Anyway, today's post is all about telling you how I BROKE MY READING SLUMP IN APRIL. Can I get a 'hell yeah?!' April was an awesome reading month. Well, it was. Until I read Sarah's Chapter's April Reading Wrap Up. She read 12 books in April. 12!! She puts my paltry 5 to shame. But I'm still proud, considering the last few months I've only been reading 2 or 3 books at best. Anyway, let's take a look at what I read in April!
Kindred Spirits by Rainbow Rowell
This was such a cute, lovely, romantic short story from the infamous Rainbow Rowell. This is the first Rainbow Rowell novel I've read; but I can assure you that it won't be my last! (Top tip; if you're in a reading slump, try a few short stories instead of a longer novel!)
Rating: ****
The Intruder at Number 40 by Louise Candlish
The lovely people at Penguin Random House were kind enough to send me a little book bundle last month, which included this short story based on characters from The Sudden Departure of the Frasers. A super creepy read (that has made me feel really uneasy around estate agents now!)
Rating: ****
The Swimming Pool by Louise Candlish
This is the second part of the book bundle I received from Penguin Random House; an ARC of The Swimming Pool by Louise Candlish. And my first ever ARC. Squee! I've since published a full review of this book on my blog here.
Rating: *****
Little Boy Blue by M. J. Arlidge
This is the book I should have been excited about. The book I should have had on pre-order. But instead, this is the book that somehow slipped under my radar. But when I eventually got my hands on it, I was not disappointed. Possibly the best book in the 5-book (so far) series.
Rating: *****
Monsterland by Michael Phillip Cash
This book had all the makings of a good novel; vampires, werewolves, ZOMBIES. But it just fell kinda flat. And I spent most of my time reading this, re-reading it because I was so confused by the storyline. A real let down, then.
Rating: ***
My selection of books to read in May is slightly different to usual. You'll see why...
A month or so ago, I found out about a book blogger's dream website; NetGalley. It's really simple; it's a website where reviewers, and others, can request ARCs. Publishers then approve or deny your request. If approved, you can download the ARC to your E-Reader and leave feedback for the author/publisher! Great, huh? Anyway, thanks to NetGalley, I'm using my Kindle a lot more. Which is great. It's sat neglected for some time. But I can't tell you what I'll be reading this month from NetGalley, because I've a list of about 8/10 ARCs to read, and I just pick from them at random! But this month I'll also be reading;
- So You've Been Publicly Shamed by Jon Ronson (I've heard some great things about this book, so I'm excited!)
- Mother, Can You Not? by Kate Siegel (I've been following the corresponding Instagram account for a year or more. If the book is as hilarious then we'll have no problem!)
- Calm by Michael Acton Smith (There's only so much second-hand reading of this book I can do via blog posts. I'm finally going to read it for myself.)
- The Official Highway Code and The Official DVSA Guide to Driving (I have my theory test in four weeks, not like I'm counting or anything. Eeek!)
And considering we're only just into the second week in May, I'm doing remarkably well. I've already read 4 books (2 ARCS, 1 not on this list, 1 on this list.) How great is that? I'm really rediscovering my love for reading again, and it feels great!
What have you been reading lately? Any book recommendations?
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