Well, guys … do you like reading these book recap posts? I like writing them because I like having a visual record of everything I’ve read and when. But anyway, here I am with my April & May (combined) book recap post! I read a LOT in April … and I read ONE book in May 😂

wish you were here

I read this on the plane on the way to Arizona for spring break … and I pretty much devoured it on the plane. I used to LOVE Jodi Picoult’s books in high school but oftentimes they’re a little sad and emotional and as I’ve gotten older, I’ve found that I prefer books with happy endings (I’m trying to escape from my real life, not feel sad when I read you know?). Wish You Were Here caught my attention because it’s a fiction novel (the first that I’ve found) that is actually set in 2020/pandemic times. Like the characters are dealing with the pandemic/COVID. Just for that fact alone, I was interested enough to read BUT this was my literal face as I read this book 😊🤨😕😳🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯😱😱😱😱😱😱😱🥺🥺😕. HAHAHAAHHAHAH. I read it awhile ago so I don’t remember the character’s names but it’s essentially about a boyfriend/girlfriend who are supposed to leave on a romantic getaway to the Galapagos in March 2020. The boyfriend is an ER doctor and last minute can’t make the trip because of this strange virus that’s rampant in New York City but he still urges his girlfriend to take the trip because it’s non-refundable. She goes and ends up getting stuck because as soon as she lands, worldwide lockdown happens and borders/travels close. That’s all I’ll say 🙂 It was a good read but if reading about COVID or the pandemic is triggering for you, I would stay away. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.

when you get the chance

When You Get The Chance was our April PPG book club pick but… guys, if you’ve been following our podcast, you’ll know that April’s episode was never released. We recorded it but life has been a LOT for me lately so it never got edited/put out. We’re still planning on releasing it eventually (but when??) but since it’s not out yet, I’ll give you my review here in this post. This book is sort of a Mamma Mia style story – again, I can’t remember any of the characters’ names but it’s about a teenager who is being raised by a single father. She doesn’t know who her mom is but she’s determined to find out her identity one summer. She’s also a big theater buff and has dreams of making it big on Broadway so there are lots of Broadway references throughout the book. The story was easy and quick – I read the entire book during the plane ride back home from Arizona at the end of our trip. Was it the best book ever? Nah, it felt a little juvenile (obviously – the main character is a teenager) but it was still enjoyable! Solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️.

Running Wild

Running Wild was probably my favorite read (or tied with Book Lovers) during the months of April and May. It was the PERFECT rom com style book. I was grinning and squealing through the WHOLE thing. Still don’t remember character names but it’s about a woman who hasn’t had the best luck with love – she’s described as not very girly, maybe a bit more “masculine” than your typical female protagonist. She’s a vet in Alaska so she’s rough and tough and capable of handling herself. She meets a local musher who is new to the area and … you can guess how things go. I felt like I learned a lot about Alaska and sled dogs/mushing from reading this book which made the story that much more enjoyable for me. I think this is part of a series but I didn’t read ANY of the previous books and had no trouble following along with the story. If you’re wanting a quick beach read, I’d recommend this! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

the family upstairs

After reading a few fluffy, chick-lit style books, I was ready for something a big darker and thriller-esque. The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell definitely fit that bill! The book starts off with a young woman discovering that she has been named as the recipient of a large inheritance … she was adopted so has no idea who would have left her this inheritance or who her birth parents are. Her search for answers takes her on a journey where long hidden secrets are unearthed and I’m not gonna lie .. it was creepy 😂 Think: cults, narcissists, liars, thieves … it was a good distraction for me but overall the book wasn’t too memorable other than it being weird. ⭐️⭐️⭐️.

the two lives of lydia bird

I recently learned that I really LOVE Josie Silver books and I REALLY liked The Two Lives of Lydia Bird. The story is about the main character, Lydia Bird, who loses her fiance in a car accident on the night of her birthday. She’s obviously grieving and depressed and one night, she takes some sleeping pills and find that when she “sleeps” with these pills she is actually living an alternate timeline where her fiance, Freddie, is still alive. She toggles between her real life of grieving him and her “dream life” where he’s still alive and they’re still moving towards her wedding but eventually, she needs to make a decision on which life it is she’ll choose to stay in. I cried reading this book .. it was so beautiful and I loved how the author decided to conclude things. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

book lovers

Emily Henry’s newest book Book Lovers was HIGH on my to-read list .. so high that I went out and bought it off Amazon instead of choosing to wait to get it from the library. Pssst: Book Lovers was also supposed to be our May PPG book club pick but both Jensine & I had a lot going on and given that April’s episode still hadn’t been released … we decided to skip May. This was the only book I read this month, too but if I only had to read one book, I’m glad it was this one. Emily Henry has a way of writing that makes a book seem like a simple love story on the surface but they always end up having WAY MORE MEAT to them than that. I love the way she writes! This book is about a literary agent, Nora, who is probably the Meryl Streep in Devil Wears Prada equivalent in the book agent world. She’s ruthless, cutthroat, her nickname is the Shark. In a typical romance book, she’s the evil, cold, city lady who gets dumped by the main guy for the innocent, country girl who runs a bed & breakfast with her family. She’s the antagonist in most books but in this book .. she’s the protagonist 🙂 Just read it, it was a really good read and a sweet book. If you know me IRL and want to borrow it, hit me up! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️