After a very long March, April seemed to fly. We finally took a few small steps toward normalcy, and I read some really good books... only four, but all were four stars or better.
April highlights include//
- getting my second vaccine and reaching full immunity!
- several visits from fully-vaccinated family members
- haircut and highlights... at last
- a trip to the bookstore
- a meal outdoors at a restaurant
- an end-of-season neighborhood gathering
- sunsets at the beach and the Pink Supermoon
Books Read in April//
I read three of the four books from my tentative April list. Instead of the April Shelf Subscription, which turned out to be Libertie by Kaitlyn Greenidge, I opted for a library hold.
- Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata, 4.5/5
- The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith, 4/5
- The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson, 4.5/5
- Infinite Country by Patricia Engel, 5/5
My favorite April book//
May Reading Possibilities//
historical fiction: The Rose Code by Kate Quinn (in progress)
classic: Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison (for T Book Club in June)
nonfiction: In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson (unless I need a break from this time period)
new fiction: the May Shelf Subscription selection... it ships tomorrow!
How did your April reading go? What was your favorite book last month?
Pink Supermoon
April 26, 2021
I got fully vaccinated in April too! I’m looking forward to bookstores and restaurants. I’ve missed them. I hope you have a great May!
ReplyDeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
AJ - Glad you're vaccinated now, too. You'll be amazed at how much you appreciate the return to bookstores and restaurants... it's the little things!
DeleteI bet that haircut and highlights left you euphoric!
ReplyDeleteYou read some good books as well. I felt the same was about March (too long) think it was all the anticipation of becoming fully vaccinated. April flew by for me as well and we ventured into normalcy cautiously. Wednesday we will have our first dine inside fine-dining experience in over a year for our anniversary.
Hope May is a good month for you.
Diane - It was almost ridiculous how happy I felt after that hair appointment! Now for a mani/pedi ;-)
DeleteI didn't read as many books in April, but they were all really good, so I'm content with quality over quantity.
Hope you have a wonderful anniversary dinner... I'll be thinking of you on Wednesday. We've decided to hold off on indoor dining until we're up in NY and CT. The positivity and vaccination rates are both more favorable than they are in FL and I think we'll feel safer there.
I also have Rose Code in my May reading stack and am looking forward to it. Have a great week.
ReplyDeleteHelen - I don't read a lot of historical fiction, but the first 250+ pages of The Rose Code are really good! Hope you enjoy it, too.
DeleteAfter months of despair, it sounded like many found April much better than previous months. Yay, thanks to vaccination!
ReplyDeleteI so want to read Infinite Country. It keeps showing up on my radar and I'm very curious about what's different about its storytelling.
Athira - Yes, April is the most normal things have felt in a very long time. Infinite Country is a tough read, but so good. I'll have a little more to say about it in next weekend's update.
DeleteWow! You had a great month of reading, didn't you?! I was on the fence about Infinite Country, but now think I'll read it. Probably not right away, but later this year sometime. I'll be interested to see what you get with your Shelf Subscription! It must feel like Christmas in May. :)
ReplyDeleteMy favorite book in April was Testimony by Anita Shreve. Commonwealth (Patchett) came in second. I'm so enjoying all these reads from my backlist shelves!
When do you head north again? That will be a fun road trip! Sounds like you'll have a nice long stay there with lots of time to catch up with friends and family.
Les - I didn't read as many books as I'd hoped, but they were all so good! Infinite Country is not an easy read... very difficult issues and circumstances, but it was excellent.
DeleteWe'll head north in late June and are still trying to decide where we want to stop. Guess we're out of practice when it comes to road trip planning! We're planning to stay with my parents for a couple of weeks in early July and again in late September. Between that, we've rented a house in coastal CT for 2 months. Hoping to take some side trips to NYC, Newport, and Boston while we're there.
Looks like you're having a good time being back on the road, too. Hooray for vaccines!
You read some excellent books in April.
ReplyDeleteWe have dined inside a handful of times but with a great deal of distance from others and the handy use of partitions. I get my second shot tomorrow so I've been taking some chances. It's been so nice though to enjoy a meal like a normal person.
Ti - As I'm finally getting to respond to comments, you've had your second shot. Hope your side effects are minimal. We still haven't eaten indoors at a restaurant and, at this point, probably won't until we're back in the northeast this summer.
DeleteHoping my May picks turn out to be as good as the April reads.
