April 2018: Monthly Reading Review

I'm so late posting this ... I'm so sorry! May has been so crazy that I'm just catching up now! Here is my monthly reading review for April 2018! Here is the April Reads page from my reading journal ... I'm pretty pleased with how things worked out in April!

All in, I read 14 books in April. Six romance, four non-fiction and four literary fiction books. In terms of ratings - I had one 5 star, ten 4 stars, and three 3 stars. Eight of the 14 books were from the publisher. I'm still working on 5 books that I started in April that are carrying over into May. At the end of April, I'm at a total of 58 books for the year. Not bad at all! That means I'm tracking at finishing about 174 books in 2018. I'd like to increase that a bit so I'm hoping summer reading will push the total upward a bit!

In terms of my reading plans for May, I do have a few things I'm hoping to get read. I have two book club books that I want to try to finish in May - The Librarian of Auschwitz and The Forgotten Girls. The theme for May/June in that book club is Translated Fiction so each of these are translated works chosen by the group. There is another book but I may not get to that one until June. I also have a few ARCs to finish in May including Love and Ruin, The High Tide Club, A Shout in the Ruins and a couple of romances. And then I have a few sitting on my bedside table that I'm hoping to fit in - Out, Other People's Houses, A Court of Thorns and Roses, and The Bazaar of Bad Dreams. And then, of course, I always end up randomly picking things up based on my mood at the time. Looking forward to sharing with you in early June what I actually get to in May!

What did you read in April 2018? Help us add more books to our TBRs! 

Review: Wrong to Need You by Alisha Rai

Wrong to Need You by Alisha Rai
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Alisha Rai!! I just love her … and this series is just so fantastic. This is the 2nd in the series and it totally lives up to the first. I loved seeing Jackson and Sadia’s story come to life. The stories of the Oka-Kane and Chandler families are so well told in this series. I just can’t recommend them more! You can’t go wrong with her books. She’s an incredible writer and can craft a story – one full of emotional resonance and honest portrayals of complex people.

Review: Love and Ruin by Paula McLain

Love and Ruin by Paula McLain
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I ultimately liked this one but it took a lot to get there for me. Much of the book takes place in war zones and I didn’t find those pieces to be very enchanting. I’m just not that into war drama, perhaps? I liked the relationship parts of the book and the character study of this amazing woman in love with a challenging man. That is where this one really excelled for me. If you’re a Hemingway fan, you will definitely want to pick this one up. I’d give the reading experience as a whole a three but the book itself a four. It took a bit to really get into this one for me … it felt like the pacing didn’t pick up until about 100 pages in for me. I did enjoy what the book said about relationships and women’s roles in the various aspects of life (wife, mother, professional, friend, etc.). Their relationship felt very real to me during the reading of the book – there was obviously much love between them but there were other factors on the outside that ultimately impacted their relationship such as his success, her ambition, his lifestyle, her lifestyle, etc. I’m definitely glad that I read this one but I didn’t love it quite as much as her earlier book about Hadley and Ernest Hemingway.

NOTE: I received a copy of this book as an ARC from the publisher for an honest review.

Review: Oceanside by Michelle Mankin

Oceanside by Michelle Mankin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I am struggling a bit with this review. I liked this one quite a bit but I just didn’t love it. I really liked the hero and heroine. I’m glad the story focused heavily on a health condition – and ultimately, it brought some attention to the reality of life with that particular condition. Yet, the story just didn’t connect with me in the way I’d hope. I liked the characters but their relationship never completely made sense to me. I just didn’t connect with them as a couple as much as I did with each of them as an individual character. The plotting also seemed rushed at times – the story came together but it didn’t feel as seamless as I’d have liked. I also wonder if my reaction was impacted on the fact that this is the third in a series – I wonder if I’d have connected with everything a bit more had I gotten to know the entire group from the earlier books. All to say that I liked this one quite a bit but it’s not a favorite. A solid story that offers something new – particularly as it relates to the health issue it portrays.

NOTE: I received a copy of this book as an ARC from the publisher for an honest review.

Bookish Quote of the Week

I love this quote! And it's so true! It's one of the aspects of reading that I love the most - the ability to read about the experiences of fictional people who ultimately teach me about myself and the people around me!

