April was a good month of reading for me and I was able to read some novels that I have been curious about. From some of the most popular modern books to critically acclaimed, it was a good month of reading. Keep reading to find out what books I read in April!
In April, I was able to read 6 books and I enjoyed all of my book selections. There is no real system in place when I pick a book. I’ll add books to my to-read list and eventually get to them. But unlike many books that I add to my reading list, I did read one that I came across by watching a show. But we’ll get to that when we do. You can see all of the books I read below!
Books I Read in April
- Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann
- Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
- The Three-Body Problem (Remembrance of Earth’s Past, #1) by Liu Cixin
- The Fifth Season (The Broken Earth, #2) by N.K. Jemisin
- Dragonfall (The Dragon Scales Trilogy #1) by L.R. Lam
- The Obelisk Gate (The Broken Earth, #2) by N.K. Jemisin
Killers of the Flower Moon
I started off the month with the biography Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann. After watching the movie, I had to read the book. But to be honest, I knew I was going to read the book after I saw the trailer for the movie. I love history and this book covers an event that I had never heard of before. And Grann does a wonderful job of researching the Osage people and trying to solve cases that were never solved.
The book surpassed all of my expectations and it dives even deeper than the movie did. When I read the book, I appreciated the book focusing on the Osage people instead of the murderers like the movie did. Grann’s goal was to bring to light these horrible event in our history while the movie’s ultimate goal was to sell tickets.
Flowers for Algernon
The second book I ended up reading was Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes. This is a classic sci-fi novel and to be honest, I didn’t even know I had it on my reading list. Whenever I browse or make lists, I end up adding books from these lists and this was one of them and I am glad I added it. Keyes wrote two books in his career and this one is one amazing book.
This novel came to fruition when Keyes was working under Stan Lee and came up with an idea for a comic about increasing someone’s intelligence through an experiment and the aftereffects. I am glad Keyes decided to hold this idea and write a full length novel. You can see the influence of comic books all throughout the book and makes it perfect.
The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin
I first heard about the Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin while listening to a podcast and it piqued my interest. But there were too many books mentioned and I ended up forgetting about it. The next time I heard about it was when I read that it was getting a Netflix show and I figured I’d watch it once it came out. And for the most part, I enjoyed the show and I knew I had to read the novel.
If you like sci-fi novels, then this is a novel that you should read. The ideas in this novel are fun and interesting and I love the different approach of an alien invasion that Cixin writes about. The novel corrects the mistakes of the show even though I know that the book was released first. I was not a fan of the final three episodes of the show and the novel goes a different direction which I won’t spoil. But I did see why the show did not go that route. As always, the book is better and that is very true in this case.
The Broken Earth Trilogy
After reading multiple sci-fi books, I ended up reading three fantasy novels to close out the month. I finally got around to reading a novel by N.K. Jemisin and after finishing The Fifth Season, I was mad for not getting around to reading any novel by Jemisin and have to give her flowers as an amazing fantasy author.
I read the first two books in The Broken Earth trilogy and just wow, the attention to detail by Jemisin and the plot twists make this one of my favorite reads of the year so far. The world building by Jemisin is amazing and the world she creates is complex but Jemisin does a wonderful job of slowly explaining it all in a way that isn’t overwhelming.
Only after I read the final book in the series, will I be able to determine where I rank this fantasy series on my all time favorite list. But I have to say, it is going to be pretty high and drastically change my lists.
Dragonfall
Lastly, I ended up reading Dragonfall by L.R. Lam, a fantasy novel that is told from the point of view of a dragon as well as a human. And it is an interesting concept that Lam does a decent job with. But the novel is ultimately a heist novel and there isn’t as much world building as I would have liked. And while I enjoyed the novel, I won’t be continuing this series.
Conclusion
These are the book I read in April and as you can see, I mostly read sci-fi and fantasy novels. That wasn’t my intention but with so many amazing sci-fi and fantasy books out there, I am glad I was able to read a bunch of them. And I do enjoy reading a nonfiction book here and there and Flowers of the Killer Moon was a great choice.
Now I have to read 3 Body Problem and I wasn’t planning on it. I really enjoyed that show and liked the ending of the season. Please please please be a Season Two!
I watched The Peripheral recently and then read the book. Both were disappointing but I want there to be a Season Two of that show, too!
Always do to compare the movie and book! Which brings me to… DUNE part two! Have you see that yet? Read the book? It’s one of my favorites.
I really recommend the books especially if you liked the show. They don’t have that drama which felt very out of place in the show. And there will be a season two from the sounds of it. Haven’t read or watched the Peripheral but I’ll check it out. I’ve only read the first books which i enjoyed a lot. I heard the plot of the second book and have avoided it ever since