Welcome to my reading wrap-up for April, a month for which my high hopes were shut down by my inability to stick to one book. On the plus side, considering I am halfway through two books and slightly into a third as of writing this, I should have a decent month of reading in May if I can manage to finish what I’ve started.
This month, I read three books that were all relatively new to my TBR, so maybe next month I’ll end up doing the opposite. Reading three books a month has always been my sweet spot, and though I wish I could pick up the pace to keep on track with my 50-book goal for 2023, I’m sure I’ll make up for it in the future… maybe. As usual, there’s a decent range in the genres I read, two of which I enjoyed and one that I’m still not sure about.
The Stranger by Albert Camus
Synopsis: Through this story of an ordinary man unwittingly drawn into a senseless murder on a sun-drenched Algerian beach, Camus explores what he termed “the nakedness of man faced with the absurd.” (Goodreads)
Rating: 4/5 stars
Recommended for: literary fiction, novella, French literature.
This novel follows the life of Mersault, a settler in Algeria who seems indifferent to most events around him. No matter what happens to him, his reactions are quite lukewarm, which confused and frustrated me as a reader, which I came to learn as the story went on was exactly the point. I was shocked by how much this novella managed to fit in such a short space, and how much I began to understand and sympathise with Mersault despite what he was going through being kind of unrelatable.
Because of how short it is, I don’t want to say too much to spoil it, though as it is a popular classic I’m sure one Google search will result in many spoilers. Overall, I enjoyed it because it made me think without trying too hard, which I’m always hoping Philosophical books will do. It’s such a drag when a message or way of thinking is presented to you in a guidebook format rather than just presenting you with an issue and allowing you to draw your own conclusions. I would highly recommend it if you’re looking for a quick, thoughtful read.
The Switch by Beth O’Leary
Synopsis: When overachiever Leena Cotton is ordered to take a two-month sabbatical after blowing a big presentation at work, she escapes to her grandmother Eileen’s house for some overdue rest. Eileen is newly single and about to turn eighty. She’d like a second chance at love, but her tiny Yorkshire village doesn’t offer many eligible gentlemen.
Once Leena learns of Eileen’s romantic predicament, she proposes a solution: a two-month swap. Eileen can live in London and look for love. Meanwhile Leena will look after everything in rural Yorkshire. But with gossiping neighbours and difficult family dynamics to navigate up north, and trendy London flatmates and online dating to contend with in the city, stepping into one another’s shoes proves more difficult than either of them expected.
Leena learns that a long-distance relationship isn’t as romantic as she hoped it would be, and then there is the annoyingly perfect – and distractingly handsome – school teacher, who keeps showing up to outdo her efforts to impress the local villagers. Back in London, Eileen is a huge hit with her new neighbours, but is her perfect match nearer home than she first thought? (Goodreads)
Rating: 4/5 stars
Recommended for: romance, fiction, contemporary.
It could be due to my age, considering I tend to read books in which I can relate to the characters, but I’ve never read a romance featuring an older woman. I wonder if splitting this book into grandmother and granddaughter was a deliberate means of forcing people to appreciate the love lives of older people, which are consistently brushed off in society. Regardless of why it was done, I really appreciated it. Alongside that, O’Leary’s demonstration that age does not have to prevent adults from being able to relate to one another was a beautiful message, another that I think we often forget.
The Switch had a heart-warming sense of community, one that is lacking in modern city living. I found the romances in this book to be beautifully subtle and light. There were, of course, hints throughout the novel but O’Leary did not force her characters closer together and their romances felt natural and were a real joy to read. Plus, I am a sucker for an exploration of familial relationships in books. Despite being physically away from each other as they live one another’s lives, Eileen and Leena come to appreciate each other and their daughter/mother respectively because of it. It was a wonderful read and a great reminder that changing your perspective really can change your life.
Layla by Colleen Hoover
Synopsis: When Leeds meets Layla, he’s convinced he’ll spend the rest of his life with her—until an unexpected attack leaves Layla fighting for her life. After weeks in the hospital, Layla recovers physically, but the emotional and mental scarring has altered the woman Leeds fell in love with. In order to put their relationship back on track, Leeds whisks Layla away to the bed-and-breakfast where they first met. Once they arrive, Layla’s behaviour takes a bizarre turn. And that’s just one of many inexplicable occurrences.
Feeling distant from Layla, Leeds soon finds solace in Willow—another guest of the B&B with whom he forms a connection through their shared concerns. As his curiosity for Willow grows, his decision to help her find answers puts him in direct conflict with Layla’s well-being. Leeds soon realizes he has to make a choice because he can’t help both of them. But if he makes the wrong choice, it could be detrimental for all of them. (Goodreads)
Rating: 3/5 stars
Recommended for: paranormal, romance, thriller.
Layla was not at all what I expected, which made me appreciate the vague synopsis more. But I enjoyed the concept more than the execution of it. The early chapters had me hooked, ready for the story to come, but Hoover started to lose me a little bit as the story progressed. While I was still eager to follow Leeds and Layla’s journey, it was mostly to dispel my confusion and reach a resolution as opposed to actually caring about any of the main characters very much.
Leeds was lacking in depth, though he didn’t seem to think so, and that made his character seem quite insincere to me. Not enough information was given about Layla before her attack, and so I felt like the alterations in her behaviour, beyond the usual changes in the behaviour of someone after an accident, were not as clear to me as they should have been. The twist was pretty good, though it did feel contrived and like I had to suspend a great deal of disbelief to go along with it, but overall, I liked the idea. Bizarre is a great way to describe this novel.
Overall, it was not a bad month of reading. To me, any month where I get to read something new and interesting that does not entirely fall flat on its face is a successful one. After dipping a toe into paranormal romance and getting a little deep with some literary fiction, I’m excited to see what I’ll stumble into reading next month.
How did your reading go in April?
Read 'N Riot 