Reading Lately – April Book Review

Either I have just found the right books to keep me entertained or I’m making more time to read. I added four more books to my list this month and can’t wait to share them with you!

Amazon: Margaret Jacobsen is just about to step into the bright future she’s worked for so hard and so long: a new dream job, a fiancé she adores, and the promise of a picture-perfect life just around the corner. Then, suddenly, on what should have been one of the happiest days of her life, everything she worked for is taken away in a brief, tumultuous moment.

In the hospital and forced to face the possibility that nothing will ever be the same again, Maggie must confront the unthinkable. First there is her fiancé, Chip, who wallows in self-pity while simultaneously expecting to be forgiven. Then, there’s her sister Kit, who shows up after pulling a three-year vanishing act. Finally, there’s Ian, her physical therapist, the one the nurses said was too tough for her. Ian, who won’t let her give in to her pity, and who sees her like no one has seen her before. Sometimes the last thing you want is the one thing you need. Sometimes we all need someone to catch us when we fall. And sometimes love can find us in the least likely place we would ever expect.

My thoughts: Seriously would probably give this book more credit had it not been followed by two amazing books. This is a story of grief and love lost and determination. I had some serious anger issues at the fiance and his mother I’ll tell you that! It was easy to feel for the main character and imagine how you would react if something like this happened to you. This is an easy read with a sweet ending.

Amazon: Dannie Kohan lives her life by the numbers. She is nothing like her lifelong best friend—the wild, whimsical, believes-in-fate Bella. Her meticulous planning seems to have paid off after she nails the most important job interview of her career and accepts her boyfriend’s marriage proposal in one fell swoop, falling asleep completely content. But when she awakens, she’s suddenly in a different apartment, with a different ring on her finger, and beside a very different man. Dannie spends one hour exactly five years in the future before she wakes again in her own home on the brink of midnight—but it is one hour she cannot shake. In Five Years is an unforgettable love story, but it is not the one you’re expecting.

My thoughts: Another great read! I loved In Five Years and couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. It is a sweet love story but not the one you will be expecting. I truly thought I had it all figured out right up to the end.

Amazon: In his most vulnerable book to date, Chip Gaines shows us how to build relationships that pull us into a life of meaning, joy, and connection. It happens by being intentional about choosing the company we keep. Chip explains the value of seeking out people who are electrified by living according to their purpose, who will stand beside you as you tackle new challenges, who bet on each other instead of the status quo. The key is being true to yourself, figuring out what you want to do with your life, and finding people who will lift you up along the way.

My thoughts: I was gifted an audible version of this read and I’m so glad I was! It was such a great listen and I honestly wish I had the hardcover instead because there were so many takeaways. Of course I’ve watched the shows and even knew a little more about their story (cue that one time I met Chip in person), but there is so much more behind the man. This book dives in deeper to who he is and why connections are important to him. I loved that several sections were actual accounts by others of Chip; his mom, inlaws, sister. So good! I think No Pain No Gaines would make such a great gift for Father’s Day as well if you have a guy in your life who is a reader.

Amazon: The Four Winds is a rich, sweeping novel that stunningly brings to life the Great Depression and the people who lived through it—the harsh realities that divided us as a nation and the enduring battle between the haves and the have-nots. A testament to hope, resilience, and the strength of the human spirit to survive adversity, The Four Winds is an indelible portrait of America and the American dream, as seen through the eyes of one indomitable woman whose courage and sacrifice will come to define a generation.

My thoughts: This was my first Kristin Hannah book but I know for certain it will not be my last. I have never found a historical fiction book I loved as much. She wrote this book in such a way I could really feel what it was like to be there. I was cheering for Elsa so hard the entire way as a mom, as a woman, as a human being. You need to read this book! I really feel like in light of our last year, while nothing like the Great Depression, had some similarities too. I could easily see this being my favorite book of the year.

So what’s on my list next? I downloaded samples of Still Me, After the Rain and I Liked My Life and have enjoyed each but haven’t committed to purchasing yet. Everyone has recommended I read The Nightengale by Kristin Hannah next and a friend is loaning that to me! Also, thanks to sweet reader, I logged on and signed up electronically for a library card and have 3 books on hold. It has been way too easy to add to cart and just download a book and I need to be more mindful of how much that adds to our budget!

What are you reading that is a must for me ever growing list for books to read in 2021?