My reading activity picked up again in April, and there were some winners in the mix!
I only rated one book 5/5 stars — what can I say, I’m a tough audience — but there were enough 4-star reads that I feel more than satisfied with this month’s selection.
Let’s discuss, shall we?


BOOKS I READ IN APRIL – THE SHORT VERSION
- The Nature of Disappearing – Kimi Cunningham Grant ★★★☆☆
- The Good Mother Myth: Unlearning Our Bad Ideas About How to Be a Good Mom – Nancy Reddy ★★★☆☆
- Fragile Designs – Colleen Coble ★★★☆☆
- Killer Story: The Truth Behind True Crime Television – Claire St. Amant ★★★★☆
- Northern Spy – Flynn Berry ★★★★☆
- Trust Her – Flynn Berry ★★★☆☆
- These Silent Woods – Kimi Cunningham Grant ★★★★☆
- What I Ate in One Year (And Related Thoughts) – Stanley Tucci ★★★☆☆
- Double Take – Lynette Eason ★★★★☆
- Go as a River – Shelley Read ★★★★★
- First Lie Wins – Ashley Elston ★★★★☆
- Glucose Revolution: The Life-Changing Power of Balancing Your Blood Sugar – Jessie Inchauspé *not rated
- The House of My Mother: A Daughter’s Quest for Freedom – Shari Franke *not rated
- You Only Die Once: How to Make It to the End with No Regrets – Jodi Wellman ★★★☆☆
- Sleep Reset: The New Tools of Rest & Recovery – Natalie Pennicotte-Collier *not rated

BOOKS I READ IN APRIL – THE LONG VERSION
The Nature of Disappearing – Kimi Cunningham Grant (fiction; thriller) ★★★☆☆
I really wanted to like this book.
The total lack of profanity was refreshing. But I didn’t enjoy the flip-flopping timelines, never felt connected to the main character, and found some plot points underwhelming. It was fine – nothing more, nothing less.
- Summary. Emlyn, an outdoor guide living in an Airstream, has tried to move on from a troubled past and an even more troubled ex-boyfriend. But when he reappears and a mutual friend is in danger, they need to work together — alone and deep in the wilderness. Is it safe to trust him again?
- Trigger warnings. Descriptions of abuse and drug addiction.
The Good Mother Myth: Unlearning Our Bad Ideas About How to Be a Good Mom – Nancy Reddy (non-fiction) ★★★☆☆
3.5 stars, rounded down. (Side note: it continues to drive me crazy Goodreads doesn’t offer half-star ratings.)
Parts of this book were 5/5 — mostly the memoir-style details about Reddy’s own journey through motherhood. But the research-heavy sections dragged, and some topics felt disorganized or underdeveloped.
A specific quibble: One heading titled “From Dr. Spock to Dr. Becky” didn’t mention Dr. Becky at all. Odd.
When Reddy described her own transition into motherhood I was nodding my head like crazy because my introduction to this role was also overwhelming in every way. But there was too much other stuff in the mix to make this read as compelling as I would have liked it to be.
Fragile Designs – Colleen Coble (Christian fiction; thriller)★★★☆☆
Meh. No profanity, and faith-based elements weren’t heavy-handed, but the plot lacked realism and cohesion. Too many tangents and not enough depth in character development. I skimmed the last few chapters.
- Summary. Carly, a grieving widow, finds a priceless Fabergé egg in her grandmother’s attic —uncovering secrets about her late husband and estranged father in the process. Suddenly, her past becomes a threat to her future.
- Trigger warnings. Suicide, infidelity, murder, emotional abuse.
Killer Story: The Truth Behind True Crime Television – Claire St. Amant (non-fiction; true crime; memoir) ★★★★☆
3.5 stars rounded up to 4 because I like the cover. Is that petty?
The first half? Excellent. The rest? A bit long and too bogged down in newsroom politics. Still, a compelling behind-the-scenes look at true crime journalism. A good book, could have been better.
- Trigger warnings. Graphic crime descriptions, profanity.
