April was a heavy reading month with 10 books read. Of those, I added a non-fiction book and three fiction books to my list of favorites.
The Productivity Project by Chris Bailey was the non-fiction book I gave an “A” last month.
Bailey spent a year performing personal productivity experiments and interviews with productivity experts to determine what truly makes a person productive. The book documents that year.
I didn’t necessarily learn anything new by reading the book, but I’ve read a ton on productivity because it’s a topic that really interests me. What I liked was reading about what Bailey found successful and what he didn’t. I also enjoyed Bailey’s personal writing style. It felt like he was just talking to me about what he’d learned through his experiments.
The three fiction books I loved last month were Gone Again, It’s. Nice. Outside and The Way I Used to Be.
Gone Again by James Grippando is about the death of teenager Sashi Burgette. At least we think it is. But maybe it’s really about her disappearance because it’s possible that she’s not actually dead.
Defense lawyer Jack Swyteck is defending a death-row client. It just so happens that his client was charged and convicted of Sashi’s murder. Jack is almost positive that Dylan Kyle raped Sashi, but he’s not convinced that his client murdered her or that she was murdered at all. Her mother certainly doesn’t believe so.
Jack has to figure out the truth about what happened to Sashi before his client is put to death.
This book was slow for a long time. I wasn’t sure I would even get through it. But, once the plot really developed, it had tons of unexpected twists and turns.
It’s. Nice. Outside by Jim Kokoris had me from the minute I started reading.
Ethan, 19, has a developmental disability that results in him acting like a toddler. His Dad, John Nichols, sets off with him to drive across multiple states to his older sister’s wedding. During the trip, John has to find ways to cope with all of the challenges that are Ethan. He also has to figure out how to reconnect with his two older daughters and his ex-wife.
The book is all about family, challenges and choices. The writing was strong and the characters were relatable. I really just loved every page.
There aren’t a lot of books that actually make me cry, but The Way I Used to Be moved me to tears more than once. It also upset my stomach.
Eden’s world changes after she wakes up in the middle of the night being held down in her own bed by her brother’s life-long best friend. After he rapes her, the teen (who used to be like another brother to Eden) convinces her that no one will believe her if she tells. And that becomes her truth.
Eden keeps the horrible secret for years as it undoes her and damages every relationship she has. But there comes a time when Eden has to decide if some painful truths have to be told to protect others, even if it tears her apart.
Amber Smith’s book starts with a terrible crime and betrayal that shapes the rest of Eden’s life as we see it. The story made me ache for all of the girls out there whose real-life stories mirror the book.
So, there they are—my favorite books of April. I gave these four books perfect grades. I recommend you add them to your summer reading lists.
What great books have you read lately?
