April Wrap Up 2021!

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Another month has passed, and with school finally dying down, I’ve had some time to read. Yay! I read five books in April, which is the most I’ve read in a single month since last year. I gave a lot of three star reviews out in April, which is a little unusual. I’m becoming progressively more particular with what I like to read.

Enough blabbering, let’s get into it!

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

I picked up this poetry collection simply because it was sitting on my shelf and I needed a fun/short book to up my Goodreads goal for the year. The poems and drawings in this compilation were whimsical and witty. This book was definitely a nice break from some of the more complex stories I had been reading for school. I ended up giving it a 3/5 stars just because it was clearly written for a younger audience and, therefore, lacked some of the mature themes and storylines I often look for in a poetry collection.

A Moment of Gray by B.E. Ruffino

A Moment of Gray is an indie book I got for Christmas. The story was good. I loved the cover, the title, and the characters. The ending was a surprise, but a welcome one. There were a few inconsistencies in the story, and I wish certain aspects were fleshed out more. The writing was not as clear or concise as it could have been, which was the biggest reason this book did not get a higher rating from me. Because I enjoyed the story, and that’s more important to me than writing in this case, I would pick up another book by this author if she publishes one.

Red Bird by Mary Oliver

The lone five-star book of the month. It’s Mary Oliver so are we really surprised? Mary Oliver is one of my favorite poets, and I’ve read many of her collections over the past year. Red Bird includes poems on Oliver’s usual topics and passions—nature, religion, and her dog, Percy, all while tying the book together with a mysterious reincarnate of the red bird, which the book is titled after. If you love peaceful, naturistic, and thought-provoking poetry, definitely give this book a read.

The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke

This book sat on my shelf for almost two years and April was finally the month I got to it. I enjoyed aspects of this story, but it dragged at spots. The characters were a bit bland, except for Scipio, Conte, and Barbarossa. Without spoiling the book, I thought the conclusion was great! I found the magic introduced in the last fourth of the book incredibly interesting, but I wish the author would have incorporated the myths/magic earlier on in the story.

A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle

I’ve never been a huge mystery lover (I’m not sure why that is), but this book definitely intrigued me, and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Watson’s narration in the first half of the book was captivating. Sherlock was not exactly as animated as I’d imagined him, but I’d be interested to see how his character evolves throughout the other books in the series. Part two of the book surprised me, in fact I enjoyed it more than part one. John and Lucy were interesting characters, and their father-daughter relationship was a joy to watch. Doyle’s decision to merge two seemingly separate storylines in order to reveal whodunit was clever and unique.

That’s all for this post. Thank you for reading and make sure to subscribe if you enjoyed it!

It’s been a pleasure writing for you, and until next time—stay weird and stay writing. - Lexi