Remember me?
It feels like an absolute age since I’ve been here, despite a couple posts sprinkled here and there throughout the month. Things have been so crazy lately between starting a new job, adjusting to a whole new commute, going through a terrible reading/blogging/BookTube slump, and generally planning and plotting other projects. Also, life. That gets in the way sometimes, doesn’t it? I don’t know if anyone noticed I was gone, but hey, I’m here now!
It has been tough going with reading lately — I’ve not had my regular reading time while commuting and I’ve just not been interested in picking up books at home. However, I’ve been trying my best to break out of the reading slump and get my love of reading back. I think it’s working, as about half of the books I read this month were in the last week. I’m still cautious, but I think I’m nearly back to normal.
In addition, I have been concentrating on the bookish podcast I do with my big sister and have super exciting news on that — check out the bottom of this post!
Anyway, to the books!
Books I read
Do You Dream of Terra-Two? By Temi Oh (review)
The Tea Master and the Detective by Aliette de Bodard
The Princess and the Fangirl by Ashley Poston
Before Mars by Emma Newman
The Assassin’s Guide to Love and Treason by Vigrinia Boeker
An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole
My So-Called Bollywood Life by Nisha Sharma (review)
Despite everything, I still managed to get seven books read this month. I’m honestly impressed — it really feels like I’ve only read two or three. I didn’t get a chance to review most of them, but they should all have reviews coming soon. My favourite of the month was probably Do You Dream of Terra-Two?, closely followed by Before Mars. I’m back to reading sci-fi!
Books I bought
Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty
Revelation Space by Alistair Reynolds
Atlas Alone by Emma Newman
Fools by Pat Cadigan
Cage of Souls by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse
The Disasters by M. K. England
Brother’s Ruin by Emma Newman
2312 by Kim Stanley Robinson
Nocturna by Maya Motayne
The Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
Gobbolino the Witch’s Cat by Ursula Moray Williams
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
The City in the City by China Miéville
Viper by Bex Hogan
So the book buying ban didn’t go according to plan. In my defense, I went to a sci-fi author event and then had a day out in London bookshops afterward. And then it was the lovely Asha’s birthday and we went book shopping. So, yes.
Book post
The Hand, the Eye, and the Heart by Zoe Marriott
A Dress for the Wicked by Autumn Krause
Someone Like Me by M. R. Carey
Rage of Dragons by Evan Winters
The Beholder by Anna Bright
Death on the River by Diane Fanning
My book post this month ranges from horror, fantasy, retellings, and even true crime! I think I’m most excited to read Rage of Dragons, which is out later this year, and A Dress for the Wicked. I have already started and set aside Someone Like Me — it’s not a bad book but I just didn’t believe the premise after about 50 pages. I might give it another go later, but for now it is off my TBR.
Another book that is off my TBR is The Hand, the Eye, and the Heart. I was so kindly sent this book by Book Club Box, an amazing subscription service in the UK, but it’s a book that has so much controversy around it that I don’t think I’ll read it. I will, however, talk about my amazing experience with Book Club Box later this month!
Other Exciting Things
I got the chance of my reader lifetime to interview one of my absolute favourite authors on my bookish podcast! Every reader wants the chance to chat about books with their favourite authors and I actually got the chance to do just that! Marvelous sci-fi author Emma Newman kindly joined us on You’re Never Going to Read This, the podcast I do with my sister, and although I was SO nervous (I can’t listen back to that episode without panicking), I’m so proud of us for doing this.
Emma’s books are so important to me because, as I told her while gushing tears from my face at the launch of Atlas Alone, Planetfall was the book that made me decide to finally seek treatment for my severe anxiety and depression last year. This was a huge step for me, as I’ve been struggling with this for about 16 years without professional help, but seeing a character with severe anxiety just in the pages of a gorgeous science fiction book really helped me feel less alone and like I could do this.
So that’s my deep, personal confession of the day.
Listen to that episode. You can find it here or anywhere you get your podcasts. We’re going to be interviewing lots more authors in the coming months — tell us who you want to hear from!
Also, YALC author announcements are up! If you’re going to YALC, definitely let me know. It’s like YA Christmas and one of my absolute favourite times of year. You can take a look at the author announcements here, but I’m super excited to see Temi Oh, Adrienne Young, Christine Lynne Herman, RenĂ©e Ahdieh, and SO many more there!
That’s it for this month! I’m hoping that this reading slump is over and I’ll be back to reading and blogging consistently in May!
I Should Read That 
I’m so happy that you got to meet someone who affected your life so much for the good! That’s really special! And it makes me want to read the Atlas series even more. 🙂
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Do you dream of Terra Two? was my favourite read of the month! I hope you enjoyed it as well!
(www.evelynreads.com)
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It sounds like you had an incredibly busy month and still managed to read lots of books! I have never read Planetfall, but I keep meaning to pick up a copy because it seems like I would love it.
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I read no books in April!! I’m so ashamed, but in my defense, my April was super busy and I went to Disneyland, had two weddings, and went to a Star Wars convention, soo….! Reading “The Bird King” by G. Willow Wilson right now though!
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