Day: May 1, 2021

April Wrap Up & May Intentions

5 Comments

I read 39 books in April, the most of them picture books, 8 fiction and 5 non-fiction. With 3 more kids non-fiction, that means my total ‘adult’ reading was 23 books with my top three genres being mystery/thriller and fiction with 5 each, and non-fiction with 4. The rest of the categories were inspirational, plays, historical fiction, and poetry. I also watched 1 bookish movie, Fences (I read the play in January).

In my quest to finish a book a day this year, by the end of April I’d finished 140 books and 3 bookish movies in 120 days. Obviously, I’m thrilled that this has been doable. It felt like such a huge goal at the beginning of the year and at this point it feels like a way of life 🙂 Picture books have been such a fun surprise for me. The more we read for homeschool the more I fall in love with them. Go check out a stack of kids books from your library and (I recommend putting everything by Virginia Hamilton on hold that they have) and spend a day being a kid again. I read 5 of her black folktale picture books this month and they were entertaining and educational.

My 5 Favorites in April

Win by Harlan Coben
Because I pretty much love everything he writes. This was the first in a series about Win, who we know from the Myron Bolitar series. It’s a fast, witty read that was hard to put down. More here.
The Push by Ashley Audrain
This was our book club pick this month and I loved it. So many triggers to turn people away, but if you love dark and twisty and are willing to feel uncomfortable this is a great debut thriller about motherhood. More here.
Leaving Coy's Hill by Katherine A. Sherbrooke
I loved this historical fiction about Lucy Stone the 1800’s fighter for African-American and women’s rights. A great look at the trailblazers of the time told with heart. More here.
What Unites Us by Dan Rather
A series of essays about America and the values its citizens share. An uplifting book for divided times. More here.
The Wisdom of Sundays by Oprah Winfrey
I used this book of quotes from Oprah’s interviews for my morning reading for the month and always felt a little more centered and ready to tackle the day. Would make a great gift 🙂 More here.

At the beginning of every month I compile a stack of books for the month. I don’t always stick to it (in April I read 20 of the 30 – not bad), but I feel better with a smaller stack to choose from on a daily basis. It also makes me add some healthy reading, not just all fluff. This month I put them on my new office rug. I got it from Etsy and it makes me happy 🙂