Reading Lately – April Book Review

It seems my body has needed more rest in April which tends to mean less fiction as I typically read fiction on my kindle to relax before bed. I only logged two fiction books but apparently am bright eyed and bushy tailed in the mornings and this is when non fiction tends to live for me. My tendency at work is to stay in my office the entire day which isn’t the best idea so I’ve been trying to take a couple of short walking breaks during the day. This led me to also listen to one audio book in April. So here is a roundup of what I’m reading lately in the April book review.

Amazon: After serving five years in prison for a tragic mistake, Kenna Rowan returns to the town where it all went wrong, hoping to reunite with her four-year-old daughter. But the bridges Kenna burned are proving impossible to rebuild. Everyone in her daughter’s life is determined to shut Kenna out, no matter how hard she works to prove herself.

The only person who hasn’t closed the door on her completely is Ledger Ward, a local bar owner and one of the few remaining links to Kenna’s daughter. But if anyone were to discover how Ledger is slowly becoming an important part of Kenna’s life, both would risk losing the trust of everyone important to them.

The two form a connection despite the pressure surrounding them, but as their romance grows, so does the risk. Kenna must find a way to absolve the mistakes of her past in order to build a future out of hope and healing.

My thoughts: I grabbed this book for super cheap (free with Kindle Unlimited) while I was waiting on a library hold to become available. While probably not my favorite Colleen Hoover book, it was definitely a decent read and had a character who was easy to forgive and cheer on as she tried to pull her life back together.

Amazon: At twenty-two years old, Sydney is enjoying a great life: She’s in college, working a steady job, in love with her wonderful boyfriend, Hunter, and rooming with her best friend, Tori. But everything changes when she discovers that Hunter is cheating on her–and she’s forced to decide what her next move should be.

Soon, Sydney finds herself captivated by her mysterious and attractive neighbor, Ridge. She can’t take her eyes off him or stop listening to the passionate way he plays his guitar every evening out on his balcony. And there’s something about Sydney that Ridge can’t ignore, either. They soon find themselves needing each other in more ways than one.

My thoughts: This love story intrigued me due to one of the characters disabilities that is not known at first. It becomes a powerful piece of the love story and I thought it was a beautiful read.  

My thoughts: If you have loved other Bob Goff books, you will also love this one! I love his story telling and can only imagine that this would also make a great listen. A hard copy is my favorite because I highlight basically the entire thing! Feeling undistracted alot in recent years and this book really gave me alot of pause for thought.

“We are so distracted by the things happening around us that we overlook what God cuold be doing within us. We need to realign, refine, and reconnect with the greater purpose for ouro lives rather than be distracted by the lesser ones.” Bob Goff

My thoughts: This book was a freebie I picked up at a recent shop and swap event and I really didn’t know a ton about Glennon Doyle prior to reading. This memoir was vulnerable and honest and I enjoyed reading it. Learning how to still honor yourself as a person in all of our relationships gets complicated sometimes and I definitely found some words of wisdom in these pages.

My thoughts: If you are a fan of using the Enneagram as a tool to learning more about yourself, this book really dives into how you may have come to lean on a certain number to survive your childhood. We all have done some level of self-sabotaging to create a way to deal with how we see the world and Ian does a great job of breaking down what this might look like for each number. I highly recommend reading The Road Back to You first as it really does give tons of insight into each number but this book really takes it to the next level of really identifying why this may have becomoe your survival mechanism. I’ve been on a huge mission to undo some of the stories I told myself in childhood so it was a great tool for me. The Enneagram has also led me to understand my children more and also led me to see how some of my imperfect, yet well meaning parenting, led them there.

Amazon: Before Tabitha Brown was one of the most popular personalities in the world, sharing her delicious vegan home cooking and compassionate wisdom with millions of followers across social media, she was an aspiring actress who in 2016 began struggling with undiagnosed chronic autoimmune pain. Her condition made her believe she wouldn’t live to see forty–until she started listening to what her soul and her body truly needed. Now, in this life-changing book, Tabitha shares the wisdom she gained from her own journey, showing readers how to make a life for themselves that is rooted in nonjudgmental kindness and love, both for themselves and for others. Tabitha grounds her lessons in stories about her own life, career, faith, and family in this funny, down-to-earth book, built around the catchphrases that her fans know and love.

My thoughts: If you have followed Tab on social media, then you know she is funny. While I’m not vegan, I do love a mean avocado toast which first led me to her! She has the sweetest voice and so many fun catchphrases. I chose to listen to this book because I adore her voice and it was an easy listen. While I don’t think there was anything profound in this book, I do enjoy listening to other peoples stories and this book was no exception.

Currently on my nightstand are a few new books, Atomic Habits, Finding the Hero in Your Husband and my currently non fiction read Apple Never Falls. What are you reading lately?