April has come and gone and we’re once again in the middle of spring in Seattle—a welcome mix of rain, sunshine, and everything in bloom. Every window in our house looks out onto a gorgeous explosion of color whether it’s a crimson rhododendron outside my office or a front yard carpeted with pink cherry blossom petals, looking like the aftermath of some joyous event.
Thankfully, my reading has been happy as well; one of the best reading months of the year so far. I finished 14 books and all of them were successful reading for me. Definitely a cause for celebration as reading continues to be a vital component of my mental health.
Cat's People by Tanya Guerrero
Published by Delacorte Press
Publication date: April 1, 2025
Bookshop
One cat and five strangers come together in this debut novel. Cat is a stray who survives with the help of a local woman who leaves him food and water as well as a cast of neighborhood residents who interact with him. What begins as strangers helping a homeless cat ends with five people becoming friends. Uplifting message, but not my favorite style of writing.
Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito: My review
Killer Potential by Hannah Deitch
Universality by Natasha Brown
Published by Random House
Publication date: March 4, 2025
Universality was a poor choice on my part. I thought it would be satire, maybe even a farce about tropes in modern day society, but it hit too hard in ways I can’t digest right now. One of the main characters is an iconic conservative columnist who talks about how she plays to her readers, giving them what they want to hear with no thought to the truth or facts. Every character seemed to be more of a caricature. I like my satire performed with more of a scalpel than a sledgehammer so while it may have a trenchant message, it gave me a headache and I DNFed at 20%.
Three Days in June by Anne Tyler: My review
Anything is Possible by Elizabeth Strout: Review to follow
When the Going Was Good: An Editor's Adventures During the Last Golden Age of Magazines by Graydon Carter, James Fox
Published by Penguin Press
Bookshop
I have loved Vanity Fair magazine for decades so Graydon Carter’s memoir of his years there as editor-in-chief was as interesting as I expected. This is not just a witty behind-the-scenes look at a lost time in magazine publishing but a diary of some of the most iconic moments of the 80s and 90s. Fascinating and dishy.
That’s it for my April reading. How was your reading? Anything great I should know about?
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*I received a free copy of these books from the publishers in exchange for an honest review.*
Oooh, Catherine, I completely forgot about the Graydon Carter book – I’m adding that to my list! Those were the days when I eagerly anticipated my physical copy – in the mail…those were the days – of Vanity Fair. I’m so glad you had a nice reading month!
Our physical copies of magazines and books! Thanks you so much for stopping by. I hope you’re doing well.