Book Talk: What I Read in April

I know, I’m late this month. But in my defence, I had a mini work crisis: my manager quit suddenly, and I had to take over while we reorganised things. We’re slowly getting back on track and so, things are fine. 

For now. 

But that is work, and life. So, what can we do about it? For now, we look at what I read in April. I wasn’t exactly able to update my Goodreads account on time. I’m thinking of adding my reviews there immediately after I’m done. Not sure. I usually forget about Goodreads unless I’m actively doing something related to books on this blog.

It’s a problem, I know. But I’ve been reading consistently so, this just might be something I work towards in 2025. I turned 27 on the second. I’m panicking. 

Oh well, let’s move on. And get on with this update.

April Breakdown: Book Recommendations

So, for the month of April, in spite of all the unexpected curveballs in my life, I was able to read a grand total of eight books again. 

Here’s a list of what I read in April:

• Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
• Fire Falling by Elise Kova
• Earth’s End by Elise Kova
• The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis
• Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
• The Fifth Mountain by Paulo Coelho
• The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
• Book Lovers by Emily Henry

Book 1: Catching Fire

• Author: Suzanne Collins
• Genre: Dystopian Fiction

Why I Picked It Up

Now, if you read last month’s reading list, you probably know that, even though I’ve watched the movies extensively, I never read The Hunger Games books. But strangely enough, the manuscript I’ve been working on for a very long time now, is in the dystopian fiction genre, and I thought of getting the series a shot.

And say what you want, The Hunger Games are on the same level of a certain children’s fantasy book series I grew up reading but choose not to speak about anymore because the author’s—well, I’ll just leave it at that.

We don’t support bigotry on this blog. I’ll leave it at that.

BUT I had qualms about The Hunger Games. I had ‘concerns’ and most of them come from the fact that I do not like first-person perspective.

But Suzanne wrote. 

I wish I’d stopped being so choosy and read this early. While that children’s book tends to imply certain things (making it easier for said writer to twist meanings and pretend she’s the only one with English comprehension skills), Catching Fire does not hold back.

The pacing is everything. The tension built it so, so good. Suzanne Collins did not leave a stone unturned. And the worst part is, this isn’t even the finale. This is the second book. Which is usually, in a trilogy format, supposed to be like a filler book, especially since it’s laying the foundations of what’s supposed to happen.

But gosh, it was good. 5/5, take my money (which she did; I ordered the entire Hunger Games set).

Summary

Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games, but winning didn’t buy her peace. Her act of defiance at the end of Book 1 has made her the Capitol’s enemy and the rebellion’s symbol. As whispers of uprising grow louder, the Capitol decides to reassert control—with the cruelest twist yet. It’s the 75th Hunger Games, and past victors are going back in. What follows is a spiral of political manipulation, trauma, and survival against impossible odds.

What I Liked

The arena in this book? Genuinely genius. The concept of the clock—the way it turns horror into routine—is the kind of eerie, psychological torment that sticks with you.

Also: the character development in Catching Fire is miles ahead of Book 1. You really start to see how broken these victors are, how complex their coping mechanisms are, and how none of them are truly “whole” anymore. Johanna? Finnick? Even Mags? All brilliant. All tragic. All unforgettable.

But what makes this book special is how Suzanne Collins takes a personal narrative—Katniss’s story—and shows how it morphs into a movement. Without her consent, without her readiness. That nuance? Chef’s kiss.

Downsides

It’s not a downside exactly, but I’ll say this: if you’re not in the headspace for slow emotional burns, this might feel heavier than you expect. Katniss is numb through a lot of it, and the weight of the world she’s carrying shows. This isn’t the book you pick up for quick catharsis. It makes you sit in it. Also, the Capitol’s psychological warfare is intense. If you’re sensitive to manipulative power dynamics or find slow-burn horror stressful, it might be a tough read.

Final Thoughts & Who Should Read It

If you read The Hunger Games and thought, “I wish we got more insight into how revolutions actually start”—Catching Fire is that book. It’s part political thriller, part emotional unraveling, and all payoff.

