April Wrap-Up

April… what a month. I feel like I’ve been saying this for the past few months but April was really… something. My migraine, rhinitis, and what seem to be tension headaches decided to join forces and kick my ass this month, so I pretty much went through it in a daze. That and the fact that uni intensified a lot—and was likely the cause of the aforementioned incesant headache—obviously impacted my reading.

What I Read

A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf

I recently got my mum back into reading (yay for audiobooks!) and since she picked this up, I thought I’d read it too. I’d been wanting to read something by Virginia Woolf for a long time and, although it didn’t blow me away, this was interesting.

“Isabella, or The Pot of Basil” by John Keats

If you’d asked me a few years ago, I wouldn’t have imagined myself ever classic poetry of my own accord. I’d wanted to read this ever since seeing a painting of this story, and I picked it up for my Pre-Raphaelites post, to talk about that painting specifically. I was pretty intimidated going into it but this was surprisingly easy to follow and I ended up enjoying it quite a lot.

The Embassy of Cambodia by Zadie Smith

I picked this up from the library on a whim because it was short and it seemed interesting. Prior to this I had only read an introduction to another author’s book by Zadie Smith and I wanted to read more. I’m still not entirely sure what I thought of this one, but it was an okay experience.

Heartstopper: Volume One by Alice Oseman

So, I don’t know if you’ve heard but the Heartstopper show came out heh. I obviously had to reread the entire series.

This volume is such a cute introduction to this story and I had a blast rereading it. I don’t know how but this makes me feel so incredibly happy.

Heartstopper: Volume Two by Alice Oseman

The second volume is equally as fantastic, and I’m glad I reread them all because the first time I read them all in one sitting and I didn’t remember where one finished and the other started.

Volumes one and two are what’s been adapted into the first season of the Netflix show.

Heartstopper: Volume Three by Alice Oseman

Ah, this volume is simply a joy to read. It’s the first time we have the entire gang together and this just feels like the utmost feel-good plot. That being said, some heavier topics start being introduced in this volume. It’s hard picking a favourite volume, but the third one is definitely a strong contender.

Heartstopper: Volume Four by Alice Oseman

Finally, the fourth volume is the hardest one to read but I personally adore it. The way Alice Oseman handles some really difficult topics is beautiful and the overall message of this volume is one of hope and love.

Admissions by Kendra James

While I was reading all of that, I was also listening to this as an audiobook. This is a non-fiction about a black student in a mostly white elite boarding school.

I really enjoyed this one and I thought it touched on some very interesting issues. I’ll be writing a review hopefully soon.

The Frogs by Aristophanes

This was my last read of the month. I’d been recommended this play a while back and although I did find it quite funny at times, most of it just felt a bit bland to me. I did think the idea of it was fantastic and obviously its impact is undeniable, so I’m glad I read it.

What I Wrote

Despite all odds and skipping a few posting days, I’m not too mad with what I did manage to post.

• The Chapters and Melodies Tag: A great tag that mixes books and songs.
• Recommending the Literature that Inspired the Pre-Raphaelites: The post I’d been wanting to write ever since starting this blog because it links books and the Pre-Raphaelites!
• ARC Review: The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester by Maya MacGregor: A review for my favourite read of the year so far.
• ARC Review: I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston: A review of one of my most highly anticipated releases of 2022.
• Let’s Talk About Heartstopper: Basically a post that just me gushing some more about Heartstopper.

Blog Posts I Loved

Last month I had barely any time to blog-hop and I was scared this month would be a repeat, but I actually did pretty well in this regard, so here are some of my favourites:

• Phoenix @ Books With Wings wrote a very insightful review of Loveless!
• Ellyn @ allonsythornraxx analysed past goodreads challenges
• May @ Forever and Everly read books that she thought would make her cry
• Lais @ The Bookish Skies wrote an updated discussion on how she uses goodreads
• Rania @ Moonlit Notes wrote about desi representation in media
• Caro @ The Bookcheshire Cat recommended books with autistic characters
• Morgan @ Morgan Is Reading Again talked about how they have changed as a reader
• Vera and Sabrina @ Wordy and Whimsical made a list of some of their favorite book bloggers, which they were kind enough to include me in! And Vera also recommended books for songs she’s been obsessed with recently
• Sumedha @ The Wordy Habitat wrote an incredible review of Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex by Angela Chen
• Lay @ bookshelfsoliloquies talked about some books that scare them
• Nicole @ Thoughts Stained With Ink discussed the importance of commenting on book blogs
• Emily @ Frappes and Fiction wrote about the problem with “problematic”
• Kal @ Reader Voracious tought us how to use post tags correctly and you best believe I’ll be implementing Kal’s wisdom to my blog as soon as I have time
• Bertie @ Luminosity Library wrote a list of 7 fantasy and sci-fi books with autistic characters

How was your month? Did you discover a new favourite book? Did you also read or reread Heartstopper?

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