What about you? Is this something you love about reading? Who is a character who taught you something about yourself?

Review: Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate

Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this in part because it was a book club book and several of my fellow book clubbers were saying how good it was. Once I read the fact that it’s the novelization of real events around the kidnapping and illegal adoptions of children in Tennessee, I was IN! And, boy, did this one deliver! This is historical fiction of the best kind – heartbreaking, important, educational, and important and all the other words like these! This story takes place between 1920 and 1960 when numerous children were stolen from their homes and families and subjected to adoptions by Georgia Tann and the Memphis branch of the Tennessee Children’s Home Society. The author uses one family with five siblings to demonstrate the experiences of these children and their families. There are two storylines which weave together throughout – one in the present and another in the past. I think they were woven so effectively and interestingly. In the end, I found the entire novel to be so impactful and heartbreaking. The inhumanity experienced by the children in this novel is just devastating. I didn’t find the experiences of the novel to be in any way gratuitous but they are harrowing and heartbreaking for the reader. The abuse and neglect that is described is handled effectively by Lisa Wingate and shouldn’t disturb most readers. I highly recommend this one to any and all!

Review: The Queen of Hearts by Kimmery Martin

The Queen of Hearts by Kimmery Martin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

First of All … that cover is WOW! I’ll be honest, between the cover and the description I saw somewhere about it being like Grey’s Anatomy, it was inevitable that I’d pick this one up. Friendship, marriage, hospitals … yes, please! I will say that it took me a bit to connect with this one … it was looking like a 2 or 3 star until about 125-150 pages. And then … boom, it just took off for me. [I’m not sure what made it difficult for me in initially – from reading reviews, it appears that most others loved it from start to finish so … just thought I’d mention that my experience may be an anomaly]. And now I’m settling at a 4 star overall. I’d imagine it was difficult to find that delicate balance between the domestic drama pieces of the story and the medical pieces of the story … but it was done beautifully in this novel. The friendship in this novel felt very real and honest to me. There were imperfections and it felt very true to life for me, just as real-life friendships are. Complex, challenging and heartbreaking at times. This is a debut novel so I cannot wait to see what’s to come for Kimmery Martin! Definitely recommend.

Review: Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover

Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I anticipated that this might be a 5 star read for me but it didn’t quite make it there. I suspect some of that had to do with the number of interviews with the author I heard before picking up the book. In many ways, major components of the book were ‘spoiled’ in those interviews and therefore didn’t have the emotional resonance that they may have if I’d come into the book without the interviews. This is one that had a ton of buzz. I heard about it everywhere! That can sometimes impact my enjoyment of a book. Despite the preconceived notions that I may have had going in, this is a really good and interesting memoir. Tara’s story is powerful and disturbing and gut-wrenching. Try not to read a ton about this one before picking it up – just jump into this one with little information.

It’s a powerful story that really brings to life so many different things in an interesting and thought-provoking way – education, fundamentalism, health care, mental health, parenting, neglect and abuse, and ideas of family and home. I highly recommend this one. It’s unlike anything I’ve read before – Tara Westover is an amazing person and reading her story will give you a view of her troubled and fascinating family.

NOTE: I received a copy of this book as an ARC from the publisher for an honest review.

Review: Dirty Exes by Rachel Van Dyken

Dirty Exes by Rachel Van Dyken
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really quite liked this one. It was unique and interesting. The heroine is part owner of an investigation company that focuses on catching cheaters. As a result, there is a lot of focus on cheating. If that isn’t your thing, skip this one. The heroine is investigating a man who left her in the past for his career when his current wife hires her to expose him and his cheating. Add in his best friend who the heroine can’t seem to stop thinking about and you get some fascinating situations! As you can imagine, this set up brings a lot of ridiculous scenarios with it. It’s funny – like actually made me laugh several times. I didn’t think Blaire (the heroine) and Jessie (the one she knew in the past)’s relationship made all that much sense – she saw his as the one after a VERY small time together (not even a month). It just didn’t feel realistic to me. But, I got over that. It wasn’t a big issue but it did puzzle me. All in all, I enjoyed this one. Light, funny and witty!

NOTE: I received a copy of this book as an ARC from the publisher for an honest review.

