April Reads
Spring yourself into some seriously great books!
Another month into 2025, another set of great books flying off my shelf and into my hands. As I continue my reading journey, I’m thinking… I either a) have some great taste and pick really good reads or I b) rate my reads very high! Either way, who cares, as long as I’m enjoying the stories, right?!
For anyone keeping score, I sailed through ten books this month. Six from the library, four from my personal shelf. Four audiobooks, four physical copies, and two eBooks. The library still wins! This brings my total up to 41 — coincidentally, one of my favorite DMB numbers — for the year. I can’t believe it. I’m going to blow my year goal out of the park before we reach the halfway point. It feels like I’m on track to hit more than 100 this year. I’d be thrilled if that happens!
I branched out, just a little, and enjoyed something that wasn’t a mystery. Can you believe it?! Maybe I’ll do it again. Please, tempt me! You know I’m always looking for recommendations to fill my shelf. If you have something you know I’ll love to read, please put it in the comments, DM me, send a smoke signal, tell me on Goodreads — basically, whatever it takes to get the book on my TBR!
Also, just to keep it top-of-mind, you can always refer to the Instagram post on what my star ratings mean.
Let’s get into it!
FICTION
THE SONG OF ACHILLES, by Madeline Miller
Who it’s for: Lovers of love and Greek mythology
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Gorgeous. This was a wonderful story, from start to finish. When I bought it, the woman at the bookstore told me it would wreck me. This is told from the POV of Patroclus, an exiled prince who befriends and falls in love with Achilles. Their journey leads them to the war to save Helen of Troy and the peril involved during those wartime years. Beautifully written and a story of love at its core, this story had me turning the pages quickly. If you're into Greek gods and a love story that transcends time, you’ll enjoy this.
ALL THE OTHER MOTHERS HATE ME, by Sarah Harman
Who it’s for: Those who love unreliable narrators and suspense
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Fun. Oh, I loved this from the first page. This mum is not exactly a role model, nor does she pretend to be. Florence has a ten-year-old, Dylan, who attends a prestigious private school. He’s on a field trip and his assigned buddy and resident school bully, Alfie, goes missing. Dylan is wanted for questioning and Florence is hellbent on protecting her child. She and another mom team up and play investigator and their journey to find the truth is nothing short of intriguing. Thrilling and a really fun read, for sure.
THESE SILENT WOODS, by Kimi Cunningham Grant
Who it’s for: Fans of a solid mystery and heart-wrenching story
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A breezy read. I could not put this one down and finished it within a day. We’re following Cooper and his daughter, Finch, who are hiding out in the hills away from modern civilization. They have a friend, Jake, who brings them a year’s worth of supplies every December. When Jake doesn’t show, Cooper knows it’s for a good reason. Their story of why they are there, how long they plan to stay, and how they are discovered, is structured really well and compelling. You’ll like it if you are into mysteries.
TWO NIGHTS IN LISBON, by Chris Pavone
Who it’s for: People who enjoy a long story about a short timeframe
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Slow burn. This was a bit longer than it needed to be, but that’s okay. I really enjoyed trying to figure out why Ariel’s husband was kidnapped and held for ransom for a very specific amount of money. Ariel and her new husband are in Lisbon — a business trip for him, a vacation for her — and he goes missing pretty early into the trip. She finds out he’s been kidnapped, and she gets the local authorities, US Embassy, which brings in the CIA. This intricately woven story details two nights (three days) in Lisbon from various POVs to uncover more than just a story about kidnapping — it’s also about bringing down a bad person in power.
RETREAT, by Krysten Ritter
Who it’s for: Thriller kings and queens
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Twisty! I absolutely loved this one. When I saw it land on Book of the Month, I knew I had to order it. I haven’t read Ritter’s first book, Bonfire, which is apparently really good so that’s going on my list now that I’ve read Retreat. This story follows Liz, a con-artist (and lover of fine art) who is hired by a woman to go to her place in Mexico to receive a delivery of a very expensive piece of art and hang it in her house. She gets to enjoy the house and its amenities as a perk of the job, so Liz takes this opportunity to hide out but ends up doing what she does best… being a con. This delightfully twisty story kept me guessing and I really loved how it ended.
OUR KIND OF GAME, by Johanna Copeland
Who it’s for: Those who love mysteries with multiple timelines and POVs
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Suspenseful. Smashed this within a couple of days, and it only took that long because life (and the day jo) got in the way. We’ve got a couple of timelines here: in 2019, we follow Stella, a woman who seems to have it all but has to confront a secret she’s been keeping. In 1987, we follow Julie, an eighth grader who makes the varsity cheer squad but has everything ripped away from her because of the choices her mother makes. We also get the perspective of Julie’s older sister, Paula, nestled in between. Reading how these timelines come together and how the overall story plays out was fun. Don’t sleep on this one!
NONFICTION
NEXUS, by Yuval Noah Harari
Who it’s for: History and technology buffs
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Fascinating. This audiobook clocked in at seventeen hours, but was such a good listen that the time felt like it was flying by. The spread of information is a tale as old as time for our species, from the Stone Age to present day. the author leads us through a well-structured review of how the relationships between truth and information have evolved since the beginning of humankind. It was a very interesting dive on how the control of information has shaped society, from a historical and social perspective. If you’re into that sort of thing, or if you’ve enjoyed some of Harari’s other works (like Sapiens), you’ll find it easy to get into this one.
THE TELL, by Amy Griffin
Who it’s for: Lovers of memoirs that share difficult stories
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Vulnerable. Amy Griffin has been a runner since she could remember — and she never really knew why, it was just a part of her. It wasn’t until she tried psychedelic therapy after her husband suggested it, since it brought him great clarity and help with his own things, did she realize why she ran. Griffin’s story of childhood trauma is dark, sad, and important to share. She confronts what happened to her and even attempts to go through the justice system to seek retribution. This is a rough listen at times, but unbelievably honest. I hope her story helps others who have been victimized by those who were supposed to be trusted to look out for their best interests through adolescence.
IN GAD WE TRUST, by Josh Gad
Who it’s for:
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Delightful. If you don’t know who Josh Gad is, I’m sorry. He is hilarious and warm, and that shines through in his collection of essays. Gad takes us through his adolescence, when he discovers his love for acting and studying the craft, as well as through many high (and low) points of his career thus far. His fondness for being the voice of Olaf in the instant classic animated film Frozen was really lovely to hear about, in addition to other roles he has played throughout his life. The audiobook had some bonus guests (Ron Howard as one of them) and it was really fun listening to Gad tell his own stories. There were serious and touching stories, countered with some great LOL moments. Highly recommend this one.
FREE, by Amanda Knox
Who it’s for:
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Reflective. Like most people my age, I’ve followed Amanda Knox’s case and subsequent imprisonment, release, and work with the Innocence Project after she became a free woman. Listening to her recount her time spent in an Italian prison and the trauma of it after becoming free again was harrowing. Knox is a wonderful writer and does a great job of explaining the hardship of attempting to find solace after such a horrific time in her life. Like most memoirs I check out from the library, this was an audiobook — it was powerful hearing her story being told through her own voice. It was a breezy listen and if you’re interested in how she’s doing nowadays, you should definitely pick this one up.
All the (non-affiliate) 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). 📚
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