Hey Bookworm friends! At the start of May I was busy with the beginning of Read Indie SFF Month and making my anticipated releases post for May. Now that’s done, it’s time to take a look back at April before I get busy again. In the coming days we’ve got back to back celebrations with my husband’s birthday on top of mother’s day and my mom’s birthday! It’s going to be so fun but zero down-time so let’s get into my Reading Wrap-Up & Monthly Reset now.
April Highlights
- I spent a lot of time with family this month. We had a fantastic brunch and games day to celebrate my grandfather’s first birthday after his death, he would have been 90.
- I went to a huge used book sale they do every year in my area and found a few gems.
- I set up ‘relax mode’ on my phone for the purpose of limiting when I can use Instagram. I used to open the app first thing after waking up but now it doesn’t let me use it from midnight to 9 am and it’s made such a difference for my mental health. No doom scrolling first thing or if I wake up in the middle of the night.
What I Read
April Reading Stats
While I was technically participating for The Magical Readathon in April, I only managed to read two books for it.
Total Books Read:6
| Format Read |
|---|
| 📱E-Books: 1 |
| 📚 Physical: 2 |
| 🎧 Audiobooks: 2 |
| 📖+🎧Immersive: 1 |
| Genre |
|---|
 🐲Fantasy: 3 |
| 😱Horror: 1 |
| 🚀Science Fiction: 2 |
| Book Format |
|---|
| Graphic Novel: 1 |
| Novel: 5 |
The Books
🚀 Frontier by Guillaume Singelin – 📚
One of my friends loved this book so I decided to look for it in my library. They only had the French version and I took it as a sign to practice (I haven’t read a book in French in years). I loved this book, the premise was compelling and the art style was stunning. It took me a while to get through it because it’s a huge book and going through sci-fi jargon in French was not the easiest but so worth it!
🐲 The Vale of Seven Dragons by Jendia Gammon –📱
This was a fun epic fantasy story! I enjoyed my time with it and got invested in the characters and I definitely want to see what happens next in the series. I was lucky enough to interview the author.
🐲Darkest Mercy by Melissa Marr –📖+🎧
Finally finished my buddy re-read of the original Wicked Lovely series with Charlotte. We had a blast talking about this series we both grew up with. While we both felt the ending lacked a bit of explanation, it was still fun overall.
😱 We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson – 📚
Buddy read my first Shirley Jackson with some friends which gave us great conversations. I haven’t stopped thinking about this quietly creepy book since I read it; it really gets under your skin! It certainly made me want to read more by her.
🐲The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst –🎧
I was utterly enchanted by this one, it had everything I need from a cozy fantasy and I thought the romance was so cute. I’m happy to have discovered a cozy fantasy I have zero qualms about. Read for the Magical Readathon.
🚀Please Return to the Lands of Luxury by Jon Tilton –🎧
This was an interesting dystopian middle grade book. It’s about a girl who lives in a junk yard and she finds a nice doll but tries to return it to the lands of luxury. It was full of action but also wholesome and it did make me emotional at certain points. Read for the Magical Readathon.
What I Watched
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Spy X Family, Season 3
This season had too much of what I deem ‘spy stuff’ and not enough family life moments which is what I love about this show so I checked out during the last half of this season sadly.
Hazbin Hotel, Season 2
I had been wanting to watch S2 for a while and it didn’t disappoint. The music is still amazing and I love how the plot progressed. And I remain invested in all the characters, I have such a soft spot for them all 🖤. I also love how the season included flashbacks to their pre-hell lives to see how they got here.
Pluribus, Season 1
My husband and I blazed through the first season of this show so fast! The premise is wild and incredible, I felt for the MC so much, she’s thrust into the weirdest ‘end of the world’ situation and is doing her best to survive. Then everyone around her is kind of gaslighting her into thinking her reaction is ‘too much’ or unreasonable but she doesn’t give up. Honestly I love her character so much, she’s the kind of person I’d want around me in an emergency.
Witch Hat Atelier, Season 1
I watched up to episode 5 with a friend and so far I’m loving the adaptation, it’s doing a fantastic job! The art and animation are incredible, especially in relation to the magic! I can’t wait to watch the rest of the season once it’s all out!
Gaming Highlights of April
My Top Video Game of the Month
Bronzebeard’s Tavern
A short but really fun co-op game where you run a tavern with friends and you serve food to various magical creatures. Every day you set the menu and buy ingredients, serve the customers and upgrade the shop. It’s addictive and fast-paced and I’m sad we finished it already but highly recommend it to anyone who likes cooking games.
My Top Board Game of the Month
Teotihuacan: City of Gods
This is a heavy strategy game in terms of difficulty but we’ve played it a few times and I enjoy it. Now that I sort of know what I’m doing, I want to play more and improve. You use worker dice to gain resources, build technologies, and the Pyramid of the Sun. We’ve also only played the easiest set-up but once you’re an experienced player, there is a modular board that makes things more challenging and I’m curious to try that next time.
Let’s chat in the comments!
What have you been watching or playing lately? Or, have you seen any of these shows?
I love how you chose to spend your grandfather’s birthday. That first one can be tough
Aw, thank you Nic! It was actually really nice to celebrate him like that and yes it can be tough for sure.
Aaah, We Have Always Lived in the Castle is really great. Glad to see you enjoyed it!
Honestly one of the best books I’ve read in a while, I am still thinking about it and was surprised I liked it so much! Thanks, Nicky :D! Glad you like it as well.
I hope you’re having lots of fun reading some of the books from your Read Indie SFF Month TBR 🥰 sounds like a busy month coming up too. I hope the birthdays go wonderfully and that they both have amazing days ❤️ I hope Mothers Day went (I think you’ve had it now 🤔 we have a totally different date for it here) wonderfully too.
