April 2018: #WrapUp

~ Janel (Keeper of Pages)

Can you believe, April has come to an end already? I thought the first half of the month dragged, but the second half flew by! April has been my most productive month this year, in terms of books read. I managed a total of 19 books!! 13 of the books were listed in my planned April TBR Post, so it’s fair to say: I’ve got this whole sticking to a TBR thing down. With so many books to read, I like that I can just look at my post and pick a book from there – it certainly makes deciding my next read easier. As any bookworm will tell you, there’ll always be impromptu/unplanned reads.

And did you notice, I got some new graphics for my blog this month – kindly made for me by the lovely Marija @ Inside My Library Mind. Marija has been my bookish angel this month, after I tweeted my frustrated about the complexity of Edelweiss, she created this blog post: All You Need to Know to Start Using Edelweiss.

Between reading and working on my essays (two of which are now completed, one to go), I didn’t manage any bookish posts, except my usual monthly book haul, but I’ve got a few in mind, so hopefully they’ll feature next month. For now, let’s recap the books I read this month – and I’ve even got a mini review for you too.

The standout books of the month were:

Keeper by Johana Gustawsson

The Fireman by Joe Hill

Penance by Kanae Minato

Also read this month:

A Breath After Drowning by Alice Blanchard

Little Sister by Isabel Ashdown

Lost in Whispers by Mary Castillo

Tangerine by Christine Mangan

Now You See by Max Manning

Macbeth by Jo Nesbo

The Cremator by Ladislav Fuks

The Girl Who Smiled Beads by Clemantine Wamariya

The Adversary: A True Story of Monstrous Deception by Emmanuel Carrere

A False Report: A True Story of Rape in America by T. Christian Miller & Ken Armstrong

Read this month, reviews coming next month:

Mini Review:

I won’t be writing a full review for this book, but as it was my April readalong book, I wanted to share my thoughts.

Six Four by Hideo Yokoyama

Six Four - Hideo YokoyamaSix Four. The nightmare no parent could endure. The case no detective could solve. The twist no listener could predict.

For five days in January 1989, the parents of a seven-year-old Tokyo schoolgirl sat and listened to the demands of their daughter’s kidnapper. They would never learn his identity. They would never see their daughter again.

[…]the press officer attached to the police department in question confronted an anomaly in the case.

He could never imagine what he would uncover. He would never have looked if he’d known what he would find.

This was not the book for me. If you want to read in detail about Japanese police politics and the dynamic between their media relations department and the press, then this is definitely the book for you. I was hoping for a more direct focus on the crime itself. It’s a shame really because “the twist no reader could predict” was genius, but overshadowed greatly by police politics. At a little over 600 pages, this was a slow-paced read, and I really struggled to get through it – I think there are much better books out there to spend your time reading. If you particularly want to read some Japanese crime fiction, I highly recommend Journey Under the Midnight Sun by Keigo Higashino or for a shorter read, something by Kanae Minatio (Confessions or Penance).

Criminally Good Book Club:

Looking for an online book club? Come and read some criminally good books with us over on Instagram – @criminallygoodbookclub. Our May book is dubbed to have the most gripping first chapter you’ll ever read!

Don’t Wake Up by Liz Lawler

Don't Wake Up - Liz Lawler

Alex Taylor wakes up tied to an operating table. The man who stands over her isn’t a doctor.

The choice he forces her to make is utterly unspeakable.

But when Alex re-awakens, she’s unharmed – and no one believes her horrifying story. Ostracised by her colleagues, her family and her partner, she begins to wonder if she really is losing her mind.

And then she meets the next victim.

And that’s a wrap for April. Join me on the blog tomorrow for my stop on the Death of an Actress blog tour.

What were your reading highlights of the month?

Published by Janel (Keeper of Pages)

Blogging about books and other bookish ramblings

33 thoughts on “April 2018: #WrapUp”

  1. That’s fantastic that you read so much this month! I’m not sure I’ve ever managed 19 in a month, that’s really an accomplishment, I’m so impressed! April was my worst reading month in as long as I can remember, but I got unexpectedly swamped with work so not much I could do 😦 Congrats on a great reading month!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. I’m making the most out of my free time, most of my uni classes have ended so other than complete my essays, I’m pretty much a lady of leisure 😂 It’ll all change when I go back on clinical placement in June!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. I hear you – I freelance so whenever my work is in a lull I try to read as much as humanly possible to make up for the endless work days other times Enjoy your leisurely month, looking forward to all the great reviews that’ll come from it!

        Liked by 1 person

  2. Wow Janel!!!! Are your eyes bleeding? Seriously though, I cannot imagine reading that number of books in one month. Well done you! ❤ I thought I was doing well with eleven. I’m looking forward to reading your review of “The broken girls” as it was a favorite of mine.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. 😂😂 I’m making the most of my free time before I go back on clinical placement! The Broken Girls should have been in my “top reads of the month” but I scheduled the post and hadn’t finished it at the time, but it was amazing, a five star read!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    1. My guide is a one liner: skip class and read instead 😂🤣 Maybe not as helpful as yours but it works, although it may be detrimental to your future 🤔 so follow at your own risk! 😂

      And I’m so in love with these graphics, my blog looks so much better now! Thank you 💜

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  6. Your new graphics are beautiful I love the colours! Wow!
    I’m liking your round up of titles, so many great new ones out recently!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thank you! I had a lot of free time this month, but I always say I’d prefer quality over quantity – it’s much more important to enjoy what you’re reading 😊

      Like

      Reply
  15. Pingback: My Favourite Reviews of the Week | 4th May – BookBum

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