April reads
Here are my April reads:
Diddly Squat [5/5]
A long time fan of Jeremy Clarkson from his Top Gear days, I watched Clarkson’s Farm on Amazon Prime. Clarkson’s Farm is a documentary series that follows Jeremy learning how to farm. The show is full of his humor, seriously he’s the funniest guy in the world. Naturally, I laughed and laughed through out this book. I could hear Jeremy’s voice in my mind as I read. The book is pretty much a summary of the episodes on Clarkson’s Farm, but had some behind the scene tidbits or further information that wasn’t shown on the show. It’s still worth a read if you’ve seen the show! I applaud how both the book and Clarkson’s Farm brought attention to the farming/agriculture industry. I already appreciated our farmers, but this really highlighted how much work goes into farming making me appreciate them even more.
Weather Girl [DNF]
A romance fiction read with a Jewish main characters. Right away, I struggled to get interested in the book and was forcing myself to continue. The pace was very slow. I didn’t feel the sparks of the romance between Ari and Russell. The book also covers heavier topics like depression, so at times it can feel bleak. The author did mentioned in the author’s note that she wanted a character that can be happy but also struggle with depression. I understand her goal, but the book fell flat for me.
Home Stretch [5/5]
I loved Graham Norton’s writing in the book, ’A Keeper’ last month so I had to pick up another book by him. This one is about a serious car accident in Ireland on the eve of a wedding. The book shares the effects of the accident on everyone who were involved. Many lives were shattered and all in their own different ways. It may sound depressing but it is a profound read. Again, I love the storytelling style by Graham Norton, I felt like I was walking along the characters through their lives.
One Night on the Island [3.5/5]
A dating columnist goes to a remote town on the Ireland coast to ‘marry herself’ for her 30th birthday. She had been single and unsuccessful in finding ‘the one’. There was a booking error for the cottage, so a photographer from Boston stayed there at same time. Both were on their own journeys, only to have something even more. I enjoyed the tight knit community, the rural coastline ambiance, and friendship in the book. I just wasn’t a fan of the whole ‘marrying herself’ thing.
Seven Sisters Style [3/5]
I was interested in poking around this book, a coffee table style book about preppy Ivy fashion styles. I didn’t realize that the preppy style was deeply connected to universities. The book had many photos and chapters explaining the history of women’s fashion and women’s colleges. Some parts were interesting but some other weren’t. It was a fun off-the-brand read for me, as I typically do not read about fashion.
The Family [DNF]
I so badly wanted to like this book. I’m a huge fan of The Sopranos tv show, and this book came highly recommended. I put the book down three times and read the reviews, debated on whether I should continue, and I would only to get bored again very quickly. The author does have the potential but it read so slowly. It also lacked emotion. Maybe another time when I have more patience, I can push through this book.
Hook, Line, and Sinker [4/5]
The sequel to ‘It Happened One Summer’, it follows the sister, Hannah. I enjoyed this book a lot. I might’ve liked this one better than the first! The book follows Hannah and her roommate, who both crush on each other. It’s a fun, flirty and very steamy read! After reading both books, I’m a new fan of the author, Tessa Bailey! I plan to read more of her books.
True Biz [5/5]
This book was so AMAZING. It’s one of the best I’ve read… of course I may be biased. If you don’t know, this book focuses on the Deaf culture. Being Deaf myself, I loved being immersed back into ‘my world’ while I was reading. I recall my college days at RIT in Rochester, NY. The book was very informative of the Deaf culture, but in a fascinating storytelling style. It covers many important topic within the culture, such as cochlear implants controversy, Deaf schools being at risk of closing, different perspectives of Deaf lives, ASL/language deprivation and many more. The book reads like a love letter to the Deaf world - very heartwarming and a true representation!
The Paris Apartment [4/5]
What a twisty read! A big fan of Lucy Foley ever since I read ‘The Guest List’ and ‘The Hunting Party’, I love her writing. She has the ability to build up anticipation, which kept me glued to every page! This story is about Jess, who goes to stay with her brother, Ben in Paris, France. Ben disappeared, so Jess seeks out answers about what happened to him. The conclusion wasn’t what I thought might’ve happened. An entertaining quick paced read!