Reading in April

01 May 2020

Reading felt very slow this month. I read a lot, but found it difficult to actually finish anything. There are three books I've been reading for what feels like forever. I'm enjoying them when I pick them up, but I've been so busy with finishing up school and wasting time through other means to actually sit down and finish books.

This April I was able to finish five books, which I am more than happy with! I've taken time to read outside of what I was originally reading, to not be afraid to put books down for awhile in order to read what I'm truly craving. In this time I can't handle being rigid in my reading. I'm trying to embrace the slowness and soak in what words I can, not being hard on myself for not finishing so many books.


This was a very poetic and eyeopening memoir I had to read for my History of Ireland class. This is a simple, short book about a young boy growing up in 1950's Ireland with a proud, nationalist father, and a German mother who is recovering from her escape from Nazi Germany. This story is told in a child-like prose, but it touches on such deep topics of heritage and belonging. Hugo's coming of age is inspiring and taught me so much about how polarized the people of twentieth-century Ireland were about World War II and the other global issues of the time. This is a very interesting book I would recommend if you're interested.
Rating: ★


Fredrik Backman may be one of the most hyped authors of the past five years. I had never read anything from him, so I decided to pick up Beartown as my first introduction to Backman's story telling style. This is one of the most powerful stories I've ever read. This book has some really difficult scenes and themes to read about as it follows the aftermath of a rape in a small town. There are really complex characters and some beautiful quotes. I was left with a lot to think about after I turned the last page in this book. It has so much to say about traumatic experiences, hypocrisy, and the culture of sports in a small town. I will say, I thought there were a couple characters too many, and I wanted it to dig deeper into the motivations of some characters more than others. But overall, and amazing book that was worth the hype!
Rating: 


I've been trying to read more books that will help me grow in my spiritual journey. This was the one I finished this month. I've been able to get so much out of Timothy Keller's work before, and this book was no exception. Some of the concepts went above my head, but I got so much out of it about why prayer is so important in Christianity and how to get the most out of my prayer life. This is a book I know I'll have to read several times to get the most information out of it, but I thought it was extremely helpful and insightful for those who want to get deeper in prayer and their relationship with God.
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My sisters and I have been binge-watching through old episodes of the Little House on the Prairie TV series. I was inspired to resurrect the collection of Little House books my mom used to read to us when we were little. I've been reading through the series slowly with my littlest sister, and we loved this first installment. A lot of this book feels like a manual to life on the frontier, which I was afraid would be too much for my sister to comprehend, but she enjoyed it a lot. These books are so full of charm that I had forgotten about. I'm hoping to read through the rest of the series very soon.
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Jane Eyre is a book I have felt guilty for never reading it for a long time. I know so many people who love this book so much, and I knew I would like it to if I gave it a chance. The moment finally came, and I read it this month. I really enjoyed it. Charlotte Brontë has some of the most beautiful prose I've ever read, and the tortured coming-of-age story of Jane is dark and much more different than a lot of other classic romance novels. I'm planning on doing a deeper review for this one with all my thoughts soon. Until then, I will say the ending wasn't for me, but the rest of the book was perfection!
Rating: 
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What did you read in April?

4 comments

  1. I always love hearing about what you're reading! Definitely looking forward to that Jane Eyre review - it is my absolute favorite. :-)

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Grace Anne! I loved Jane Eyre and can see why you like it so much too!

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  2. I still need to read Jane Eye too lol. Great reviews!!

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