What I Read in April
I can’t believe today is the last day of April already. This month flew by, and it’s hard to believe it’s almost summer. In the spirit of a new quarter and spring cleaning, I started the month re-reading Atomic Habits, which is one of my favorites. My top takeaway is to pair new habits with established habits, like turning on meditation music for bedtime while I brush my teeth). I also read quite a few thrillers (including three new releases and two debut novels), another memoir, the best self-help book I’ve read yet, and found a new favorite author.
what i read in april
only say good things by crystal hefner
4/5 stars
I ended March reading Holly Madison’s memoir and this showed up as another recommendation, so I decided to read it for another perspective of a similar experience.
Comparing the two, Holly’s book had a lot more background information to the mansion regarding daily habits, expectations, and rituals. Crystal didn’t really talk about the other girls or any drama like that in her book.
Crystal’s book is much more introspective, focusing on her emotions and thought processes as she made the decisions she made growing up, at the mansion, and after.
I think the timing of these two books is really interesting and worth noting. Holly published this book while Hefner was still alive; Crystal released hers this January, years after his death. Her book was also released post-MeToo movement, which instigated a major cultural shift regarding misogyny and abuse.
This book was well-written and it made me sad for Crystal, because it seems like she’s been alone for so much of her life, and that played a big role in her why she originally went to the mansion and later returned after calling off the wedding.
Beauty trends change, but Crystal’s message of not placing your worth in outer appearance really resonates, especially with how influential social media and digital filters are today.
Read it here.
the teacher by frieda mcfadden
4/5 stars
This is a classic Frieda McFadden thriller. Multiple perspectives, short chapters, quick pacing, and the characters have strong yet flawed personalities.
The shorter chapters make it really hard to put it down; I finished this in a day.
Without spoiling it, I think this book falls under the “everybody here sucks” category - some characters way more than others, but I definitely felt like this was one of those scenarios that could’ve been avoided if one person made a rational decision.
I’ve seen more thrillers exploring student-teacher affair storylines lately and they completely gross me out; this is the last one for me as I think it’s way too exploitive to be anywhere near entertaining. It’s hard to see past what is clear abuse to get into the book.
Read it here (free through Kindle Unlimited).
daughter of mine by megan miranda
3/5 stars
I love this author but her last few books weren’t my favorite so i went into this with reserved high hopes - I wanted to love it but knew it might be another disappointment.
This is a good small-town thriller; the location is a character in and of itself, which is very true to her writing style.
Some parts of this book were formulaic and predictable if you’ve read her previous work, like lingering remnants of an old relationship.
As far as thrillers go, this is a slow burn with a steady pace. It would be a good vacation read that you can put down between chapters.
The ending is satisfying, makes sense, and wraps everything up nicely.
It was overall a good read that i’d recommend to someone who likes thrillers but doesn’t gravitate towards the darkest, most gruesome plot.
This was better than expected, but I probably won’t jump to read her next book the day it is released. Megan’s earlier work is still her strongest - I reccomend “Such a Quiet Place,” “The Last House Guest” and “All the Missing Girls.”
Read it here.
the one that got away with murder by trish lundy
4/5 stars
This is the author’s debut YA thriller and I read it on release day to support; there’s nothing like the magic of an author’s first novel.
Overall, it was such a fun read. The plot is suspenseful, entertaining, and easy to follow. My only critique is how often smoking was referenced; I didn’t think it was vital for the plot overall and because this is for young adults, it could have been omitted.
I had a suspicion from the start of who did it, but the author does keep you guessing with quite a few believable suspects.
I loved the pacing of how the main character's backstory is told + woven into the present-day mystery.
The ending was good and for a thriller, much more heartwarming than you’d expect.
Read it here.
the orphanage by the lake by daniel j. miller
3/5 stars
This is a steady-paced thriller - not necessarily slow, but not as captivating as others I’ve read.
Some twists are predictable and the plot has definitely been done before.
What I loved most and what made this book refreshing in the thriller genre was that the main character was Korean and how the author incorporated her upbringing into the character development.
Read it here (free through Kindle Unlimited).
you’re too good to feel this bad by dr. nate dallas
5/5 stars
This book is written by a dentist, and covers mind, body and lifestyle - topics range from breathing to money to meditation. It is one of the most comprehensive self-help books I’ve read.
The advice he gives is practical (not woo-woo at all) and the tips are ‘easy’ to incorporate in the sense that you don’t have to change your whole life. They’re habits you can stack into your daily life long as you are motivated, disciplined, and have a plan in place to stick to them.