Northern Spy – Flynn Berry (historical fiction; thriller) ★★★★☆
4.5 stars rounded down to 4.
A slow-burn but engaging novel set in politically volatile Northern Ireland. I finished it in a day, which tends to be a good benchmark for how much I enjoy a book. I think this has the potential to form the basis of a fantastic movie or mini-series.
Some of the prose (especially about motherhood) felt overly poetic and unrealistic to the point of it being distracting. I also think the book would have done well to have a prologue or Note to Readers so those outside the scope of the conflict would have better context for the long-term tensions in Ireland. I appreciated the fact there was limited profanity.
- Summary. Tessa is a new mom who, in addition to balancing the regular challenges of motherhood, is living in the middle of political unrest. Belfast is caught in the crossfire of the IRA and loyalists. One day Tessa spots her sister Marian on the news committing a crime on behalf of the IRA! She refuses to believe her sister could be working for a terrorist organization. But when Tessa learns the truth, she will start doing unexpected and unspeakable things to keep her family safe.
- Trigger warnings. Some profanity, violence.
Trust Her – Flynn Berry (historical fiction; thriller) ★★★☆☆
A weaker follow-up to Northern Spy (read that first – the order really matters). Overused literary techniques and significantly more profanity.
- Summary. Sisters Tessa and Marian are living in Dublin. They’re safe. No one knows about their past, their connections, their crimes. They’ve moved on and their primary focus is tending to their young children. But then one day Tessa is captured, threatened, and forced to become a double agent for the IRA. Who is working for whom? Who can she trust? More importantly, where, when, and how can this dispute possibly end? And could someone she loves become collateral damage?
- Trigger warnings. Profanity, violence.
These Silent Woods – Kimi Cunningham Grant (fiction; thriller) ★★★★☆
A solid read. I wish the “twist” had been more developed — it felt like an afterthought — but I enjoyed the book. There was very little profanity and was clearly written by someone with a faith background.
- Summary. Cooper and his daughter, Finch live off-grid in isolation. No electricity. No family. Just a handful of animals and a whole lot of paranoia. Cooper clearly doesn’t want to be found, but people seem to be looking. First, there’s their nosy neighbour, Scotland, who Finch adores but Cooper distrusts. Then there’s Jake — their one and only friend who comes once a year to drop off supplies. When Jake doesn’t show up, Cooper has to venture out to buy groceries or risk starving over the winter. But that one foray into civilization might just open them up to life-changing encounters with the outside world…
- Trigger warnings. Murder, mild profanity, PTSD.
What I Ate in One Year (And Related Thoughts) – Stanley Tucci (non-fiction; memoir; cookbook) ★★★☆☆
A 3.5 star read. Light, amusing, and easy to dip in and out of. I definitely preferred his previous book, Taste. There was too much name-dropping and no photos, the latter being a real letdown. (If there had been photos, I guarantee it would have received 4/5 stars from me!)
Trigger warnings. Profanity.
Double Take – Lynette Eason (Christian fiction; thriller) ★★★★☆
A strong thriller with faith elements that didn’t feel preachy. I found the ending a bit too predictable, but the writing kept me engaged. I’m planning to read more books by this author.
- Summary: Ever since her fiancé tried to murder her 18 months ago, Lainie has been understandably skittish. She’s trying to move on with her life, but that’s hard to do. She was forced to kill the man she believed she was in love with — so why is she suddenly seeing him everywhere. He’s dead…and it was her hand that pulled the trigger. He can’t be alive. Can he? When Lainie’s path crosses with an old childhood friend, they have to work together to unravel the mystery of what’s going on, or both their lives could be in danger.
- Trigger warnings. Domestic violence, suicide, PTSD.

Go as a River – Shelley Read (historical fiction) ★★★★★
What a gorgeously written book. I can’t believe this is Read’s first novel. It’s a stunning debut, and a bit of a mashup between The Grapes of Wrath and The Berry Pickers. A huge thank you to Ernie for so heartily recommending this book. I’m adding my voice to the chorus of fans! There are plenty of trigger warnings (see below) but it’s an unforgettable story written in beautiful detail.
