April 2021 – Stephanie Caffrey, Author

Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay is a thriller that delivers. From the minute it starts, the plot does not slow down. Finlay is really good at keeping the reader in suspense, and while some of the plot was slightly predictable, it didn’t detract from the story at all. I read this book in two sittings, and stayed up way too late at night reading.

4 Stars

After reading Kristin Hannah’s The Four Winds last month and loving it, the next logical step was to read The Grapes of Wrath. A classic that I had been meaning to read since high school, I’m glad I waited to read this as an adult. I think I could appreciate it better.

I loved the alternating chapters, one which told the stories of actual refugees from the dust bowl, and one which told the story of the Joads. The book was a grim window into the realities of the Great Depression and the Dust bowl, and the discrimination “Okies” faced trying to find a better life for themselves in California.

My only complaint is I wish there was more story to tell. I want to know what happened to the Joads. I like to imagine things got better for them, and they were able to reunite with those they had to separate from.

5 Stars

Pretty Things was my book club’s pick for April. At first I didn’t think it would be a book I would enjoy, but in the end I thought the book was pretty good.

A thriller, it took about half of the book to really become what I would define as a “thriller.” Once I passed the halfway mark, I didn’t want to put the book down.

My one complaint would be there just seemed to be too many twists to make sense. I think with so many twists you were really expected to suspend your disbelief a little too much, and it really made Nina and Vanessa seem dense and oblivious most of the time that they weren’t able to see some of these situations before they arose.

4 Stars

I had been really looking forward to reading The Paris Library, and while it was a good book, I felt slightly let down by it.

Odile’s story was really the part of the book I cared the most about. I loved hearing about her life in Paris both before and during the War. However, it took a very long time for it to get to the war, and I guess I was expecting her to play a bigger role in things. But as my husband pointed out, sometimes it’s the stories of people who do mundane things, or the small things that need to be told, and that was Odile’s story.

Lily’s story was one that I really didn’t understand why it was there. I found myself struggling through her portions. It wasn’t until the final chapter that the inclusion of Lily made some sort of sense.

The story took a while to get into, but once it picked up, it was hard to put down.

4 Stars

Accidentally Engaged tells the story of an arranged engagement, but with the twist that the two characters meet before their parents can introduce them and they fall in love on their own terms. In this case, around baked goods.

I loved Reena and Nadim, and their whole story. They were cute, and nothing about the plot felt overly contrived. It seemed to move at a realistic pace. And it made me really hungry, especially for sourdough.

4 Stars

After being burned by Charlaine Harris with the end of the Sookie Stackhouse series, I’ve been very hesitant to support her or read anything else by her. However, for the PopSugar Reading Challenge, I needed a genre hybrid, and An Easy Death came highly recommended, so I gave it a try. And I’m glad I did.

I really like the characters of Lizbeth and Eli. I like their chemistry, and how they work together. I enjoyed the mystery, and the pace in which it was told. I was super bothered by the time line. No matter how much I mathed, there’s no way Eli could be the age he is if the events really unfolded the way Harris laid them out.

Overall the book was entertaining enough that I have the second book sitting in my TBR.

4 Stars

Recommended by a friend, A Deadly Education took a minute to get into, the narration was really hard to breath through, but once you’re in, you need to figure out what happens next.

Set in a magical school that is out to kill you, El is just trying to survive, but she’s a magnet to all the Mals in the school. Orion likes to rescue people, and the two clash often throughout the book, until they don’t. The book is a little heavy with world building and exposition, but the plot really does shine through.

I enjoyed the book enough that I will probably read the next one. Who am I kidding? With the last paragraph of this one, I’m intrigued enough that I will definitely be picking up the next book in this series.

4 Stars

I really wanted to love The Bookish Life of Nina Hill, and on paper it seems like the perfect book for me. However, the pacing of the book, and just the way the story was told really just fell flat for me.

I felt like the book was trying to do too much at one time. I wish it had chosen one thing to focus on, either Nina’s discovery of this whole family she had no idea she had, or the romance with the rival Trivia Team Captain. By trying to fit in both, the story just felt super rushed, and none of the characters felt very developed.

3 Stars

Another book that I really wanted to love, but fell flat, We Could Be Heroes just didn’t resonate with me the way I had hoped it would.

I don’t know if I wasn’t in the right mood, but this book felt like a struggle to get through. It didn’t hold my interest at all. Which is unfortunate because I really liked Zoe and Jamie. And I was really interested in their story. I just walked away from the book feeling very “meh.” (BOTM)

3 Stars

Slowly making my way through the Dune series, and Children of Dune found me saying out loud, several times, “What is going on? This is so weird. They are NINE.”

I have really enjoyed this book, and this series, but I have a feeling as I continue to the next book, things are just going to get weirder, and things were also really weird in this book. I’ll never fully understand the pre-born, and some of the situations the Atreides twins were in made me understand why the mini-series aged them up significantly. My favorite character is still Duncan Idaho.

4 Stars

I am a huge Greek Mythology nerd, and when I read Circe a couple years ago, I really loved what Madeline Miller did to a very familiar story. I feel the exact same way about The Song of Achilles.

