April wasn’t my best reading month. I had a lot going on with report cards and also starting my second teacher librarian course. It meant that I didn’t have as much free time as I wanted to read, but I did read a few good things. Let’s just jump into it!
The books I hauled in April:
- Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor
- Heartstopper Volume 1 by Alice Oseman
- Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
The books I read in April:
- The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: I had a lot of fun reading this book. Nina was a character that I could really relate to, and it was interesting to see her put into these unexpected situations. I liked the dynamics between her and her new family and the other characters in the story. It was a fun read.
- While We Were Dating by Jasmine Guillory
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: I always enjoy the way that Jasmine Guillory expands her world by giving love stories to characters that we meet in the previous books. This book was a really fun one, and I enjoyed the celebrity romance of it all. I found the characters really interesting and I appreciated the way that they related to each other. It was well written, and very enjoyable.
- Rethinking Letter Grades by Caren Cameron
Rating: 3 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I had to read this for work. I found it interesting, and I think I got some interesting ideas out of it. I definitely made some good highlights as I read through. It left me with a lot to think about.
- The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I read this with my newest class of Grade 8s. I still had a lot of fun reading it, but other than that nothing new to say.
- A Forgery of Roses by Jessica S. Olson
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I had a great time reading this book. I found the world building really interesting, and I loved the storyline. I enjoyed watching the romance develop. It felt like a really unique story, and the characters were really interesting to me. I highly recommend this story.
- Only a Monster by Vanessa Len
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I really enjoyed this book. I found the world very interesting and unique, and I really enjoyed her definition of monsters. The main character was really interesting to me, and I was really fascinated by the side characters as well. I really wanted to know what was going to happen.
- All These Bodies by Kendare Blake
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I found this story really interesting. It was kind of strange for it to be set in the past, but it really worked. I liked the development of the story and the way the protagonist interacted with the girl he was interviewing. The story was really atmospheric, and I enjoyed the way it all came together at the end.
- That Way Madness Lies by Various Authors
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I love retellings, and I especially love Shakespearean retellings. I had so much fun reading this collection of short stories. Some of the stories weren’t really my vibe, but there were a lot of them that I really loved. I think my favourite was the Romeo and Juliet retelling by Kiersten White.
- The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I have been eagerly anticipating reading this book for quite some time and I’m so glad that I did. I love stories about witches, and I really loved the small town feel of this story. The two main characters were really interesting to me. They had great chemistry, and I enjoyed the greater plot of the story as well.
- Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I’m glad to have continued on with this series. The sequel was well written, and I really appreciated the nods to the play it was retelling. I really liked the characters and the world building. She did a great job.
- Built to Last by Erin Hahn
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: There will be a full review of this on the blog coming soon.
- Through the Woods by Emily Carroll
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: This was a fantastic graphic novel. It was intensely creepy and atmospheric, and I was super impressed with how well done it was. The art was great and so were the stories. I highly recommend it.
- Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: I was intrigued by the premise of this story, and it turned out to be not quite what I was expecting in a really good way. The characters were interesting, and I liked how it dealt with complicated family dynamics. Overall, I had a lot of fun listening to the story.
- A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: Another reread with a new class of grade 8s. I always have fun exploring this story with them.
- Small Favors by Erin A. Craig
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I really enjoyed House of Salt and Sorrow, so I had decently high expectations going into this one. I was not disappointed. Ellerie was an interesting protagonist, and the world developed was quite interesting as well. I liked the small town feel of the story, and it was interesting to see how the tensions grew and developed. It was well written, and I highly recommend it.
- My Dearest Darkest by Kayla Cottingham
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: There will be a full review of this up on the blog soon.
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