April 2019 Reading Wrap-Up

Image by Alfred and Joa

April was a busy month for me. I left my old position and moved on to my promoted position. I was adjusting to that (still adjusting) while finishing last assignments and discussions for my three online classes. It was just a lot of work and changes to keep up with. I was able to read some books, but not all the books I wanted to which is fine. I started The Magicians which was part of my theme read but didn't finish. I'm still planning to finish the book since I love the story. I'll probably count it for my challenge still since why not?

Another thing I was planning to do this past month was a fitness challenge but also wanting to stretch, run, and do some additional strength training. Of course, I did very little of that. This is why I wanted to do monthly goals until I finished them at the start of the year. I like to overwhelm myself and need to step back from that. I'll learn one of these days to focus on one thing until I'm finished. I finally have more time to finish my #1 goal which is to declutter. I'm going to try to get at least 30 minutes in every time I'm off but try to shoot for more if I can. I'm also just going to be more relaxed with when I'm doing fitness since I tend to overshadow my old exciting project with my new one. I'm also trying to create a small habit that takes little to no effort on my part that has to do with dental health. Pretty much, I'm trying to make myself not become too ambitious and create small habits. That way I don't stress or feel bad if I haven't completed them.

On to the books, I read two nonfiction, two fantasy, three middle grade, one graphic novel, and three picture books which is a total of eleven books! Only five of them being on my tbr list which is unsurprisingly. Challenges on Goodreads tend to make me read books in a certain order but I'm not doing that anymore. I'll get to the challenges as quickly or slowly as possible. Does anyone else do this? Challenges on Goodreads I mean. Are they making your reading life better or worse?

Nonfiction is a genre I hardly explore but wish to do so more in the future. Abookolive really has made me want to read more nonfiction and recommends some great ones. Why Poetry though was a book that Ariel Bissett wanted to read which since she reads poetry makes a lot more sense than me reading this book. I would recommend this more for those who already love and mostly understands poetry.

A Discovery of Witches was a book I wasn't supposed to finish reading yet but no one, not even a book club, can stop me from finishing a book once it gets interesting. Although that's not a recommendation. The story is interesting but the romance sucks. Everything starts encapsulating the romance so you can infer what my general feelings were for this book.

Palaces for the People was a book I had to read for class. It deals with a lot of political/socioeconomic problems in our society but what I focused on was the communities that libraries helped build. It has a few stories of where the library has helped a community or person which is what made me enjoy this one. It was a breath of fresh air compared to Why Poetry since it wasn't too wordy when getting the meaning it wanted to convey across its pages.

Who in the World is Carmen Sandiego? is based off the TV series on Netflix. It read like the show but also had more to the story. I enjoyed reading Carmen's perspective rather than just watching it. It actually only covers the first two episodes of the show. There are more books coming out that'll reflect the show and I'll be reading all of the ones I can get my hand on.

Storm Front was part of my theme reads last month where I read books based on my sibling's recommendations. I enjoyed the start of this series. My brother kept telling me that the series is great and it takes a couple of books before it gets great so it's nice to know beforehand that the series will continue to get better.

Rules was a class read and a reread. I don't know why I was apprehensive to reread this one. I didn't think I was going to like it anymore eight or so years later but I absolutely loved it. I did consider it a favorite read so I don't know why I was being weird about it. It doesn't matter if you don't like reading children's book, I can guarantee that this is a worthwhile read.

Louisiana's Way Home seemed like an easily likable story especially given by the fact by it was written by the same person who wrote Because of Winn-Dixie. But sometimes things really don't work out the same with authors of beloved books. I just was bored by this book. I listened to most of it on audio and thought the narrator was great but the story was boring. I ended getting rid of Raymie Nightingale (Louisiana is a companion book) off my tbr list so that's one  easy book off my tbr list.

Hocus & Pocus: The Legend of Grimm's Woods was at my new library branch. It's a choose your own adventure, fairy tale retelling, video game inspired graphic novel for kids. I was worried that it was going to get tedious going through the storyline but it got a little too addictive. I'm going to go through a couple of more storylines before I return it, but what I read of it was really enjoyable.

 

After the Fall: How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again is a book I've been meaning to read for years. Dan Santat is a fantastic children's book author and illustrator so it did not disappoint. A great story about overcoming your fears with a surprise ending. Did not disappoint!

Moon caught my eye a couple of months back in my old position. Moon is the girl on the cover. She has lots of things to do but only starts to learn to be free when she meets wolf. A surprisingly thoughtful story with beautiful illustrations.

Bunny Cakes is another one that caught my eye a couple of months back. The cover looks so cute and of course I am a sucker for anything baked goods in a book. This was such a great story for siblings and perseverance. Lots of great lessons and a funny ending.

I'm embracing my love for picture books. What genre or book are you embracing despite your age or what you "should" be reading?