Fans of dystopia, trauma-informed character arcs, and morally grey governments will love this. But even if dystopian fiction isn’t your usual genre, it’s worth reading for how sharply it critiques power—and how it plants the seeds of rebellion in the most unlikely places. For me personally, this is the bar. I hope I can write in the same way for the genre.

Book 2: Fire Falling

• Author: Elise Kova
• Genre: Fantasy, Romance

Why I Picked It Up

This was a continuation read—I started Air Awakens last month and immediately needed the sequel. I wouldn’t say Air Awakens changed my life or anything, but it had that feel to it, you know. It was the perfect amount of crumbs in cheesy romances  that I needed. So, I had to read the sequel and I did it the firstchance I got.

I also wanted to see if the worldbuilding improved in the sequels. Plus, I’m in the mood for stories where a girl with dangerous powers decides to stop playing nice these days. Might have to do with my manuscript but yeah. That was it.

Summary

After the events of Air Awakens, Vhalla Yarl is no longer a quiet library apprentice. She’s a powerful sorcerer, bound to Prince Aldrik through a magical connection that could either save or destroy them both. With war looming, she’s forced to join the front lines—training, fighting, and figuring out what exactly she’s capable of. As alliances shift and danger inches closer, the lines between duty and desire start to blur.

What I Liked

The pacing here is so much tighter than in the first book. You feel the looming war in every scene. The romance? Way more intense (finally). That tension between Vhalla and Aldrik practically crackles. Kova really leans into the push-pull dynamic and gives us some genuinely swoon-worthy moments without making it feel cheesy.

Also, the magic system gets more layered, and you start to see just how political magic is in this world. I love when books calling themselves fantasies finally remember that power—magical or not—is always going to mess with hierarchies and governments.

The emotional beats hit harder too. Vhalla isn’t some overnight baddie. She’s growing, failing, choosing who she wants to be. Watching her stumble and fight her way forward felt incredibly grounded, especially in a world where literally everyone has an agenda.

Downsides

I still think the characters could use more depth. There are moments where the supporting cast blurs together a bit. Also, while the romantic arc is great, it can get a bit repetitive in the “he pushes her away for her own good” department. We get it, Aldrik. You’re tortured. Maybe this is where the immersion breaks, but I don’t really see why Aldrik has to be such a tortured soul. Like, genuinely. I felt like he was a bit over the top? I’ve met guys who think they’re tortured souls, so to me, Al (we’re going to call him that from now on) was just being emo for emo’s sake. 

I wanted more backstory, more something from the guy.

Final Thoughts & Who Should Read It

If you liked Throne of Glass but wanted more magic and less love triangle drama, this series is for you. Fire Falling takes all the promise of Air Awakens and delivers on it—higher stakes, better action, and more emotionally grounded growth.

Fantasy romance readers who love enemies-to-lovers dynamics, war-torn alliances, and women coming into terrifying power? Add this to your list.

Book 3: Earth’s End

• Author: Elise Kova
• Genre: Fantasy, Romance

Why I Picked It Up

I had to. There was no way I was going to stop at Fire Falling with the way that book ended. Elise Kova has this infuriating habit of giving you just enough answers to keep reading—but also dangling emotional closure like a carrot on a stick. So here I am. 

Also, Vhalla was finally stepping into her power in Fire Falling, and I was curious to see if she’d hold her ground or get pulled back into everyone else’s expectations.

Summary

Earth’s End picks up right where Fire Falling left off—on the battlefield and in the fallout of everything that’s happened so far. Vhalla is no longer hiding what she is. But politics, war, and the personal costs of power keep piling up. Vhalla is forced to make choices no one prepared her for. And when truths come to light, everything she thought she knew about love, loyalty, and the empire begins to shatter.

What I Liked

Yeah, I might’ve hyped you up a bit with the summary. This one was…disappointing. I went in thinking we’d see an epic war. Well, not epic but epic, according to the genre we’re in and the story the writer’s been telling so far. I expected the focus to be on emotions, the romance between Val and Al.

