I think this is the latest I’ve done one of my reading updates, but this month has been crazy already! We’re almost done with school though, so I’m hoping I’ll get to be back to some regular posting through the summer. April was an okay reading month for me. I didn’t finish as many books as I have through most of the other months this year, but I felt like I made good progress through a bunch of the nonfiction books I’ve started. I think I need to start tracking how many pages I read per month in those longer, nonfiction reads I keep going, just for my own information.

I finished eleven books this month. A few were school read-alouds, and there are actually some I’m remembering as I write this that I didn’t log. Hmmm. Most of the time, I don’t count the kids books, but when they’re the long read alouds and I enjoy them a lot too, they make the list 😉

The Books of April

1. How To Read A Book by Mortimer Adler. I really enjoyed this book, in spite of the teasing the title inspired from my husband, haha. Adler provides helpful rules and insights for improving one’s ability to read in a variety of subjects, and really learn from reading. It’s especially interesting to me, because after basic reading fluency is achieved continued learning on how to read and, more importantly, read well, is largely ignored. It was a great book!
2. The Unseen Guest (Incorrigible Children #3) by Maryrose Wood. We are still working our way through the Incorrigible Children series and loving it. We’re hoping to finish the series this summer. It is some of the most delightful new fiction I’ve read.
3. The Secret Messenger by Mandy Robotham. Stella Jilani is working for the Germans as a typist for the Reich’s movements in Italy by day, and working in the Italian resistance by night. Years later, Luisa Belmont discovers her deceased grandmother’s old typewriter and some papers in the attic and sets out to discover her grandmother’s wartime involvement. Dual timelines are always intriguing to me, but in this case, I was much more interested in the wwii timeline. The modern day story just felt a bit lackluster, and the main character wasn’t really relatable to me. A decent read, but not that special.
4. Wicked State of Mind by Gina LaManna (The Hex Files #3) Continuing through this fantasy series that I started last month. It’s a light read, coz mystery series, set in a magical world… basically exactly what everybody needs right about now with all the craziness going around now.
5. The Lost Vintage by Ann Mah. This was a unique take on WWII fiction that was largely set in the present day. It examines how the war affected the vineyards in France, and ties in some modern history mystery solving. I really enjoyed it!
6. Wicked Moon Rising by Gina LaManna (Hex Files #4). Like I said, I’m really enjoying this series. The larger story of the Hex Files is unfolding more as the series progresses and I’m eager to see how it concludes.
7. Secrets in the Woods by William Joseph Long. This was our nature lore book for school, but it was so beautifully written, I felt like it earned its place in my book list. It’s available for free or very cheap on kindle, and I highly recomme
8. The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain. This twisty, thoughtful novel is based around the idea of the lengths a mother will go to in order to protect her child. It was riveting, mind-bending, and very thought provoking. I could hardly put it down.
9. Cilka’s Journey (The Tattooist of Auschwitz #2) by Heather Morris. I have not actually read the first novel in this series, but I read that Cilka’s Journey was stand alone, and it was available from the library first, so I just read it anyways. Shocker, I know! It was a fantastic novel, but very difficult to read. It was loosely based on the facts about a real Russian woman who was imprisoned in Auschwitz for three years, and, upon liberation, sent to a work camp in Siberia because they accused her of colluding with the Germans. You know, since she was still alive. It was sad and very heavy, but ended on a hopeful note. If you can handle a difficult, sad read right now, it is worth your time.
10. Last Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton. This has been on my to-read list for ages and I finally read it. I knew only the barest modicum of Cuban history going into this book, but it was fascinating and has definitely piqued my interest in Cuban history. It follows the story of Elisa during the turbulent 1950’s and Marisol Ferrera, her grand-daughter in the present day as Marisol returns her grandmother’s ashes to Cuba in a different, yet still volatile political climate. This was a beautifully atmospheric and romantic novel that highlighted the struggles Cubans have faced for generations of despotic government.
11. Wicked All the Way by Gina LaManna (The Hex Files #5). Unfortunately this is the last one of this series until the next is published. I’m really invested in this now, haha–hope the next one comes out soon! The overarching plot of the series is really ramped up now, and I’m looking forward to the conclusion.

And that’s a wrap for April!

It’s been a good reading month. Not one of my best, but not horrible. Looking forward to getting some good reading in now that we’re wrapping up our ’19-20 school year!