April came with a lot of uncertainties but the one certain thing was the realization that I might end up wasting my money if I don’t step up the pace of studying for my upcoming exam. I knew the time would come when I’d have to take a break from leisure reading and I won’t lie, it sucks but I started easing my way into it last month. In this post, I’ll be sharing the 4 books I read in April.
I read mostly ebooks which were ARCs (Advanced reader/review copies) and I did that because a lot of my Netgalley books were about to expire and my feedback percentage is still below 50%. As a mood reader, this is my main issue with Netgalley. How do I force myself to read requested books even when I don’t feel like reading them? That’s story for another day.
Anyway, In the order in which I read the 4 books in April.
The gilded ones by Namina Forna (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
I enjoyed this one and I wasn’t disappointed. Although there were some parts of the book that just did not appeal to me. It was still an enjoyable read and I appreciate how Namina wrote her characters and how diverse they were. I wrote a review of The gilded ones on the blog.
Love is a revolution by Renee Watson (⭐️⭐️⭐️.5)
I was drawn to this because of the gorgeous cover and I liked reading it because it was just the light read I needed in April. Renee portrayed teenagers in a way I actually think they should be portrayed. The main character, Nala, is smart and she makes some mistakes but eventually grows into loving herself and being self-aware. It’s not such a memorable book but it was a good read. A quote that stuck with me when I read it. “You have got to start learning how to love yourself. For you, it will always be easier to love other people, to put them first and cater to them, to adapt to their needs. You want to really be something in this world –learn how to walk in a room being yourself and staying true to who you are. Yes, there’s room for growth, always. But if the change isn’t for you it won’t last.”
Outrage by William Hussey (⭐️⭐️⭐️.5)
This is one of the eARCs I read on NetGalley. I had attempted to read this two months ago but I just couldn’t get into it. I was close to losing my copy so I read it and it was just alright. I didn’t think some parts were necessary. It started off really well and was fast-paced but I was ready for it to end about 60% in. I can imagine how triggering this book will be for a lot of the LGBTQ+ readers who are still being discriminated against in their various countries and although this book had a dystopian setting, it is the reality of so many people and this is why I wish the author left out some parts of the homophobia.
Ace of spades by Faridah Abike-Iyimide (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
Okay, I’ll start by saying this is the best book I read in April. It was so good and I loved everything about it. I’m not sure if this is because I was a huge gossip girl/pretty little liars fan but this book did it for me and as I read it, I kept wishing I was holding the actual book and not the ebook. It was nicely written and although it is similar to gossip girl in that there is also an anonymous texter, it is also quite different as the main characters are black and one is half Nigerian. The themes explored were so important. The way systemic racism was explored in this book was great. I am hoping to win this in a giveaway. I haven’t been very lucky with giveaways this year but I have my fingers crossed.
There goes my list of books I read in April. I am hoping to read more physical books in May because my eyes are screaming! I do not have a TBR list for the month of May (They’ve never worked for me anyway) but I’ll be back with a list in June!
Before I go, please feel free to share the books you read in April?
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