- Summary. The snap decision to follow a stranger down the street of her small town in Colorado changes Victoria’s life forever. She falls in love at the wrong time with the wrong person. Eventually losing everything – and everybody – Victoria beats the odds but some wounds may never fully heal. Can past wrongs ever be righted?
- Trigger warnings. Profanity, systemic racism, drug/alcohol addiction, miscarriage/infant death.
First Lie Wins – Ashley Elston (fiction, espionage/thriller) ★★★★☆
This was such an entertaining read — lots of twist and turns. It’s more cerebral than many thrillers and does a great job of alternate timelines which can be hard to pull off successfully. My only quibble is the level of profanity (more than I’d like but not over the top).
- Summary: Evie Porter has everything a nice Southern girl could want: a doting boyfriend, a house with a white picket fence, a close-knit group of friends. The only catch…Evie Porter doesn’t exist.
- Trigger warnings: Profanity.
Glucose Revolution: The Life-Changing Power of Balancing Your Blood Sugar (non-fiction; health and wellness) – Jessie Inchauspé *not rated
I don’t feel like I can give this book a star rating in good conscience since it is a fairly prescriptive health plan and I haven’t actually used the author’s method for balancing blood sugar levels.
That said, I thought it was a well-written book. Easy to read, engaging, and her suggestions all feel doable. The premise is about trying to help people prevent glucose spikes which can have all sorts of negative impacts on our overall health. The author gives a basic overview of how glucose is used in our bodies, the impacts blood sugar spikes can have on our physiology and then suggests ten simple hacks (like…really simple!) to moderate glucose levels.
I’m planning to implement some of what she said and will be curious to see if I notice any changes in my energy levels, sleep, etc.
The House of My Mother: A Daughter’s Quest for Freedom (non-fiction; memoir) – Shari Franke *not rated
Sadly, this is yet another memoir about child abuse and manipulation. It’s the story of the Franke family — now infamous vloggers — told from the viewpoint of the eldest child, Shari. I read this book after watching the Disney+ documentary Devil in the Family: the Fall of Ruby Franke).
The writing quality is not that great. But it’s a tragic story and it’s brave of Shari to discuss what happened. That said, I think it would have been helpful to offer more context into the LDS church and what that group believes and how that would have impacted Ruby and her parenting approaches.
Also, I think books like this would always benefit from a longer waiting time between events and publication (Shari started writing this book almost immediately after the major revelations of abuse came out).
- Trigger warnings. Child abuse, emotional, mental, and spiritual manipulation.
You Only Die Once: How to Make It to the End with No Regrets (non-fiction; self-improvement) – Jodi Wellman ★★★☆☆
This book has a lot of great ideas and suggestions, but in my opinion was way too long. There are soooo many bullet points and it started to feel very overwhelming.
The premise is you only die once…but that also means I only live once and I would have liked a much shorter, punchier book. (This clocks in at over 300 pages).
I read the first half word-for-word, but only skimmed the second half because it was starting to feel too long. Which was disappointing because there were some interesting points.
- Trigger warnings: Significant profanity. “Makes” light of death in a way that could be disturbing or upsetting to some.
Sleep Reset: The New Tools of Rest & Recovery – Natalie Pennicotte-Collier *not rated
This is another book I can’t rate in good conscience because I haven’t actually tried applying all the principles in my own life. Thankfully, I don’t have insomnia. But, of course, I’d love to improve my sleep habits!
There wasn’t anything shocking or new in this book, but it provided a good overview of many of the key things negatively impacting our sleep and a fairly straightforward, practical, non-judgemental approach to improving sleep quality and duration. I plan to listen to some of the audio files (which you can access for free via the book).
Your turn:
- Have you read any of these books? What did you think?
- What was the best book you read in April?