But I was disappointed. I don’t wear my critical high fantasy lens when I’m reading these books but I bristled.

Downsides

Let’s start. I know this is a romance disguised as fantasy and I get that. So, I’ll try not to be cruel. Because even with some of the issues I’ve had with Vhalla in Air Awakens, it was a light read. And Fire Falling really made me empathize with her a bit.

But there were issues. Let’s start.

1. What is wrong with Al? Seriously. I knew I picked up something with him being too tortured in the second book and I was right. This isn’t Zuko. This was disappointing (like most men in the 21st century—I’m looking at you, Neil Gaiman).
2. The dynamic between Val and Al: I understand codependency, I really do but given how Al’s been built up so far, it just felt weird. I felt like something should’ve happened for it to be the case. But no. It felt a bit abrupt. Maybe the war wasn’t described that well.
3. There’s still a bit of telling over showing, especially in emotional scenes. Vhalla says she’s conflicted, but the internal dialogue sometimes leans too much into exposition instead of just letting us feel it through her reactions.
4. And Vhala. Sweet, annoying Vhala. I was starting to actually like her in the second book, but Elise Kova did not give me the build up or pay off to make her what she became in the book. And she was NEEDY at the same time too! What was happening there???

I have so many questions. I’m not sure if I’m going to read the next book. But there was an interesting thing happening with the emperor (Al’s dad) which might convince me to read it.

Final Thoughts & Who Should Read It

Why. Seriously, that was my final thought. We were getting somewhere with Fire Falling. I don’t have expectations from books generally but like, why? Why would any good author do this? Then again, to be fair to Kova, we have writers like Sara J. Maas and Colleen Hoover so…not bashing them personally. I just think they’re lazy with their  writing and plots when they’ve demonstrated that they can do something better. So, yeah. I don’t know what to tell you. Read other books? I don’t know why this is what I read in April.

Book 4: The Silver Chair

• Author: C.S. Lewis
• Genre: Fantasy (the real kind)

Why I Picked It Up

I’ve been thinking about reading really good fantasies for a while. Especially after Earth Ending. And I wanted to not turn to The Hobbit because I tend to get lost in it completely, and I had a list to go over this month.

So, I decided to pick the Chronicles of Narnia again, but I started off with The Silver Chair because I have the first few books memorised at this point. So, this is a nostalgic choice.

Summary

Eustace Scrubb returns to Narnia—this time with his classmate Jill Pole. Tasked by Aslan with finding the missing Prince Rilian, they embark on a journey full of underground kingdoms, mind games, and unsettling encounters. Along the way, they’re joined by Puddleglum, a perpetually gloomy marshwiggle. As they descend into the depths of Narnia’s underworld, they face temptation, deception, and the ever-present struggle of remembering what’s true in a world designed to make you forget.

What I Liked

There’s a quiet brilliance to this book. It doesn’t try to be flashy or overly adventurous, but the psychological depth here is unmatched in the series. The whole theme of memory—of holding onto the truth even when it doesn’t feel real—is hauntingly relevant.

Jill’s growth arc is also surprisingly well done. She starts off selfish and insecure, but by the end, she’s sharp, capable, and brave in her own way. And Puddleglum? An absolute legend. Cynical but loyal, depressed but defiant. His big speech in the Underworld remains one of the most powerful declarations of faith and resistance I’ve ever read in a children’s book. Also, the darker tone here works. There’s a sense of foreboding that lingers throughout, and the final act is genuinely unsettling. 

Downsides

Like most of the Narnia books, it wears its Christian allegory on its sleeve. I don’t mind but most of schooling was missionary anyway. So, I do tend to just view Christianity as a default in general. Especially in the literary context.

If that’s not your thing, parts of this story might feel a little preachy. There’s also a weird amount of fatphobia and classism baked into the way Lewis writes certain characters—especially in the early scenes at the school.

