What I Read in April
Lots of genre hopping this month!
April was a good reading month. I absolutely tore through all of these books, including one that I almost DNF’d but ended up being really glad I stuck with it.
Let’s get to the books, shall we?
Gillian McAllister, Famous Last Words
Camilla’s day starts like any other. She drops her infant daughter off at daycare and heads to her job as a literary agent. Her husband Luke strangely isn’t home when she leaves, and even stranger, he’s left her a cryptic note. Things take a turn for the worse when Camilla sees Luke on TV, holding three people hostage in a warehouse. There’s a standoff, and Luke escapes. He’s never seen or heard from again, leaving Camilla to wonder what happened to him and who was the man she married?
This was a page-turner for sure, but the ending just felt so implausible it’s hard for me to give this one a strong recommendation.
Rating: It was fine 😐
Charlotte McConaghy, Wild Dark Shore
The Salt family lives on a remote island off the coast of Antarctica. The island is home to a research base and a seed bank, and the Salt family is in charge of taking care of it. When a woman washes up on shore, injured and barely alive, they nurse her back to health and wonder what could have possibly brought her to their remote island.
This book was so, so good. The setting is the main character in this one. The story unfolds slowly and is told in the multiple POVs of the inhabitants of the island, each of whom is keeping a secret.
Rating: Loved it ❤️
Holly Brickley, Deep Cuts
In the fall of 2000, Percy Marks is at a campus bar, when she runs into fellow student Joe Morrow. The two get to talking about music, and thus is spawned a decades long partnership. I did a full review of this book and you can read that right here.
Rating: Really liked it 💕
Scott Lynch, The Lies of Locke Lamora
Locke Lamora is an orphan on the mysterious island of Camorr. Raised under the tutelage of a master con artist, he finds he is remarkably skilled at the trade. He plans elaborate heists to rob the richest citizens of Camorr, and he usually gets away with it. Until one heist goes horribly wrong, and Locke must find a way to use his wits to get himself out of trouble, or else he’ll wind up dead.
I came across this one on a list somewhere and snagged it from the library. I’ll confess I almost DNF’d it, but then it hooked me and didn’t let go. It’s Oceans Eleven meets Six of Crows and it’s very, very good. It’s part of a trilogy and I’ve got the second one on hold at the library.
Rating: Really liked it 💕
Emily Henry, Great Big Beautiful Life
Alice Scott is a journalist who grew up fascinated by the life of media heiress and tabloid darling Margaret Ives. She tracks down the reclusive Ms. Ives and is given the opportunity to write her biography. There’s just one catch - Hayden Andersen, a supreme grump and Pulitzer Prize winning biographer is also in the running. Margaret gives them each a one month trial. As the month progresses, Hayden and Alice become close, and they realize Margaret isn’t telling either of them the whole truth of her story.
Much like TJ Klune, Emily Henry is one of my must-buy authors. What I wouldn’t give to have a career like hers. This book is a very slight departure from her normal banter-laden romances, and I’ve seen some mixed reviews because of that. Personally, I liked this book a lot. It’s not my favorite Emily Henry, but I like that she’s trying something new and I’m excited to see what she comes up with next.
Rating: Liked it a lot 💕
All in all a solid reading month!
What did you read last month?