- Are you a generous or tough book rater? I’d say I’m pretty tough…
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mbmom11
I haven’t read any of these, but Go as a River and First Lie Wins are going on my list! Also the sleep book. ( I do have occasional insomnia, and goodness knows my husband does.)
I did a lot of rereads in April, and I can’t remember anything new. My apologies to the authors out there!
Elisabeth
The sleep book is interesting and there are a whole bunch of guided audio files. Ironically, I did one last night and it was meant to calm me but made me anxious instead (a bit of a long story), so THAT backfired 😉
I hope you like Go as a River and First Lie Wins!!!!
Julia
I haven’t been reading much lately, but I wrote down some of the books you mentioned here!
Have you read any Kate Morton books? My favorite of hers is The Secret Keeper. So good!!
Elisabeth
I just went to put a hold on The Secret Keeper (and The Clockmaker’s Daughter is available at my branch, so I’ve ordered that as well!). Stay tuned 🙂 Thanks for the rec.
Nicole MacPherson
I’m a pretty easy rater, if I love a book it’s getting five stars. I haven’t read any of the ones you mention, and I hate to tell you that I got Go As A River from the library and for some reason I just didn’t start it. I don’t know what it was, but something about it wasn’t right for me at that time. I might try later.
I had a lot of 4.5 star reads in April, but only one 5 star, and that was Girl, Woman, Other. I don’t know that I would recommend it to you, but I loved it.
Elisabeth
Books are not one size fits all. Maybe you’ll read Go As A River and love it some other time…or maybe not. The world will keep on spinning either way 🙂
M. Jean Pike
An interesting mix. I have not read any of these.
Elisabeth
Yes, quite a mix!
Jenny
I have not read any of these, but I’ve heard of several. I made my way through Pillars of the Earth in April, which was almost 1000 pages. Sometimes I loved it and sometimes I hated it. Phew- glad that’s done. I need some lighter books for May.
Elisabeth
I just couldn’t do 1,000 page books, now. I read Centennial by James A. Michener and it was just over 1,000 pages and that’s the last mega book I read. Of course I read that years ago BEFORE I had kids…
central calif. artist jana
In 2001, I had big fat car wreck while listening to Pillars of the Earth. I finished it on a Walkman while lying around recovering from a broken pelvis.
Elisabeth
YIKES!!!!!
Katy @ Practical Walk
I haven’t read any of those.
I finished 3 books in April:
Miracle Worker
The Gospel & Mental Health
The Armor of God
I liked all three, so not sure which was my favorite. (longer reviews here:https://practicalwalk.com/2025/05/01/april-bookstack/)
Elisabeth
I think I mentioned on your post that I did that same Bible study on the armour of God a few years ago!
Rebecca (the Farm Wife)
What a great reading month! I’ve not read any of these, but several keep popping up on my radar 🙂
I used to think I was perhaps an overly generous rater … but I’ve only given like, 3 5-stars this year? And one of those was my Pride & Prejudice reread, so it doesn’t really “count”, because Jane Austen, lol
Elisabeth
Would you believe I struggled to get through P&P the last time I re-read it. I feel like I need to try again. But some of those older classics I loved as a teen I’m finding hard to appreciate as an adult (I think some of the decisions irk me in ways I was oblivious to when younger). I know I want to re-watch the mini-series, so maybe I’ll start there?!
central calif. artist jana
This may sound like heresy, but I can’t stomach Jane Austen and her era. People sat around gossiping. So boring. If I have to work that hard to figure out who is who and what they are yammering on about, then it is a DNF. It surprises me how often a book I enjoyed as a teenager is just too hard to get through as an adult.
Elisabeth
Yes! I LOVED Jane Eyre as a teen and claimed it to be my favourite book when my Intro English professor asked in my first year of university. When I re-read it as a married mother, I wanted to throw my book across the room.
I really liked Austen’s books when I was younger but find them a bit insufferable now. Glad to know it’s not just me.
Now Wuthering Heights? That book was terrible then and even worse on a re-read.
Diane
I read Northern Spy and liked it quite a bit. Also helped that the chapters were short. I didn’t realize there was second book, though I don’t know that I feel like I need a follow up to it.
