Happy Wednesday, book friends. We’re saying goodbye to April reading (how did that happen?? January is like 153543 days, and April is 1/2 a day, lol), but before we jump into a fresh month of new books, I wanted to take a minute this morning to share a quick recap of everything I read in April.
Overall, it was a a quieter month, in part because my personal and professional life have been **overwhelming** lately, and in part because I’m in a bit of a spring book slump. I seem to go through one of these reading slumps around the same time every year (i’ll hit another one in September when I’m burned out from summer reading), so I’m not that concerned about it. As I like to say, the books will be waiting for me!
You’ll find reviews of what I did manage to read below. Overall favorites included new Claire Lombardo (SAME AS IT EVER WAS), Tracy Sierra’s terrifying NIGHTWATCHING, and Catherine Mack’s delightful EVERY TIME I GO ON VACATION, SOMEONE DIES.
What about you? What was your favorite April read?
SAME AS IT EVER WAS by Claire Lombardo
JBC Review: It’s so, so good. Still thinking about it. Yes, that’s right: Claire Lombardo -author of the fantastic Chicago sister story THE MOST FUN WE EVER HAD- is back with a complex, nuanced story of one woman’s journey of self-discovery when her complicated past is dredged up in the wake of reconnecting with an estranged friend. Fans of Nathan Hill’s WELLNESS and Jonathan Franzen’s CROSSROADS will absolutely devour this sprawling story, full of complicated female characters, juicy soap, laugh-out-loud humor, and domestic drama that had me completely captivated.
Rating: 5/5
Release Date: June 18, 2024
NIGHTWATCHING by Tracy Sierra:
JBC Review: I went into NIGHTWATCHING without knowing anything about it, and immediately regretted it in all the best ways…I absolutely could NOT put down this home invasion story about a young mother who must do whatever it takes to protect her kids from a dangerous man who breaks into their house. It’s literal nightmare fuel, and author Tracy Sierra manages to take a very simple premise and turn it into an edge-of-your-seat, pulse-pounding thriller with a huge emotional hook. Similar to one of my other favorite books,