1.The Girl With The Lower Back Tattoo
Amy Schumer documents some of her most outrageous life stories that will have you constantly laughing. I was not a huge fan of Amy before I read this book, but she completely won me over by the end. Not only do we get her funny side, we also get to see her raw and real feelings about having a father who is battling MS. She had me laughing and crying throughout the book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
2.When Breath Becomes Air
This is a breathtaking memoir about a neurosurgeon, who finds out that he is dying of lung cancer. Right before his graduation, his entire world is turned upside down. He captures the heartache that comes with illness and keeps you hopeful at the same time. “When Breath Becomes Air” is a powerful memoir worth reading.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
3&4.The Lightning Thief & Sea Of Monsters
I loved this series when I was 13 and nothing has changed! This fun and uplifting story of a boy, who finds out his long lost father is a Greek God, is a must read for anyone who loves a good hero story. While Sea Of Monsters was still good, I found that The Lightning Thief was by far the better of the two books. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️&⭐️⭐️⭐️
5.Chicken Soup For The Women’s Soul
What can I say? It is exactly what you would expect from this series, and it is good for what it is. Some stories hit close to home and others you might want to skip. Although it is an all around decent book.⭐️⭐️
6.Asking For it: The Alarming Rise Of Rape Culture And What We Can Do About It
This is a powerful book that shines light on the culture we currently live in, but hopefully won’t have to live in much longer. In a time when women are constantly told they are lying about their abuse, “Asking For It” shares statistics and research regarding this argument. I can’t do this book justice in just a few sentences, so I highly suggest that everyone read it for themselves.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
7.Self Compassion: The Proven Power Of Being Kind To Yourself
The book that changed my life! I read some of this book last year, but restarted it this April. It transformed how I see myself and how I handle myself when I am faced with difficult situations. I learned to be kind to myself in hard moments, which in turn has taught me to be kind to others as well. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
8.Animal Farm
A classic that will never go out of style. I read this last year and found myself wanting to revisit its pages. Each time I read it I feel a new layer of understanding on what George Orwell was trying to say. A genius of a book that will no doubt forever be on my reading list. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
9.Little Fires Everywhere
I fought to read this book y’all! When I reserved it at the Overdrive library, 140 people were ahead of me. I waited for months to receive it. So, was it worth it? YES. I tried to think of a way to summarize this book and I can’t. It keeps you guessing, on the edge of your seat, and I count it as a masterpiece. It is one of the best fiction books I have had the pleasure of reading, so read it! You won’t be sorry. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
10.Better Than Before
I liked this book well enough. I went into it with high expectations because I loved “The Happiness Project” by Gretchen Rubin. It has some good practical tips, but a times it felt redundant. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
11.Water for Elephants
Ugh. I hated this book with a passion. Even typing out the title made me die a little inside. It’s one of those books that after the second chapter you think, “Should I even keep going?” Of course, me hating to give up on books, decided to push through. The characters were not relatable or likable. The love story felt shallow and unbelievable. The novel was also very crude, riddled with cuss words and strange sex scenes. Don’t get me wrong, I’m no prude, and I am not normally bothered by cussing whatsoever. The reason it rubbed me the wrong way was because it felt so forced and had nothing to do with supporting the plot. It almost felt like the female author was trying too hard to sell that this was from a man’s perspective.The amount of times the main character talked about his erection was absurd and frankly icky. How it got to be a “classic” is beyond me. ⭐️
12&13.The Magician’s Nephew & The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe
Oh, C.S. Lewis. These books will always hold a special place in my heart, and I fully intend on reading them yearly until I die. He showcases deep wisdom disguised as a simple children’s story. If given the chance to meet any author, dead or alive, I would pick C.S. Lewis every time.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️&⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
14.Option B
This book is about making the best of your “Option B”. Sometimes things in life happen that stop us in our tracks and seem to change the rules we always lived by. What do we do when option A is ripped away from us? The author is a woman whose husband died unexpectedly on vacation. She was left to process her grief, return to work, and tell her children that their father was never coming home. She offers a glimpse into how she grieved and how she learned to live again. I definitely recommend this to anyone who is dealing with the grief of losing a loved one. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
15&16.The Penultimate Peril & The End
I finally finished this fun series! Lemony Snicket has always been a pleasure to read…that is until “The End”. Without spoilers, I have to say the ending was extremely disappointed. He seemed to put zero thought into tying everything together and answering questions that he raised throughout the series.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️&⭐️
17.Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology
Leah Remini tackles possibly the biggest cult in history: Scientology. After seeing the documentary “Going Clear”, it became clear to me that scientology is an organization lurking in the shadows. Leah shines a light in the darkness and describes what it was like being a child thrust into the world of scientology. If you have any interest into this topic, it is a definite must read.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
18.Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls, and Everything in Between
I enjoyed this sweet book. I have to be honest: I have seen only few episodes of Gilmore Girls. I decided to read this just because I kept seeing it everywhere. I think a die hard fan of the show would absolutely love this, and even though I didn’t watch the show, I still found myself enjoying her story.⭐️⭐️⭐️
19.The Cuckoo’s Calling
Shout out to Kristie for letting me in on this secret: This book is written by J.K. Rowling. I never would have picked it up had I not known that going into it. Rowling manages to write an extremely compelling “who done it” novel. I was hooked instantly and finished it in 2 days. Highly recommend if you love J.K. Rowling or if you are a fan of detective novels.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
20.Boundaries
I’ve been told for years that I need to read this book and I finally got around to it! Did it live up to the hype? Not so much. Was it still good? Yes. There are a few principles in this book that are essential to having healthy relationships. So yes, I agree everyone should read it at some point. Unfortunately, I found that the author found 100 ways to say the same thing. Boundaries=Good. After a few chapters, I felt like I had gotten everything I was going to get from it, and that ended up being true. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
21.As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of the Princess Bride
If you are anything like me, you were raised loving “The Princess Bride.” In this fun and goofy book, Cary Elwes gives us the insider scoop on this cult classic. I am pretty sure I smiled the entire time I was reading this book. An absolute must read if the words “Ask You Wish” mean anything to you.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
22.A Long Way Home
Do I like this book? Well, considering I read it last year and had to reread it again already, the answer is yes. “A Long Way Home” is the book that the movie “Lion” is based on. Which if you haven’t seen Lion I also recommend watching that as soon as possible. Both the book and movie take my breath away every time. In this memoir, we follow the life of Saroo. At age 5, he accidentally boards a train that takes him to a city over 20 hours from his home village. He awoke on the train to this fact: he was lost. I don’t want to spoil any of the incredible story, so I will end by saying that this is probably in my top 10 favorite books of all time. It is well worth a read. Or even two. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
23.Girl, Wash Your Face
This book is right up my alley! I am a sucker for self help books and authors that encourage you to take control of your life. We only get one life and we get to decide what we do with it. Will we give into the lies or fight like hell to find happiness? Sometimes we need compassion, and other times we need tough love to reach our goals. The author makes it clear in the beginning that she is your biggest cheerleader, while also telling you the truth. Girl, wash your face. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
So that concludes my April book round up! What have you been reading lately? Which ones did you love? Which ones did you wish you had skipped?
I Love book reviews. I rarely have time to read, so when I do, I want to read something Great! There are some great suggestions here. A couple of these were already on y wish list, and now they’ll be bumped up thanks to this review
Thank you so much! Let me know what you think of them when you read them!
Book reviews. The smell of books. Book stores. Bookmarks. I love them all. Thank you for this review. I can now pick my summer reading list!
me too! They make everything better. Let me know what you decide!:)
Great list of books. I’ve always enjoyed reading chicken for the soul books.
Yeah, those are always a fun read!:)
Can’t wait to look into some of these! We have very similar taste in books! Good to know about Water for Elephants! Now I have one to remove from my list.
Yeah, I definitely don’t recommend that one! But let me know what you think of the others 😀
Ah! Thanks for this list! I love reading reviews and other people’s views on different books that I’ve read and some that I’ve never heard of before! Can’t wait to check some of these out!
Thank you! Let me know what you think! 🙂
Definitely catch up on the rest of the Galbraith/Rowling books soon, the fourth one comes out later this year 🙂
I just checked out the second one! So excited.
Seriously such a great combination of genres!! Animal Farm is one of my all time favorites! Definitely pinning this page for future book suggestions! I’m currently in the middle of I’ll Be Gone In The Dark by Michelle McNamara and it’s INCREDIBLE, especially if you love true crime and have been following the new about the Golden State Killer arrest. Highly recommend.
Thanks so much! And I will have to check that out! Is it super scary? I like detective books but I get scared easily haha
WHOA! 140 people waiting for “Little Fires Everywhere” for your library alone!? Dang. Glad I just got it on Audible! Can’t wait to listen.
Yeah, it was crazy!! Let me know what you think of it, the audiobook is incredible
Definitely interested in the “GIrl, Wash Your Face Book.” Thanks for this list!! Time to hit the library. 🙂
Xo,
Joi
https://joi-knows-how.com
It is so good! You will love it!
I’ve seen Girl, Wash Your Face advertised on Instagram and I NEARLY bought it. I am also a sucker for self-help kind of books. And I love a good amount tough-love and truth tea. I may give this one a go! Also no. 7 looks like a good choice!