I only finished 3 books in April, though I started many. And then this first week of May, I finished three that I had in progress for the duration of April. Seasons of life, I guess.
I don’t tend to rate books because I can usually see the appeal of something even it wasn’t for me – I tend to be “Loved it”, “That was pretty good” or “meh” with most books. I rarely dislike books. (Except Gone Girl… I hate read that one until 3am, so i guess it actually has something going for it…)
Elisabeth
I really enjoyed Northern Spy. I do wonder if I would have enjoyed Trust Her more if I hadn’t read them in quick succession? But I feel like Northern Spy was great as a standalone and not liking the sequel stole a bit of thunder from the original. All to say – I’d skip Trust Her.
R.G.
The best book I read in April was actually a reread … Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, by Barbara Kingsolver. She’s known for her novels, but this is a nonfiction account of her family eating mainly local food for a year. It sounds gimmicky, but she’s a skilled writer and it doesn’t come off that way.
Storygraph (a reading log similar to Goodreads) allows you to not only rate 0.5 stars but 0.25 stars! I’ve enjoyed using both Goodreads and Storygraph this year – Goodreads because that’s where people I know are and Storygraph for the infographics.
Elisabeth
I am curious about the Kingsolver book!
I have some friends that use and love Storygraph. Sigh. I’m just so used to Goodreads and I hate the thought of transferring over to something else. BUT, I haven’t even looked into it, and yet I keep complaining about not having flexible star ratings. What am I waiting for? I will report back!
Ernie
I’m so glad you like Go As A River so much. I liked it a lot, even though the second half or the ending felt a bit too ‘organized’ for me. I read The Rose Code in March and April. It was good (maybe 3 stars out of 5?), but I liked the premise and the start of the book more than the entire thing. It was too long and sometimes I felt like it was overly emotional – trying to tug at my heartstrings. That irritated me. I’m not one to rate books. Oh, wait I know what I read in April that I really liked. The Many Lives of Mama Love. This memoir (my favorite genre) is about a woman who steals from neighbors on her culdesac to manage her drug addiction. She’s a mom of four, and she goes to jail and then needs to get her life in order. It was honest and unsettling, but I was invested.
Elisabeth
I loved Go As A River! Thanks again for the rec. It has been my favourite book in 2025 I think.
Why is almost every single book too long????
I read and didn’t really enjoy The Many Lives of Mama Love. Something about her voice and tone turned me off. It was fascinating, though! And scary to see what a vicious cycle fraud/crime can create.
Ally Bean
I’ve only heard of one book on this list, Go as a River. I’d like to read it. As for my favorite book in April [spoiler alert: I mentioned it today on my blog post] was An Admirable Point by Florence Hazrat. I am a punctuation nerd, so I had to love it. 🤓
Elisabeth
I hope you get a chance to read Go as a River and I will be curious to hear your take on it 🙂
central calif. artist jana
Today I am retrieving my reserved copy of “Go as a River” from the library because of your 5 star mention earlier this month. (No pressure or anything. . .)
“The Glucose Revolution” changed the way I eat. Since I don’t use a continuous glucose monitor, I don’t know if it made a difference, but so far I am not diabetic. (Last check, I was still in the “pre” category)
This is frustrating to me: either books are full of profanity (usually gratuitous) or they are faith-based and predictable, sappy, and boring.
Elisabeth
I will be on pins and needles, Jana. I know not every book is for every person and audience, so Go as a River may fall completely flat for you. I FEEL THE PRESSURE!
Finding a perfect book is hard. Go as a River does have profanity and covers some hard topics, but I also think context matters. When I’m reading a rom com and every other word is swearing…ugh. If I’m reading a novel set in a war zone, it really does make a lot more sense for the language to be coarser!
NGS
Interesting. I did not love Northern Spy. I found it meh and ended up feeling terrible for her children’s father. When I start to feel sympathy for a man, things have gone awry. I do not think that is the author for me.
