Books I Want to Read in April 2021

Books I want to read in April kinda snuck up on me as March ended without me really realizing it was ending. I fell behind in my reading a little bit as one book I was reading was long and took longer than I thought to read. In fact, as I write this on April 1, I am still reading that book. March has been lacklustre in my reading goals, but you win some you lose some right?

What I Read In March

So I had said there were two books I wanted to read in March, The Valley of Amazement by Amy Tan, and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. I am reading The Valley of Amazement for a book club I’m in, and luckily I was not the only member who struggled to finish the book on time so we are meeting a little later this month to discuss the book which gives me time to complete it. I also decided to read Tidelands by Philippa Gregory on audiobook, as I could listen to it while doing mundane blogging tasks like creating pins, but I’ve not finished that yet either. I’ve read tons in March, but completed nothing! I didn’t even start the Stevenson novel.

The Valley of Amazement

This book was not what I expecting at all. It’s much sadder than I had anticipated and full of tragedy. Most of the members of my club said they struggled with it because of that. I had read The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan many years ago, and from the blurb on the back of this book, I expected something similar, something more about friendship and sisterhood. So far (and I’ve got maybe a quarter left to read) that hasn’t been the theme. The theme, instead, seems to be loss. And survival. It’s not to say I am not enjoying it, because I am, it is definitely interesting reading and certainly compelling because there is suffering in the world. But it’s a heavier read.

Tidelands

Set in seventeenth century England, when the people rebelled against King Charles, beheaded him and become a parliamentary England, this novel is very interesting. Gregory usually deals with royal settings, but this time our heroine is a wise woman living in a poor village in very poor area called the Tidelands. She has to be careful as some think her herbs are magic, and that she can talk to the fairy people. This is a time when people are fearful of witches and fearful of their neighbours because Puritanism is on the rise. I am really enjoying this novel so far, and I wasn’t sure what to expect from it.

What I Want to Read In April

Well, first off, I need to quickly finish the two novels I am in the middle of! I hope to spend a fair bit of this Easter long weekend reading and hopefully that puts me back on track so that I can really delve into the books I want to read for April. But let’s move on to books to read in April, now shall we?

I Was Anastasia by Ariel Lawhon

So this novel is about a woman who claims to be the Grand Duchess Anastasia of the Romanov royal family of Russia, all of whom was put to death in 1918 by the Bolsheviks. I haven’t done a ton of research on the subject, but I do know that have been rumours that Anastasia survived; movies have even been made about this. What I have discovered is that this is unlikely, but as a historical fictional novel premise, it certainly is intriguing. And, being a bit of a history buff, it’s right up my alley.

The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson

I picked up this novel when the retail stores that weren’t deemed essential were finally allowed to open back up again. That meant I could finally go to the bookstore! Which to me, is like being in heaven. If you’ve never been in a Chapters or Indigo in Canada, the stores are generally a large size and are a mix of gifts and books. You can get beautiful journals there, warm, near to the socks called reading socks, mugs, scarves, wallets and more gift items as well as books. They still have a fairly large fictional section in my local Chapters, and I adore going into this store to browse. But I digress! On my first outing into Chapters, I picked up this novel because it simply captured my imagination. The blurb for The Year of the Witching sounds promising, exciting and political, and best of all, magical. Sooo up my alley!

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

So I think three books in a thirty day month when I am not even done reading the books from last month might be a bit unrealistic, but if I have the time, I will certainly be reading this classic novel. However, I doubt I’ll get to it. But, stranger things have been known to happen so you never know.

What are you reading this month? Do any of these novels sounds interesting? Share your thoughts in the comments!