Check out what books I read last month in this April reads post!
This was one of my favorite months of reading because I thoroughly enjoyed every book I read. Also, sometimes I just like to genuinely give my brain a break and just read something that’s fun and entertaining and doesn’t make me think. Most of the books I read this month did that for me. Plus I read two books with cute love stories, and you know those just make me smile.
If you didn’t know already, I set up an Alphabet Reading Challenge this year and challenged myself to read a book that starts with every letter of the alphabet. I accidentally doubled up on two letters, but I’m still over halfway done with the challenge already. To see which letters I’ve checked off already, click here. You can also check out my January, February, and March reads. To see all of my book reviews, click here. You can also follow me on Goodreads.
DAISY JONES & THE SIX BY TAYLOR JENKINS REID
Completed April 1, 2019 | Published on March 5, 2019
5 stars
After hearing all the hype surrounding this book, I immediately put it on hold on my Overdrive app. When Kyle and I were driving to Chicago, he took a nap, so I decided to dive in. I did not want to stop listening.
Daisy Jones & the Six is about a fictional rock and roll band from the 70s. It’s told from multiple different perspectives in an interview script, which many people didn’t enjoy. For this reason, I highly recommend listening to the audio book. It makes everything flow more seamlessly.
So on one hand, there’s Daisy Jones who had a semi-tragic childhood. Not saying that one particularly horrific thing happened to her, but she was super neglected by her parents, who were rich and cared a lot about their self-image. Their only interest in Daisy was when people spotted her and thought she was so beautiful and wanted to take photos of her. Because of this neglect, she spent a lot of time sneaking into clubs on the Sunset Strip, and getting lost in the sex and drugs lifestyle. When she turned 20, she slowly started getting noticed on the music scene.
On the other hand is The Six, which is a band of six (obvs) formed by the Dunne brothers and pretty much ran by Billy Dunne. Before he goes on his first tour, his girlfriend finds out she’s pregnant, and let’s just say, rockstars have a reputation for a reason. Later, the stars align for Daisy and the Six to collaborate, and this leads to lots of fame for the both of them. Craziness ensues.
I don’t know anything about rock bands from the 70s, but this book had me hooked. There were so many different storylines going on between Daisy and her tragic past, love connections in and out of the group, the whole Billy being a dad situation, and of course the drama of being in the spotlight. I’m not sure how interested I would have been in the book if I had to sit and read the scripted interviews, but as an audio book, Daisy Jones & the Six is incredibly entertaining. It was a great book to start the month off.
ONE OF US IS LYING BY KAREN M. MCMANUS
Completed April 14, 2019 | Published on May 30, 2017
3.5 stars
I completely forgot that I already cross off the letter “O” before I started reading this audio book, so I accidentally doubled up on another letter for my Alphabet Reading Challenge. I’m not even bothered though because I’ve been wanting to read this book for awhile.
One of Us is Lying is about a high-schooler named Simon who dies during a detention period. There were four other students in the room, and they all have their Breakfast Club-esque titles: – Bronwyn, the brain; Addy, the beauty; Nate, the criminal; and Cooper, the athlete. Simon is, of course, the outcast. Simon runs a pretty intense gossip website that shares dirt on everyone, and the four accused each have secrets that Simon was ready to spill, meaning they all have a reason to want him dead. The book takes you through the investigation as each person’s world is flipped upside down.
This book had me guessing until the end. The extent of my mystery-solving abilities is basically what I learned from watching reruns of Mary-Kate and Ashley’s detective series. I had no idea who did it until it was actually revealed. I also love the Breakfast Club vibe with all of their identifiers, but even more than that, I enjoyed how much character growth each and every single one of the characters experienced throughout the novel. As is to be expected, this investigation made their life coocoo bananas, and they all did the best they could in their circumstances. I sound like a proud mom right now.
FINDING AUDREY BY SOPHIE KINSELLA
Completed April 15, 2019 | Published in June 2015
4 stars
Finding Audrey has been on my TBR list for literally years, so when I was digging through my “Want to Read” list on Goodreads and trying to find books that start with letters I hadn’t read yet, Finding Audrey was immediate download. The book is about a girl named Audrey who suffers from a social anxiety disorder after a tragic event from her past. She goes to therapy twice a week, she has trouble leaving her house, and she is always wearing her dark sunglasses. Then in walks Linus, a friend that her brother made through gaming. They start to develop a friendship through passing notes, and then their relationship turns into a little something more. And with Linus, some of the things that gave her anxiety don’t seem so scary anymore.
This book is just seriously adorable. I finished it in a day. It’s been a long time since I was so invested in a book that I finished it in less than 24 hours. Granted, this was a super quick and easy read. Having anxiety myself, there are certain elements of Audrey’s character that I could relate to. Some social situations literally make me sweat, and there are some situations where I would rather type out an email or write a note than face that person in the flesh, and sometimes just on the phone.
My biggest beef with this book is that we don’t ever really find out what happens to Audrey in the past. We know that there were girls that did mean stuff, and Audrey was excluded and bullied, but we don’t know to what extent. We never find out about the big event they’re insinuating literally throughout the entire book, and that was super frustrating for me.
That said, I enjoyed how the love story between Audrey and Linus unfolded. Even though many parts of the book were predictable, it was still such an adorable and comical read. Between Audrey’s crazy mother who is obsessed with anything she reads in the Daily Mail and takes it as gospel, and Audrey’s dad is just goes along with his wife’s crazy antics while protecting his right to watch his favorite TV shows, and Audrey’s brother who will do anything to play video games, Finding Audrey mixes the serious issue of mental health with some comical relief and the most precious love story.
JOSH AND HAZEL’S GUIDE TO NOT DATING BY CHRISTINA LAUREN
Completed April 17, 2019 | Published on September 4, 2018
4 stars
I only just recently heard about this book through a Facebook group, and I’m so glad that I stumbled upon the post because I really loved this book. Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating is about two people who met in college – Hazel, an eccentric, animal-loving teacher who’s heart is always in the right place, even when her actions may be a little wacko, and Josh, a respectable, handsome Korean guy who is likes to have fun, but not in the same way that Hazel does. They haven’t seen each other since college (10 years ago), but one day they find their lives entangled together.
When Josh’s girlfriend cheats on him, Hazel comes up with an idea to set him up on a blind date. The two end up picking a date for the other and going on one disastrous double-date after another, all while becoming the best of friends.
This book is just absolutely adorable, and even though you pretty much know where the story is headed, all of the antics in between are just so entertaining and fun. Hazel is just such a fun-loving character, and I loved reading about her carelessness and how she just wanted to live her life. Josh is the complete antithesis to her, but they seamlessly fit into each other’s lives, even ten years after not seeing or speaking to one another.
What I loved about this book is that, yes, it is a love story, but it wasn’t just a fun meet cute and then everything falls into place perfectly. It’s messy in the ways that you want it to be messy, but also funny and quirky and entertaining in the best way.
What books did you read in April?
