It seems like no matter what I do, Goodreads tells me I’m four books behind on my reading challenge. Apparently, I’m perpetually four books behind.
Make it make sense.
But I’m not going to fret about it. I’m just going to keep on reading until I meet that goal!
Plus, it’s super early in the year, so there’s a lot of reading still ahead.
My Favorite Books of April 2024
I read 14 books in April. Of those, I gave three perfect grades. Here are my reviews.
One of Our Own
Seriously, what is Lucinda Berry trying to do to us? It’s like she decided to rip every mother’s heart out with her last few books. One of Our Own is the same situation.
FYI: This book has gotten some criticism in the reading community because she released it in audio format on Audible. So, if you don’t have access to that, you can’t listen to it. I advise getting a free trial subscription because it’s worth it!
Felicia is volunteering at a local crisis center when a call comes in one night from a teenage girl who is threatening to take her life. The girl was drugged and gang raped at a party, and a video of the assault is being shared among her classmates.
During the call, Felicia discovers that the girl goes to her son’s school and that they’re the same age, which makes her all the more driven to help the young woman.
Felicia is so desperate to help the girl that she provides her cell phone number, which is totally against protocol. The girl begins calling and texting Felicia when she needs help and telling the woman about the revenge she’s planning. The more Felicia knows, the worse the situation gets.
Slow Productivity
I nerded out so hard over Cal Newport’s book, Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout. This book is a game-changer, in my opinion. I’ve talked to so many people about it, both while I was reading and afterward.
The book is about how the concept of productivity that we use today is more suited for the industrial revolution worker than the knowledge worker. Because our work isn’t measured in the number of hours we’re in the office or emails we send but what we know and how we apply that expertise.
Therefore, our work is about three concepts: doing fewer things, working at a natural pace, and obsessing over quality.
Newport writes about why productivity measures for knowledge work are broken and how to adhere to these three concepts.
What Happened to Nina
I don’t think I’ve ever read a book by Dervla McTiernan before, but What Happened to Nina? had me hooked from the beginning.
From the outside, Nina and Simon look like a perfect couple. But when Nina goes missing during a weekend away with Simon, her family wants answers.
Simon says the two broke up, and he left Nina at his parents’ lakehouse. His wealthy parents surround him with support and legal representation.
But here’s one thing we know for sure. A mother doesn’t quit. And Nina’s mom will stop at nothing until she gets answers about where her daughter is.
Happy Reading!
There they are — my favorite books of April! They probably need to come with a trigger warning, but y’all have come to expect that from me.
I hope you find something here to read and love.
As always, happy reading!
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