Hello friends,
Well it’s that time of the year again:
Honestly, this is probably one of my favorite yearly memes. I don’t think it’ll ever get old.
Anyways, can you guys believe how fast April flew by? Like the beginning of April feels like 10 years ago, but these last two weeks only lasted like a day or two, I swear.
Surprisingly though, I was able to get a decent amount read. I read 12 books and really enjoyed most of them! I also participated in two readathons and did pretty well with those two.
For a full break down of everything, be sure to keep reading or listen to my BookTube video.
April Wrap-Up:
Stats:
ReadAThons:
O.W.L.S Readathon
- Completed Owls:
- Ancient Runes – Waking Gods
- Astronomy – Obsidio
- Charms – Twilight
- Defense Against the Dark Arts – The Dark Prophecy
- Divination – The Hidden Oracle
- Herbology – Wintergirls
- History of Magic – Escaping from Houdini
24 Hour Readathon – Success! Full vlog available here:
- Completed 1000 pages
- Completed 2 books (People Like Us & Obsidio)
- Started a 3rd book (Escaping from Houdini)
Ratings:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ – 4
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – 3
⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ – 2
⭐️⭐️⭐️ – 2
⭐️✨ – 1
Pages read: 4,340
The books:
Fate and Fortune by Julia Sherman
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ – 3.5/5
Review: Full review available here.
The Case for Jamie by Brittany Cavallaro
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ – 3/5
Review: Probably my main issue with this book is how forgettable it was. Writing this post a few weeks of reading it has made me realized how little I actually remember and I’m heavily relying on my notes. I did enjoy how the relationships have progressed and thought the balance between relationship and mystery was significantly better than the second book. I like how this book ended and am excited to see how the series continues. That being said, I will definitely need to reread this book before book 4.
Agent in Training by Aedan Sayla
Rating: ⭐️✨ – 1.5/5
Review: Full review available here.
Disclaimer: This book is labeled as Christian Erotica. My review will discuss the sex scenes a bit along with the religious undertones (as that is part of the marketing for this book).
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ – 3.75/5
Review: I wanted to love this book so much, but I felt like it dragged a bit. There were some amazing, jaw-dropping moments. The ending was packed with several amazing twists (one I definitely did not see coming), but the middle struggled to keep my interest at times. With how the book ended, I can’t wait to see how book three concludes the series. I already have my copy on hold from the library — here’s to hoping it arrives soon.
The Trials of Apollo: The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ – 4.5/5
Review: Reread this one because Burning Maze comes out next month. Still really enjoyed this one. Apollo is such a fun main character. I love that we can see his thoughts; his commentary is probably the most enjoyable part of these books! Riordan has already demonstrated that he can seamlessly blend mythology and modern day and I think this series really allows him to showcase that. Having an actual god as our MC really allows the reader to appreciate the numerous references and the changing times.
The Trials of Apollo: The Dark Prophecy by Rick Riordan
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ – 4.5/5
Review: Also reread this one. While I thought Hidden Oracle was a stronger story, I thought the strength of this one was the character development. So many characters got fleshed out in this book and it was really fun watching them grow. I think Apollo’s arc is probably the most enjoyable part of this series. I can’t wait to see how it continues in the next three books!
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ – 3/5
Review: Full review available here.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – 4/5
Review: Full review available here.
Obsidio by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ – 4.75/5
Review: This book took me forever to get to, but it was a combination of school slowly killing me and waiting for the hype to die a bit (mostly so I could judge the book, not my hype for the book). After reading it, I really enjoyed it. I was on the edge of my seat for most of the story, eager to see what was going to happen to my favorite characters. I also enjoyed that the time period of this book shifted a bit, compared to the other two. The one issue I had with this one was at the end. I don’t want to go into spoilers here, but I will mention it briefly in my BookTube wrap-up. Feel free to check that out if you want to know why I took off half a star. Overall, this was a fun conclusion to an amazing series.
Escaping from Houdini by Kerri Maniscalco
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ – 4.5/5
Review: Full review available here.
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – 4/5
TW/CW: Eating disorders (specifically anorexia (MC) and bulimia (side character)), self-harm, pro-ana websites.
Review: I read this one for an assignment, but I thought the story was so well done. The writing style is different and may deter some readers, but I personally thought it did a great job of illustrating the internal struggle Lia faced. I do not have a personal history with eating disorders, though I did watch my best friend from high school suffer from anorexia (including numerous hospitalizations and visiting her at her inpatient treatment facility). When she talked about being at the inpatient facility, it was interesting comparing her experience to what was described in the book. I think one of the best things Halse did was not shying away from the grim truth of eating disorders. This is not an easy book to read (especially if you have a history of disordered eating/eating disorders), but one I highly recommend.
Beautiful Bastard by Christina Lauren
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – 4/5
Review: This is some of the best smut I’ve ever read (though I haven’t read much, so take that as you will). I thought the romance was sexy, the characters were fun and snarky, and overall really enjoyed this one. The ending slowed down a lot, which is why it lost a start for me, but overall this was a fun read. If you’re looking for good sexy smut for a beach day or readathon, this is a great pick. Though FYI, there are a lot of sexy time scenes. Like at least half the book. I’m not sure if I want to continue though if you’ve read the sequels let me if they’re worth reading!
What was your favorite April read?
Be sure to let me know below!
**ALSO, FINALS ARE OVER IN 10 DAYS! 10 DAYS UNTIL I’M BACK TO A REGULAR UPLOAD SCHEDULE.**
Coffee Cocktails & Books 📖 
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