Looking for some good book recommendations? These are the three lovely books I read in April. And I’d love to hear about anything good you’ve read lately too.
You may also want to read: The 4 fabulous books I read in March
Good book recommendations from April
Just One Wish – Rachael Johns
This book is about life choices, ambition and how difficult it can be to be a woman. Alice is a scientist, activist and mother who made big sacrifices in her life which now threaten to come back and bite her. Her daughter, Sappho, rebelled against her upbringing and chose to marry young, loving her role as mother and homemaker. And Ged is Sappho’s daughter, a budding journalist who often finds herself the mediator between her grandmother and her mother. Something profound happens that unearths a long-held family secret which then threatens to have huge consequences in all of their lives and could potentially tear them all apart. (Yes, it’s pretty dramatic. Hahahaha.)
I loved this book more than I thought I would. Rachael Johns has the ability to tell an intriguing story that kept me reading long past my bedtime. I liked that it is contemporary and believable and that it highlights how difficult some choices can be for women.
Order on Bookshop.org or Amazon
Pineapple Street – Jenny Jackson
The Stockton’s are a WASP, old-money family living in Brooklyn Heights. And this book tells the story of the unimaginable wealth and privilege of this real estate family, the connections their wealth has afforded them and how it affects their relationships. Sasha, who comes from a middle-class family in New England, marries the Stockton son, Cord, and struggles to reconcile their different upbringings as she tries to settle into the family home they were given on Pineapple Street. And Cord’s two sisters – Darley and Georgiana – struggle to accept their new sister-in-law who they cruelly call ‘the golddigger’.
While the subject matter is a little off-putting, Jenny Jackson sheds light on the issues that affect the very wealthy through the experiences of the Stockton family. Yes, these are definitely “princess problems”, but it was interesting to read about, nonetheless. Jackson brings up some real issues and highlights some of the ugly consequences of capitalism.
This book was engaging and eye-opening and while some may find the extreme wealth and elitism awful, it’s good that it’s encouraging some debate around these issues. Worth a read.
Order on Bookshop.org or Amazon
Happy Place – Emily Henry
Ooh, I’d been waiting for this book for so long! So it was a very happy day when it came out at the end of last month. I love Emily Henry’s books so I snapped this one up immediately. And it did not disappoint. This book tells the story of the lives of Harriet and Wyn and their four friends who met during their university days. On their annual friend group getaway to a cottage in Maine for a week, Harriet and Wyn, who broke up six months ago but haven’t told their friends, make a pact to pretend they’re still together for the sake of their friend group. As you can imagine, things do not go well, especially seeing that their breakup was complicated.
Yes, this has a romance theme but with Emily Henry, you also get characters with great depth and realistic issues that feel very genuine. Her books are true escapism taking you right into her characters’ lives. This would make a great holiday read.
Order on Bookshop.org or Amazon
On reflection
April was a slow reading month for me because I couldn’t get into any kind of reading rhythm, sadly. And it wasn’t for lack of good book recommendations. I just wasn’t feeling it. You have times like that, I guess. Do you ever feel like that?
I’d love to hear about any great books that you’ve read lately – please leave a comment for me in the reply section below.
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