April Wrap Up

To be honest, I don’t have a whole lot of books to wrap up this month because APRIL KICKED MY BUTT. That is to say that this month flew by and I hardly remember half of it, and also that it was very busy with…some good things, some bad things.

First of all, I’ve started my photography class at the Rhode Island School of Design this month! It’s been super fun, and I’m actually beginning to understand how to use my camera??? And all those fancy terms like aperture and ISO and whatnot?? I’m amazed, honestly. Second, I’ve been apartment hunting like crazy and yet nothing has really worked out, and I’m starting to burn out. Hopefully May brings me something. Third, as you may know, I work in HR. Sometimes it’s great, and other times……it’s not so great. This month has been Very not so great. I had to fire someone for the first time, and they started crying and begging me not to and it was quite truly the worst thing and I am worn out. I hope this month is a little less tumultuous.

AND FOURTH. So, last week, a friend texted me that she’d fallen down the stairs and gotten a concussion, and asked if I could stay over and help with her daughter because her husband and older children was away on a trip. So I went, and it was actually a really nice time staying with them, but because of the concussion my friend had some MRIs done, and it was discovered that she had a brain tumor. Now, let me tell you something about myself. Cancer is my very worst fear, whether for myself, for family, for a friend, for some stranger down the street – if a character in a book gets cancer, I get anxious. And I can be an awful hypochondriac. So, NEEDLESS TO SAY, I was basically in a state of wild anxiety for a week straight. It was so bad I stress-bought a bunch of books at FULL PRICE.

BUT!! She went to the neurologist yesterday and it’s benign! Which means she’s keeping an eye on it for now and no major surgeries or radiation are necessary at the moment. I’M RELIEVED. And I’m just going to be sappy right now, but sometimes when these kinds of things happen, even though they’re awful, I get this strange kind of thankfulness that I have people in my life to worry for. Like, even though half of me wishes I’d never have to feel this pain for anyone, ever, the other half of me that loves my friend and her family is thankful for all the good times I’ve spent with them, and finds it so worth it. And like I said, we did have a very nice time while I stayed with her and her daughter, and even though it was a week tinged with stress I know it’s a week I’ll look back on very fondly.

So, ANYWAY. Amidst the excitement and the drama and wholesome realizations, I read only 3 books this month.

But!! I enjoyed them. The standout was definitely The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid, which I think I can confidently say is my favorite book I’ve read so far this year. It was engaging from the start and was simply a story that was fantastically told, with great characters. Rachel texted me telling me to read this a few weeks ago, and I promptly went on Amazon and ordered it without even glancing at the summary. A good decision.

Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli was a fun, cute sequel to Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, and while I didn’t find it quite as engaging as Simon, I still really enjoyed it and I definitely gained an appreciation for the character of Leah Burk.

This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab….was enjoyable, and I liked the plot and the characters, but for some reason I don’t feel eager to continue on with the duology and wrote about that in this week’s Top 5 Tuesday. BUT Birdie advised me that book two is better, and now I’m on the fence!! See, this is why I need you guys, I’m not always good at making bookish decisions on my own.

So, I didn’t write a whole lot of posts this month, but I feel strangely accomplished with my four April posts. I enjoyed writing them and I enjoyed these books, and that’s what counts, really.

This Savage Song review
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo review
Leah on the Offbeat review
Top 5 Tuesday: Book Series I Won’t Be Finishing

I’m really getting back into the bookish mood, and after that book-buying binge I mentioned earlier, I’ve got some stuff to read. Now if only the universe would just give me more hours in my life to read without like, passing out on the couch (which I did yesterday when I got home from work while trying to read The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. A VERY good book so far, but I was just so tired.) Hopefully I am able to read more, because I really want to!!

And as always, thanks for all the comments and likes on my posts, I finally feel like I’m starting to catch up on things and you guys are wonderful ❤