I don’t think I’m a tough or easy grader. I do give out 5 stars – I’ve given out 2 5 stars reviews this year – but I’m much more likely to go with a 4.5 (4 so far this year). But, you know, it’s all subjective, so it doesn’t matter what I think in the end. I mostly rate to get an idea of what recommendation sources are successful for me.
Elisabeth
When I start to feel sympathy for a man, things have gone awry. Haha. I don’t think I gave two thoughts to the dad in all of this. I really enjoyed the book, but the first-person narration in an overly prosaic voice did irk me a bit. Hence the 4 stars!
Alexandra
I haven’t read any of those books, but I have made a note of a couple to check out at the library.
I’m currently reading the fourth instalment of a series by SJ Bennett that features Queen Elizabeth II as, of all things, an amateur sleuth. It is such a fun series. You can check out other things I’ve read at my book blog: https://alexwolfe.ca
I’m usually quite tough on rating books, so I prefer to write an in-depth review of what did, and didn’t work for me, rather than score out of 5 stars. Especially as we all like different genres and styles of writing.
Elisabeth
You’re so right. What one person loves, another may loathe. That’s part of the magic of books! That’s also why I like to find a few friends whose taste matches my own. That way I feel like I have a better chance of actually enjoying a book that’s recommended!
Birchie
I’ve read three of these books, soon to be four because I had to pause halfway through this post to check out Go as a River on Libby. You had me at “mashup between Grapes of Wrath and The Berry Pickers”.
I adored These Silent Woods, and I will always associate it with Kyria because I got it from her reading list right when I first found her blog. It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship! It never occurred to me to check if the author wrote anything else, and well, it looks like that was the right move.
I really respect Shari Franke for taking control over her family’s story and for speaking out to get the law changed. But also what you said, that it was sooooo soon after the events and she is very young. It’s a lot to have to deal with, and hopefully she will get that time.
I really liked the author interview for You Only Die Once on SHU’s podcast, but I just could not get into the book. Hey I got the message at least!
I don’t know if I’m a tough reviewer or not. I get frustrated when a book doesn’t work for me, and I get over the moon elated when a book does work. As long as a book clears that threshold, I’m usually pretty gung-ho about it.
My best book of April was also my best TV show of April – We Were the Lucky Ones. I cannot stop thinking about it.
Elisabeth
I will be soooo curious to see what you think of Go as a River. It really did give me Grapes of Wrath vibes. With *hints* of To Kill a Mockingbird (a bold statement, I know), and then of course the more recent Berry Pickers.
These Silent Woods was such a good book. I didn’t love the ending – it felt a bit too rushed for me and some parts of it were literally mentioned as an afterthought. Aside from those quibbles, it would have been a 5/5 and it’s just me being a grouch that I only gave it 4.
The YODO would be great as an article, series of blog posts, or her podcast appearances, but the book just seemed way too long for me. But I can also see it hitting the perfect mark for some people so that’s what makes books make the world go around. Someone, somewhere will likely change the trajectory of their life because of reading that book. Crazy!
Okay. I just went to put We Were the Lucky Ones on hold. I’ve been hearing about it everywhere because of the show, and now it is one its way to me via the public library.
Suzanne
Your review of You Only Die Once made me giggle.
Of these books, the only one I’ve read was First Lie Wins, which I agree was a good one! Let’s see. Did I even read any books last month? Hmmm. Goodreads says I read twelve in April. I liked Mask of the Deer Woman, Three Lives of Cate Kay, and The Sequel best.
Elisabeth
First Lie Wins was a solid read! It felt like a compelling twist on a typically thriller. I’ve now got Mask of the Deer Woman on its way to me via the library.
J
I’m interested in the Glucose book, especially after Stephany said that it helped her get her numbers down. I’m going to check it out, it couldn’t hurt me, and might help my husband.
I just put Go as a River and These Silent Woods on hold. I’ve read about them several places now, but am just now remembering to do it. Also I want to put the books about QEII solving crimes that Alexandra mentioned on hold…I think they sound great. I’m not big into mysteries, but should give them a try!