Review: Until There Was Us by Samantha Chase

Until There Was Us by Samantha Chase
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I just adored Megan and Alex (perhaps part of it is their names – my twins are Meighan and Alex lol)! Although the 7th in a series, I don’t feel like this one was confusing at all. It definitely read as a standalone. If you like stories about second chances and find out who you are … this is the book for you. I love that Megan was able to grow throughout the novel into the person she wanted to be instead of the person she thought she had to be. The power of the right relationship to get you where you really want and need to be as an individual and all of that! Alex was a dream hero … delectable, smart, funny, adorable, and more. There is plenty of humor as well as sexy bits in this one. Very good one. Looking forward to going back to read earlier books in the series!

NOTE: I received a copy of this book as an ARC from the publisher for an honest review.

Review: Lost in the Beehive by Michele Young-Stone

Lost in the Beehive by Michele Young-Stone
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was really taken with this novel – on the light side yet deals with very serious issues, sweet and emotional, smart and funny. I had no idea what this one was about … I just knew that I loved her last novel and HAD to get my hands on this one. I’m so glad that I did. It’s a fantastic little novel. Gloria is one of those characters that I think will stay with me for some time. She and Sheff … talk about a friendship unlike any other. This is an inspiring book about love and friendship as well as about staying true to who you are! Heartbreaking and heart lifting all at the same time. Highly recommend this one! [By the way, if you haven’t read Above Us Only Sky (her previous novel), RUN and read it!]

NOTE: I received a copy of this book as an ARC from the publisher for an honest review.

Review: The Hookup by Erin McCarthy

The Hookup by Erin McCarthy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Something about Sophie and Caine just grabbed me and didn’t let go. I love that whole 'opposites attract' trope and this is a particularly good one. Sophie is unique – smart, real and accepting. Exactly what Cain needs! And he is everything that she never knew she needed! I love that he’s a lobster fisherman. I love that she’s working on a PhD in math. This is the first in a series and I’m excited for what’s to come. Very hot, very interesting. Although I also wished there had been even more development in their relationship, I really enjoyed what I read. I’m eager to see what bits and pieces we will get in the next book which tells the story of her sister and his brother! It looks like Erin McCarthy has a number of other series so I plan to go check some of those out as well!

NOTE: I received a copy of this book as an ARC from the publisher for an honest review.

Recent Releases

New Releases for May 1, 2018

Adjustment Day: A Novel by Chuck Palahniuk 

Love and Ruin: A Novel by Paula McLain 

Friend of a Friend...: Understanding the Hidden Networks That Can Transform Your Life and Your Career by David Burkus 

He by John Connolly

Limelight by Amy Poeppel

The Map of Salt and Stars by Jennifer Zeynab Joukhadar 

The Mars Room by Rachel Kushner

Mr. Flood's Last Resort by Jess Kidd 

The Perfect Mother by Aimee Molloy 

The Optimistic Decade by Heather Abel

The Seasons of My Mother: A Memoir of Love, Family, and Flowers by Marcia Gay Harden 

New Paperback Releases for May 1, 2018

Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance 

Glass Houses: A Novel by Louise Penny 

Into the Water by Paula Hawkins

The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy

Mrs. Fletcher by Tom Perrotta 

Not That Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture edited by Roxane Gay

Priestdaddy: A Memoir by Patricia Lockwood 

Rich People Problems by Kevin Kwan 

Since We Fell by Dennis Lehane 

Two Kinds of Truth: A Bosch Novel by Michael Connelly

Young Jane Young by Gabrielle Zevin 

New Releases for May 8, 2018

Warlight: A Novel by Michael Ondaatje 

Paul Simon: The Life by Robert Hilburn 

The High Tide Club: A Novel by Mary Kay Andrews 

Our Kind of Cruelty: A Novel by Araminta Hall 

My Ex-Life by Stephen McCauley

Shadow Child by Rahna Reiko Rizzuto

That Kind of Mother by Rumaan Alam

The Destiny Thief: Essays on Writing, Writers and Life by Richard Russo 

New Paperback Releases for May 8, 2018

 

Sing, Unburied, Sing: A Novel by Jesmyn Ward

The Fact of a Body: A Murder and a Memoir by Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich

Grief Cottage by Gail Godwin 

Isadora by Amelia Gray 

No One Can Pronounce My Name by Rakesh Satyal

The Ones We Choose by Julie Clark 

Watch Me Disappear by Janelle Brown 

The Windfall by Diksha Basu 

Independent Bookstore Day 2018

I'm a little late getting this posted but I did want to tell you about my Independent Bookstore Day experience as well as my book haul. This is an annual day that celebrates all things Indie Bookstores! I was able to visit all three of my local independent bookstores on Saturday, April 28th!

