Audio: 6
Physical: 3
Mix: 2
DNF: 0 (I dabbled but didn’t commit)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nGenre: Nonfiction (WWII History\/Biographies) Genre: Fantasy (Romance\/Cozy\/Rated G) Genre: Contemporary Romance (PG-13) This is classic Abby Jimenez: hilarious banter, lots of trauma-dumping, and an incredibly page-turning-easy-to-read escape. I would give it 5 stars for the ease of how I get sucked into these books – but some of the content and overall uncomfortable story lines kept it at a 4. The best-friends-girlfriend is a TOUGH plot to craft. Throw in a severe nut allergy and she wrote herself into quite the puzzle. I enjoyed it overall, but I’m not sold that the relationships at the end of the book are the healthiest for any of the characters. You’ll enjoy it if you don’t think about it too much!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Genre: Nonfiction (Spiritual, Reflection, Advice) Genre: Fantasy (Cozy\/Mysterious\/Light Romance) Genre: Non-Fiction Genre: Romantasy Genre: Regency Romance (Two scenes to clutch your pearls!) Genre: Fiction\/Fantasy Genre: Fiction Genre: Mopey Fiction THE QUIT LIST: There were a few books that I switched after 5% but they didn’t even count and I can’t even remember. Ha! April’s reading came in HOT and then cooled to a distracted simmer. Ha! Sorry it’s late….my brain is b-a-n-a-n-a-s as we roll through spring! Total Books: 11Audio: 6Physical: 3 Mix: 2DNF: 0 (I dabbled but didn’t commit) Genre: Nonfiction (WWII … Continue reading
Format: Audio
Rating: 3\/5
Summary: A series of short stories, detailing women’s impact on WWII.
This book was carried over from my non-fiction-filled March, and the individual stories told in this book are incredible. Spies, nurses, pilots, boundary pushers, code breakers! However, the organization and narration left a lot to be desired. It was a bit all over the place, pivoting settings and historical figures quickly while cramming in as much information as possible. I was impressed by the content, but it required several breaks to get through it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Format: Physical
Rating: 4\/5
Summary: A tired dragon rider and a menopausal witch from opposing sides of the war retire on the same island.
This took me a while to get through, because I literally kept falling asleep. This is a cozy fantasy with an emphasis on COZY. It’s cute x 10000 – but it is far from a page-turner! Anyway, it’s fun to have characters in their 50s starting over in life and falling in love. There are elves and dragons and bookshops and bakeries and fixer-uppers. It’s sweet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Format: Physical
Rating: 4.25\/5
Summary: A woman gets herself mixed up in quite the romantic doozy between best friends.
I started this book by announcing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Format: Audio
Rating: 3\/5
Summary: Short stories and anecdotes about bravery and faith.
This is the bishop who gave the message at the latest inauguration’s prayer service and told the president to be nice to all people. So, yeah, she knows a bit about bravery. The stories were interesting – and her voice was so calming – but it was all over the place. From FDR to personal coworkers to Jesus to Frodo, this book pulled from several inspirations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Format: Audio
Rating: 4\/5 *Second Re-read
Summary: A home for magical youth changes the life of an inspector.
TJ Klune and Abby Jimenez are a sure thing to officially bust me out of a major reading slump. While the magic didn’t hit the same as when I read it the first (or second – ha!) time, it was still a delight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Format: Physical
Rating: 3.5\/5
Summary: A couple survives 118 days in a raft in the Pacific Ocean after a whale breaks their ship.
This story was captivating, but the subjects of the story were pretty unlikable. Obviously, I rooted for them to survive and it was a fascinating story, but over half the book painted the husband as controlling, traumatized, and depressed (before, during, and after the shipwreck). Sooooooo FUN!? This book was really a compilation of a tale spun from their own books, interviews, and diaries. It read like fiction, so it was a speedy read!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Format: Audio\/Physical Mix
Rating: 4.25\/5
Summary: An author jumps in and out of her story while writing a romance novel.
This is an incredibly niche book written by a YouTuber. Have I lost you yet? But seriously, once you get used to the format, shifting settings, and heavy accent (I eventually switched to the physical book for all those reasons), this is an adorable tale of a frustrated author. With parallels to her own life, the main character writes a romance novel with the ability to chat with her characters. They just won’t behave!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Format: Audio
Rating: 3.25\/5
Summary: After a reputation is ruined, a family friend steps in for a marriage of convenience – and then there is LOVE!?
It was a month of desiring known quantities and sure things, so I picked up the final Bridgerton prequel. You know what you’re going to get here. Charming wit, ridiculous characters, and a happily ever after.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Format: Audio
Rating: 4.75\/5 *Reread
Summary: A woman solves a mystery and learns lessons with the help of an octopus.
I wanted to reread this book before the movie comes out next month! Slow at times and lacking in second-half-octopus content, this story still wraps up in a way that is charming and worth a continued 5-star rating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Format: Audio
Rating: 3\/5
Summary: Finlay finally takes on the challenge of solving Vero’s robbery case.
While I’m a sucker for this series and will read the next one, this book fell pretty flat. I’ve complained that some of the other stories are doing too much with too many characters. However, this next step in her adventures left half the cast at home and barely anything happened. I actually needed the audio book assist to finish it because I would read a couple pages and then get distracted. It was a good comfort read with familiar characters, but it was just fine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Format: Audio\/Physical Mix
Rating: 4\/5
Summary: A wedding singer processes his own (toxic) relationship while working his way through a series of ceremonies.
This book is for fans of the book types I usually loathe: Elinor Oliphant, Ove, The Wedding People, etc. So why the 4 stars?? I was in a mopey mood and the main character experienced only situational depression without substance abuse or major grief. There’s a big difference. Also, this novel was super clever, working in actual original songs that you could listen to with a QR code. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It’s a slow start to this month also, but May the reading force be with you!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"