How have we already reached the end of April 2021? I swear it just went too fast for me. Maybe it’s because it was such a roller coaster of a month. One thing I do know is my reading was all over this month. There were 2 books this month that I actually DNF’d. I couldn’t focus on reading them. I needed fun and fluff. If it wasn’t for Class Mom and The Right Swipe, I’m not sure how many books I would have managed to read this month.
April 2021 was supposed to be a good month. I mean, it is the first full month of spring, which means new beginnings. We started the month with Easter, and my sister turned 50 at the end of the month. Great times, right? What happened in the middle that screwed that all up. My dad passed away suddenly in the middle of the month. And because of the pandemic, I cannot travel home to be there for any of this month’s events. Boo!
This month was the first time I actually stopped reading a book, well, actually two. I’m not sure if it was because I was trying to read them after my Dad passed away, and my brain didn’t want anything heavy. Or if it was something else. Let’s get to that list of books for this month!
April 2021 Reading Wrap Up
- A Night on the Orient Express by Veronica Henry
- The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie
- Fat Chance, Charlie Vega by Crystal Maldonado
- Class Mom by Laurie Gelman
- The Right Swipe by Alisha Rai
- Perestroika in Paris by Jane Smiley
- The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
- The Bar Harbor Retirement Home for Writers (and Their Muses) by Terri-Lynne DeFino
- Hurricane Summer by Asha Bromfield
A Brief Summary of Each Book
Book 1: A Night on the Orient Express by Veronica Henry
I picked this book as part of the Uncorked 2021 Reading Challenge. April’s theme for the challenge was a book set on a train. And in my opinion, there is no train greater than the Orient Express. You may ask why didn’t you just read Murder on the Orient Express? The answer is simple, I have already read it multiple times (one of the few books I’ve re-read) and wanted to read something new.
This book follows four couples as they travel from London, England, to Venice, Italy, upon the luxury train. During the journey, an engagement happens, a relationship is started, a relationship is strengthened, and a relationship is reconnected.
Book 2: The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie
April’s theme, or topic, for the Read Christie 2021 was a book from before World War II. Believe it or not, there are quite a few books written by Agatha Christie that apply to this theme. I went with The Mystery of the Blue Train as it was one I had not read before, and it was one I have heard a lot about.
This book follows a woman from London on her way to the Riviera to meet her lover. When the train arrives in Nice, France, she is discovered dead in her cabin. Who did it? When as no one witnessed anyone getting on or off the train after Paris. Lucky for the local police, Hercule Poirot was on the Blue Train and offered his assistance with the investigation, even though he is retired.
Book 3: Fat Chance, Charlie Vega by Crystal Maldonado
This was the first audiobook I finished in April 2021. Fat Chance, Charlie Vega was released in February 2021 and is a debut YA contemporary novel.
Charlie Vega is a high school junior in Connecticut with her mom. She has many of the same struggles as her classmates. But add to those the fact she is fat and brown. She constantly hears, “You would be so much prettier if you just lost weight,” from a lot of people but especially her own mom. Charlie meets a boy and starts to get feelings for him. She is happy because he is the first boy who wants her for her. What happens when she finds out he asked her best friend out first?
Book 4: Class Mom by Laurie Gelman
I read this book to help me find a distraction while my dad was in the hospital. I needed something fun and funny to distract me from real life, and this totally did this.
Jen Dixon is a 40-something who is doing the class mom thing again. This book follows her as she deals with the trials and tribulations of her youngest starting kindergarten and the other moms in the class. Many of the parenting stereotypes are present, and ones that most parents can relate to from personal experience. I look forward to reading the rest of the series, and the third book comes out this summer!
Book 5: The Right Swipe by Alisha Rai
This was another book that I picked up to help me be distracted. This is a fun and sexy book. And when I say sexy, I mean sexy! It is the first book in the Modern Love series; the third book was actually released earlier this year.
Rhiannon and Samson hooked up one night. They had agreed to get together the next night, but Samson ghosted Rhiannon. Fast forward a couple of months, while attending a tech conference, who should Rhiannon run into but Samson? They are suddenly forced to face each other, and the sparks ignite!
Book 6: Perestroika in Paris by Jane Smiley
Perestroika in Paris is the second audiobook of the month. It was released last fall and features Perestroika (aka Paras), a racehorse, Frida, a German Shorthaired Pointer, a raven, a pair of mallards, and a couple of rats. This book is listed as adult fiction, but it is one that anyone in the family would enjoy. I agree that it is also classified as a realistic fantasy; how many talking animals do you know? The audiobook was about 8.5 hours long, so that it would be good for road trips.
Book 7: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is the first book in the Flavia de Luce series, and there are 10 in total. The books are set in 1950 in the town of Bishop’s Lacey, England. I chose this book as it has a green cover and is set in a place with a “B.”
Flavia de Luce is an 11-year-old fascinated with chemistry, especially poisons. She also takes great pleasure in pranking her older sisters, Ophelia and Daphne. Early one summer morning, Flavia tripped over a body in the cucumber garden. She believes her father was involved, as do the police. Soon Flavia is investigating the murder in a manner that would make Sherlock Holmes proud.
Book 8: The Bar Harbor Retirement Home for Writer’s (and Their Muses) by Terri-Lynne DeFino
This book was my first choice for books set in a place with a “B.” I attempted to read it, but for some reason or another, I found it difficult to read and stopped at page 50. I may give it another try in the future.
Book 9: Hurricane Summer by Asha Bromfield
I actually won a copy of this book from Goodreads, as it is not supposed to be released until May 4. I tried off and on throughout the month but only managed to make it to through the first 10 chapters (about 160 pages). There is great potential in this book, but the month of April was not a good time for me to read something as complex and emotional as this book.
May 2021 TBR
I’m thinking of shortening my TBR from 4 books to just 2. I’m almost positive that I will finish more books than those, but these are the ones I plan to read this month.
- The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters by Balli Kaur Jaswal: A story set in India for the Uncorked 2021 Reading Challenge
- Easy to Kill by Agatha Christie: A story featuring tea for the Read Christie 2021 challenge. This book was also published under the title Murder is Easy.
I have a few books that I will be getting from the library soon, and hope to enjoy!
What was your April reading like? What are your plans for May? I would love to know!
Looking for some more ideas to read? Check out my other monthly reading wrap-ups.
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