Lisa Reads - April 2018

I only* read three books in April, which might be my lowest month in awhile!**

And of those three books, one was blargh, one was fantastical and fabulous, and one was the heaviest non-fiction I have read in awhile!

Let's recap!

CONTENT NOTE: Blood and Earth deals with real life stories of human slavery, including child abuse, child sexual abuse, torture, and inhumane conditions.

In The Unlikely Event // Oh Judy Blume, what was this even? Most of the book takes place in the early 50s, after a very disjointed introduction to the main character 35 years later. This character - Miri - is a good Jewish girl living in a small New Jersey town that experiences 3 terrible plane crashes, back when air travel was new and glamorous. The story follows every damn person in that town, and their experiences during this time. There were too many characters, the lead was annoying, her boyfriend was a dumbass, and the era just bugged me. I do love Ms Blume's ability to talk about mundane events that happen in every girl's life - first kiss, getting your period, shopping with your friends, having sex - but otherwise this book was a long slog with a ridiculous "happy ending".

If you like Judy Blume, this book might surprise you!...because it's bad.


Golden Age & Other Stories // Set in the same world as her Temeraire series, these stories take place in an alternate 19th century where dragons exist alongside famous historical figures. Clever, witty, and beautifully written.

If you like history with a bit of fantasy thrown in for good measure, Naomi's entire Temeraire series is wonderful. She plays magnificently with the existence of dragons and their use in the navy during the Napoleonic Wars.

Blood and Earth // There is no way I am going to do this book justice with my write up. So here is a blurb from Goodreads:

"...a powerful and captivating examination of two entwined global crises: environmental destruction and human trafficking—and an inspiring, bold plan for how we can solve them."

If you like non-fiction about climate change I recommend This Changes Everything by Naomi Klein, while The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead was fascinating fictional look at slavery in America.

I am so ready for some lighter fare in May, but the two books I have on the go are non-fiction titles! I am going to have to scroll through my TBR lists and see what I can find in the "dystopian fiction" genre to give my brain a break!

xo

FURTHER READING
My full 2018 Book List is linked here. I am at 25 books so far this year!

NOTES
* I realize that "only" is a terrible word to write here, as some people struggle to read three books in a year! Let alone a month. And to be honest, I am still happy and proud and whatever that I read three books, because the last time I checked, three is still a larger number than zero.
** My last lowest book month was February 2015 when I read 2 books.