Hey there reader fam!
Lately, I’ve been all in my feelings with regards to the Bookstagram community and my personal reading life. Being a public reader, for the most part, is something I deeply enjoy (because hello! I get to do this right here!). But every so often, I get so caught up in “shoulds,” that I forget why I even started publicly reading and sharing my thoughts online. I talked a little bit more about this in my post today which you can see here.
Earlier this morning, I was talking to a friend about audiobooks and how much they have made reading more accessible to us both in the recent year. As a mother, finding the time to prop my feet up and read a book is…pretty much nonexistent. What’s more doable, is being able to pop in one earbud while I do the dishes, answer my daughter’s questions, take the dogs and kiddo for a walk, and other various mundane chores and activities that would otherwise take away more of my reading time.
Recently, I decided that I wanted to have a more balanced reading life of reading physical books and audiobooks, and would therefore not start another audiobook until I finished the physical book that I was reading. As you can imagine, it would take me sometimes up to two weeks to start a new audiobook. I just don’t get through physical books as quickly as I used to. I know that if I chose to wake up at 5am, or stay up late and read, I could get more pages in. But honestly, that just doesn’t work for me and my mental wellness. What does work? Audiobooks.
I don’t understand why I had this notion that I NEEDED to read an equal amount of print to audiobooks. No one was pressuring me to do this, it doesn’t hurt my reading budget, it doesn’t affect my reading experience aside from enhancing it.
Last year I used audiobooks to make my way through my physical library, and I want to make that a part of my reading routine again moving forward.
Recent reads…
Bloomability by Sharon Creech: I sneaked a Middle Grade title in on the very last day of March. I always have high hopes for Middle Grade March, but always end up failing miserably. Bloomability follows a young girl who is “kidnapped,” by her aunt and uncle and sent to an international school in Lugano, Switzerland. Here, she is surrounded by children with different backgrounds, cultures, and beliefs. Here, Dinnie works through opening herself to newness - “bloomabilities,” - and deciding not to close herself off from fresh possibilities. I enjoyed this one, but it didn’t do anything to make it a favorite, or one that I will add to my “loved it” shelf. I listened to this one on audio and liked the narrator! But, the book was just fine for me. I wish it had explored the themes more deeply and in a way that made the narrative more accessible to adult readers as well as children. Buy yourself a copy on Bookshop!
Girl A by Abigail Dean: This was another audiobook listen for me, and narrated by the lovely Ell Potter. GIRL A follows a young girl who was the first to escape the traumatic house of horrors that was her childhood home. This is not a thriller so much as a drama/suspense. I enjoyed that the plot didn’t rely on cheap thrills and predictable reveals to propel its readers along. I didn’t end up loving this one simply because it felt dark yet without meaning or reason? But, I did appreciate that the twists and turns within the narrative were not expected as a part of the plot formula, and therefore when they happened I was just pleasantly surprised by an added plot element. I think if you’re in the mood for something dark and twisty, mysterious, but not “thrillery,” you could really enjoy this one! I think this will land for a lot of literary readers as well. Buy yourself a copy on Bookshop!
We Run the Tides by Vendela Vida: Big thank you to Ecco Books for sending me my review copy of WE RUN THE TIDES! This book sounded really interesting, and it was an anticipated winter release for me. It was pitched as “An achingly beautiful story of female friendship, betrayal, and a mysterious disappearance set in the changing landscape of San Francisco.” I didn’t really get those themes of female friendship through my reading experience, as none of the girls in this book were particularly well developed (individually or relationally) or likable. I don’t mind unlikable characters, but there wasn’t really anything to make us feel connected to these people in a negative or positive way. The girls in this story are 13 years old, and do and say things that I certainly would have never imagined doing and saying at this age. This one definitely had some “Mean Girls” vibes with a touch of Big Little Lies…just with teenagers instead of white, suburban mothers. I ended up feeling very ambivalent about this one in general, but it has received some high praise from other reviewers that I follow and respect. It is literary, and almost on the weird side. It has really short chapters that make it easy to keep turning pages, and the writing in and of itself is very enjoyable. Annie Jones of The Bookshelf really enjoyed this one, and if you’re curious to see why she enjoyed it, you can click here to see her review! Buy yourself a copy on Bookshop!
As you can see, I didn’t really enjoy many of my books from the last couple of weeks, so here’s to hoping that the next two weeks look up from here.
Books I bought recently…
The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware: I’ve been wanting to try more Ruth Ware (specifically this one and THE TURN OF THE KEY), and decided to pick up the mass market copy of this one since it was cheap and I was in the mood to buy a book. Simple as that! I’ve read The Woman in Cabin 10, and didn’t love it, but I’ve heard her later releases are fantastic. Buy yourself a copy on Bookshop!
Take a Hint Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert: I just love Talia Hibbert, and really adored Chloe Brown. I can’t wait to continue on with this series. I hear that the consecutive books in the series get better and better. If you want some inclusive romance to add to your bookshelves, Talia Hibbert is a great author to try. Buy yourself a copy on Bookshop!
Can’t Take That Away by Steven Salvatore: Sometimes, you just want to walk into a bookstore and find a book you haven’t heard of, fall in love with the idea of it, and purchase it. It’s so fun recognizing most of the titles I see in the bookstore, but every once in a while I want to go on a scavenger hunt and find a good book that I haven’t heard buzzed about yet. CAN’T TAKE THAT AWAY is about a genderqueer teen finding the courage to stand up for equality after being discriminated against by their high school administration. It sounds inspiring and uplifting, powerful and important, and I think it also has a swoony romance, so I’m HERE FOR IT. Buy yourself a copy on Bookshop!
Reading plans for April and end credits
April consists of 100% digital reading for me. All kindle and audiobooks, and I’m so excited to tackle this TBR! I’m really trying to focus on the books I already had on my digital TBR before 2021. I’ve gotten too sucked in by all of the Amazon kindle deals, and the Libro.fm audiobook sales, so now I need to make a dent in all of these good books!
I hope ya’ll have a weekend of reading and rest. Thank you always for reading and following along. I love you all!
Xx,
-H