Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: April 2021

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Read my full disclosure policy here.

Curious to know what I’ve been reading over the past month? Check out this post for my monthly reading wrap-up featuring 30 books!

Here we are again, another monthly reading wrap-up. I realize I’m a bit late getting this up (we’re already a third of the way through MAY, after all!)-it’s been a bit busy on the job front and I’ve been a little too exhausted to write much.

However, April was an excellent reading month-I managed to finish THIRTY books! (This is in large part due to the discovery of a new cozy mystery series, which I absolutely flew through.) I am hoping this will be a bit of insurance for any potential reading slumps I experience during the remainder of the year.

As always, I won’t be summarizing books here; I just want to give my quick thoughts and impressions on each book. So, if you want a summary, I recommend you check out Goodreads (and if you want to be my friend on Goodreads, you totally can!); book titles link to Bookshop, and if you decide to purchase any of the books from the site, I will get a small commission. Anyway, if you want to know more about the books I finished in April, let’s get started!

The Flip Side by James Bailey

This book was just okay. I generally don’t love books written by men with male main characters, and this was no exception. Although I read it so long ago that I can’t remember exactly what annoyed me about the book, I definitely felt like it was a bit of a chore to get through.

Kisses and Croissants by Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau

Based on the cover of this book, I was expecting a fluffy and adorable rom-com. It was actually more serious than I expected-not that it was bad, just unexpected. There was definitely a lovely romance, but I feel like it was definitely more focused on the main character’s love of and relationship to ballet. Since I tend to love books about dancers, despite having no rhythm myself, this was a hit for me.

10 Truths and a Dare by Ashley Elston

I LOOOOOOOVED 10 Blind Dates so, so much, and I was eagerly anticipating this companion novel. I’m happy to say that it did not disappoint! While I absolutely do not care about golf, and thus found it unfortunate that the love interest was so invested in such a boring sport, the rest of the story was just as adorable and hilarious as 10 Blind Dates. I perhaps did not snort laugh quite as much throughout this one, but honestly, I would read it just to spend more time with that big, ridiculous family.

From Little Tokyo, With Love by Sarah Kuhn

I’ve never cared much about southern California, but this book actually made me want to spend time in LA. Plus, you know I love the ‘famous person and non-famous person fall in love’ trope. In addition to that, this book had a fair amount of mystery and intrigue, as well, and some complex family dynamics to make the story even more interesting. Overall, would definitely recommend-I would say I loved the author’s previous book, I Love You So Mochi, just a little more, but both are excellent choices to read this month if you want to support Asian/Asian-American authors!

The Throwback List by Lily Anderson

I love anything with a list that needs to be accomplished, and this was no different. It was a cute book about figuring your life out when things don’t go the way you planned and reestablishing connections with old friends. Also, the Oregon setting was so lovely!

Perfectly Parvin by Olivia Abtahi

Oh boy did I love this one! First-younger main character in a YA book; we don’t get those all that frequently and Parvin was a total delight! Second, hilarious to the point that I was laughing out loud while reading on the subway. Third, the humorous moments and amazing voice were complemented by serious explorations of high school relationships, and the treatment of Iranians (and, more broadly, brown and/or Muslim people) in the US. I want a million more stories about Parvin as she continues through high school.

Don’t Breathe a Word by Jordyn Taylor

This is an excellent mystery in the vein of Truly Devious; with its elite school setting and dual timelines, it is the perfect recommendation for people who are finished with Maureen Johnson’s series and just want more boarding school mysteries (though fans of other mysteries like People Like Us and Ace of Spades will, of course, also want to check this one out).

Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala

So I finally got a Book of the Month box (I signed up earlier in the year, as per my 2021 reading goals, but this was the first month I was actually interested in any of the selections), and this was one of the books I chose! I love a good cozy mystery, though I have to say I generally like to read series that already have a bunch of books so I can do a bit of a marathon. It’s unfortunate that Arsenic and Adobo is the first in the series because I want to read more! I’m definitely interested to see how the different relationships develop as the series progresses, as well as to read more about delicious Filipino food (although you can find cozies about pretty much anything, I tend to stick to those that feature food or books).

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

This was my second Book of the Month choice-although I enjoyed Emily Henry’s first adult romance, Beach Read, enemies to lovers isn’t exactly my jam, so I was much more intrigued by this book. I love anything that involves travel, and honestly reading about the trips in this book was as entertaining for me as reading about the romance (have I mentioned that I can’t wait to travel again?!).

Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare

Well, I’m continuing to toil away at catching up on Shadowhunters books-at least I’ve gotten to the most recent series with this book. Despite the fact that historical fiction isn’t my favorite genre, I have tended to like the historical Shadowhunters series better than the present-day ones-The Infernal Devices is my favorite of the series, and The Last Hours might be moving into second place. I enjoyed the new main characters in this series, as well as getting to see more Tessa, Will, and Jem, though I think a number of characters are making some bad choices, and I’m a little anxious to see where things go when I get around to reading Chain of Iron.

