I have to say the April reads were good but not particularly memorable except one or two. I also realised that this month was the first time I read male writers.
Fiction
1. The Whisper Network by Chandler Baker
Now this book had a blurb that totally pulled me in. Its deals with women in the legal team of a company and tells the story of a group of four women and the sexism they face – with a creepy boss thrown in for good measure and a #metoo reckoning. Like all good juicy reads, its ends in the murder of the creepy boss.
I really like the different kinds of women working in the company that the book manages to portray. I think they did a pretty good job of showing their distinct characters. I did think the plot went a little awry and for sometime in the middle there didn’t appear to be any kind of direction the book was moving to, but I enjoyed the feminist legal thriller it was.
2. False Witness by Karin Slaughter
This was a hard book. Not hard to read, it was a great read but it has some really intense and difficult topics covered, so major trigger warnings. I did think the pace of the book could have been faster or rather there are some parts that could have been edited a bit. I did find the very detailed and extensive descriptions of drug abuse disturbing to read but also a little unnecessary and repetitive. But the plot is one you can’t help but get involved in. I did want the legal angle to be a little more and was disappointed its didn’t have more prominence in the book.
3. Other Parents by Sarah Stovell
I really enjoyed this book. Its an idyllic setting – a small village in the UK showing the lives of the parents and children based around a school. You hear the perspective of the headteacher, the teenage sister, the lesbian mother and the poverty stricken single parent. I really enjoy how the stories showed the different perspectives, prejudices and small town politics. It brings up some hard issues through a seemingly easy going life.
4. Victoria Park by Gemma Reeves
I wasn’t sure if it would be more appropriate to include this under the ‘short stories’ category or not. Its a series of short stories about characters living around Victoria Park in London. The main character of one story is a side character in another’s, although there are a few characters with more substantial roles than others.
I usually enjoy books dealing with people’s lives, without an intricate plot outlining it but I did think this felt a little flat. I enjoyed some of the stories and thought the way passage of time was shown was clever.
5. Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson
Really loved this one. A lovely easy read about a couple and their meeting, friendship and relationship. It was almost like reading someone’s diary – it was such a realistic portrayal of a young couple relationship in London. It totally transported me to warm summer days in London sitting drinking in London parks. Its the perfect read to get ready for summer.
6. The One by John Marrs
The premise of this boo is as original as it gets. There is a test based human DNA which you can confirm your soulmate – the one you are supposed to be with. The book deals with people finding out their soulmate and the relationships that come out of it. The relationships that come out outside of the chosen one and how these relationships are seen as inferior. And there is a serial killing psychopath thrown into the mix.
I enjoyed the book but in all honesty, the actual premise of the DNA testing was so interesting, they could have totally done away with the serial killer part of it. I actually found that a little tedious to read through extensively. The details of the killing were a little too graphic for me but also repetitive so it could have been skipped.
Non-fiction
7. Big Magic: Creative Living for Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert
I had heard so much about this book and I was really looking forward to reading it. She discusses theories about creativity with relevant anecdotes, both of which were fantastic. Surprisingly, I do think it lived upto my expectations and the hype. I love how it talks about creativity – it was eye-opening. Infact, as someone who almost never rereads books I would say this might be one for a reread.
Would recommend Open Water and Big Magic unreservedly. The rest was decent enough. I do have a good stack of books I have been looking forward to reading so hoping May will be more fulfilling.
As usual, send me all your recommendations or reviews – always fun to hear if other people have different views on the books you read. Let me know in the comments on Twitter, Facebook and of course, Instagram.
– Anisha
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