The story is incredibly poignant. The love story told through Patroclus’ point of view makes the Trojan War come to life in ways that I never could have imagined. I absolutely loved the relationship between him and Achilles. The love they shared was beautiful, and I really enjoyed that it didn’t follow any romance tropes. They fell in love, and they stayed in love. I may have cried, a lot.

5 Stars.

The Bad Muslim Discout is a book I probably wouldn’t have found without being a member of Book of the Month Club. It is a little bit out of my comfort zone as far as content and genre, but it’s a book I was really glad I read.

While it was a book that I read slower than any other I’ve read recently, it wasn’t something I had to struggle to get through. I really liked it. The contrasting stories of Safwa and Anvar give you a really good window into what it’s like to be an immigrant to America, and a Muslim one at that.

While it’s a book that is a commentary on living as a Muslim in America, and living life as a Muslim in general, the book doesn’t take itself seriously. Anvar is hilarious, and so is hid dad. (BOTM)

4 stars

I am a huge Lord of the Rings fan, and my goal in 2021 was to read all the books. I discovered in the last year that “classic” books are easier for me to read through the audiobook format. And so I found Fellowship of the Ring on audiobook, and discovered it is a BBC Radio dramatization of the book. And I rejoiced.

This was a really fun read. And quick. At only five hours, they do make some cuts: less walking through the woods, no Tom Bombadill, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing. If you like the movies, but the books intimidate you, this is the way to go. The actors are great, and there’s music. It’s like watching a film.

4 Stars

Snow Like Ashes was our book club pick this month. When this book came up on our randomized spinner, I was worried. I didn’t think I was going to like it. And for the first couple chapters I was sure that feeling would be confirmed. However, it turns out, this book wasn’t terrible, and I actually enjoyed it.

Like most YA Fantasy books, it’s pretty predictable, however, even with the predictability, the book is very enjoyable. The plot moves quickly, it holds your interest, and I’m now looking forward to reading the next book in the trilogy. Team Mather FTW.

4 Stars

My sisters and I are doing a book club together this year, and our next book to come up on the wheel of chance was Prisoner of Azkaban. This was obviously a re-read for me. The book hasn’t lost anything in the ten years since I read it the first time. This is one of my favorites of the series.

5 Stars

I love me a good romance novel, and Love at First is just that. It’s your cliche romance novel. I read this in two sittings, and really enjoyed the story. The slow burn was a bit too slow for me, but the story was fun. Will’s backstory reminded me a lot of the Willoughby’s, which if you’ve seen it, or read the book, you’ll know what I’m talking about. I think my favorite part was the “fate” aspect of the book.

Heiress Gets a Duke is another typical romance, this time it’s a historical romance. This was a fun book. August and Evan and their banter was just amazing.

When I’m reading a romance novel, I prefer a strong, independent female lead, and this book delivered. It took it one step further with the male lead falling in love with the female lead because of her independence. This led to the two having amazing chemistry. (BOTM)

4 Stars

The Kiss Quotient intrigued me with the concept: a gender swapped Pretty Woman. Add in the fact that it’s an #OwnVoices work written by an Autistic AAPI woman, I was sold.

The book was really fun, and pretty funny. I loved all the characters, and I will probably read the other books in the series. I felt that the relationship between Stella and Michael was very believable and the pacing was good. Michael’s family was probably one of my favorite aspects of the novel.

Warning: This book is STEAMY (BOTM)

4 Stars

The Four Winds gets the honor of being my favorite book I’ve read this month. Set during The Great Depression and the Dust Bowl, this novel tells the story of Elsa.

The story is told so very vividly, I had dreams that I was living during that time. I could feel Elsa’s plight as she tried to save her kids from illnesses borne of breathing in the dust that flew during the storms, and from starvation once they made it to California.

This book is about the courage of women who would do anything for their children. You couldn’t help but root for the Martinellis. (BOTM)

5 Stars

Continued with my BBC Radio Lord of the Rings listen with The Two Towers. I learned that the movie wasn’t the whole book. The book included what ended up being the beginning parts of Return of the King. Also, the movies really didn’t take advantage of Treebeard singing. It was probably my favorite part. The book ending with the encounter with the giant spider really makes you want to listen, or read, the next book right away.

5 Stars

If The Four Winds was my favorite book of the month, then The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is my runner up. I was worried this book wouldn’t live up to the hype. I’ve been hearing about how great this book was for months. However, not only did this book live up to the hype, it exceeded my expectations.

Addie’s story was very compelling, and I loved the way Schwab chose to tell it. At first I thought things were moving a bit slowly, but then the book introduced Henry and I couldn’t put it down. The love between the two catapulted the story forward. And the end? I just had to sit there and hold the book for a minute, and soak it all in. Highly recommend. (BOTM)

5 Stars

Do you like superheroes, but wish they were more gay? The Extraordinaries is the book for you then! This was a hilarious tale about a high school boy pining over the local superhero. It is very much a YA book, but even adults can enjoy it. I fell in love with Nick and Seth, and I am counting down the days for the sequel. I don’t want to say too much more, because I don’t want to spoil anything, but please do yourself a favor and go pick this book up today!

5 Stars

Month: April 2021

April 2021 Reads

March Reads