Remember how March was the longest month in the history of time? Well, April was definitely the shortest. It just flew by, which I guess is no bad thing considering that we’re all stuck inside. Speaking of being stuck inside, I’m still not doing a great deal of reading considering I don’t have anywhere to go. This lockdown was meant to be my time to get on top of my reading but my TBR is probably bigger now than it was at the start. Plus, I’ve joined my friends virtual book club. Not only do I need to buy more books but I have to definitely get the book read in time. How is my life more stressful nowadays?

Number of books read: 7
Number of books on hold: 0
Number of physical books: 4
Number of ebooks: 0
Number of audiobooks: 3

The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K Rowling

My first read of the month was a free one from Audible. J.K Rowling’s Harry Potter spin-off book was released as an audiobook narrated by severa actors associated with the series. This includes Jude Law, Evanna Lynch, Warwick Davies, Jason Isaacs and more. The narrators were all fantastic and really brought the stories to life. My only issue is, there isn’t enough to this book. It’s so thinly written and doesn’t add to the wider Harry Potter universe.

Grief is the Thing With Feathers by Max Porter

I’d been wanting to read this book for a while and I finally got round to it this month. I listened to the audibook, which was a weird experience. But ths is such a wonderful book. Not quite poetry, not quite prose but it just works. This is an exciting book that manages to take a big subject like grief and do something new and unexpected with it. I love books like this.

My Last Supper by Jay Rayner

I enjoy Jay Rayner’s writing and I was really interested to read this when I first heard about it. Not only is the central idea really interesting but the way Rayner handles it is even better. It’s a book that gets to the heart of the writer and to the heart of food. All wrapped up in a funny and engaging way. This is a must-read for anyone who is passionate about food.

My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

This is one of those books that everyone is talking about at the moment. It’s everywhere. Not only because it deals with such a controversial subject but because of how good a debut it is. This novel is not always a delight to read because of the story but it is engaging. It draws you in and forces you to face up to so many different ideas. It’ll put you through the ringer but it will be totally worth it in the end.

The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy

I’ve been finding reading a bit tricky since being in lockdown. My mind just isn’t in the right place and I’ve fallen into that binge watching trap. I get home, put on Netflix, and then go to bed. So, I decided that it was a good idea to get a little nostalgic. I had a sudden urge to reread this book and I managed to get through it in now time. This really spurred me on and helped me get in more of a reading mindset. Hopefully, it’s something that I can keep up in May.

The Lottie Project by Jacqueline Wilson

Carrying on with the reread and going back to one of my favourite books from childhood. I really loved Jacqueline Wilson when I was growing up and I read as many of her books as possible. I probably drove my parents mad every time a new book came out. The Lottie Project was one of my favourites because it combined my love of history with my love of reading. It inspired me when I was a kid and it was lovely going back to it. It still stands up after all of this time.

Girls in Love by Jacqueline Wilson

My second Jacqueline Wilson book of the month and what a great one. The Girls series was so important to me when I was growing up because it really felt like Wilson was writing about my experience as a teenage girl. Okay, so there were plenty of over-the-top moments that weren’t at all the same but the feelings were all there. Wilson really understands young girls and how they feel It’s refreshing to find a writer who gets it.