You will definitely love it then! It is so so good! Let me know what you think of it if you read it 🙂
It has been so long since I have set aside time to read just for fun. I really do need to though, there’s something about getting lost in a good story!
Getting lost in a story is really one of the best feelings!:)
Good Lord, you read a lot of books this month! My kind of girl! My sister was recently diagnosed with MS, so I will definitely pick up the Amy Schumer book!
I highly recommend it! It was a fun and emotional read. I am so sorry about your sister 🙁
Girl, Wash Your Face sounds like a fun read! Great reviews 🙂
Thank you! and it is super good!
So many great books! I’ve added a few to my book list.
awesome! Let me know what you think of them!
This makes me want to take the time to read again! I am a huge fan of C.S. Lewis books as well!
They are perfection!
Is there *ever* a time not to revisit The Chronicles of Narnia? I hit those at least once a year. “The Broken World” by Amy Cissell was on my list (Yeah, she gets a little raunchy, but the ideas are so good!) and a revisit to The Hollows series by Kin Harrison. Reread of “Good Omens’ – because you just can’t top Neil Gaiman AND Terry Pratchett. I’m so glad you share your reads – I like having an idea of where to prowl at the library!
Never! It is always a good idea:)I’ll have to check those out!
How many books do you read per month?
Normally at least 15:) I’ve read 75 since January
Wow…amazing. I can’t even keep up with you at that rate. Haha
haha thank you! Luckily my job gives me a lot of down time
Awesome read! I’m interested in #7,10 and 20. They all seem to lead to self improvement in some way. Once I’m done studying for my promotional exam I can get back to reading other books. Do you read more than one book at a time?
Self improvement is my favorite genre:) I typically read 2-3 at a time 🙂
Thanks so much for sharing your suggestions. I have been wanting to get into reading a book, but I never really know what to get.
Nailil
http://thirtyminusone.com/
you’re so welcome! I hope you enjoy them!
You are so right Animal Farm is such a classic. My picks would be.Self Compassion: The Proven Power Of Being Kind To Yourself and Girl Wash your face because I love anything related to self – help.
Those are some great ones! You will love them:)
I wish I still had the time to read this many books in a month. *sigh* I loved your reviews, though. There are a few books from my TBR list that you reviewed and now I’m definitely looking forward to reading them!
Thank you Jill!! Let me know what you think of them!:)
Thanks for the great book reviews! My daughter is an avid reader and I can’t wait to send her this list.
Yay! Let me know what she thinks of them!
When I was younger I absolutely loved the Chicken soup books!!!! THey were my favorite. I would always recommend those.
They are always a fun read! I loved them in high school
I remember reading Animal Farm in middle school and absolutely loving it. The book is actually a parallel to the Cold War, but it sparked my interest in becoming a vegetarian, which I eventually did some years later, with the line — “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”
Great picks! x
Michelle
dressingwithstyle-s.com
That is so interesting! That line always send chills down my back. Such an incredible book
I have tagged you in the “Inside My Head Tag’ https://momlifewithchiari.com/2018/05/03/the-inside-my-head-tag/ I would love to see your reply. Enjoy. -Ana
Thank you so much girl! That means alot to me! I will comment some of my answers later 😀
You’re welcome, whenever you’re ready – it’s a lengthy one! Eek! 😳😊 Looking forward to reading it! A-
I enjoyed reading your reviews. I am a book lover. I don’t know what I would do with myself without having a book on the go.
Me too Shelley! What are you reading currently?
I love reading even though I don’t have enough time to read like I used to before having kids 🙂 Yes, you have a fabulous list here. I’ve read #5 #7 #12 #13 and I absolutely agree with your ratings of them xx
Thank you so much! and those are all really good ones!
I am so glad I read this. I was just browsing for a good book. Your reviews are great!
Thanks Paige!!
Great roundup of oldies but goodies and some newer books! I 100% agree with you about Water for Elephants!!
Thank you!! And Yeah, Water for Elephants was just so bad!
i’ve read so many of these – some super good ones, some meh. Water for elephants I thought was okay, but I’m a total sap! hah!
I miss the days when I could read that many. Some of these books I own, some I have heard of, and others I had no idea existed before reading your review. Hahaha. You have a great list. They’re in different genres which I approve. It does suck when you pick one up and it’s horrible. I too do not like not finishing a book no matter how much I dislike it.
There are some great reads on that list! I listened to Animal Farm on Audible a few weeks and found it so much more enjoyable than when we were reading it at school, it’s funny how these things change! Think I need to pick up some of the others, they sound interesting too.