others and the humor had me laughing quite a few times.

Audiobooks:

• Our Divine Mischief by Hanna Howard- I loved this so much! Mythology, dogs, a woman saving the day, and a little bit of a love story combined for a wonderful book. People's interpretations of the Gods being the real problem was very related. The author is from Tulsa, OK which was my initial draw to the book. I didn't expect to like it as much as I did. The accent of the narrator also brought an extra level of awesome to the story.

• The River We Remember by William Kent Kruger- This book started out with a bang and then slowed down. I thought about not finishing it. It felt so similar to his other books I've read. I made it to the halfway point and was totally sucked back in. I'm so glad I finished it because I loved it.

• Henderson House by Caren Simpson McVicker- I was excited to read this when I saw it was set in Bartlesville, OK and that the author was born in Oklahoma. It was good, but not great. I had a hard time listening to it at times because I disliked Flossie's character so much.