April Reads
I'm definitely in my reading era! ✨📚
April has now come and gone, and this month’s list was pretty large — mostly because I picked some bangers that I couldn’t put down and sailed through them quickly. My shelf is poppin’ and it makes me so happy. 🥰
Lately, I’ve been running into a first world reader problem: my library holds are hitting at the same time on the Libby app. Oh, and I can’t seem to step foot in a bookstore without walking out with a few new books for my ever-growing TBR (to be read) stack. In fact, I need a new bookshelf in my home office because for some reason, my collection keeps growing. I just don’t know how this keeps happening! (jk, lol)
Really though, my physical collection grows because I don’t prioritize purchasing eBooks anymore. Or digital media in general. I’d rather get a physical copies, knowing it will never be taken away. I have been burned by Amazon and Kindle with books I have paid for, only to have something disappear off my shelf for “licensing” reasons. That and, I love holding a physical book in my hands.
We’re also doing this with music and movies/television shows. Slowly, we are adding to our vinyl and movie (steelbooks and collector’s editions, mostly) collections over the last few years. Most of these come with digital downloads, which gives us the option of streaming from a device when we want, instead of grabbing the wax or the disc. It’s nice to know we own those items forever, instead of worrying if a license will be revoked in whichever service it lives in for the time being.
Nowadays, if I want an eBook, I will put it on hold at my local library. I make rare exceptions for books I want to purchase twice, though. I’m not above that and will freely admit I do that from time to time. 😂 Hashtag support authors, baby! Sometimes, I’ll even do an electronic purchase if it’s a book I simply cannot wait — either to run to the local bookstore or to wait for the library’s copy to become available.
At the beginning of the year, I set my reading challenge on Goodreads to be 30 books for the year. I just wanted to read more than I did in the last few years since I started tracking consistently on Goodreads. My stats definitely reflect how 2022 was spent completing my first novel, but otherwise I usually tried to at least read a couple of books each month and hit my goals.
The goal now? Just read more. Keep reading. Pick up books and don’t put them down. Throw a number out there and see if I can hit it. This year, I set my goal to 30 books. I’ve already blown through 29 (!!!!) — I can’t wait to see where I end up at the end of 2024.
Oh and… if you’ve made it this far… May’s stack might be lighter because I heard back from an agent. I need to edit my novel down a bit, so I’ll be spending some free time working through that. Keep those good vibes coming my way, please — this is the most promising response I’ve received so far!!
See what else I’ve read this year:
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FICTION
First, a couple of BONUS READS! These first two I was able to sneak in after posting my March Reads, but finished them before April officially began. So, I’m covering them here!
KILL FOR ME, KILL FOR YOU, by Steve Cavanagh
Two women meet in a grief support group and hatch a plan to eliminate the people responsible for their situation, inspired by Hitchcock’s Strangers on a Train. Simultaneously, a woman is attacked in her home, nearly murdered, while her husband is out and can’t move forward. The way the storylines converge is utterly surprising and I kept guessing until the very end. With a plot this thick and thrilling, you’re going to need to move it up on your TBR and read it immediately!
EVERYONE IS WATCHING, by Heather Gudenkauf
This gave me UnREAL vibes! One Lucky Winner (the game in the story) is a reality television competition focusing on five players going after ten million dollars — the stakes are high for the players, too. As you peel back the layers of this wonderfully woven story, you start to realize everyone is connected in some way. I sailed through this on a lazy Sunday because I couldn’t stop turning the pages. Perfect pacing and great prose — you won’t be able to put it down until you find out how it ends.
LISTEN FOR THE LIE, by Amy Tintera
WOW. Five stars. No notes. This story follows a woman who was accused, but never officially charged, of murdering her best friend. A true crime podcaster decided to explore this story and bring it back to the spotlight several years after the fact. The main character, Lucy, reluctantly decides to participate despite never saying anything publicly before (let alone given any interviews about the events that night… which she actually can’t remember due to a head injury). Being back in her hometown is difficult, and some memories start to come back… and I don't want to spoil it any further than that! This story was captivating from the first chapter straight through to the end. Excellent writing, too. I really enjoyed it and you will too!
