I am a bit behind on my hauls and wrap-ups. I ended up getting very busy at the end of the school year and when I came home from work I had little energy for anything outside of just sitting on my couch and recovering. However, now it’s summer break so I’m going to try and do some catching up. So here is what happened for me book-wise in April. I will admit that the book haul was a little crazy but that’s only because I made a Book Outlet order. Oops. I also read 25 books, which is pretty good.
Books I hauled in April:
- Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
- In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
- The Girls in the Garden by Lisa Jewell
- The Only Survivors by Megan Miranda
- The Adventures of Amina Al-Shraft by Shannon Chakraborty
- Harvest House by Cynthia Leitich Smith
- Soul of the Deep by Natasha Bowen
- Empress Crowned in Red by Ciannon Smart
- This Wicked Fate by Kalynn Bayron
- One of Us is Next by Karen M. McManus
- All of Us Villains by Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman
- All of Our Demise by Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman
- The Fear by Natasha Preston
- Go Ask Alice by ‘Anonymous’
- If I Stay by Gayle Forman
- Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim
- The Dragon’s Promise by Elizabeth Lim
- My Contrary Mary by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows
- My Imaginary Mary by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows
- The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson
- Giant Days Volume 1-12, 14 by John Allison (and others)
Books I read in April:
1. It Starts With Us by Colleen Hoover
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: I ended up enjoying this sequel to It Ends With Us. It was well written save for the inclusion of the exact same journals from book one, which felt really repetitive. I was glad that Lily and Atlas were able to get their happy ending, but it was hard to read the parts with Ryle. I will admit that it did feel a little bit weird to follow up a novel about domestic violence with a romance novel.
2. The Poison Season by Mara Rutherford
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I really enjoyed the worldbuilding in this story. There were things that I found myself a little bit confused about, but overall it was really interesting world. It had a unique vibe. I really liked getting the perspective of both of the main characters, and learning about their worlds. I also really enjoyed seeing them falling for each other. It was pretty cute, and they were very cute together.
3. The Junction by Norm Konyu
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I found this to be a really interesting graphic novel. The art was really neat and unique. I loved all of the details that the artist was able to include in the panels to reveal the details about the character. It was well written in the storyline department. I liked the way the plot was slowly revealed, and the way the twist played out.
4. Different for Boys by Patrick Ness
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: This was a really interesting book. It laid out some really complicated dynamics and I really felt for the main character. I liked the use of the redaction technique to omit certain details. It meant that you had to guess just what was being talked about. It was a very thought provoking storyline.
5. A History of Wild Places by Shea Ernshaw
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: This was well written and really intriguing. I liked the subtle fantasy elements layered in with real world events and occurences. I liked all the different perspectives that we got through the second and later parts of the story. It was really unexpected because the novel really sets you up to believe it’s going to be about one thing before there is a bit of twist. It really kept me guessing. I enjoyed trying to figure out just what was going to happen next.
6. The Dragons Club by Cyn Bermudez
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I love a novel in verse, and really enjoyed this one. The main character was really interesting and I really felt for her as she tried to balance everything. It was moving to read about her trying to fight for her scholarship while also coping with the her sister’s addiction. The poetry was well written and very poignant. It was a quick and accessible read.
7. A First Time for Everything by Dan Santat
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I really loved this graphic novel. It was very cute, and the story was well developed. The art was well done and got the story across clearly and in an enjoyable way. I really enjoy graphic novel memoirs, and so it was fun to read about the author’s first trip to Europe. It was well told, and I loved the context at the end to tell me more about the trip and about the author. I really felt for Dan as he coped with his insecurities.
8. The Outsiders by SE Hinton
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: This was another reread for school. I really, really enjoy this book.
9. Secrets Never Die by Vincent Ralph
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: This was an interesting thriller. I liked the premise of a “Dark Place” to spill secrets. I also liked the exploration of the main characters personalities and secrets. Things were revealed at the appropriate time and it was well done. There were some really interesting characters. However, I ended up not super loving the villain’s motivation. Overall, I had a pretty fun time with this story. This was one of my eARCs from NetGalley, so thanks to the publishers for this opportunity.