The Bakeshop Mystery series by Ellie Alexander

Yes, I read this series *in its entirety* (well, all of the books that are published/soon to be published, anyway) in April. I told you I like to marathon a good cozy series, didn’t I? I’m not going to do a recap of my thoughts on every single book-if you read cozies, you know that, as lovely as they are, they can be a bit repetitive/formulaic, and I just don’t think it’s necessary. I will say that if you’re looking for easy books to read, that won’t take you much time, won’t be too hard on your brain, and will give you delicious descriptions of baked goods and coffee drinks, then this is a good series to check out. I flew through them, and yes they’re a bit repetitive, but the baked goods aren’t! Plus I loved the young employees of the bakeshop probably more than the main character. And I now want to move to Ashland, Oregon.

Kate in Waiting by Becky Albertalli

I was actually lucky enough to read a digital ARC of this a few months ago, but decided to reread it after attending a release day virtual event with Becky and Julian Winters. And it was as delightful the second time around as it was the first, I’m happy to report (honestly, Becky books are comfort reads for me-I can’t tell you how many times I’ve reread Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda). If you were a theater kid in high school, or love a good ride-or-die friendship, you’ll definitely want to read this (and even if you weren’t/don’t, it’s Becky Albertalli. READ IT.).

Mercury Boys by Chandra Prasad

I read this to review for a review publication so I’m not going to give a ton of detail here-but basically, it was…good, but weird. I probably wouldn’t have picked it up on my own, but I didn’t hate it, though I did think the main plot of the story required a fair amount of suspension of disbelief and the toxic friendship aspect could have been emphasized more. Anyway, if you like dark friendship stories with just a hint of magic, you may want to read this one.

Fishing for Trouble by Elizabeth Logan

Yet another cozy mystery, I KNOW. But, set in Alaska! In a diner! Like I said, if there’s food involved, I’ll read it. And most likely I’ll develop wanderlust and want to visit the fictional establishment and/or town. As is the case with 95% of the cozies I read, this was perfectly fine, I’m sure I’ll read the next one, etc.

When You Get the Chance by Emma Lord

Listen, friends, I have zero self-control when it comes to Emma Lord books. I loved Tweet Cute SO MUCH that if there is a new book of hers available as a digital ARC, it does not matter one bit if it isn’t out for months and months or if I have tons of other books I should be reading-that book instantly goes to the top of my TBR list. And so it was with this book, which was, as all of Emma Lord’s books have been thus far, a total delight. She’s so good that I don’t even feel my hatred for enemies to lovers as strongly as I usually do! Anyway, while Tweet Cute is still my all time favorite Emma Lord book, this one was *almost* as hilarious and, as a bonus, it’s another theater kid book-so if you read and loved Kate in Waiting, then you can add this to your list! (This book also gets bonus points for its amazing NYC setting and a Jonas Brothers-esque boy band. Also for making me want to watch Mamma Mia!).

Tweet Cute by Emma Lord

So, just the slightest allusion to Tweet Cute in Emma Lord’s other book, When You Get the Chance, was enough to make me want to revisit those characters again. And so, I did! Tweet Cute is one of those books, like Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda and Fangirl, that I consider comfort reads, and will reread often, sometimes even multiple times a year. And they continue to hold up! (Yes I know there are issues with the author of Fangirl, but I still love Cath and Wren.) Anyway, this is hilarious and adorable and will make you hungry, and if you haven’t read it yet, why not?!

Bonds of Brass by Emily Skrutskie

After failing to finish a sci-fi book in the month of March, I finally got my act together and read Bonds of Brass this month. If I’m going to read sci-fi, I definitely prefer a good space opera, and this one did not disappoint. I mean, some things did disappoint (*ahem* colonizer behavior), but overall this was fast-paced and action-packed, and my only regret is that I DEFINITELY thought the sequel was already out so when I got to the HUGE plot twist at the end and realized it WASN’T out, I was very disappointed.

May the Best Man Win by ZR Ellor

Always trying to read more books with trans rep, and the idea behind this book (two people who used to be in a relationship competing for homecoming king) sounded really fun to me. To be honest, while I liked the story, I really didn’t like either of the boys (it’s told from the perspectives of both boys running for homecoming king). They were absolutely flawed in a realistic manor, I just got tired of their bad behavior toward others throughout the book. Also, I know the author is trans, but I don’t know if he’s autistic, and some of the autism rep seemed…not the best to me (keep in mind, of course, that I am neurotypical and people who are neurodiverse may have completely different thoughts on that!)

Ok then, there you have it-all of the books I read in April! Tell me, what was the best book you read last month?