I’m back with another reading update! In April, I read 6 books. Three novels, one memoir, one graphic novel and one poetry book.

It was a very up and down month in terms of what I read, so let’s just get into it!

Every Day by David Levithan

This is by far my lowest read of the year, and it earned one star. Sorry, David!

This book had a really cool premise. Someone wakes up in a different body every day. So what happens when they fall in love?

Unfortunately, it failed in its execution. There was a total lack of world building and answers to the fantasy element of the book. Mix that with insta-love, one-dimensional characters and a lame plot, and it’s not a book I can recommend to you.

Big Happy Mushy Lump by Sarah Anderson

You can’t really go wrong with these graphic novels that absolutely slay the ups and downs of adulthood.

I don’t remember enjoying this as much as the first one, but it still made me laugh!

Lucky by Alice Sebold

This is where my heart broke this month.

Alice Sebold has written an extremely powerful and emotional memoir about her rape as a college freshman. The book is graphic in detail and emotional in its execution. She captures both the trauma of sexual assault and the trauma that comes afterward with people deciding whether or not they believe you, and going through a trial.

I didn’t feel comfortable rating this book because it’s such a personal story, one that is not mine to judge.

But saying that, I really loved Alice’s telling of it. I thought it was important and sad and educational, and everyone should be aware of this topic.

Love & Misadventure by Lang Leav

Well, well, well. This was a disappointment.

I was super excited to this cute little poetry book, but I was very disappointed.

First off, it’s a couple hundred pages, and I finished it in… one hour or so.

That is a reflection on how short the poems are. And I am so sad about short poems!! I wanted to feel, cry, reflect in someone’s emotional and personal words, but these poems are far too short.

That being said, there were some poems, even in their short length, that I really liked, but those were the ones I could relate to on a strong level. Therefore, I conclude that unless you have experienced the poetry, you will not relate to it because Lang Leav doesn’t spend time on each one long enough to invest the readers.

My Year of Rest & Relaxation by Ottesa Moshfegh

I actually rated this 3.75 stars, but that’s too hard to create on Word, lol.

This book was super fascinating, and that was overall what pushed me through it. The main character, who remains unnamed, is so interesting, intriguing and unlikeable.

I know unlikeable characters are all the rave right now, and I’m not always on board, but with this one, I felt captivated. At the end of the day, she did get on my nerves, mostly because of her recreational drug use, which I don’t find entertaining.

But the overall message in this book was really… lovely. Despite the graphic, dirty, grim execution. The author knew what she was doing when writing this book, and that is evident on every page.

The ending sold it for me. It was unexpected, beautiful, sad and poignant.

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

My final read of the month was a bit disappointing. I wanted to love this book so bad. It seems that everybody is. But it just seemed like I couldn’t see the hype.

There were things I absolutely loved about this book: the relationship dynamics, the world building and 70’s vibes (omg so good), the one liner inspirational lines, the overall message, the depiction of what it means to be an adult.

Then there were things that I could just shrug my shoulders at: the characters (the only ones I really found great interest in were Graham, Karen, Camila, Daisy, Billy, in that order – the rest were background noise to me), the pace of the novel, the lulls in the plot.

But overall, I think there is something special about this book and I would like to go back and reread it later in life.

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There is my wrap up for April. I hope you enjoyed & have found some new books to read or stay away from! Sleep less, read more xo