Welcome to our wrap up for April 2022! It was a busy month for both Ariel and me so our wrap up this time is a quick one. No matter how hectic this month was for you, I hope that you got some you-time and reading in! Let’s get started.
Kriti’s Selection
What a busy month! I started off with so much energy on the bookish side and all of it got reallocated towards the wedding and house in the second half of the month. It is interesting and a bit odd to talk to my friends and family and hear them do more reading than I am doing. It warms my heart that I have something to do with their reading habits. A shoutout to Treena and Lauren for reading as much as they do and my brother for giving Treena an additional variety in reading.
Total books read this month: 6
Number of personal picks: 2
Review copies: 4
Books read this March:
- I did two blog tours this month: Dread Wood by Jennifer Killick was a good middle Grade adventure with massive spiders and an old estate-school. You can find the book on Goodreads and my review here.
- What the Dog Knows was a super-cute book that was a surprise read. I got this one in the mail from the publisher and reflected on having a pet through this story. My review will be on the blog closer to publication day later in May. Learn more about this young adult groundhog day story on Goodreads.
- I read the psychological thriller Sins of the Father for another tour. Multiple personalities isn’t something I read about often but it has definitely started to see a more mainstream presence with shows like Moonknight. This book did a great job and I highly recommend it if you are in the mood for a very dark read. Check out my review and the book on Goodreads.
- I was in the mood for a book about a wedding so I looked to see if Susan Mallery had any! She is a romance author I used to read pre-blog times and I am excited to share that her Daughters of the Bride was such a good book that I have a review written out for it! Can’t remember when I am posting it but you can definitely check out my Instagram post short-review (and bridesmaid dresses!) and Goodreads too.
- Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus was my top pick of this month. I am still thinking about it a week after finishing it. Set in the 1950-60s, this is the story of a chemist who has a cooking show where she teaches women chemistry. The background of how she came to be on the show, her struggles in her career as well as getting through the crap life throws at her… I loved all of it! The writing and humor were great. I need to find time to write about this one on the blog but meantime, you can check it out on Goodreads.
- The Children on the Hill is my first book by author Jennifer McMahon. A slow-burn horror about a monster hunt, this one reminded me of Stranger Things and Frankenstein. It gave me company for the second half of the month. You can read the synopsis on Goodreads.
Total TBR: 241 (Apr 1) -> 248 (May 1)
In the 6 months or so that I have been tracking my TBR, April is the one with the minimum change. I am finding that having a house, planning a wedding and then transitioning to working in the office a few days a week takes all my energy. Where I used to spend my free time looking into books, now I am on various websites doing all sorts of things – from looking for ideas for the house decor to printing invitations for the wedding or planning out the rest of the week for lunches or my route to work. Moments of relaxation aren’t that many but I have made it a point to journal every chance I get so I am keeping myself together.
Some upcoming books that I got review copies for include The It Girl by Ruth Ware (out in July), Midnight Dunes by Laura Griffin (out this month) and Aurora by David Koepp (out in June), whose book Cold Storage was an enjoyable thriller that I reviewed when it came out a few years back. I remember that book was my first ever review copy from a publisher. Surviving Storms by Mark Nepo is my slow non-fiction read that I turn to when I want to deepen my journal practice. Every chapter ends up 2-3 thought provoking questions that I love diving in through writing.
Ariel’s Selection for April
Notes and Summary:
This month has been a very busy month for me, so I tried to really focus only on one or two books at a time. I’m slowly making my way through The Dandelion Dynasty, which is a 4-book epic fantasy series with very large books and amazing worldbuilding. I don’t feel any inclinclination to rush my reading these days, so here’s what I’ve read!
Top Three Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Mystery
Top three book moods: Adventurous, Mysterious, & Tense
Top book plot pace: medium
Most common book size: 300-499 pages
Number of Books: 9
Number of Pages: 3,579
Bookish Highlights of the Month:
Five-Star of the Month: Kaikeyi
Notable Arc: The Stardust Thief
B2Weird Book Club Pick: Travelers Along the Way: A Robin Hood Remix
In busy and/or stressful times, what are some personal practices that you turn to, habits that you make sure you don’t abandon?
I used to think it was reading for me but this past month has shown me something different while teaching me so much!
Thanks for reading! Have a wonderful month in May. 🙂
All those books sound interesting especially Daughters of the Bride. I never read a book about a wedding before.
Hope you have a good May.
Thanks Marianna! Daughters of the Bride was great and though it does cover wedding hustle, it is a lot more about relationships. I am planning to post the review on the 12th if you are interested. I hope you have a good May too. 🙂