April has been a fun month for reading. I’ve discovered several new Little Free Libraries, was gifted a book for my birthday, and found time to listen to some audiobooks.
I have been making wonderful progress toward completing the 2022 Reading Challenge, and I think I will be able to complete it twice this year. Or…maybe I’ll adopt another challenge for the second half of the year. I’m really impressed with how many different styles of books I’m reading because of the challenge.
I’m not a TBR list kind of reader. So thinking ahead and planning where a book fits (or doesn’t fit) has been a new experience that I’m enjoying. I still find myself leaning toward sci-fi and fantasy though.
Favorites this month: Beartown by Fredrik Backman and The Ballerinas by Rachel Kapelke-Dale.
#7- Already on Your Bookshelf
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J.K. Rowling
I’m a sucker for all things Harry Potter. Newt and Jacob and Tina and Queenie make this short screenplay absolutely magical… and that’s before you even get to the magical creatures! This is a re-read for me and I’m sure it won’t be the last time I read this one.
#8- Animal in the Name
The Emperor’s Wolves by Michelle Sagara
I’m not sure how I felt about this book. I think I liked the writing, but it seemed that nothing really happened in the plot. Some people talked to other people about some other people? This is a prequel spin-off from The Chronicles of Elantra series, so maybe I should have read that first to get the most out of The Emperor’s Wolves.
#11- Pretty Book Cover
The Ballerinas by Rachel Kapelke-Dale
What could be more beautiful than ballerinas? Beautiful–but intense. This book was full of wonderful female characters that had true wants and desires. A very cool book featuring strong dialogue. Shocking ending!
#14- Published This Year
The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb
Slocumb is a music teacher by trade and has become an author with his first novel. Character Ray McMillian is a wonderful violinist trying to make his way in the competitive music world with his controversial $10 million Stradivarius. Until it’s stolen.
#27- One Hit Wonder
Kismet by Luke Tredget
I’m hoping Tredget doesn’t stay a one-hit-wonder because Kismet was a very intriguing book. So far, this is Tredget’s only book, published in 2018, and I haven’t seen any news of any upcoming books. But I did enjoy the fresh twist to a love story/scifi.
#31- Map in the Front
The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin
A truly unique book. Jemisin creates a world where the soul of a city becomes a person. I’ve never read anything like this, and it happened to have a map at the front. I also compared it to real maps of New York City, because I’ve only ever visited that massive expanse once in my life.
#36- About Sports
Beartown by Fredrik Backman
This book was wonderful! I couldn’t put it down. The hockey theme originally turned me off, but it was so interesting and well-written that the main idea didn’t matter. I really enjoyed a few of the characters in particular and couldn’t wait to see what happened to them.
#45- About Current Events
On Juneteenth by Annette Gordon-Reed
While the first celebration of Juneteenth was in 1866, the acceptance of the day as a national holiday didn’t happen until 2021. The ramifications of slavery in Texas are still impacting our people and policies today. To me, this is the perfect way to learn about current events from a historian.
#48- Coming of Age Story
All Systems Red by Martha Wells
I might be stretching a bit to call this a ‘coming of age story,’ but Murderbot (the MC) actually learns a lot about himself and how he wants to live autonomously. Can a robot actually think and grow? I believe they can, and author Martha Wells helps convince me.
Spine & Leaf Books 
Good job on your book reading!
So my tally for the challenge is 31 books – 5 for April, and I’ve read a total of 93 books so far. Here are mine:
#48 That’s a coming of age story: Rudyard Kipling The Jungle Book -272- Classics Fiction 5 stars.
Interesting that Mowgli’s life comes back full circle; I hadn’t realized that until I read the story again (from childhood and with my own children). Rules, morals, ways of life. Good reading for young and older people.
#45 About current events: K.S. Covert The Petting Zoos -368- Psychological Lit & Fict. 5 stars.
Awesome, captivating, intriguing. So close to our reality these days. It could happen to anyone because of the virus, the lockdown, the shortened variety of food and products available and all that those entail.
#24 With a green book cover: Ravina M Chandra 101 Ways to Enjoy Retirement -260- 2 stars.
It was an OK book, mainly because the author promised, in her description, “Unique hobbies from 21 different countries” and did not deliver except for maybe two countries – China & Japan. All of these hobbies are worldwide. Take for example, bicycling, traveling, photography, and yoga; these are practiced everywhere, not just specific of the country where she talked about them.
#02 Set in a foreign country: Dennis Bailey Army of God -398- Biblical Fiction 1 star DNF. Stopped at 10%.
Rape every other page. Killing animals for sport. I just couldn’t take the rapes. I’m not sure why the “biblical/talmudic” units are important to the author, but I’m already annoyed at 5%. It’s ridiculous. (After reading the reviews I wasn’t the only one on all accounts).
#49 About science: #49 Richard G. Lewis Font Psychology: Why Fonts Matter and How They Influence …-89- 4 stars
Although the information given is all interesting and the content precise and well organized, I didn’t see how the author delivered the promise of “Knowing How to Influence Your Audiences’ Behavior Through The Use of Different Typefaces Can Have a Hugely Positive Impact on your Success.”. He also used Wikipedia as a source for statistics.
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