Reading Recap: April Edition
April is not my favorite month. It is when the pollen count rises but it's not really that warm. In April, there is a weird limbo of kids' activities when some things are ending and some are beginning. April can't seem to pick a lane and I am not here for that.
I didn't get much reading done and I debated even posting a recap for this month. Life got real and hard in ways I haven't experienced before. My focus for the month was on putting out fires in my family, helping out when I could, and giving myself the time I need to process things. So, I am proud of the three books I finished last month (and the one I abandoned).
White Houses
I was not a fan of this book. I finished it because it was small, but I did consider abandoning it. It was chosen for my IRL book club which I didn't attend because: life. I would have really loved to have gone and seen if everyone else disliked it or if they could have softened my opinion.
If you've been reading these little recaps each month you might detect a theme. I read a historical retelling and dislike it. I like historical fiction, but not playing with true things and people. I think I just need to quit this genre. Maybe it's my Enneagram type 1-ness, but I want either facts or fiction, thank you very much. This is a retelling of the relationship between the reporter, Lorena Hickok and Elanor Roosevelt based on their letters. And, if you like that sort of thing, you might enjoy this, but I just can't with this genre anymore.
The Long Way Home
After my frustration with my book club book, I needed something guaranteed to make me love reading again. Gamache always does just that.
Louise Penny doesn't write short books and I'm always a little surprised when I pick one up by just how many pages there are. Every time I think, this is going to take a while. But I fly through them. Because I have to know what happens in the next chapter.
As an added bonus this month, the themes in The Long Way Home were about bravery and courage in the face of scary things. This was relevant to my actual life and I really believe that reading this helped me find more strength when I needed it. Thanks Ms. Penny!
The Mystery of the Three Quarters
I had seen this new Poirot mystery and wanted to read it for a while. I finally got my hands on a copy and then I was nervous. How could it possibly live up to Agatha Christie's greatness? It would likely be a terrible knock off that I wouldn't finish so why bother?
But I started and I wasn't disappointed. I'm not sure I'd say it was the equivalent of Ms. Christie's writing, but it was good. I guessed the murderer earlier than I usually like, but as with most Poirot mysteries, the why is very important and almost always more difficult to figure out.
It's the third in a series so I may circle back to the other two at some point, but this one was the highest rated on goodreads and could be read as a stand-alone.
Daisy Jones and the Six
Are you sitting? Prepare yourself. It's time for a spicy take.
I abandoned this book. Yep. The book that is everywhere, that everyone is posting on their bookstagrams. It's topping all the "must read" lists but I just did not like it. I was about 120 pages in and decided to put it down.
The characters were unlikable and unrealistic to me. I remember this part when the lead singer is talking about a specific night years before and he starts describing exactly what Daisy was wearing. #notreal And, a personal pet peeve is when books spend tons of time on clothing descriptions. So that's a double whammy.
I didn't like the "oral history" format that everyone has been raving about. It made me feel like the author was leading me down very specific paths. It might be an efficient way to tell a story but it wasn't enjoyable...at least not for me.
So two books I didn't like and two books I liked. I'll just say it again--April is not my favorite month. And now on to May and renewed optimism and maybe some warmer days, perfect for reading outside. What did you read in April? Do you even like April?
I didn't get much reading done and I debated even posting a recap for this month. Life got real and hard in ways I haven't experienced before. My focus for the month was on putting out fires in my family, helping out when I could, and giving myself the time I need to process things. So, I am proud of the three books I finished last month (and the one I abandoned).
White Houses
I was not a fan of this book. I finished it because it was small, but I did consider abandoning it. It was chosen for my IRL book club which I didn't attend because: life. I would have really loved to have gone and seen if everyone else disliked it or if they could have softened my opinion.
If you've been reading these little recaps each month you might detect a theme. I read a historical retelling and dislike it. I like historical fiction, but not playing with true things and people. I think I just need to quit this genre. Maybe it's my Enneagram type 1-ness, but I want either facts or fiction, thank you very much. This is a retelling of the relationship between the reporter, Lorena Hickok and Elanor Roosevelt based on their letters. And, if you like that sort of thing, you might enjoy this, but I just can't with this genre anymore.
The Long Way Home
After my frustration with my book club book, I needed something guaranteed to make me love reading again. Gamache always does just that.
Louise Penny doesn't write short books and I'm always a little surprised when I pick one up by just how many pages there are. Every time I think, this is going to take a while. But I fly through them. Because I have to know what happens in the next chapter.
As an added bonus this month, the themes in The Long Way Home were about bravery and courage in the face of scary things. This was relevant to my actual life and I really believe that reading this helped me find more strength when I needed it. Thanks Ms. Penny!
 |
| I need half of this kitten's courage #love |
The Mystery of the Three Quarters
I had seen this new Poirot mystery and wanted to read it for a while. I finally got my hands on a copy and then I was nervous. How could it possibly live up to Agatha Christie's greatness? It would likely be a terrible knock off that I wouldn't finish so why bother?
But I started and I wasn't disappointed. I'm not sure I'd say it was the equivalent of Ms. Christie's writing, but it was good. I guessed the murderer earlier than I usually like, but as with most Poirot mysteries, the why is very important and almost always more difficult to figure out.
It's the third in a series so I may circle back to the other two at some point, but this one was the highest rated on goodreads and could be read as a stand-alone.
Daisy Jones and the Six
Are you sitting? Prepare yourself. It's time for a spicy take.
I abandoned this book. Yep. The book that is everywhere, that everyone is posting on their bookstagrams. It's topping all the "must read" lists but I just did not like it. I was about 120 pages in and decided to put it down.
The characters were unlikable and unrealistic to me. I remember this part when the lead singer is talking about a specific night years before and he starts describing exactly what Daisy was wearing. #notreal And, a personal pet peeve is when books spend tons of time on clothing descriptions. So that's a double whammy.
I didn't like the "oral history" format that everyone has been raving about. It made me feel like the author was leading me down very specific paths. It might be an efficient way to tell a story but it wasn't enjoyable...at least not for me.
So two books I didn't like and two books I liked. I'll just say it again--April is not my favorite month. And now on to May and renewed optimism and maybe some warmer days, perfect for reading outside. What did you read in April? Do you even like April?
 |
| and on to May, thank you very much. |
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