My April Reading Wrap-Up

April was a good reading month, and otherwise uneventful, unless you count our cat having to go to the vet twice and being put on blood pressure medication (she’s okay but getting older – sigh).

What I read in April:

• The Vain Conversation by Anthony Grooms
• An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
• Burn Bright by Patricia Briggs
• Heads of the Colored People by Nafissa Thompson-Spires
• Twenty-One Days by Anne Perry
• Miss Ex-Yugoslavia by Sofija Stefanovic
• A Local Habitation by Seanan McGuire
• After Atlas by Emma Newman

My favorite read? I loved An American Marriag

e, a story about a young African-American couple whose marriage struggles when the husband is wrongly accused of rape. I haven’t reviewed this book yet, but it raises important issues about African-Americans in the criminal justice system.  More than that, though, it’s a thoughtful portrayal of a complicated relationship.

I also just finished After Atlas by Emma Newman and could barely put it down.  I rarely power through a book but I did this one!  I love detective science fiction, and this one didn’t disappoint.

Most disappointing read? I started John Green’s Turtles All the Way Down, and decided it felt too young for me (though it’s gotten rave reviews).  Otherwise I wasn’t really disappointed by anything this month, although there was some weirdness in Patricia Briggs’ latest book (another sigh).  More on that in my next mini-review post.

Books for challenges:

• TBR Pile: After Atlas 
• Nonfiction: Miss Ex-Yugoslavia
• Read Harder Challenge: An American Marriage
• Finish the Series: Burn Bright
• SciFi/Fantasy Bingo or Swords and Stars: Burn Bright, A Local Habitation, After Atlas
• Reading All Around the World: Miss Ex-Yugoslavia (Serbia/Australia)

What I’m reading now: Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson – continuing my reading about racial issues and criminal justice.

What’s coming up: Who is Vera Kelly? by Rosalie Knecht (out in June), and Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi for a book club.  I’m considering reading The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August for another book club, so let me know if you’ve read that and liked it.

Added to my TBR:  Three Things About Elsie and The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, based on great reviews I read this month.  And a few new science fiction books that caught my eye, including Just One Damned Thing After Another, Clockwork Boys, and Gods, Monsters, and the Lucky Peach (great title and cover).

Things that made me happy this month: Planting my garden.  It’s one of my favorite things to do each year; it allows me to celebrate the coming of summer, plus it feels good to get in the dirt and plant things (and then grow actual food all summer long).  I’ve planted cherry tomatoes, zucchini, lettuce, herbs, peppers, eggplant, and banana peppers. And now it’s finally starting to get warm!

Also, I’m fascinated by a new show called Killing Eve with Sandra Oh.  When my husband said I would like a show about a serial killer, I didn’t believe him.  But I’m both glued to this show and horrified by it.

Avengers: Infinity War was much better than I was expecting.  New Marvel movies are required viewing in my house! But I’m not crazy about movies or books with tons of characters, but somehow this movie worked, and wasn’t just one battle after another.  Lots of Thor, which definitely makes me happy.

Mostly I’m celebrating the fact that spring/summer is finally here! April was miserably cold and I’m happy to see it end. In true DC fashion, we’ll be leaping straight into summer, but I won’t be complaining.

Happy May, and happy reading!