March & April Reads 2023

So somehow we’re halfway through May, but this is a little round-up of my March and April Reads, 2023. With spring not quite springing in 2023 yet there have been plenty of opportunities to curl up in an armchair with a cuppa and a good book. Al fresco reading will have to wait a while longer. I did manage to soak up a little bit of sunshine though with an April break in Halkidiki. A classic read accompanied me to the sun lounger, a tale of a gothic Cornish mansion and it’s occupants – any ideas what it may be?

Want some more book suggestions? Here are my recommendations from January & February 2023, November & December 2022 & September & October 2022!

Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead – Ellie Cosimano

Our accidental hit-woman is at is again. Can Finlay finish her crime novel, look after her two children, manage relationships with a hot cop and a hot law student, AND find out who’s planning to knock off her ex-husband? This follow up to Finlay Donovan is Killing It is funny and fast-paced; and I enjoyed this book as much as the first. It’s a bit chaotic in parts, with Finlay getting herself and accountant/nanny Vero into increasingly sticky situations but fun to see how Cosimano gets them out of constant threat and danger. There’s a little bit of romance, a lot of comedy and it’s pure entertainment.

Rodham – Curtis Sittenfeld

If there were suggestions that Sittenfeld’s “American Wife” was about Laura Bush, there is absolutely no doubt which FLOTUS is the focus this time around. In a sliding doors moment, “Rodham” looks at what might have happened had Hillary Clinton – nee Rodham – never accepted the marriage proposal of the charismatic but philandering Bill. Told from Hillary’s POV, Sittenfeld has an ability to write from inside someone else’s mind, giving it the intense detail of a memoir. It does seem a little odd to write this way about a person who is very much still alive and kicking, and I couldn’t help but wondering what the real Hillary Clinton thinks of this story. Knowledge of the US political system is handy but not a must-have to enjoy this “what-if” novel

The Reading List – Sara Nisha Adams

“The Reading List” is a book about books. Bored teenager Aleisha is working in the local library when she discovers a handwritten list of books in the back of a returned book. She begins to read them, not only to escape her troubled home life, but also so that she can make recommendations to widower Mukesh, eager to engage with his book-loving granddaughter. It’s a charming read, about friendship and community, and about connections forged through a love of books. It also explores topics of loneliness, mental health and grief, from the aspects of different cultures and generations.

Love & Other Scams – PJ Ellis

This is fellow Brummie Philip Ellis’ debut novel, and it’s a corker. Am I the first to call it a “rom-con”? Cat is broke, jobless and facing eviction as her flatmates look to settle into domestic bliss, as a duo, not a trio. Facing a barrage of pricey wedding celebrations, Cat turns to petty crime, relieving rich drunk men on their wallets. And when she meets hunky barman Jake, she realises their joint tricks could help them pull off a cheeky jewellery heist. I’m not generally a romance novel fan, but this is a well-plotted story which leaves you rooting for Cat despite her bad decisons. And I enjoyed reading the acknowledgements and seeing some very familiar Brummie names and places in the list…

The Family Upstairs – Lisa Jewell

The Family Upstairs tells the story of 25 year old Libby, who inherits a mysterious house from her long-dead parents, and tries to unravel it’s dark history which naturally intertwines with her own. There’s a large cast of characters which are a little confusing at first, and the story is told from three different points of view. Henry’s POV is the darkest, as a child growing up in misery and depravity in the very house that Libby has inherited. I generally find Lisa Jewell’s books to be gripping stories, even if you do have to suspend belief at times and ignore some clumsy writing at times. I read through this one quite quickly, keen to reveal how the characters were connected and how the sequence of events unfolded that left a baby in a cradle and three decaying corpses in the kitchen.

Betty – Tiffany McDaniel

Tiffany McDaniel writes about the unusual upbringing of her half-white, half-Cherokee mother, growing up with five siblings in a fictional Ohio town called Breathed. It’s a partially fictionalised, coming-of-age story, full of dark family secrets. McDaniel draws you into the family, and weaves stories within a story as Betty’s father tells tales passed down through his Cherokee heritage. Her mother Alka teeters on the edge of breakdown, and the demons of her past haunt her. Betty is loving and kind and curious, and trying desperately to make sense of the world around her. This is an epic book with some heavy topics, including abuse, incest, rape, poverty and racism which at times make it a difficult, yet compelling read.

A Walk From The Wild Edge – Jake Tyler

Pulled back from the brink of suicide by daily walks with his mother’s dog, Jake decides to embark on a challenging 3000 mile walk around the UK mainland, raising awareness about mental illness. It’s an inspirational read, with moments of raw emotion and others of pure joy as Jake writes about the characters he meets along the way. His adventure and his road to recovery is documented in achingly honest detail, and is a testament to the power of human connection and the wonder of nature to offer hope even in the darkest of times.

Rebecca – Daphne de Maurier

I picked up Rebecca from a local second-hand bookstore a while back, but somehow never got round to reading this classic. Our recent holiday was the perfect time for a bit of R&R – reading and relaxation, and Rebecca was an excellent choice. Plus it was one of the books in the aforementioned “The Reading List”. Rebecca is narrated by an unnamed woman, the second wife of Maxim de Winter, living in the shadow of his dead ex. There are multiple betrayals, shady characters aplenty and evocative descriptions of the spectacular landscape in which the iconic Manderley mansion is located. The relationships are unsettling, fuelled by secrets and jealousy. This 85 year old novel deserves it’s place in the list of must-read books.

The Truth About The Harry Quebert Affair – Joël Dicker

When the body of fifteen-year old Nola Kellerghan is discovered, thirty-three years after her disappearance, secrets start to unravel about her relationship with writer Harry Quebert. His protégé Marcus Goldman returns to the New Hampshire town to try and uncover the truth, simultaneously gathering a story for his own next novel. It’s a twisting and turning story, with spectacular revelations coming thick and fast in the latter part of the book. In a metafiction world, it’s a book about a man writing a book about a man who wrote a book… I really enjoyed this amateur detective novel (similar in some ways to recent read Chasing the Boogeyman) which is part crime story, part love story.

Currently Reading

Shrines of Gaiety – Kate Atkinson

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo – Taylor Jenkins Reid

The Lies You Told – Harriet Tyce

Rebecca was definitely my favourite read of March and April 2023. I’ve been reading the Kate Atkinson book for a while so looking forward to completing that before tackling the other books on my TBR pile!

What books have been on your March and April Reading pile? And what books are you looking forward to reading in the summer of 2023? Let me know in the comments!

I’ve read 17 books so far in 2023! You can keep up with my reading lists by connecting with me on Goodreads