What I Read in April

What I read in April 2021. I feel like I finally found my reading groove this month. I read my first 5 star book of the year and some other great books.

Reading Stats

• Total Books Read – 9 (3 physical books and 6 audiobooks)
• Pages Read – 985 
• Audio book Total hours listened – 54 hours
• Books by BIPOC authors – 3/9 (33% – I am focusing on this in order to diversify my reading so I’m adding this to my stats for myself)
• Favorite Book I read this month – Olive

Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America by Ijeoma Oluo

This was my book club’s pick for March but I didn’t finish it on time. To be honest I almost put it down and didn’t finish it because I wasn’t as into it. It is an interesting book with lots to think about but ultimately I wasn’t a fan of the writing. I think the author was trying to fit in too much into this book and it didn’t work for me. I’ve heard great things bout her other book So You Want to Talk About Race so I’m looking forward to reading that one. 

Format – Audiobook

Rating – It wasn’t for me (check out my non fiction review system here). Full Review coming soon!

Olive by Emma Gannon

My favorite book of the month and finally a 5 star read! This was one of those situations where it was the right book for the right time. The story intrigued me from the beginning and all I wanted to do was listen to the audiobook. I hadn’t had that happen in a while and I’m glad I finally found this book. The audiobook narration is great and I recommend that format! I enjoyed the author’s portrayal of the intricacies of friendships. These relationships are complex and not often given the same spotlight as romantic relationships by society. I related so much to Olive because I am currently in a very similar situation where my closest friends all of a sudden have children and I sometimes feel like our relationship is not the same. Reading this book gave me a sense of comfort that I needed at this time.

Format – Audiobook

Rating – 5 Stars. Check out the full review here.

What’s Mine and Yours by Naima Coster

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year. However, I was a little disappointed by it. It is an interesting premise but it took me about 3 weeks to read it because of the pace. You know I have a complicated relationship with literary fiction and this is definitely for the fans of that genre. This story covers topics of racism, family, love and loss. 

Format – Physical Book

Rating – 3.5 Stars. Full review coming soon!

Early Morning Riser by Katherine Heiny

I picked this one up because I hadn’t seen much about it on Instagram and it was recommended by Annie B Jones in her On the Front Porch podcast. While I still don’t know why this book is titled Early Morning Riser I really enjoyed this story. I fell in love with the characters and while it is a character driven book it has a plot (which is a most for me!).

Format – Physical Book

Rating – 4 Stars. Full review coming soon!

Uncomfortable Conversations With a Black Man by Emmanuel Acho

This is a great Anti-racism book to start with if you are starting to learn how to become an antiracist. I really enjoyed Emmanuel Acho’s narration of the audiobook. While I was already familiar with a lot of the terms and issues because I’ve read other anti-racism books, I enjoyed learning about Emmanuel’s perspective and experiences. One of the things I liked the most about the book was the call to action items for each section. It is definitely something I’ll go back to often and make sure I’m doing. Format – Audiobook

Rating – Read NOW (check out my non fiction review system here). Full review coming soon!

Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson

Aaron and I listened to this audiobook on our road trip to the beach earlier last month. This is the sequel to A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder and we both loved it! I loved the story, it kept us engaged the entire drive and the narration was great. I am glad there is another book in the series coming out because I need more!

Format – Audiobook

Rating – 4 Stars. Full review coming soon!

Every Vow You Break by Peter Swanson

I still don’t know how I feel about this book. Aaron read it in like two days when we were at the beach and so he recommended I read it next. I think the topic feels a little icky to me but it is fast pace and a quick read. It is definitely a beach read. If you are a fan of Peter Swanson definitely give this one a try!

Format – Physical Book

Rating – 3.5 Stars. Full review coming soon!

Much Ado About You by Samantha Young

This was my book club’s pick for this month. Our theme for the month was “a book about books” for World book day, which was in April. It is a cute story set in England which reminded me of a Hallmark movie. Overall, I feel like I’ve heard this story before but it was a cute entertaining book.

Format – Audiobook

Rating – 3 Stars. Full review coming soon!

The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth

This is a solid psychological thriller with some complicated family relationships. I am a fan of Sally Hepworth (she’s a great Instagram follow) so I was very excited to read this one. I decided to go with the audiobook version and I recommend that format. While I don’t think that there is a big twist reveal in this one I enjoyed the story and I think its s good psychological thriller. 

Format – Audiobook

Rating – 4 Stars. Full review coming soon!

Overall, I had a great reading month. What was your favorite book you read in April? Let me know in the comments!