Had a slow month of only nine books. I know that’s still a decent amount, but for me it feels light. With moving to a new house and finding a new routine, it took some time for me to get back in the mood for books. I powered through quite a few towards the end of the month to get to the solid number of nine.
Damn Fine Story by Chuck Wendig
This was a very entertaining book about telling a great story. And there were several golden nuggets of writing wisdom mixed in. The real life details included to give examples were fascinating and really shone a light on what point he was trying to get across. Will definitely be referencing this book in the future.
Behind the Horror Lee Mellor
i enjoyed this book for several reasons. First, as a horror lover, it gave me great insight into how a spark of an idea can come from anywhere. And then similarly that spark can expand into something you never would have imagined. Next, I was delighted to learn the backstory of some of my favorite movies.
And, of course, as a writer, i filed away the tactics used to mine ideas from the world around me.
Well researched and never dull or textbook sounding, a great read.
Slewfoot by Brom
A beautifully written story. The setting was incredibly vivid and so were the characters. So many of the townsfolk were so detestable I wished I could have smacked them.
The lore behind the “monster” was fascinating and the world building pulled it all together wonderfully.
The ultimate explosion of the conflict was amazing and I was so happy with teh ending. Will definitely read it again.
The Honeys by Ryan La Sala
This was an incredible book all around. Every time something was revealed, it wasn’t anything I’d expected. I only called one of the twists. Everything else blew my mind.
Mars is so loveable and hilariously sarcastic. I loved them and wish things had gone better. Both the first time they were at camp and in the present day.
The secret of the bees is amazing and I wish tehre was more to this story for me to enjoy. I loved it.
Sparked by Jonathan Fields
A little indifferent to this one. I agree with where the quiz put me and I could see how the parts of the book described me. But I didn’t really see how I could use the book to improve my situations. maybe I’ve read too many self-held/personality books.
It was good overall, but not groundbreaking.
The Science of Storytelling by Will Storr
I found a lot of interesting tips in this book. And there is a lot to learn to help with writing authentic characters with realistic motivations.
But I’m not a fan of books that use most of the pages to give examples instead of explaining. And it got a little repetitive towards the end and I found myself skimming. But it was worth the read.
Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey
I loved this book and everything about it – until the end. I was so let down by the ‘explanation.’ There was so much potential and then it fell flat.
Amazing premise. Beautiful build-up. Great characters. Very realistic and perfectly atrocious relationship between Vera and her mother.
It would have been perfect if it wasn’t for the ending.
Gallant V.E. Schwab
This was a great visual read. The descriptions were wonderful and incredibly vivid. The world-building was also fantastic.
I only wish ther had been a little more. Some more backstory for the characters and how the house and gate came to be.
But it was creepy and I enjoyed it.
The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf
This book was very emotional and packed a super punch .The core storyline of the missing girls holds you close while all the other dramas unfold around it.
Each of the characters were very well done and their POV chapters were great. With each switch we get more of the big picture and the backstory and then the climax hits full force.
My only complaint was the ending was a little rushed. It felt like tying up loose ends for the sake of tyring them up. But overall a great and thrilling read.
With this month’s reads I was able to mark a few books off my year’s reading list and a few off my reading challenge on StoryGraph – The Books of Horror Challenge. And I’m happy that I was able to finish more than only audiobooks. I’d like to get more a variety, but I’ve got to make the time for it. We’ll try again for this month.
Next week I’ll be expanding my thoughts on my favorite read of the month – The Honeys.
What was your favorite read of April?