April Review and Sunday Post

I can’t quite believe we are at the beginning of May already, one third of the year is behind us already. The Easter Holidays were good and seeing my parents for the first time in a year was a definite highlight.

This week spring seems to be turning into early summer but as this April was the driest on record in the UK this has just meant a slight increase in temperature.

Reading wise, I finished a couple of huge books but then entered a bit of a reading slump which I have pulled myself out of by re-reading the Devvery series by Katherine Kerr for the umteenth time (I have lost count over the years).

The Cuckoo’s Calling (Cormoran Strike, #1)

by Robert Galbraith

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

That was really, really good. I devoured it in a few days after I got about 10% in found it difficult to put down. The dynamic between Strike and Robin give it the special something. The mystery was good too, I didn’t figure it at all, but was kicking myself for it.

Dragonspell (Deverry, #4)

by Katharine Kerr

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

The last of the cycle and probably my favourite of all the books in this world. Good vs evil but with the characters that we know and love with none of the flashbacks that annoy so many people with these books. This is re-read #4 or 5, I have lost count.

Draw Your Day: An Inspiring Guide to Keeping a Sketch Journal

by Samantha Dion Baker

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4 out of 5.

As with most inspirational art books it was a quick read with lots of pictures. It has made me want to draw more, so it’s work is done.

The Book of Lost Names
by Kristin Harmel

⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 3 out of 5.

A bit of a disappointment. It started so well and I was intrigued by this story of a young Jewish forger but somehow it lost it’s way. The romance seemed to be there for no good reason and the character of Remy never really felt like a real person. Eva’s Jewish identity didn’t feel like a congruent part of her personality and her mother was more like a caricature than a real person. Overall it left me cold.

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15 books read in April and this means that I only have 38 books to read this year to complete my goodreads challenge.

The other challenges are getting much harder to fill now but I am on schedule.

Sunday Posts: 

• 4th April: March Update and Sunday Post
• 11th April: The sun continues, but it’s chilly in the shade – Sunday Post
• 18th April: Easter Holidays are so over – Sunday Post
• 25th April: We can go shopping now, but I can’t be bothered – Sunday Post

Book Reviews:

Top Ten Tuesdays

 

I will be linking this to the Sunday Post over at the Caffeinated Book Reviewer, The Sunday Salon at Readerbuzz   It’s Monday What are you Reading? at The Book Date, and because this is a monthly one too Monthly Wrap-Up Round-Up at Feed Your Fiction Addiction and Best of the Bunch over at A Cocoon of Books.