My April 2022 Reads

Somehow we’re already a few days into May, and it feels like April just flew by. It was our busiest month ever at the bookstore and I had a lot to do, but somehow I managed to sneak in quite a few books as well.

As an aside: thank goodness for Storygraph for making my monthly wrap-ups easier (not sponsored, but I’m not opposed, Storygraph). If you want to follow me there, I’m @readinginclt, just like on Instagram.

I read a whopping 9 books in April, amounting to 1,280 pages according to Storygraph. The majority of these were audio books, but I was able to sneak in one digital book and one print book. One of my goals for May is to spend more time with physical books - not because I think physical books are better, but simply because I love reading like that.

(This is where I’d typically go into a rant about how audio books are books and that anyone who views them as less than physical books is abelist, but we’ve got 9 books to get through, so I’ll save that for another time.)

Okay, let’s get down to it!

• It Happened One Summer - Tessa Bailey

  This was a re-read (or a re-listen) for me because the second book in this series is officially out and I’m on the wait list. I like to tell everyone that It Happened One Summer is basically the story of Alexis Rose from Schitt’s Creek but super, super steamy.

  I love the character development, the humor and, of course, the romance. Highly recommend for anyone who needs a saucy beach read right now.

• Such A Fun Age - Kiley Reid

  It is rare that a book lives up to the massive bookstagram hype for me, but this one did it. Such A Fun Age was funny but heartbreaking, eye opening and frustrating.

  I think this book perfectly looks at race in a multifaceted and interesting way. Highly recommend and I’ll be putting Kiley Reid on my list of authors to read absolutely anything by.

• You Exist Too Much - Zaina Arafat

  This book was a good reminder of what a well-rounded, complex character should be and how to write that in a way that is realistic and not overwhelming. A Palestinian-American woman struggles with her sexuality, her self-destructive tendencies, her eating disorder, and her religious identity.

  Talk about complex, but extremely well done. I can’t wait to discuss this one at book club.

• Eleanor & Park - Rainbow Rowell

  I want to start this out by saying I did not know about the controversy surrounding the author’s depictions of Asian characters in the book prior to picking it up. Please do some research and read some of the opinions by that group of folks prior to reading.

  That said, I found the story to be unbelievably sweet and emotional. I enjoyed it, but wish the author had done better in Asian representation.

• Under The Whispering Door - TJ Klune

  This book started out slow for me and took me quite a bit to get into. I wasn’t very invested in the main character at first, a man who has died and struggles with the “what comes next” portion of death. This isn’t a book I would have picked up based on the description, but I ultimately really enjoyed it.

  It wrapped up a little too neatly for me. I like a healthy dose of despair with my endings and this book truly had a beautiful, happy ending, but if that’s your jam, this book is definitely for you. It’ll have you chuckling and thinking differently about death dying.

• We Run The Tides - Vendela Vida

  This book was solidly “meh” for me. The story starts with a lie, and the main character’s refusal to go along with the lie like her friends. She struggles with the ensuing drama, which involves a friend going missing, struggles with boys and questionable decision making.

  I was interested enough to keep reading, but honestly by the end of it it was one I felt I should have skipped. The ending was a bit lackluster, the story was odd at times and overall I just didn’t love it.

• The Guest List - Lucy Foley

  This was a bookstagram book that did not live up to the hype for me. This thriller, set on a remote island with possibly the most obnoxious wedding party ever, is full of secrets that slowly connect everyone, leading to the root of the problem.

  It was a quick listen and I’d recommend it overall for a little thriller to fill the time, but I wasn’t blown away by the twists or the story overall.

• Odd One Out - Nic Stone

  If you want a book to remind you why you never, ever want to go back to high school or be a teenager again, this one is it. At times I was so frustrated by how confused the kids were with who they liked and their romances and then I was like, “Wait a minute, this is 100% accurate.” Ohh, to be 16 again and like 2 people at once and not know what to do.

  I liked the characters. I loved the side story of overcoming a traumatic childhood experience and how sweet that ending was. And I also liked the way Stone ended the book. It was good - overall I’d recommend as long as you don’t mind the painful reminder of how awkward and annoying we all were at 16.

• Braving the Wilderness - Brene Brown

  Okay, I was a little underwhelmed by this one. Everyone has told me I’ll absolutely love Brene Brown, so she had some high expectations to live up to that I probably should have lowered. In this book she explores the concept of true belonging, its importance and how we’re in a crisis of disconnection as a nation.

  In talking about it with some people they told me to check out other books by her on topics that I’m more interested and I absolutely will - the content of this one just didn’t connect with me (oh, irony).

Need other recommendations? Ask me for some ideas!