10. Last Winter by Carrie Mac
Rating: 3 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: This was an interesting read, but ultimately not my favourite. The characters were interesting, but I had a hard time reading from the mother’s perspective rather understandably. I also found the timeline a little bit confusing. There were bits that I skipped because it was just hard to read through. It was a well written book, and I loved the fact that it was set in British Columbia, but it just wasn’t for me in the long run. This was another one of my eARCs, so thanks to the publsihers for this opportunity/
11. See You Yesterday by Rachel Lynn Solomon
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I really enjoyed this novel. The characters were so cute, and so well-developed. They were very much meant for each other. I loved that the premise of them getting to live the same day over and over allowed for them to have the opportunity to fall in love. The characters were really well developed and showed really great growth over the course of the novel. I just had so much fun reading about them, and really enjoyed Barrett as a character.
12. Babel: An Arcane History by R.F. Kuang
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I really enjoyed this novel. It has a slower pace and lots of build up, but that time is well spent so that we understand the world’s premise and get to know the characters. I felt that the world had a really interesting flavour to it. Ours but also not. It was well written and well described. There was clearly a lot of thought, and research put into the development of the world. I really liked learning about Robin and his history. I also liked getting snippets of his friend’s perspectives.
13. The Assassin’s Blade by Sarah J. Maas
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: I really enjoyed my re-read of this collection of novellas. The collection was just as interesting to me the first time that I read it, and it was interesting to reread prior to rereading the rest of the series. I like Celaena’s assassin backstory, and it’s fun to see Lysandra. However, it is still devastating to read about Sam. They had a really interesting love story.
14. Diary of a Tokyo Teen by Christine Mari Inzer
Rating: 3 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: This was an interesting read, but I have to admit that it wasn’t really for me. I think that it would definitely appeal to a certain type of reader who wants to learn more about what it’s like to be a teen in Tokyo. It was informative and definitely well-written.
15. Pea, Bee, and Jay: Lift Off by Brian Smith
Rating: 3 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I really thought this was a cute little graphic novel. The art was well done, and the characters were really sweet. They were really well designed. The storyline was simple but in a good way. I very much appreciate the message of the story.
16. Victory. Stand! Raising My Fist for Justice by Tommie Smith
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I really enjoyed this graphic novel. It’s beautifully illustrated and beautifully written. I found his story really interesting, and I think that it was formatted quite well. I hadn’t really heart all that much about Tommie Smith befoe, so it was interesting to learn about him and his impact. I really learned a lot.
17. Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: This was a fascinating mystery. I really enjoyed the story, and the way in which the narrator was unreliable. It was really cool how he kept dipping you slowly further and further into the mystery. I was kept on the edge of my seat, and did not once guess one of the twists. It was an absolutely fascinating read.
18. How to Break a Boy by Laurie Devore
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: This book was very well-written. I really felt for the main character. I don’t often read books from the perspective of a mean girl as it’s not the usual perspective to write from, however, I really enjoyed reading from her perspective. It definitely made me cry because it just really felt for the main character. The book is incredibly well-written.
19. The Boy in the Smoke by Maureen Johnson
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: I was so excited to find out that this prequel existed, and so glad to have read it. The series is really an underrated one that I think more people should read. I’m very sad that I don’t think that we’ll ever get book four. The story was well-written, and I really liked learning more about the character. He’s always been really interesting to me so it was good to learn more about him.
20. Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: This was such a weird book, but I will admit that I enjoyed it. It was a bit of a weird premise, but you have to admit that an IKEA type store after dark would be pretty horrifying even without the ghosts in this story. It was interesting to see him explore that type of idea here. I kind of wish that I had read this physically instead of via audiobook, but it was still pretty good.
21. I Survived the Eruption of Mt. St. Helens by Lauren Tarshis
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: I enjoyed this book. The I Survived series is really interesting, and it’s also really informative. All of the books are well-written and do a good job in teaching their reader about these significant events in our history. I really enjoyed this one as I didn’t know a lot about the eruption at Mt. St. Helens, and I learned a fair bit. I also enjoyed the main character. She was well written.
22. Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: Another re-read for school. It’s still a favourite.
23. How to Pronounce Knife by Souvankham Thammavongsa
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: This collection of short stories was very well written. I’d never really read a collection like this, and it was fascinating to read. I found myself really intrigued by the stories. I think my favourite of the stories was the title story. It was very well-written.
24. Myth by Moira Kerr
Rating: 3 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: This collection of myths was quite interesting. I liked how it interspersed bits of context in between to give some extra perspective. Some parts were a little dry, but on the whole I enjoyed the collection.
25. The Only Survivors by Megan Miranda
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I really liked this book. It was well-written and had an interesting premise. The characters were compelling. It kept me guessing about what was going to happen next. I had absolutely no idea on who to trust and who not to trust. I also liked the way we got the two timelines and went back and forth between the past and the present. It was very well structured that way.
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