April was an awesome reading month for me! I read a total of 6 books! This is my highest month in who knows how long, though it’s not surprising, considering I worked remotely for the entire month of April and we weren’t really allowed to go anywhere. Being home all the time has its perks, right? Not only did I read a lot, but I had some super high rated books too! Check out all the books I finished in April and let me know which ones you’ve read. I’ll be linking up with Steph and Jana!
Title: The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek
Author: Kim Michele Richardson
Genre: Historical fiction
Format & Source: eBook, Netgalley
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
*This was the monthly pick for a virtual historical fiction book club through work*
What an amazing story! I originally gave it 4 stars, but now it’s over a month later, and I had to change it to 5 because I am still thinking about it.
Cussy is a young woman who lives in the hills of Kentucky and works as a pack horse librarian, delivering books and reading materials to the other poor folks in her area. Despite her good work, people are wary of her – she’s a “blue,” and the last of her kind. Her skin is tinted blue due to a rare disorder, and she and her father live as pariahs because people don’t understand it.
Though this book is fiction, the historical elements are based in fact. There really were blue people of Kentucky, and in the 1930s, The Pack Horse Library Project worked hard to deliver books to people in the remote regions of the Appalachian Mountains. This book was incredibly researched and detailed. I learned SO much, and didn’t even know Blues or these librarians existed, yet every time I opened the book, I was instantly transported.
Cussy lived a very hard life and battled prejudice and fear at every turn. Her role as a beloved “book woman” was the only thing that brought her joy and meaning. I was rooting for her through all of her battles, and grew to love her more and more as the book went on.
I highly recommend this title. Cussy was an exceptional character, and this story is one I will not soon forget.
Title: Moxie
Author: Jennifer Mathieu
Genre: YA
Format & Source: Print, library
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
*This was the monthly pick for my Forever YA book club through work*
Vivan Carter is sick of the way things are going at her Texas high school. The girls are treated differently than the boys, who get away with everything, including their sexist remarks. Completely fed up, she decides to anonymously publish a feminist zine which she secretly distributes to the girls at school. Soon, a movement begins, and the girls are finally fighting back.
I’ll be the first to admit, this book sounded a little hokey to me and I was hesitant to get started. I was all wrong though, and I loved it from the start! It’s completely empowering, showcasing the power of girls and female friendship. I loved seeing the movement gain traction as the girls took their power back. I loved how they ALL came together, despite different cliques and backgrounds, and they refused to back down.
I think that all women and girls will find something or someone to relate to within these pages. I definitely recommend this one!
Title: If You Were Here
Author: Alafair Burke
Genre: Mystery
Format & Source: eBook, Hoopla (library)
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
*This was the monthly pick for a virtual mystery book club through work*
Alafair Burke is quite an accomplished author, so I was excited to finally get the chance to read her work when my book club chose this title. Though it was an intriguing mystery, there were some definite downfalls to it, too.
McKenna Wright is a journalist who thinks she sees her missing friend, Susan, appear in a brief news clip. But how can that be? Susan disappeared over 10 years ago. McKenna becomes obsessed and determined, certain that her friend is still out there. She launches herself headfirst into a search for the truth that has her uncovering the past and living in danger.
Missing persons cases have always intrigued me, so right away, I was interested and intrigued by this story. I enjoyed watching it unwind and unfurl, as McKenna goes to great lengths to find out the truth. Ultimately, I found it to be engaging, and stayed up late a couple of nights reading because I wanted to see what would happen next.
Despite the interesting premise, there were certain factors that made this book a little less enjoyable for me. It was extremely convoluted and complicated. Even by the end, there were some things that still didn’t make sense to me. I found myself confused, even by the ending. There were also a lot of political and legal aspects, neither of which I particularly enjoy in my reading.
All in all, this book was good but not great. I will give Burke another shot in the future, though!