Nice reading month, JoAnn. I'm sure you're happy about that, but even happier that life is slowly starting to return to normalcy for you. Things here around Houston have lightened up considerably in the last few weeks, too. It's up to individual business now as to whether or not they require a mask for entrance, and about 90% of them still do from what I've seen. But they don't enforce the requirement nearly as strongly as they did a few weeks ago, so about 5 per cent of the shoppers don't wear a mask anyway. That bugs me a little, but I'm getting out more and more now that everyone in the family is fully vaccinated.
ReplyDeleteI'm still hoping for a summer road trip...but first I have to convince myself that hotels are going to be safe. That will take some doing.
Thanks, Sam. Our governor removed all local Covid mandates earlier this week, but all businesses I've been to still require masks. Except for the grocery store, I haven't seen anyone enter without one. The rates here are still higher than they should be and vaccinations are down... not a good sign. Glad we've all had both shots.
DeleteIt's so nice to hear about all the things people are starting to do again now that they're vaccinated! Happy May!
ReplyDeleteAngela - It really is! I'm enjoying posts about people reuniting with family and friends, and going out to eat again.
DeleteThe Engel book has a beautiful cover. I would like to read it.
ReplyDeleteVintage Reading - I'm sure it will end up being a favorite of the year for me. Will have more to say about it in this weekend's post.
DeleteI think I’ll try the Mr Ripley book. I finished an Andy Weir sci-fi book and a few historical fiction books.
ReplyDeleteI feel like my life is on hold with all the remodel choices. AND I lost my wallet at Home Depot 😃 I’m a woman with no identity now.
Tina - The Ripley book was so well done, but it made me SO tense while I was reading!Make sure you're in the mood for that before you pick it up. So sorry to hear about your wallet... replacing those things is such a hassel!
DeleteYour list of highlights from April is a list of all the things I have been longing to do/have for so long...vaccination...bookstore...restaurant...haircut...gathering. I've ventured out a bit, but I haven't yet attended a gathering or eaten at a restaurant.
ReplyDeleteI loved Infinite Country, too. Four good books is an ideal month for me.
I listed all of my recent reads of the past few months today. I just finished Parnassus on Wheels today, and I'd say that is probably my favorite read of late, simply because it was a book of gentle humor.
Deb - I'm sure Infinite Country will be on my list of favorites at the end of the year. Rough reading at times, but so well written and impactful. Parnassus on Wheels sounds like it's just what I need!
DeleteNeat moon picture. I guess I need to read the Engel novel and I'm curious too about the Convenience Store Woman ... You read several very good ones last month. I'm happy to leave April (not that great) and spring into May. I was blown away by Invisible Man when I read it in the early 1990s. Sometime I need to reread it ... enjoy your books.
ReplyDeleteSusan - Glad to know you liked Invisible Man. It's a book I'd never considered reading and am glad to have the push to pick it up. Hope Stella is improving... poor pup.
DeleteI have had my first dose but there are questions about availability of the second. We have to wait and see in the midst of rising infections here.
ReplyDeleteMy reading is going on apace, at least progress in one sphere!
Mystica - I'm so glad to know you've had your first dose and will keep my fingers crossed that you're able to get a second in good time. Hope things improve there soon. Stay safe!
DeleteVicki - Infinite Country is rough reading at times, but so good. I'm hoping to say more about in this weekend... and will include a trigger warning.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful sunset! Looks like you read some good ones. I really want to read Libertie as well. Looks fantastic. I hope your May subscription box is a hit for you.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Heather. This mont's shelf subscription should have shipped a couple of days ago... can't wait to see what it is!
DeleteOh I love the photo of the super moon! I'm reading Infinite Country and it's so good! That opening right? I hope you've been having a great start to the month!
ReplyDeleteIliana - Infinite Country was excellent! I finally wrote a little about it in my post today.
DeleteI got fully vaccinated in April too though my full immunity didn't start until May. Yay for getting to visit family and getting your hair done. I'm hoping to read some Erik Larson soon. I've really enjoyed his books. Happy May!
ReplyDeleteKatherine - I'm glad you got both of your vaccines last month! You probably have a countdown going as to when you can see family and get your hair done, lol... I definitely did. I hope to read more Erik Larson soon, too.
DeleteTasmania just passed the one year mark without a single Covid case. Our Premiere has had the drawbridge up 😄 A fun Australian podcast you might like to follow is Diving In. Two gen x women friends who post about once a month on books. They are so intelligent and fun to listen to with a few good belly laughs. All the best.
ReplyDeleteWow, that's great, Pam... kudos to Tasmania! I recently started listening to the Diving In podcast and, while still getting to know the hosts, really like it. Thanks for mentioning it.
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