Recent Reads April 2021

Ok, ok, so it’s not April anymore, but these are the books I read in April. Three is actually a pretty decent amount for me these days. I was once able to get through a book every few days, but I’m lucky to get through a chapter a night, I’m just so exhausted anymore. I’ve already started my books for May and can’t wait to share them with you at the end of the month!

At the Water’s Edge - Sara Gruen

This author’s name may sound familiar to you; she is also the author of Water for Elephants, a super popular book from a few years back that was also turned into a movie starring Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson. This was the pick for the neighborhood book club I organize, and I managed to finish it in under two weeks - something that is usually unheard of for me these days! The book takes place during WWII and starts off in Philadelphia. The fact that it took place in Philly was one of the reasons we chose this book since it’s local to us, though there wasn’t actually a whole lot referenced about Philly that made it feel like “home.” The story definitely did draw me in, though, and it was popular with all of my book club. I did feel that the book ended quite abruptly and some things were wrapped up in a way that after all the build-up, was kind of disappointing. Overall, though, I liked how things turned out. There’s a small bit of Scottish folklore, and characters that you are really able to watch grow as the story progresses.

Where the Forest Meets the Stars - Glendy Vanderah

This was another book that was suggested for my book club in April, but a lot of the other members felt it sounded too sad. I was still intrigued, though, and after finishing At the Water’s Edge, I decided I still wanted to read this book, and I’m glad I got it! The story follows a young woman working on her graduate research after losing her mom to breast cancer and battling breast cancer herself. A mysterious young girl becomes involved in her and her neighbor’s life, forming a bond with them both. There are many ups and downs throughout this story, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and even stayed up way past my bedtime to read through the last 100 pages of the book because it just got so good.

Shadow and Bone - Leigh Bardugo

I don’t have a photo for this one because I listed to it on audiobook. I actually started watching the Netflix show one morning while on my elliptical and realized that the show must have been based on a book, and my suspicion was correct. My husband has been offering me to use his Audible account since he has so many extra credits (he is not as big a reader as me) so I decided I would try out my first audio book. While the book is definitely different than the show (as is always the case) I was able to follow along with both, and feel like reading the book really fleshed out some things I didn’t quite understand or catch in the show. I still feel that I’m not a huge fan of audiobooks, but it’s been a nice way to get through an extra book this month. I’m already over 3 hours into the second book in the series.

Along with the audiobook, I have three books already lined up for May; I’m hoping I can get through them all and maybe even more this month.