Im sorry for your loss but it sounds like a wonderful way to remember your grandfather and get together as a family ❤️
It looks like a great reading month, even if you did only get to two titles from your readathon TBR. I’m sad we didn’t love Darkest Mercy as much as the earlier books in the series but loved rereading the series with you too 🥰 I cant imagine trying to wrap my head around sci fi jargon in another language, I’m impressed!! Im so glad you enjoyed The Spell Shop and hope you love the sequels too. I’m also thrilled that We Have Always Lived In The Castle had such an impact on you. The Lands Of Luxury sounds interesting.
Ooh I’ve seen Pluribus praised before then somehow forgot all about it 🙈 it sounds like an interesting watch. How lovely that you’ve got a Witch Hat Atelier adaptation thats a hit too 🥰
The games sound interesting too, both ones that I haven’t heard of before. I love seeing how many different board games you play. Its lovely and makes me wish I had someone to try some of them out with. We did play a very quick game of Monopoly Sore Losers recently. My niece was adamant she wanted to try it, even though there wasn’t really time. I have a feeling she’s going to insist on playing again next time she’s round too 😂
I hope you have a lovely month and find lots of new favourites from your indie TBR 🥰
Thanks, Charlotte! 🥰 Everyone had great birthdays, and mother’s day was a success too. That makes sense, which day do you celebrate it in the UK?
I appreciate your kind words and yes it was a nice way to think of him 🙂
Yeah that often happens, I plan a tbr for a reading challenge but then other books sneak in and dominate my time lol. 😂
I agree, overall what a fun and delightful buddy read!
Ahaha yeah it helps that I went to school in French for most of my schooling but I honestly hadn’t touched a French book in YEARSSS!! I was able to understand mostly everything, with the help of looking up words pretty often lol.
Aww thanks, I can’t wait to read the sequels and more books by Sarah Beth Durst, I have a feeling I’ll love her other stuff too. Lands of Luxury was interesting I’ll probably read the sequel soon.
hehe there are just so many shows out there but honestly if you ever feel like giving it a shot I highly recommend it, and the sci-fi aspects aren’t very ‘hard science’ so it’s very approachable. & Yess I got two of my friends watching Witch Hat with me now so I’m really happy about that 😛
Ah I’m glad you like seeing which games I play because I often don’t know if I should mention games in a book blog but I decided life is too short to not talk about things I enjoy 😛 LOL Ohh well if I ever come to your side of the world I’d love to play games with you! Aha Yess get your niece playing games early so that she can play games with you when she’s a bit older too! hehe I don’t think I’ve heard of Monopoly Sore Losers but it sounds intense! It’s giving me “Uno No Mercy” vibes in a way. I hope you have a wonderful month too :D!!🥰
Im glad to hear that they were all lovely events 🥰 it changes each year here as its tied to Lent which also changes. It was mid March this year.
I think it happens to us all. At least making the TBRs is always fun though, even if we don’t stick to them 😂
I’m glad you managed okay. I love how easy it is to look things up nowadays. I wouldn’t try reading a whole book in another language but if I get curious about the occasion line, as happened with The Warm Hands Of Ghosts, you can literally hold your camera over it with Google open and it’ll change it for you 🤯
I still need to read Enchanted Greenhouse. And The Bone Maker which has sat on my shelves for way too long 🙈 Hope you enjoy the sequel.
I’ll have to check it out sometime 😊 I’m terrible at getting to TV shows for some reason. And thats wonderful; always lovely having friends to discuss a watch with.
Its lovely to share a mix of what you enjoy on your page 🥰 aww thats sweet of you. Its lovely that shes into all kinds too so she loves video games but also spends time on boardgames too. Ooh I havent heard of that one but the names intriguing. Its the same base game as usual but you get a token anytime you have to do something annoying like pay another player, get a tax, go to jail etc. And once you get four you get to trade them in to be Mr Monopoly until someone else takes it off you. As him everything bads reversed so if you’re told to pay money you get given it instead. Including when you land on someone else’s property. Its fun but can get confusing to remember the new rules. There’s a Cheaters version too where I believe you’re encouraged to do things like sneak out of jail and take another players money without anyone noticing. As I can’t lie I’d definitely fail at that one 🙈
Thank you 🥰🥰
Im glad to hear that they were all lovely events 🥰 it changes each year here as its tied to Lent which also changes. It was mid March this year.
I think it happens to us all. At least making the TBRs is always fun though, even if we don’t stick to them 😂
I’m glad you managed okay. I love how easy it is to look things up nowadays. I wouldn’t try reading a whole book in another language but if I get curious about the occasion line, as happened with The Warm Hands Of Ghosts, you can literally hold your camera over it with Google open and it’ll change it for you 🤯
I still need to read Enchanted Greenhouse. And The Bone Maker which has sat on my shelves for way too long 🙈 Hope you enjoy the sequel.
I’ll have to check it out sometime 😊 I’m terrible at getting to TV shows for some reason. And thats wonderful; always lovely having friends to discuss a watch with.
Its lovely to share a mix of what you enjoy on your page 🥰 aww thats sweet of you. Its lovely that shes into all kinds too so she loves video games but also spends time on boardgames too. Ooh I havent heard of that one but the names intriguing. Its the same base game as usual but you get a token anytime you have to do something annoying like pay another player, get a tax, go to jail etc. And once you get four you get to trade them in to be Mr Monopoly until someone else takes it off you. As him everything bads reversed so if you’re told to pay money you get given it instead. Including when you land on someone else’s property. Its fun but can get confusing to remember the new rules. There’s a Cheaters version too where I believe you’re encouraged to do things like sneak out of jail and take another players money without anyone noticing. As I can’t lie I’d definitely fail at that one 🙈
Thank you 🥰🥰
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