Title: P.S. I Still Love You
Author: Jenny Han
Genre: YA
Format & Source: Print, library
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
This is the second book in the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before series. I read the first one last year for book club and loved it, then finally got around to watching the Netflix movie last month, which I also loved. That said, I was eager to finally continue reading the series.
Lara Jean and popular boy, Peter, were pretending to date… but now it’s turned into the real thing. Despite their growing feelings for one another, Peter’s ex always gets in the way. Feeling neglected and unsure, Lara Jean starts to fall for an old friend who has suddenly re-appeared in her life. Now she must decide who she really loves.
As always, I loved Lara Jean’s naivety and sweet demeanor. Watching her navigate her first real relationship was both charming and funny. She tends to be a little awkward, but her quirkiness and genuine nature more than make up for it.
I’d say this was a good middle book for the series, as we see Lara Jean start to grow and blossom a bit. She is also faced with a dilemma between two guys she really cares about (I was actually rooting for John instead of Peter!).
Out of the 3 books in the series, this one was probably my least favorite. However, I still really enjoyed it, and I enjoyed being back with the Song sisters and in Lara Jean’s world again.
Title: Always and Forever, Lara Jean
Author: Jenny Han
Genre: YA
Format & Source: Print, library
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
The third and final book in the series, and my favorite of the bunch! I flew through this book in 24 hours, which is very hard for me to do, so you know it was a good one!
In this final story, Lara Jean is finishing her high school career and dreaming about going to her first choice college… with Peter. Things are changing, her relationship is progressing, and even her widowed father is re-marrying. Lara Jean is excited about the future and what it has in store, until some bad news has her rethinking her entire future.
This one had a lot of conflict between Lara Jean and Peter, as their relationship is growing and maturing. They are starting to think about the future and what leaving high school will mean for their relationship. Lara Jean has it all mapped out though, as she always does, until some surprising news forces her to take a step back and reconsider everything.
Gosh, I loved this book so much. I loved seeing Lara Jean mature and grow through some hard things, and I loved all of the relationships in her life, especially with her two sisters. This series is absolutely charming and will 100% lift your spirits. I’ve been recommending it to everyone I know, and am so incredibly sad that it’s over. I can definitely see myself re-reading these books someday, even though I am not a big re-reader. I miss these characters and would love to be in their world again.
Wholeheartedly recommended! I wish I could read the series all over again for the first time because it’s just so delightful.
Title: Big Girl: How I Gave Up Dieting and Got a Life
Author: Kelsey Miller
Genre: Nonfiction, memoir
Format & Source: Print, library
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Kelsey Miller is a girl that many of us can relate to, especially me. Always heavy, Kelsey cycles through a lifetime of diets, constantly losing weight only to re-gain it, then finding the next big fad diet and doing it all over again. At 29, she finally becomes fed up with it all — the self-loathing, the eating plans, the crash diets, the vicious cycle. She decides to change her life once and for all.
Kelsey discovers the idea of “intuitive eating,” meeting with a professional eating coach and therapist to guide her, all the while chronicling her journey in her new magazine column. Along the way, she falls in love, faces obstacles, and learns to just eat and accept herself for who she is, after a lifetime of self-loathing.
I really liked this one. It was funny and self-depracating, and BOY could I relate! I think that as women, we are trained to hate our bodies, to strive for unattainable goals and ideals. Kelsey finally stands up against those ideals and basically says “enough is enough.” She wants to learn to eat like a “normal” person who isn’t obsessed with her weight and every single bite that she ingests. It isn’t as easy as it sounds though, and her journey is a rocky one that I loved following along with.
I really enjoyed reading this one, and feel like Kelsey could be my new BFF. She really holds nothing back and I loved that. I’d recommend this one to all women, especially to the ones like me who struggle with weight and body image.
Monthly Stats
Books read: 6
Library books (print): 4
Books I own (print): 0
eBooks: 2
Fiction:5
Nonfiction: 1
