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Alright, folks, I’ve got an odd rating system. The star emoji is my take on an unbiased review. This is for world-building, character development, writing, and more of the like. The cowboy emoji is for how fun the book was, regardless of how “technically good” it was. This is a couple of weeks late for April, but I hope everyone enjoys it!
Million Dollar Weekend by Noah Kagan
🤠/5
A self-improvement book on how to start a business. This book covers how to find a million-dollar idea, how to test if it’s a good idea, soft launch, and officially launch your business.
This is a surprisingly helpful book. One of the best, most unique, chapters discussed how to find the million-dollar idea. It’s backed up with statistics that can be analyzed; something new for self-improvement books. Unfortunately, I’ve set my heart on something bound to keep me poor (writing), so I won’t have any million-dollar weekends anytime soon.
One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
🤠🤠🤠/5
Elspeth Spindle has a monster in her, and it might get her killed. The Kingdom of Blunder is hunting people like her, people whose veins run black with the magic in their blood. Out of desperation for a cure, she joins a treasonous group of royals. They must accomplish something none have achieved in hundreds of years. With a looming deadline and Elspeth succumbing to the monster, they must make desperate decisions to survive.
One Dark Window was a fun adventure. I loved reading about Elspeth’s struggles with the monster in her head. She was brave, smart, and willing to put herself in difficult positions for her friends. My one problem with the book was the romance if you can call it that. The love interest didn’t feel fleshed out, and every interaction felt shallow. Hopefully, book two will remedy this, as I bought it immediately after finishing the first one.
Longitude by Dava Sobel
⭐⭐/5
🤠/5
This book details the history of longitude and our issues with tracking it on the sea. John Harrison not only fights to discover a way to track longitude but also the prize money that is rightfully his.
I don’t know why all books about the ocean or pirates have been incredibly disappointing, but this is another one added to the list. This book starts strong by explaining the importance of longitude and why it’s a struggle to track it, but quickly falls off due to its lack of details.
Dava Sobel describes the two types of people fighting for solutions: timekeepers and astronomers. After this, the book fizzles out. We are told only the basics of John Harrison and skip over his entire life in the span of twenty pages. For a book that should be about Harrison, it puts him as an afterthought in every way.
Rarely do I say this about nonfiction, but it should have been longer. I wanted to be taken on the adventure of discovery with Harrison, the anger when he was rejected, and the hatred of his nemesis. This felt like reading a history book instead of a semi-biography.
The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
🤠🤠🤠🤠🤠/5
Our narrator awakes with no memories, no idea who he is, and then witnesses a murder. Soon, he discovers he is reliving the same day as eight different hosts. His key to escape? Discover who murders Evelyn Hardcastle at the end of every day.
I had no idea what was happening the entire time, and it was amazing. It’s a rare occasion when I can’t guess the ending and most of the twists in between, but every single time, it felt like getting slapped.
This isn’t a low-energy book. There are several small details to keep track of, but the effort is well worth it. I flew through this book in one day, only broken up by a desperate need to eat before getting right back into it.
The Women by Kristin Hannah
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
🤠🤠🤠/5
Francis McGrath is the perfect 1970’s daughter. Her life is laid out before her: become a nurse, get married, have 2.1 kids, and live the rest of her days out as a loving wife and mother. She does not want it. In an attempt to reclaim her autonomy, she joins the Army as a nurse and ships off to Vietnam to save the soldier’s lives. But war isn’t as glamorous as she thought, and coming home provides new challenges at every turn.
Kristin Hannah is my favorite historical fiction writer. I’ve loved every book of hers, and this is no exception. She excels in writing complex relationship dynamics. This shows in Frankie’s relationships with her family, friends, and especially her relationships with men.
Her journey was heroic, heartbreaking, and unforgettable. Anyone who is a history nerd or loves reading about women’s forgotten contributions in history will take great delight in reading this book.
Meet Me in the Margins by Melissa Ferguson
⭐⭐⭐/5
🤠🤠🤠🤠🤠/5
Savannah Cade is an accomplished editor at an old-school publishing agency. At Pennington, they only publish real literature and nonfiction works, none of that commercial fiction like romance. They’re above that, except for Savannah, who has secretly been writing her romance manuscript that could get her fired.
When she leaves her manuscript in a secret room at work, she finds notes in the margins from a mysterious editor. With only six weeks to turn in a new manuscript, she desperately works with her mystery editor to finish her romance. The more notes they pass, the more she falls for her editor. Now, she just has to figure out who it is.
Is this the most well-written piece of literature? Is it a complex exploration of the publishing industry and its relationship to the modern era? No. Did it have some cringe-worthy moments that made you roll your eyes a little? Absolutely. But when I tell you I had more fun with this book in four hours than I have with all the other books this month combined, I’m not exaggerating.
This isn’t a mind-blowing book. Some of the characters are slightly flat, and I wish we had seen more of the love interests’ backstory, but it’s just fun. I loved reading it. This book takes you on a fun little adventure with a cute romance that leaves you feeling all sorts of smiley. And that’s ok.
Conclusion
That’s it for April. For those who read my April TBR, you’ll see that I made my goal of three books that were under my nightstand! I attribute this to the fact I was laid up for three days straight after food poisoning (long story, but entertaining). On to the next month, where my reader’s block has officially crumbled because of Melissa Ferguson. Sometimes, you just need a mediocre book to remind you why you read.
Did you make your reading goal this month? And does anyone have a good pirate book recommendation? I’m going to the ocean this month and like to be on theme. Leave a comment below and let me know! Thanks for reading, if you want more bookish and travel content join my newsletter! I send reviews, travels, activities, and more every month. Stay brave!