THE ONLY SURVIVORS, by Megan Miranda
Another good one by Megan Miranda! This one is about a group of nine twenty-somethings coming together on the anniversary of a catastrophic event during their senior year of high school that left them as the only survivors. And a bit more than the previous years… the vibes are off. The weight of the secrets surrounding the events that happened a decade earlier are starting to bubble to the surface. Two members of their original group are now dead, several others are concerned that someone is talking, and they can’t seem to escape the past no matter how hard they all try.
THE TRUTH ABOUT THE DEVLINS, by Lisa Scottoline
Lisa Scottoline never misses [for me]. This one was about a family law firm and everyone is a lawyer except for TJ, the recovering alcoholic son/brother in the family. His brother, a respected lawyer, gets into some trouble and seeks TJ’s help but per most stories like this, nothing is as it seems. TJ’s sobriety is constantly questioned while his brother is making questionable decisions. I couldn’t put it down and was suspicious of one of the characters from the jump and found the ending quite satisfying. You’ll never regret reading a Scottoline story, IMO, so check this one out!
SHE’S NOT SORRY, by Mary Kubica
I will never pass up the opportunity to read a new book by Mary Kubica — she always delivers. This one was filled with secrets, lies, deceptions… with the notion that sometimes, things just level themselves out. It’s well-structured and has an incredible pace — I couldn’t put it down! Like most of her stories, this one has a Chicago backdrop, but in the dead of winter. Brr. ICU nurse Meghan, who is recently divorced and has primary custody of her sixteen-year-old daughter, finds herself reconnecting with a friend from high school. She gets caught up in her old friend’s life and tries to help her, only to find out more than she ever bargained for. The twist made me audibly gasp. Did not see it coming. Just read it. You won’t be sorry! (tee hee hee)
NONFICTION
BEING HENRY, by Henry Winkler
Henry Winkler is not only a Hollywood icon, but a wonderful soul. I really enjoyed listening to his story and learned so many things about him I didn’t know. He walks through his career and personal life, explaining the struggles from his side of the fence (fear of being typecasted as The Fonz forever and his family dynamic). Very heartfelt. Highly recommend!
SOMEBODY’S DAUGHTER, by Ashley C. Ford
Ashley C. Ford is such a fantastic writer and I was lucky enough to snag a signed copy of this memoir at a local Barnes & Noble, since she’s a local writer! Ashley’s story takes us through her adolescence and young adulthood, working through her father being in prison for most of her life, being raped at a young age, and the difficult relationships throughout her life. This was a beautifully written memoir about coming of age and navigating deeply complicated familial (and other) bonds.
SELLING THE DREAM, by Jane Marie
Something about me: I absolutely hate an MLM/pyramid scheme with a passion! I loved the first couple of seasons of Jane Marie’s podcast, The Dream, and was excited to hear she released a book about the industry of scams. If you listened to the podcast, at least the first season, you might be interested in this one. It goes a bit further into how MLMs got their start, which is interesting. I thought I’d enjoy it more, but since I was a listener of the podcast, I knew a lot of what Jane Marie was reporting. Still, a pretty good read, especially if you want to know how MLMs got their start and learn how a lot of them exhibit major cult behavior.
STORIES I ONLY TELL MY FRIENDS, by Rob Lowe
I love Rob Lowe. I always have, and his memoir made me love him even more. I enjoyed his stories — from about his desire to meet Martin Sheen (the father of two of his newest pals/neighbors after moving to Malibu) to working with him directly on The West Wing and about how his early work (The Outsiders, hello!! The film that made him a star!) shaped him as the actor and person we know today. I definitely recommend this memoir, it was well written and enjoyable, start to finish. Level up and listen via audiobook to get an even better experience!
All the links for the books reviewed go to Bookshop.org, a wonderful site where you can purchase your books and support your local independent bookstore(s). 📚