April Books Roundup
Thought I’d share the books I’ve read each month. Here we go:
This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar, Max Gladstone – 2/5
A story lacking details lost me. Without details, the two main characters blend in together, and I was confused as to who was who. Apparently they fall in love, but it was unclear to me as to how it happens. Perhaps I’ll listen to the audiobook and see if my opinions of the book remain unchanged.
The Stranger by Harlan Coben – 3/5
I chose this audiobook because I saw that it had been adapted into a Netflix series that a few of my Facebook friends have recommended. The central theme is protecting your family at all cost. How much would you risk to protect them?
The story begins when a stranger approaches the main character, Adam, and tells him that two years ago, his wife faked her pregnancy. This revelation pushes the plot. Is the stranger telling the truth? Why is he revealing this? If his wife did fake her pregnancy, why did she do it?
I’m not much of a mystery fan to start. Although the book does have plot twists, I didn’t feel invested enough with the characters to feel for them. I can see fans of mystery genre appreciating this book. So if you want something easy to read in this genre, this may be for you.
In Five Years by Rebecca Serle – 3/5
The premise intrigued me. The main character has a dream of what five years from now look like, and it’s not what she has planned. A few years later, the dream she had starts to look like a possibility so she tries her best for it not to come true.
The main theme is about friendship. It’s easy enough to follow, but none of the characters takes me. The superficiality (brand name dropping, dining at expensive restaurants, etc.) distances me from relating. This normally doesn’t bug me because I do enjoy the Shopaholic Series and Crazy Rich Asians. The characters just don’t have enough substance about them for me to care. And that takes away from the overall theme.
Trigger warnings for cancer and dying.
Girls with Sharp Sticks (Girls with Sharp Sticks, #1) by Suzanne Young – 3/5
Starts promising enough. Beautiful teenage girls in an exclusive finishing school surrounded by mystery and masochist instructors. Why are they there? Answering that question is the whole point of the book.
I enjoyed how the plot is revealed. The big twist in the end was unexpected. I just thought that making the characters endure too much exploitation (emotionally and physically) was overdone. Towards the end I found myself being numb after reading how awful they are treated by men repeatedly. I get the point. Men are horrible. Let’s move the plot along, shall we?
The Farm by Joanne Ramos – 3/5
A book that gives a peek on the lives of Filipino overseas workers in America, the sacrifices they endure to survive in a society that views them as “the other”. For readers who are unaware of this group of people, Ramos has done a decent job voicing their issues through the stories within the book.
The book revolves around four characters. Ate, a Filipino caregiver who hustles every way she can to help her family in the Philippines. Jane, Ate’s cousin, who got recruited into surrogacy for rich people’s babies. Mae, the head manager of the surrogacy centre. And Raegan, a rich girl who decides that being a surrogate will bring meaning to her existence.
It’s an easy enough read.
All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders – 4/5
The apocalypse. Science vs Magic. We get to see the two main characters from their childhood to the end of the world (as they know it). I love the uniqueness of the story, the character motivations, and the conflict within themselves. The best part is the unexpected. Very satisfying. I love it!
Trigger warnings for bullying and people being cruel to each other.
My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell – 4/5
I saw my friend Rachel give an excellent rating of this book on Goodreads. Hosts of a couple of podcasts I listen to rave about it as well so I thought maybe I should check it out.
To sum it up, reading this book is like watching a train wreck. You know it’s wrong, that it’s going to be tragic yet you can’t get yourself to walk away. It is a story of a woman groomed by a predator in her formative years and how she rationalizes the events that happened. Very thought provoking.
Trigger warning for abuse. Some scenes can be hard/creepy to read.
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid – 4/5
I believe Reese Witherspoon picked this up for her book club earlier this year which got my interest piqued. Themes of racial relations, facing insecurities, and the love between a nanny and the child she rears. The book also makes fun the whole influencer culture, and how people care so much of what society thinks. And female friendships. How women sometimes take each other down behind the premise of having each other’s backs. Kiley Reid touched on so many cultural points, I found it so amusing
Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid – 4/5
Ever read a book made entirely of dialogues? No? Well then, you should read this one. It is set up as if you’re reading a transcription of documentary film about well, Daisy Jones and the Six. I enjoyed reading the conflicting anecdotes from members, some of which are hilarious. I also found it refreshing having multiple points of view told right beside each other. Genius.
Godsgrave (The Nevernight Chronicles, #2) by Jay Kristoff – 5/5
Sequel to Nevernight, Godsgrave took me to a wild, violent, ride. Holy crap! Imagine Gladiator but with a badass female protagonist out for revenge who wields shadows and have two shadow pets. How Kristoff wrote the action scenes, conveyed pain, and crafted suspense was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. So much better than Nevernight, which is saying a lot because the first book was great to start with. I can’t wait until I get my hands on the third and final book of the series!
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon – 5/5
The first book I ever read using Scribd and I am hooked! This book is a refreshing, feminist take on the typical High Fantasy genre. You have empowered female characters, who don’t need to be tortured first before gaining powers in their respective positions. They’re already powerful in their own way at the start. You have LGBTQ representation, cultural diversity, epic battle scenes, and talking dragons. TALKING DRAGONS!
The first half of the book is all about world building which, did take a while to read. It is a necessity though, with the abundance of characters and plot lines that has to be explained. But the long setup pays off because once the action get started, it’s one after another after another. I had to pace myself because the tension was too much! I thought I had palpitations at one point. So, so, good!
And there you have it! All the books I’ve read in the month of April. If you’ve read any of the books, or know of any books that I should be reading fr the month of May, please leave them in the comments below so I can check them out!
