Hello friends! April has come and gone, and we’re officially getting closer to summertime. I, for one, am ecstatic. because with the longer days and warmer temperatures, I feel like myself again. As many of you know, winter and I are not on great terms, so I welcome this time of year with open arms. But let’s get to today’s topic at hand, April 2024 book reviews.
Compared to March, it wasn’t a great reading month. April wasn’t so much about quantity as it was about quality. Although I only read six books, two of them were five stars. Pretty decent, if I may say so myself.
So, I think I’ll get right to it.
Here are my April 2024 book reviews.
Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier
I liked this latest Jennifer Hillier book, although it’s been two years since its publication date. I read it as part of a challenge I partook on Instagram to clear my shelves, and I’m glad I finally did.
Although I’ve never lived in Toronto, I am familiar with some of the references Hillier made throughout the book. The nineties Canadian culture and food made me reminisce of my youthful days. I always enjoy the book so much more when the setting is somewhat familiar.
The story itself was engaging and had nice flow. It was more on the psychological thriller side rather than the gory, darker thrillers I tend to lean towards. It was still an enjoyable book for me.
All in all, I recommend Hillier’s books for when you’re looking for a good popcorn thriller to binge in a couple of days.
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
OMG!!! I loved everything about this book. Had I known that it was this amazing, there’s no way I would’ve waited almost two years to read it…
It is funny, insightful, and it should be required reading to all females. I didn’t know what to expect from it, but it was such a pleasant surprise, I cannot recommend it enough.
Now it’s going to be hard to choose my top five of the year, because I have a few contenders already and are not even halfway through the year yet. But that’s a problem I don’t mind having!
Now, let’s get back to the book.
Elizabeth is an independent, super smart woman whose thinking is ahead of her time. While a bit socially awkward, she is pragmatic and highly intelligent. That actually works against her a few times, but she manages to change the way her male colleagues view her. While upfront most of them undermine her, they secretly have a lot of respect for her work. They also ask for her help on various occasions.
If I didn’t stress this enough at first, I will say it again: I think this book will become a classic in a few years, and should be required reading in schools. It teaches girls about the importance of a good education, of standing up for what you believe in, and demanding respect in the workforce. That’s my humble opinion.
All in all, I gave it all the stars, plus more! I loved it, and it will very likely be one of my favorite books ever.
Daughter of Mine by Megan Miranda
This is my second book by the author, and it was an okay read for me. I liked the book, but I wasn’t in love with it.
There were some things I liked about the book, while a few things irked me.
For example, most of the characters were unlikable and made questionable decisions.
Another thing that I didn’t care for too much was the rushed ending. To me it felt as if the author had a few pages to wrap it up, and managed to tie everything nicely to fit the required number of words. A tad too convenient for my liking.
Now, some of the things i did enjoy:
The author has a way of weaving the story that gets me hooked from the first page. The chapters are short and there’s a nice flow to the narration. I flew by the book in a couple of days, which is always a positive thing, in my opinion.
All in all a solid three stars, but it won’t make my top faves of the year, unfortunately.
The book was published on April 9th, 2024 by Simon & Schuster.
The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abby Waxman
Why did I put off reading this book for over two years?? This is possibly a contender for the top ten favorite books of the year. It was quirky, it was fun, and it had me laughing like I haven’t while reading a book in a while. Mind you, some of the anecdotes and explanations were a bit dorky in my opinion, but they still worked for this book.
I loved Nina, even though sometimes I thought she was a tad dramatic. Her character is someone I felt as if I could befriend her in real life. The rest of the cast was pleasant as well, unlike some of the books I’ve read lately.
The setting was ideal for me; I mean Nina works in a bookstore! Her new-found family is mostly awesome, and she is a down-to-earth introvert. Reminds me a lot about my younger self, so it was super easy to relate to her.
If you’re looking for a cute, fast read that will make you escape reality for a couple of days, then I wholeheartedly recommend this book. But I still think you should read it, regardless.
Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth
As a first book by the author, it isn’t one that will encourage me to run and read her older works.
Darling Girls was an okay read, but I wasn’t in love with the story. It was well written, don’t get me wrong, but the characters weren’t memorable. Actually, they were actually insufferable.
But I powered through because I was intrigued to find out the ending. While I had a feeling who the culprit was and wasn’t surprised, I thought the ending fell flat. All in all, I’m glad I gave the author a try, but I’m not running to recommend this book to anyone.
This book was published on April 23rd by St. Martin’s Press.
Granite Harbor by Peter Nichols
This thriller/mystery based in Maine reads more like a literary fiction novel than an actual thriller. The book gives some mystery vibes, seeing that there is a serial killer on the loose in the small coastal town of Maine. By any means, it isn’t your typical crime fiction novel. It is somewhat of a slow burn, but the writing style flows. It isn’t too flowery, but it resembles a bit too much a literary work of fiction for the genre it’s categorized as.
I liked the setting of the book as well as some of its characters, especially Isabel. But some of the other cast members were a bit too weird for my taste, and there were a couple of incidents that people should be aware of. If you’re easily triggered about animal abuse and descriptive violence, then you might want to skip this one.
The ending felt a bit flat but it was an overall enjoyable read, hence a three stars from me.
The book was published on April 30th by Celadon Books.
Concluding Words
And these are my reviews for the six books I read in April 2024. How was your reading in April? Any great books that really stood out to you? Feel free to leave your recommendations in the comment box below.
Until next time, keep reading fellow bookworms!
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