My April 2024 TBR
My April TBR is a short one, but that’s for a few reasons. Firstly, I’m expecting a new reading challenge to drop from the 52 Book Club at the start of the month, and I want to leave space for whatever books it encourages me to prioritise. Secondly, I’ll be travelling for part of the month and while I’ll be visiting some literary hotspots along the way, I won’t have all that much time for reading. Third, I hope to be starting a new job in the coming weeks, and finally, April is the first anniversary of my beautiful Mum passing away, and I’m anticipating a few harder days ahead so I want to give myself grace. That all being said, I’m writing this with the windows open and beautiful spring sunshine streaming in which always makes me want to sit and read so who knows how much I’ll get through!
Indian Burial Ground by Nick Medina
My first priority for April is this adult horror/mystery/thriller that I was invited to read. I actually know very little about it other than it’s set on a First Nations reservation, is filled with mysteries and buried secrets, and comes with a trigger warning for suicide. Suffice to say, I’m highly intrigued.
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
After a few modern thrillers at my village book club, I suggested trying a classic in this beloved Agatha Christie book. I did have an ulterior motive in my choice, as one of the places I’ll be staying on my trip is just yards from Christie’s birthplace and I wanted to read one of her books around that time. This will be my third Christie book, so far I’ve had a four star and a two star from her, so I’m hoping this may be my first five.
Alien Earths: The New Science of Planet Hunting in the Cosmos by Dr Lisa Kaltenegger
Keeping up with my interest in planetary science, I immediately snagged a review copy of Alien Earths when I was offered it. Written by the founding director of Cornell University's Carl Sagan Institute, this non-fiction explores big questions of how to find life on other planets and, importantly, what exactly is “life” anyway.
Buzzword: Nature Words / Earth Day Books
Earth Day falls in April and every year, I make an effort to read some nature related books around this time of year. This year, the Buzzword reading challenge has helped by giving us the prompt “nature words” for April, too. First up for me will be What Nature Does for Britain by Tony Juniper. I found this little book in a charity shop last year and had to pick it up, and April feels like the perfect month to give it a read.
Did I Ever Tell You This? A Memoir by Sam Neill
Finally, I’ll be listening to a new memoir while on the road. I have loved Sam Neill ever since I first saw Jurassic Park 30ish years ago, and so when my husband and I were searching for an audiobook to listen to together while driving, this one immediately leaped out at me. The book is read by the author, and I’m excited to get stuck in during some long car rides.
The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
I’m not sure how, but somehow I’ve never read a Sherlock Holmes book. That’s something I’ve been intending to correct for a while, but as my travels will shortly take me to the very edge of Dartmoor, now might be a good time to finally try one of the most iconic stories.
Shakespeare
Another location I’ll be stopping by is Stratford-Upon-Avon, birthplace of the Bard himself. I’ve read plenty of Shakespeare in my time, but it’s probably time I dig into another. My gut is leading me toward A Midsummer Night’s Dream as a great choice for this time of year.
Afterwards by Charlotte Leonard
Finally, I borrowed this contemporary fiction from a friend after seeing it was about a photographer - something I need to fulfil a reading prompt. It’s not a book I’d heard of before, but I’m curious to give it a try and hopefully give it back to my friend sooner rather than later.