This is the most comprehensive and straightforward self-help book I’ve read. If you read only read one, this is the book to read.
Biggest takeaways:
Voicing a problem is not the same as fixing it - know what you are doing and be honest with yourself.
“Learn to avoid damaging thoughts and emotions altogether, instead of needing a rescue.” (p. 95)
“We like to blame a lack of resources for our stagnancy, but the thing we are lacking is resourcefulness. We do what we want to do. Do you like to pretend that you are trying?” (p.109)
“Your mind is a crowded storage shed crammed full of thoughts, ideas, emotions, trash, memories, and broken things. It’s not really usable until you clean and organize the workspace. We can enjoy the 25 good things only after we remove the 700 that are causing the clutter.” (p.163)
When it comes to decluttering items that were costly or that you saved up to buy, “the good news is that you won’t have to work so hard to eliminate it.” (p.175)
Read it here (free through Kindle Unlimited).
the girl the dark by j.m. cannon
3/5 stars
This was a solid thriller, but it isn’t a new favorite by any means.
The twists weren’t predictable, and all of the details come together to make sense in the end. The author also does a good job of developing the main characters; you can tell he put a lot of detail into writing this book.
I wish the cult aspect played a bigger role as that’s what initially grabbed my attention.
I just wasn’t as obsessed with this as I thought I would be, but it would make a good tv show, and might be more enjoyable in that format.
Read it here (free through Kindle Unlimited).
the quiet wife by j.m. cannon
2/5 stars
After kind of liking The Girl in the Dark, I wanted to give this author another chance. I immediately liked that the book partially took place in San Diego because I live here, so I felt a little more invested.
I’ve decided that this author is out-there; far-fetched and wild is his vibe. The setting of the book serves as a character in and of itself, and it reminded me of the Stepford Wives movie in some ways.
There were enough red herrings that I couldn’t fully predict the twists and turns; the author does a good job of keeping you guessing and making you unsure who to trust.
Ultimately, this fell short for me. I just couldn’t get behind the overall motive, which felt too unbelievable for me to enjoy the ending.
Read it here (free through Kindle Unlimited).
engaged to a serial killer by steena holmes
4/5 stars
This kept my attention from start to finish, even when it got a little repetitive in the middle.
I haven’t seen the premise for a thriller like this before; some details were gruesome but I thought it was overall less chilling than other thrillers. If I had to compare it, I would say it read more like Law & Order than Criminal Minds because it was a little more passive in writing style.
The author does a good job balancing flashbacks with present day to bring the story along. The pacing was good, if a little slower than what I’m used to.
Every character seemed unreliable and shady; you wanted to root for the protagonist but couldn’t fully trust her based on her past and I like that the author pushed you to question why you didn’t trust her. The extent to which you allow someone to change (versus allowing their past to influence your view of them) would be a good book club discussion.
I would’ve liked a little more character development of Lexi and Jordan (no spoilers, just saying).
Read it here (free through Kindle Unlimited).
you know what you did by k.t. nguyen
This is a respectable debut; the author really has a way with words but this will feel quite slow if you’re used to fast-paced thrillers.
It’s marketed as a thriller, but this read more like a drama with thriller/ horror elements. The author utilizes an unreliable narrator and flashbacks add to the tension and twists, but the OCD descriptions are what mainly add eeriness to the plot.
The author does an incredible job introspectively exploring intergenerational trauma and the nuances of complicated mother/daughter relationships - I think this added a lot of emotional depth, but took away from the consistent build of tension that you expect out of a thriller.
TW for animal cruelty and OCD; I won’t reread this as a result.
While I hoped I would be wrong, I guessed the ending early on and found it to be a bit of a letdown.
Read it here.
little secrets by jennifer hillier
5/5 stars
The intensity and tension is present from the very first chapter. It’s a longer thriller but doesn’t feel like it drags or gets stale halfway through.
I loved the connection between all the characters; you can tell the author put a lot of thought into buildinging their backstories and how they’re presented throughout the book. I want to read it again for those details knowing how it ends.
Some aspects of the plot seem a little predictable or unoriginal/ overdone at first, but the author develops them in ways that feel fresh, emotional, and purposeful.
This author has a very strong attention to detail and pulls everything together to have a full-circle, thought-out, and satisfying ending. The quality of this thriller is much higher than a lot of what you find on Kindle Unlimited - definitely my new favorite author, and I can’t wait to read the rest of her books.
Read it here (free through Kindle Unlimited).