What I’m Reading – April 2019

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Happy Tuesday! I feel like I’m playing a game of catch up since I took a little blogging break that lasted practically the whole month of May (not sorry about that at all, btw) and now I’m super behind on things I wanted to post about. Specifically my “what I’m reading” posts. If you know me at all then you know I LOVE to read. I also like to document on here the number of books I read a year because it’s one of my New Year’s Resolutions. This year my goal is 120 and I feel like it’s totally doable.

Since I haven’t been blogging much I have spent a LOT of time reading and so I am proud to announce that for the month of April I read nine books which brings my yearly total to 49 books so far. Almost half way there!!

I get asked a lot how I read so much and I have one word for you. AUDIOBOOKS. I actually read an article recently that a lot of people don’t consider audiobooks to be true books but I disagree. I count them as books because if not for them I wouldn’t get to read as many amazing books as I currently do.

Anyway, enough rambling, let’s get “what I’m reading”!

ONE. Divine Evil by Nora Roberts. I started my month off with a little psychological thriller/murder mystery book and I loved it! I haven’t read much from Nora Roberts in a while and I always forget how much I love her books until I read one and then I’m hooked again. HA!

Anyway, this book is about a woman who moves back to her hometown to face the demons of her past, both figuratively and literally. While she’s there she reconnects with an old flame, rekindles old friendships and finds some clues about her father’s death. Overall I loved this book and it kept me on the edge of my toes the whole time I was reading it!

TWO. One Night Gone by Tara Laskowski. This book will be released October 1 and I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Continuing my psychological thriller theme, this book is about two women who run away to the same small beach town 30 years apart. Both are outsiders, both are looking for a fresh start but only one survives. This book was great and had lots of twists and made for some great reading!

A heart-wrenching and suspenseful novel of betrayal and revenge. Stunning! – Carol Goodman, award-winning author of The Night Visitors

THREE. The Wish Granter by C.J. Redwine. This book is actually the second in the Ravenspire series (the first was The Shadow Queen which I read back in April 2017) and is based on the tale of Rumpelstiltskin. In this version an orphan princess must take on the evil Rumple to figure out his name and save her brother’s soul.

A welcome feminist revision of the classic fairy tale. – School Library Journal

FOUR. The Traitor Prince by C.J. Redwine. The third book in the Ravenspire series, this one tackles The Prince and the Pauper and I couldn’t put it down! It made a few references to characters in the previous books and i loved that.

An action-packed narrative of monsters, violence, and political intrigue. – School Library Journal

FIVE. The Blood Spell by C.J. Redwine. The final book in the Ravenspire series this book takes on Cinderella. I realize there are many versions of Cinderella out there but I have to say that this is one of my faves!

A splendid addition to any collection that includes fairy tales retold. – Booklist

SIX. Defiance by C. J. Redwine. If you know me then you know once I find an author I love I have to read all of their books! Defiance is the first book in the Courier’s Daughter series and is a postapocalyptic YA fantasy that has something for everyone! It’s about a girl named Rachel who was brought up learning how to hunt and fight rather than be the perfect homemaker and those skills come in handy when she has to go look for her father after he doesn’t come home from a courier mission. What follows is pure chaos and I loved every minute of it!

C.J. Redwine’s DEFIANCE is a gritty, thrilling adventure sprinkled with moments of breathtaking tenderness. I read it in one sitting. – Rae Carson

SEVEN. Deception by C.J. Redwine. The second book in the Courier’s Daughter series, Deception is a continuation of the first book and I don’t want to go into details because that would give away the first book!

Spellbinding, romantic, and impossible to put down. – Julie Kagawa

EIGHT. The Crowning Glory of Calla Lili Ponder by Rebecca Wells. Y’all. I have loved Rebecca Wells since she wrote Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood back when I was in high school. I became obsessed with that series and was super pumped to find this new book from her in a local book store!

The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder is set in deep south Louisiana and is about a sweet girl named Calla Lily who leads the most perfect childhood until tragedy strikes and she loses her mother. In order to make her mother proud, Calla decides to follow in her footsteps and goes to beauty school to learn how to “fix hair” and she learns so much about herself in the process. This is a true coming of age book set in the deep south and it honestly makes me want to move to Louisiana and learn how to make gumbo the right way! If you love southern chick lit then you will love this book!

Charming and luminous . . . A perfect summer indulgence that’ll have you peeking out your window on a muggy night in search of the Moon Lady, who’ll wrap her nurturing arms around you from afar. – Austin American-Statesman

NINE. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman. Let me start by saying that this book was so completely weird and I absolutely loved it! In this book introverted, unapologetic Eleanor learns the importance of friendship and human connection through the most unlikely source. This book will have you laughing out loud and then crying a little at the end. It’s also being made into a movie and I will definitely be watching it when it comes out!

This wacky, charming novel. . . draws you in with humor, then turns out to contain both a suspenseful subplot and a sweet romance. . .hilarious and moving. – People 

And there you have it, all of the books I read in the month of April. You can also check out all of the books I read in January, February and March. And if we have the same taste in books you can check out my favorite chick lit authors here!

What have you been reading lately??