Always With a Book

Month in Review: April 2023

Whew…what a busy month April turned out to be, which unfortunately affected my reading. But I’m not really complaining because I still ended up reading quite a bit and read some really great books! Plus, I did have a lot of good stuff going on – some family things and I went to a new crime festival that turned out to be so much fun! There is nothing like hanging out with book friends and authors to reignite my love of books and reading.

The weather hasn’t yet been cooperative for steady outdoor reading. And this first week of May doesn’t look promising, but hopefully by the end of the month, we will be outdoors quite a bit. I could spend all day outside reading, if I had nothing else on my schedule!

 

READING STATS:

  • Read this month: 21
  • Year to date: 95
  1. Hello Beautiful — Ann Napolitano (audio book)
  2. The House is on Fire — Rachel Beanland (audio book)
  3. A Truth for a Truth — Carol Wyer (audio book)
  4. Beyond Reach — Karin Slaughter (audio book)
  5. The Only Survivors — Megan Miranda (audio book)
  6. Pay Dirt Road — Samantha Jayne Allen
  7. Where Are the Children? — Mary Higgins Clark (audio book)
  8. Wonderland — Jennifer Hillier (audio book)
  9. Where Are the Children Now? — Mary Higgins Clark, Alafair Burke (audio book)
  10. The Connellys of County Down — Tracey Lange
  11. Triptych — Karin Slaughter (audio book)
  12. A Show of Faith — Greer Hendricks (audio book)
  13. The Audrey Hepburn Estate — Brenda Janowitz (audio book)
  14. Zero Days — Ruth Ware (e-book)
  15. Only the Beautiful — Susan Meissner
  16. The Girls Who Disappeared — Claire Douglas (audio book)
  17. The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry — Gabrielle Zevin (reread)
  18. Searching for Savanna — Mona Gable (audio book)
  19. A Pocket Full of Rye — Agatha Christie
  20. I Didn’t Do It — Jaime Lynn Hendricks (e-book)
  21. The Half Moon — Mary Beth Keane (audio book)

 

MY TOP 5 OF MARCH: 

***I saw this on a friend’s blog and really liked it, so I’m adding it to my monthly wrap-ups.

  1. Favorite book(s) of April – these books are the ones I absolutely loved and will be recommending to everyone. They will be staying on my shelf and might even be rereads at some point in the future.
    • Hello Beautiful
    • The House is on Fire
    • The Connellys of County Down
    • Only the Beautiful
    • The Half Moon
  2. Biggest Surprise of April: That my five favorites all happened to be non-thrillers! Of the 21 books I read/listened to this month, 13 were in the thriller/mystery/crime fiction genre and while they were good, they just didn’t stand out as much as my favorites did…and that’s ok. I still really enjoyed them, but those five I listed as my favorites really stood out and are the ones I’m going to remember long after this month passes.
  3. Biggest Disappointment of April: I think I was hoping to get to more books this month…but due to traveling and being busier than I thought I would be, that didn’t happen. I’m also a little disappointed with myself in not having more review done…I really need to get caught up!
  4. Favorite Part of Month – I attended a new crime festival on Long Island, called the Hamptons WhoDunit with my best book friend…we had such a great time and saw lots of our favorite crime writers and met a slew a new ones. I am already looking forward to attending again next year!
  5. 5 Books I’m most looking forward to reading next month:
    • Out of the Ashes by Kara Thomas – This is a new-to-me author who happens to be from Long Island. Out of the Ashes is her debut adult novel – she has quite a few psychological thrillers out for young adults – and I am thrilled that I will be in conversation with her at her launch event on May 18th.  Out 5/1
    • The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry – I’ve enjoyed books by her in the past and this one sounds like something I know I will enjoy – a historical fiction novel about Operation Pied Piper during WWII.  Out 5/2
    • Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt by Lucinda Riley, Harry Whitaker – This is probably one of my most anticipated releases of the year! This is the conclusion of The Seven Sisters series and I have been a fan of this series since book one. I wish this series was more popular here in the US, but trust me when I say this family saga is one of my absolute favorites!!!  Out 5/11
    • The Revenge List by Hannah Mary McKinnon – I just love Hannah Mary McKinnon’s thrillers – they are twisty and fast-paced and wildly entertaining. Out 5/23
    • Drowning by T.J. Newman – This is T.J. Newman’s follow-up after her wildly successful debut thriller, Falling. This one involves a commercial jetliner crashing into an ocean…sounds like another adrenaline-fueled read and I cannot wait to start it! Out 5/30

 

So tell me, what was your favorite read of the month? What are you looking forward to reading in May?

 

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