Elisabeth
The Glucose Revolution is a VERY easy read, which I appreciated. I even found the “hand-drawn” diagrams put me at ease, too. No formal charts or graphs to interpret.
Go as a River and These Silent Woods are two solid reads and definitely at the top of my favourite books this year. I’ll be curious to see what you think 😉
coco
I haven’t read any of this but know about Glucose Revolution which for many scientists it’s not real science as it’s tricky your body’s response to food than treating the cause of that response (which is a symptom and not the cause). If you do her “tricks” they work to show slower/less glucose response, but it doesn’t mean the underlying cause of faster/more response is gone.
I read one book in April, summer romance, it was light and easy, good for my slow reading month.
Elisabeth
I was Meh about Summer Romance, but I think that’s because I found it too much like Nora Off Script which I loved?
I appreciated that in the Glucose Revolution she talks about how different people will respond differently with glucose spikes (hence the surge in people trying CGM), but I think her VERY simple suggestions for helping to prevent spikes are a great place for people to start since they don’t require any big interventions.
Suz
I remember seeing Go As A River prior to you mentioning it; I’ll have to add it to my list. The Shari Franke story is so darn depressing….that mother, wow, she is a terrible person!
I read The Life We Bury by Allen Askins last month and really enjoyed it.
I think I’m fairly easy to please with books and I don’t critique too much, unless it’s just blatantly out of sorts in my opinion.
Elisabeth
Thanks for the book rec!
Lisa's Yarns
I’ve read both of the Kimi Cuningham books. I preferred These Silent Woods, which was my book club pick one year. I don’t really like thrillers anymore but I can handle nature-based thrillers? Or they are more appealing to me? Otherwise if something is a thriller, I’m generally a “nope” these days.
I also gave Go As a River 5 stars and it made my best books list the year I read it. I am impressed it’s a debut novel, and also, I think the author was in her late 50s or maybe older. So it’s cool to hear about someone doing something new later in life!
Elisabeth
Yes! Definitely enjoyed These Silent Woods so much more. I found it more nuanced and really liked the main characters.
I didn’t realize the author was “that old” – it really is a great debut.
Stephany
Another stellar month of books! As you know, I read and loved Go As a River. I also really loved Glucose Revolution – her tips are really easy to implement and I feel like it has helped me better understand how glucose spikes affect my body!
I think I’m a fairly easy rater. I don’t need something to be perfect or life-changing to be 5 stars. I have been more deliberate about half-star ratings, though, since I’m using Storygraph now. It’s nice to be able to give a TRUE rating and not something rounded up or down!
Elisabeth
I really appreciated how accessible the content was in Glucose Revolution. Most books overcomplicate the science side of things and this was refreshingly easy to understand and practical. Plus, the tips are easy! No special ingredients and eating things in a different order. Okay, I can do that!
Tobia | craftaliciousme
I love this post. I have so many thoughts. Lets see if I can get my mind to form coherent thoughts this morning…
I have read few of the books you mentioned.
Northern Spy (also rated 4 stars) has been fun and was not aware there is a sequel. I need to check that out.
Glucose Revolution – I agree it’s a whole health plan but picking a few things that might work for myself has been good. Also it gives a pretty good overview.
First Lie Wins – I loved that audiobook. So fun. I can see myself reading it again. Very different.
And then I added a few more books to my TBR:
Sleep Reset – I can never learn enough about this topic and even though there will be no big revelation at least I am adding knowledge and repetition. Maybe something catches on.
Go as a River – you are at least the third person praising this book and it’s been on my TBR for a while. I need to move it up on my list.
The House of my mother – sounds like something I would like to read after living in an LDS family for a year. However there is another similar (?) book “Educated” that is also on my list.
Thanks for sharing your reads with us. I love these posts and I love how you structured it.
Elisabeth
Educated was great. Different…but also the same in other ways. Both are sad stories 🙁
I hope you enjoy Go As A River as much as I did!