April is over, and with it goes the snow (finally!) and my last month as an undergraduate student. It’s a little crazy to me how quickly time has gone; what do I do with myself once I graduate?!
Crisis questions aside, I’m here to bring you my reading wrap-up for this month!
Books marked with an asterisk were received free for review but do not change my opinion in any way.
Fairest of All: A Tale of the Wicked Queen by Serena Valentino
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Fairest of All is a book regarding the life of the Wicked Queen from her marriage, to the King’s death, and her descent to madness. I don’t want to give too much away; I just want to say it’s incredibly interesting, especially if you love Snow White.
It was a little slow to start, but after the Queen starts going crazy I was getting way more into it. The end was so satisfying to me!
The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts by Gary Chapman
| The Five Love Languages is a book written by a marriage counselor who has seen it all, and through that time learned that there are five basic ways to show your affection to your spouse: words of affirmation, quality time, acts of service, gifts, and physical touch. He also describes in detail ways to identify you and your spouse’s language, and how to love them in that specific way.
I really loved this book when I’d first read it, but now I feel as though the novelty of it has faded a bit. It was a great read, but some glaring problems exist in the very cis-white-Christian way that it reads, and I struggle to look past that the more I think about it. Still, it does provide some fascinating ideas and I’m glad to have read it!
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery
| The Little Prince is a lovely short novel following a man whose plane crashes in the desert. As he is trying to locate civilization and water, he finds the Little Prince. From there, the Prince tells him tales of his home planet, the beautiful flower that has taken residence there, and leaving his planet in search of people. He meets lots of interesting characters along the way.
I truly loved this story. I’d read it once before in 8th grade (so long ago!) and hadn’t appreciated it the same way I do now. It’s a lovely, sad tale that I am so happy to have read. It definitely will teach some lessons, if you open your mind to them.
Elska by Catherine Hapka
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Elska is part of the Horse Diaries Series, and follows an Icelandic Horse named Elska who learns about the tradition of her kind in relation to humans. She is tamed by a young girl and the two bond until tragedy strikes.
This was a book that I decided I wanted to read to get off of my shelf, and it’s honestly really cute! It’s interesting to read from a horse’s perspective, and I can guarantee that a young horse lover would really enjoy it!
The Mermaid’s Sister by Carrie Anne Noble
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The Mermaid’s Sister is a tale about a teenage girl, Clara, whose sister begins to turn into a mermaid on her 16th birthday. It becomes clear to her and her ragtag family that Maren must be returned to the sea or she will die. With that, Clara and her almost-brother O’Neill work to get her there, facing dangers all along the way.
I wanted to love this story much more than I did. The premise was really interesting, but the execution fell flat. The writing was very simple and I wasn’t a fan of the constantly repeated message being told. I’m also not sure what age range I would suggest this for, since it’s about a middle-grade level writing, but the topics were definitely adult. There was a surprising amount of sexual innuendo and violence.
The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman* by Denis Thériault
| The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman is about a man named Bilodo who has a routine: he wakes up, delivers mail, goes home, and repeats. However, he does have one dirty little secret: he likes to steal people’s mail, read it, and then sends it back out. This is to break up the monotony of his day; however, he has fallen in love with a woman through her letters. When the man she is writing to dies unexpectedly, Bilodo takes over and continues in his stead.
I was shocked at the turn this novel took and loved the ending. It was completely unexpected but really felt like it had completed the novel, even if I was thrown for a loop.
Book Stats for April:
Pages Read: 1,062
Favorite Book: The Little Prince
Least Favorite Book: The Mermaid’s Sister
What books did you read this month? Do you have any recommendations for next month?
Karissa Talks Beauty 
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