April Wrap Up

In April I read a total of seven books and I was seriously surprised! However, two were graphic novels I finished in like an hour and another was an 80 paged short story, I guess all those combined might equal one total book but I am still counting them individually. I had an amazing reading month and I read so many amazing books! This year has been full of five star reads, I think it will be really hard to pick my end of the year favorites.

Remember to check out the full reviews for my initial thoughts on the books!


The Books

“The Hate U Give” By Angie Thomas

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Starr is a sixteen year old girl that lives in a poor neighborhood but attends school in the suburbs. Living two separate lives proves to be a big challenge but only gets worse when she witnesses her childhood friend get shot and killed by a police officer. Being the only witness to the murder, it quickly becomes Starr’s word against the officer’s.

The officer thought Kahlil had a gun: he didn’t. People believe Kahlil is a drug dealer: he had nothing on him. The officer thought Starr was a threat and kept his gun on her: she was compliant.

It is up to Starr to break the misconceptions and bring justice to her friend.

“Talking As Fast As I Can” By Lauren Graham

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Lauren Graham is everything you expect her to be and more. In this memoir she breaks down her life from where she lived when she was little to her struggle to break into the world of acting all the way to the end where she is asked back for “Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life”. Unlike most memoirs I can guarantee you will be laughing and crying from the turn of a page!

”The Existence of Amy” By Lana Grace Riva

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Amy lives no ordinary life but this isn’t by choice. She is burdened with a really bad case of OCD and Depression that makes every day tasks nearly impossible. Amy has been missing out on many social situations because her disabilities hold her back. This causes stress between her relationships and it only gets worse because she doesn’t think her friends will understand where she is coming from or why she is always flaking out on plans. But when the opportunity to travel to Australia for work arises she takes ahold of her life and makes the trip. Can this trip help break some barriers or will they only make situations worse?

“Lucky” By Merissa Stapley

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Lucky has lived a life on the run. Having a con-artist as a father, Lucky never got to experience an ordinary life, just one of crime and fake Identities. All Lucky ever wanted was a shot at some normalcy: a house, a stable job, some kids and a dog. She thought she would finally get this life when she and her boyfriend decide to settle down in Idaho. But when one last con goes horribly wrong, Lucky is found all alone and forced to stay hidden from the cops with a multi-million winning lottery ticket tucked away in her wallet. Her whole life could change, but is it worth cashing in the lottery ticket just to get caught by the cops? Or should she continue to stay on the run?

“HeartStopper” By Alice Oseman, Books 1 & 2

Rating: 5 out of 5.

This Graphic Novel series just came out with a show on Netflix and so I decided I needed to pick them up real quick. For the TV show right now you only need to read the first two books. I am still waiting not, so patiently, for book three and four to be shipped to my house.

I am not typically someone who likes to read graphic novels but I quickly fell in love with the characters and their stories, not to mention the illustrations! The pictures in this book were so beautiful! I loved how much emotion this book had in such a small amount of pages, the art work really brings those emotions alive!

I had my boyfriend reads these books right after I finished so that we can watch the TV show together. We can’t wait to see how well the TV show holds up to the books! Stay Tuned!

I only bought the first two books like a dummy and now books two and three are sold out! I have an order placed but I don’t think they will arrive for another few weeks. I will be posting a full review on these books soon, I will keep you posted! In the mean time get your hands on these cute books!

“Evidence of the Affair” By Taylor Jenkins Reid

Rating: 5 out of 5.

This is a quick 80 paged book full of Letters between two spouses who have been cheated on. they have found letters between their spouses that reveled a secret affair. Read this book to learn the heart breaking story of how these two strangers found a glimmer of hope in their darkest times.

This was a super cute and really heartbreaking story. I can’t believe so much hurt could come from a few letters. My heart aches thinking about the horrible situation these characters were placed in. Taylor Jenkins Reid has really wrote some amazing books and I need to deep dive into more of her unpopular releases real soon.

Favorite Quotes

“The world’s like that. What matters in one moment, it doesn’t matter the next. Things that fall apart eventually come back together again. Everything passes. You can be sure of that.”

Direct quote from “Lucky” By Merissa Stapley

“That’s the problem. We let people say stuff, and they say it so much that it becomes okay to them and normal for us. What’s the point of having a voice if you’re gonna be silent in those moments you shouldn’t be?”

Direct quote from “The Hate U Give” By Angie Thomas

“Because here’s the thing: I was fine on my own, and so are you. But it can be hard when you feel ready for Happy Couplehood and you seem to have missed the train.”

Direct Quote from “Talking as Fast as I Can” By Lauren Graham

“You can’t tell whether people are gay by what they look like. And gay or straight aren’t the only two options.”

Direct quote from “HeartStopper” By Alice Oseman

QOTD: What was your favorite April Read?