Can you believe that reading wasn't my jam growing up?! Clif Notes were my best friends in high school - I'd read 'enough' to get by, but other than that I didn't enjoy the act of reading so never did it... like ever. Maybe I wasn't reading things that held my interest or maybe it was because it was "required" so I didn't like it, but, whatever the reason, I'm glad I challenged myself to add the goal of reading 17 books in 2017 (which became 88 books in 2017, 77 books in 2018, 67 books in 2019, 66 books in 2020, 67 books in 2021, 41 books in 2022, 98 books in 2023 and 224 books in 2024). The majority of my "reading" has been listening to audiobooks since I haven't had as much time to sit and read physical books once I started working again full time out of the house. Even still, holding a physical book is my JAM and I hope can add more physical reading vs listening. Just like in years past, writing a monthly recap of the books I finish is a great way for me to both record what I'm reading and to stay accountable. So, here are the books I completed in the month of April:
- The Life Impossible by Matt Haig - I had heard a ton of great things about this book so I got in line on my Libby app and was stoked when I finally received the notice it was available for me. This story is based on a Mediterranean island where Grace goes to find out what happened to her friend from many moons ago. The novel is set like emails between Grace, a retired math teacher, and one of her previous students. Grace has had an unexplainable experience in Ibiza and tries to explain it (and understand it herself) in this letter she sends to her previous pupil. The story is part mystery and part magic. It's about grief and miracles and acceptance and transformation and friendship and aging and joy and self discovery and forgiveness and #AllTheThings all wrapped up in one beautifully written story. I love all of the characters, even the goat! Let's be real, this is a stretch of reality, but don't the best books do that a bit?! I would give it an 8 out of 10.
- Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera - This is another book that I had been on the waitlist for on my Libby app and it finally became available. It's funny because most of the time I don't even remember how I found the book or why I added it, which makes it a little mystery of its own ;) This was a whodunit type book, but there were a couple different perspectives - Lucy, a suspected murderer, and a true crime podcast, which meant there were multiple interviews and points of view. The podcast was called "Listen for the Lie" and the podcaster was trying to solve cold cases. I really liked it (especially listening to it as an audiobook because it made the podcast feel a little more legit). Lucy suffered a traumatic head injury the evening of her best friend's murder and has no memory of the event (or so she says). There were lots of twists and turns that kept me intrigued and on the edge of my seat. I wanted to keep listening to find out what happened. I would give it an 8 out of 10.
- Run to the Finish by Amanda Brooks - This is actually a (social media) friend of mine's book. This is written for the middle-of-the-packers, the runners who aren't going out and winning races, but still want to avoid injury and run for the love of it. The book is chalked full of great tips and tricks. There are stretches to use for before your runs, things to do to help avoid burnout, exercises to do to help strengthen your muscles (or help with muscle imbalance), etc. I found myself underlining a lot more passages than I was expecting to. I love that Amanda focuses on ignoring the clock because that's where I have found myself recently - no longer wanting to run for a time, a PR (personal record) or to necessarily run/ get faster. A lot of the nuggets she shares are common sense, but things that runners need to be told (and oftentimes, multiple times). I appreciate the research that went into writing this book and am stoked there are books for runners like me. I would give it a 9 out of 10.
- Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - A friend of mine who is always reading (and recommending) great books had recently read a book from this author and actually said she preferred this one more, so I added it to my 'for later' list. This is the story of a teen in Nigeria with an extremely strict (and abusive) father. From the outside, her life looks extremely privileged (especially compared to her cousins), but as the story progresses you see that not everything is always as it seems. The characters were well developed, but it didn't grab me like I was expecting (seeing as the friend had such high praise for it). I'm not sure what I was hoping for from this one, but it wasn't what I was expecting. Maybe I wasn't in the right headspace, but it was pretty slow. The beginning wasn't my favorite (I actually wasn't sure if I wanted to keep listening because of how slow it seemed) and I felt like the ending could've been expanded on. Not my jam. I would give it a 7 out of 10.
- Better than the Movies by Lynn Painter - Every once in a while I will look through different genres on my audiobook apps to see if there is a series because it makes figuring out the next book to read/ listen to easier and when I was doing that last time I came across this one. Think of your cutesy rom-com movies (10 Things I Hate About You, Sweet Home Alabama, She's All That, etc) and turn them into a YA book and you'd have this. It's about a hopeless romantic senior who has a plan to make her childhood crush fall for her, but in the process falls for the annoying boy next door. This was majorly swoon-worthy and had me smiling from ear to ear. The banter was quick witted and made me chuckle. And, although I was hoping that Liz would get her happy 'movie like' moment, I was pulling for Wes the whole time. I'm actually super stoked that there is a second book in the series (even though I have to wait for other people to finish it before I can check it out), because I enjoyed this one so much and am interested to see what happens next. I would give it a 9 out of 10.
- Before We Were Trans by Kit Heyam - I saw this on my Libby app and it grabbed my attention, so I thought I'd give it a try. This is the history of trans people "before" the term trans existed. It was interesting because a lot of the subjects that were being discussed may not have self identified as trans, but then you have to think of the social, political, legal ramifications that saying you were a different sex than the one designated to you at birth could have on those lives and you can see why they may or may not self identify. There were a few times in the book where I (very wrongly, mind you) thought to myself that a book like this may not be important if there is so much overlap and intersectionality (along with not self identifying as trans), but then I thought how important representation is and can see why having a history like this matters. I would give it an 8 out of 10.
- The Wild Robot by Peter Brown - A friend of mine suggested I pick up this book, so I got in line on my Libby app and waited. The target audience was a little younger than I normally shoot for (probably middle school age rather than the traditional YA genre I enjoy), but he had just read it with his kiddos so I was all about it. This is the first book in the three part series (the other two have much longer wait times on my audiobook apps, so it'll be awhile before I get to those). The premise is a robot who gets washed ashore on an island and then lives amongst the animals for a portion of time. I love that it teaches that different doesn't have to mean bad or scary, but that different can mean different skills and ways to be able to help one another in a community. It was a quick listen (since I listen at 1.75x speed it only took a couple hours) and now the hubby and I can watch the movie adaptation. I see why the kids are all digging it recently! I would give it a 9 out of 10.
- Society of Lies by Lauren Ling Brown - I had seen good things about this book so got 'in line' on my Libby app for it. It was released at the beginning of the year, had a Reese Witherspoon stamp of approval and had a decent wait for it, so I assumed it'd be good. The story was told from two sisters' perspectives. It was a mystery about the deaths of two young women, one a friend of the older sister and one the younger sister (so obviously the younger sister's story was told from before she was murdered). I liked the pace of the book and that it kept flipping between the different POV and timelines; it kept me on my toes. The aspect of the secret society was interesting and although it was fictional I could see something like them being an active part of campus life happening at ivy league schools. I'll be honest and say I didn't really like the conclusion of the story (the whodunit didn't bring me a sense of closure/ relief like I thought it should have - maybe because I wouldn't have figured it out or guessed the ending...), but overall it was entertaining. I would give it a 7 out of 10.
With that, April is done-zo. If you have suggestions, let me know! I'm always looking to add to my "must read" list!
What's the best book you've read lately?