My first stop is the most recent addition to our local indie bookstores - The Little Bookshop in Midlothian, VA. It's a fantastic little bookstore that has a very curated offering of books. The owner, Mary, is so sweet as are the others working there. They are always available to help you find a specific title and they offer great suggestions.

For IBD, they were having a special story time that was fantastic! The woman doing the story time was so great with the kids and her performance was so well done! They also had a selection of Independent Bookstore Day 2018 items available for visitors to purchase. I purchased two of the items - a pencil pouch with a Colson Whitehead quote as well as the $6 Story which is a collection of flash fiction from great short story writers including A.M. Homes, Etgar Keret, and Amy Bloom.

After browsing the store, I finally narrowed books down to two titles that I've been meaning to pick up. One of my bookclubs may be doing an author meeting with Abbi Waxman so I want to be sure to read her newest novel, Other People's Houses!  Also, I keep picking up Word by Word everytime I see it. It sounds amazing ... it's all about dictionaries. That is so in my wheelhouse! It was time to actually buy it!

The next bookstore that I visited was Fountain Bookstore in downtown Richmond which is one of my favorite bookstores. It's in Shockoe Bottom and is so charming ... brick walls, amazing book curation, and a great staff! It's one of those bookstores that everyone should visit while in Richmond. I feel so lucky to have it so close to me!

I spent a long time walking around and trying to decide what to buy ... it took forever to narrow it down! I've been wanting to pick up Dread Nation after hearing so many rave reviews so this was the perfect opportunity. I remember hearing about Nabokov's Favorite Word Is Mauve on a podcast and it sounded fascinating! It combines big data and literature which sounds like an amazing combo! And last, but certainly not least, I found a pair of socks that are me in a pair of socks ... 'Fuck off. I'm reading!' LOVE them so much!

My final indie bookstore visit was at Chop Suey Books in theCarytown neighborhood of Richmond, VA. It's a fantastic new and used bookstore that I'd definitely describe as eclectic and original. I always find books about the things that I care about - feminism, social justice, and more. Books that you just don't see at most traditional bookstores. I love their commitment to literature and social justice! And they have a wonderful bookstore cat (Won Ton) who is always interesting to try to find! The staff is always friendly and make great recommendations!

Photo credit: https://travellinggeekshow.wordpress.com

After browsing for ages, I quickly found the books that I wanted - I've had The Body is Not An Apology on my TBR for awhile ... I love the radical self-love movement and really want to learn as much as I can about it (and try to incorporate the ideas into my own life). I've heard this one is a great book! And then I couldn't say no to Lost in the Beehive ... I've been waiting for it since I heard it was coming and since I loved her last book, it was a no-brainer to purchase this one (btw - I've already read it and it's fantastic - definitely recommend it). 

And so there it is ... my Independent Bookstore Day haul! If you're ever in the Richmond, VA area, I highly recommend all of these bookstores ... they are all amazing and unique in their own way!

What did you do for Independent Bookstore Day 2018? Did you haul any great books? Tell me all about YOUR local bookstores so I can add them to my Bookstore Bucket List!

Bookish Quote of the Week

Have you encountered someone in your life who makes comments like 'spending all this time reading means you're missing your life!" You know, those comments that imply that reading is not a good use of your time. It drives me CRAZY! Reading is a priority for me ... that is why I put aside time in my day to day life to read. If you don't prioritize reading, you probably prioritize other things that I don't prioritize because they aren't as important to me. And to me ... reading is a lifestyle and not a hobby! It's a critical part of my life that I will make sure to fit in at all times.

Do people in your life say things like this that belittle your love of books and reading? What do you say in response?