What I read in April

The month of three star reads! More Women's Longlist reads (The Dog of the North and I'm a Fan) and one that will probably make my favourites of the year (Before We Were Innocent).

Blew me out of the water; loved! (5 stars)

Before We Were Innocent by Ella Berman: This is like my dream mystery book. It was SO good. Like a soft thriller in a way? It deals with complex female friendships and the impact true crime media can have on those involved. More suspenseful with complicated dynamics and not really knowing who to trust and memories playing an interesting role. This is a really unique take on the true crime genre and I’d highly recommend it! It’s been a while since I’ve been this excited about a book.

I liked it! (4 stars)

Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung: A disturbing and readable set of short stories.

The Dog of the North by Elizabeth Mckenzie: I felt like I was reading a quirky, funny A24 film. The book follows a young woman on her quest for a fresh start after a divorce. She goes to see her grandma who ends up being investigated by the police, she crashes on her grandma’s accountant's couch, befriends two brothers who share a toupee, and ends up inheriting an old van; ultimately finding purpose in life’s curveballs. It was dryly funny and some of the things that happened were just so ridiculous but it worked. Felt like a Beth O’Leary kind of book, or a funny British rom com (without so much rom).

It was good (3 stars)

The Bandit Queens by Parni Shroff: This is kind of a Finlay Donovan vibe - there's some perks for Geeta when everyone thinks she killed her husband, and others enlist her for her help with theirs. I was a bit on autopilot while reading but always love a story about women banding together to challenge the patriarchy.

Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano: This book took me like four weeks to read - I usually love a family drama! It's a modern retelling of Little Women (one of my all-time favourites). It takes place in the 80s but read like it took place in the 30s, and it's very character-driven. Even though I didn't love it I still remember it vividly.

Happy Place by Emily Henry: I don't love second chance romances, but this one was okay! I actually preferred the friendship plot vs. the romantic story here, and felt that this was her most flat and least charismatic book boyfriend. Romance isn't really one of my most read genres but I'll read anything Henry writes.

I'm a Fan by Sheena Patel: I enjoy a uniquely structured book. This was that. Our main character gets obsessed with the girlfriend of the man she's sleeping with. It took about halfway through for me to get really into it as it's a loose story, bet gets tighter halfway through. A lot of non-linear vignettes about obsession, social media, and characters you can't work for.

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler: A very close-to-reality dystopian book. Butler has such a strong, distinct voice. Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson: A story about rich people; not quite the powerhouse I thought it would be. It was narrated by Marin Ireland (who is a fav)!

Unimpressed (2 stars)

Paradais by Fernanda Melchor: One of those books that was slow and not worth the payoff. The prose was beautiful, but the content matter was very disturbing. It's about two (incel) teenagers who decide to break into a family's house. I'd read another book by this author, but if it doesn't pull me in right away I'll dnf.