April has been a weird reading month. Most of the books I've read haven't been that great. In fact, I think I've set a record for the most books I've quit in a month. Here is a collage of the books I started and gave up on:
I might go back to some of them later. I would still like to read Midnight in Chernobyl someday because I'm absolutely fascinated by Chernobyl, but my brain can't do it this month. I've had some serious brain fog lately, and some of the books I read, I hardly comprehended because I was so distracted.
Here are the books I've finished this month:
The Secrets of Lost Stones by Melissa Payne
(paranormal, contemporary)
Source: paperback
Summary: Three women end up living together in a small town and discover the history they share.
Content: Language
Review: ***
Final statement: This book has been on my "to read" list for a really long time. It was just okay.
All the Murmuring Bones by A.G. Slatter
(fantasy, gothic)
Source: e-book
Summary: Miren leaves her home and sets out to find her parents, after believing they've been dead all her life, and on her way she rides a waterhorse and deals with some angry mermaids or something.
Content: Mild sex and language, dark themes, infant death
Review: **
Final statement: I tried to read something outside my norm, and it was not worth it.
The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware
(mystery, contemporary)
Summary: Hal receives word that she is to gain some inheritance that is meant for someone else, but she decides to go for it, and then there are mysteries.
Content: Language
Review: ***
Final statement: Another book that was just okay.
When the Air Hits Your Brain by Frank T. Vertosick Jr.
(non-fiction, memoir, neuroscience)
Source: audiobook
Summary: Dr. Vertosick chronicles some of his experiences in neurosurgery, mostly through the 70's-90's.
Content: Language
Review: ****
Final statement: I really enjoyed this memoir. The brain fascinates me, and I think people who pursue neuroscience (or anything in the medical field) are so brave. Some of the ethical situations they are put in are heartbreaking. Earlier this year I read When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalinithi, which is also about neurosurgery. Between the two, I liked When Breath Becomes Air slightly better, but both were very interesting... and strangely... include the word "air."
Count the Ways by Joyce Maynard
(women's fiction, family, coming of age)
Source: e-book
Content: Language, infidelity, gender transitioning
Summary: This is story about Eleanor and the progression of her life through early marriage, motherhood, career, divorce, and all the rest of the things mortality throws at people.
Review: *****
Final statement: I don't know if other people would like this book as much as I did, but I loved it. It was so raw and real, and there was so much in Eleanor's experience that I could relate to. This book made me feel stuff - joy and pain - and it was beautifully written. After finishing this book, it made it hard for me to enjoy everything else I read this month.
Dear Child by Romy Hausman
(psychological thriller, mystery, suspense)
Source: e-book
Summary: An abducted woman escapes her captor and has to face life on the outside after being holed up in a cabin in the woods.
Content: Language, rape, abuse, abduction
Review: ****
Final statement: This is a page-turner, but it has a lot of sensitive and disturbing content, so it's not a book I would recommend to very many people. It's similar to Room by Emma Donoghue.
The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell
(mystery, thriller, suspense)
Source: audiobook
Summary: Tallulah and the father of her infant son go missing at a party. Fifteen months later, someone starts leaving clues that might help find them.
Content: Language, sex
Review: ***
Final statement: This was nothing to rave about. The characters were quite unlikeable.
Considering the Cross: How Calvary Connects us with Christ by John Hilton III
(religious, Christian)
Source: audiobook
Summary: This book is a compilation of some of Hilton's research on the history of the cross as a religious symbol and the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
Content: In-depth descriptions of Roman crucifixion practices
Review: *****
Final statement: Hilton has a ton of information available on his web site, including some of the resources used in the course he teaches on the Crucifixion. This book is basically a summary of what is taught in that course. I think it's wonderful that Hilton has made so much of his work accessible to those who want to study these topics. I hoped to write a blog post about some of the content of this book around Easter, but I never found the time.
When Ghosts Come Home by Wiley Cash
(southern, crime)
Source: audiobook
Summary: In the 1980's, Winston Barnes deals with local crimes and racism in his community as he tries to be a good sheriff and a good man but finds he can't always be both.
Content: racial slurs and a few swears, mild violence
Review: ***
Final statement: I lost interest in this book as it went on. The synopsis on the book jacket makes it sound like a crime thriller, but it really isn't. It's more about a community dealing with racism with a murder mystery on the side.
A Stranger in the House by Shari Lapena
(domestic thriller, mystery, contemporary)
Source: e-book
Summary: Karen has amnesia and can't recall the hours leading up to her car accident. She soon finds herself accused of a murder that happened during the time she can't remember.
Content: language
Review: 3.5 stars
Final statement: This book was equal parts awesome and stupid. There were some real eye-rolling elements to the story, but also some exciting things.
The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany by Lori Nelson Spielman
(chick-lit, contemporary, Italian, travel)
Source: audiobook (a Reader's Choice selection from the country library)
Summary: Much to her grandma's dismay, Emilia travels to Italy with her aunt Poppy after being forbidden to interact with Poppy for most of her life. She learns about Poppy's life, and family secrets come to the surface.
Content: language, sex (non-descriptive)
Review: ****
Final statement: This book reminded me a bit of My Big Fat Greek Wedding... but without the wedding... or the Greek. Italy is pretty close, though!
The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth
(domestic drama, contemporary)
Source: e-book in my Kindle, and I have no idea how it got there!
Summary: Rachel and Tully's dad is marrying a younger woman. Drama unfolds.
Content: some language, rape (non-descriptive), domestic abuse
Review: ****
Final statement: I like Sally Hepworth, and I love a good domestic drama/thriller. I think most people will not be satisfied with the way this story ends, though.
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Usually I choose one book to be my recommendation for the month. This time, I don't have one to recommend. While there were a few books I really enjoyed this month, they aren't ones I would openly suggest simply because they appeal to a more specific audience or have content/themes that I wouldn’t want to impose on anyone.
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