April 30, 2022
April 2022 Reading Wrap Up
How was your April reading?
April was a satisfactory reading month with mostly 4 and 3 star reads.
Out of 11 books completed, I had one 5-star read, five 4-star reads, and four 3-star reads, one 2-star read.
The most memorable and enjoyable fiction read of the month is A Hundred Crickets Singing by Cathy Gohlke for its equally engaging dual timeline.
Did we read any of the same books?
***This post contains Amazon affiliate links.
Titles are Amazon affiliate links or my linked reviews.
ARC=Advanced Readers Copy (complimentary copy for review before pub date)
A Hundred Crickets Singing by Cathy Gohlke (ARC)
5 Stars. (ARC) Page-turning and compelling (Civil War and WW11) historical fiction. My review of A Hundred Crickets Singing here.
Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn
4 Stars. Historical Fiction. Excellently written and well-researched but a story about a sniper is difficult subject matter. My review of Diamond Eye will be published soon.
I Guess I Haven’t Learned That Yet by Shauna Niequist
4 Stars. Nonfiction. Memoir/Essay. Christian. My review of I Guess I Haven’t Learned That Yet will be published soon.
Bomb Shelter by Mary Laura Philpott
4 Stars. Nonfiction. Memoir/Essay. Exceeded my expectations. My review of Bomb Shelter will be published soon.
The Matchmaker’s Gift by Lynda Cohen Loigman
4 Stars. (ARC) Historical Fiction. Jewish. Women’s Fiction/Romance. Lovely story which would have received 5 stars except for the abundance of magical realism. My review of The Matchmaker’s Gift will be published 9/20/2022.
Isaiah Dunn Saves the Day by Kelly J. Baptist (ARC)
4 Stars. (ARC) Middle Grade Contemporary Fiction. I love this kid! My review of Isaiah Dunn Saves the Day will be published 8/2/2022.
The Messy Lives of Book People by Phaedra Patrick (ARC)
3.5 Stars. (ARC) Contemporary Women’s Fiction. Books about books. My review of The Messy Lives of Book People will be published 6/28/2022.
So Many Beginnings by Bethany C. Morrow
3 Stars. Historical Fiction. Retelling of Little Women. Diverse Read. My review of So Many Beginnings coming soon.
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Dideon
3 Stars. Nonfiction. Memoir/Essay. Well-written but depressing and sad. Not reviewed.
Greenhouse Glass by Kate Milford
3 Stars. Middle Grade Fiction. Mystery/Fantasy. Not reviewed.
The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd
2 Stars. Contemporary Fiction. Mystery. Underwhelmed….I just didn’t care….almost DNF. Not reviewed.
QOTD:
What was your favorite April read?
Did we read any of the same books?
Which of these books is on your TBR?
ICYMI:
April Blog Posts:
A Hundred Crickets Review
What Genre Can You Identify by Looking at the Book Cover?
10 Novels in Free Verse #NationalPoetryMonth (Love That Dog Review)
Tweet Cute Review
To Annotate or Not to annotate?
The Bookseller’s Promise Review
The Rain Stick #NationalPoetryMonth
Refugee Blues #NationalPoetryMonth
Sea Wife Review
Mrs. England Review
Books About Sisters
National Library Week
Spring Tides at the Starfish Cafe Review
The Lanyard #NationalPoetryMonth
Little Fires Everywhere Review
Happy Reading Book Buddies!
“Ah, how good it is to be among people who are reading.”
~Rainer Maria Rilke
“I love the world of words, where life and literature connect.”
~Denise J Hughes
“Reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad ones.”
~Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
“I read because books are a form of transportation, of teaching, and of connection! Books take us to places we’ve never been, they teach us about our world, and they help us to understand human experience.”
~Madeleine Riley, Top Shelf Text
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A fascinating bunch of books, especially Bombshelter.
I read her last release and gave it 2 stars so I was pleasantly surprised with Bomb Shelter!
After reading your review of A Hundred Crickets Singing, I checked my library. Imagine my surprise that Hoopla already has the ebook and audiobook available. On the TBR for this year.
April wasn’t a very good reading month for me; too many in the DNF pile. The surprise was getting an arc sent to me by the publisher without any request. Maybe publishers do pay attention to detailed reviews on GoodReads. On Rotation by Shirlene Obuobi turned out to be a great read.
My favorite read was “The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergrill Sisters”. The biggest disappointment was “The Cruelest Month” by Louise Penny (book 3 in the Three Pines series). I’m just not into seances and haunted houses. I called this my snooze book because I fell asleep during most reading sessions.
I’m really stuck on finding a fantasy book that captures my interest. I thought for sure that The House in the Cerulean Sea would be great because I like T.J. Klune and the audiobook narrator. I listened to about two hours and then stopped. It felt more like a children’s book that young adult. I might have to re-evaluate my reading goal of a fantasy novel. There have been so many that I’ve read the Kindle sample, but didn’t have the urge to continue reading.
I hope you enjoy Crickets Adrienne! I thought Shergill Sisters was an entertaining and poignant read! I didn’t start to love the Penny series until book 4. Some are definitely better than others. Cruelest Month was one of my least fav. I’m afraid I can’t think of a fantasy to recommend. Not my fav genre. Yay for surprise ARCs!
So how close to the release date do you publish your reviews?? I always did it asap then maybe linked again closer to
I usually post the week of or day of. I noticed on a widget I received this week that the publisher wants reviews asap. So sometimes it depends on the email.
There are some absolutely beautiful covers amongst your books Carol. I never cease to be amazed by the creativity of the artists who design and create the covers. April seemed to race by and although I read a lot of books, there were a lot I didn’t get read. I have no self control when it comes to requesting books! Happy reading for May.❤📚
So many books so little time!
What a fab bookish month Carol! 😀
Thanks!
Haven’t read any of thee Carol — but listened to a couple podcasts interviewing Shauna Neiquist about her book. Thanks– more for my TBR list!
Shaunas book is very transparent about her mental health. I think it will be helpful and encouraging for many readers.
The Diamond Eye sounds really interesting. It’s high on my TBR. I’m looking forward to reading your review!
I hope you enjoy it! Happy reading!
Mine was Stardust Thief! I haven’t posted a review yet.
Interesting title!
Looks like a fantastic reading month, Carol! I’ve always been curious of Kate Quinn’s books!
I think you’d enjoy Kate Quinn! Diamond Eye is likely a 5 star read for those who enjoy stories of snipers and guns!
I can imagine you might also like The Huntress which has a side of thriller! 👍
I’m going to has to look into The Messy Lives of Book People. Book about books are the best.
Hope you have a good reading month for May.
Happy May reading Marianna!
It looks like you had quite a mix of books in April Carol. The first two nonfiction one appeal to me and my library has both of them. Too bad the mix of enjoyment was so vast, but we can’t love them all.
I’m always happy if I can get ONE 5 star read out of the month!
The Diamond Eye is the only one we share in April, wishing you a marvellous May
Happy reading Shelleyrae!