Final Thoughts & Who Should Read It

If you’ve read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe but never made it this far in the series, The Silver Chair is absolutely worth picking up. It’s moodier, more mature, and offers a layered take on doubt, truth, and belief that hits harder when you’re older.

Fans of classic fantasy, introspective quests, and flawed but earnest heroines will enjoy this. And if you’ve ever felt like the world was gaslighting you into forgetting what matters—this one might just hit home.

Book 5: Red, White & Royal Blue

• Author: Casey McQuiston
• Genre: Romance, LGBTQ+

Why I Picked It Up

This was a long time coming. Red, White & Royal Blue had been sitting on my radar for a while, mostly because people either adore it or say it’s “too unrealistic.” And honestly? I love when a book makes people argue like that. It usually means it did something brave.

Also, I needed something warm. My last few reads had been on the heavy side (see: war, magic, psychological despair), so a queer love story between the First Son of the United States and a British prince sounded like exactly the emotional reset I needed.

Spoiler: I was right.

Summary

Alex Claremont-Diaz is the charming, sharp-tongued First Son of the United States. Prince Henry is the reserved, polished heir to the British throne. After a very public incident involving a destroyed wedding cake and years of mutual dislike, the two are forced to fake a friendship for the press.

But fake friendships have a way of turning into something else—especially when private texts become emotionally devastating emails and enemies turn into something much softer. What follows is a romance layered with political tension, self-discovery, and just the right amount of chaos.

What I Liked

This book is unapologetically hopeful, and I love that. It doesn’t shy away from politics, but it also doesn’t drown in cynicism. It lets joy exist. In fact, it insists on it. That alone makes it rare.

Alex and Henry’s dynamic is witty, vulnerable, and full of chemistry. The banter? Top-tier. The longing? Criminally good. And McQuiston writes with the kind of energy that makes even the quiet moments sparkle.

Also, the side characters are phenomenal. Nora, Zahra, June—every one of them feels like someone you’d follow on Instagram just to get their takes on life. The found-family aspect of this book quietly reinforces the idea that queer love doesn’t exist in isolation. It builds networks. It shifts systems.

And let’s talk about those emails. The historical quotes, the poetry, the emotional spiral of it all? I’m a sucker for digital intimacy done right.

Downsides

Yes, it’s idealistic. If you’re someone who can’t suspend disbelief long enough to imagine a world where an interracial bisexual First Son wins Texas and a British prince openly dates a man without the monarchy collapsing—you’ll probably struggle.

Also, while Alex’s political awakening is meaningful, some parts of the campaign subplot feel a little surface-level. But that’s not what this book is really about anyway.

Final Thoughts & Who Should Read It

Red, White & Royal Blue isn’t trying to reflect our world exactly. It’s offering a version of it that feels possible—if we were just a bit braver, a bit kinder, and a bit more willing to risk vulnerability.

Read this if you need a queer love story that doesn’t end in tragedy. Read it if you want messy emails, political tension, and deeply satisfying emotional arcs. Read it if you believe, even a little bit, that joy can be a form of rebellion.

Book 6: The Fifth Mountain

• Author: Paulo Coelho
• Genre: Philosophical Fiction

Why I Picked It Up

This was a reread. As you know, I’m a diehard Paulo Coelho fan, but The Alchemist was one of the first novels that ever made me stop and think about whether I was living life on purpose. So I kept picking up his other works, wondering if they’d land the same way.

The Fifth Mountain was a bit of a wildcard. I didn’t expect it to resonate with me—but it did. In some strange, unsettling, deeply personal way.

Also, I love reading retellings of biblical or mythological stories, especially when they come with heavy doses of self-doubt, rebellion, and destiny. This one didn’t disappoint.

Summary

Set in the 9th century BC, The Fifth Mountain reimagines the story of the prophet Elijah. Fleeing persecution, Elijah ends up in the city of Zarephath, where he’s forced to question not just his faith, but his purpose, his choices, and even the commands of the God he’s spent his life obeying.

As war, loss, and heartbreak begin to strip him of everything familiar, Elijah must climb his own metaphorical (and literal) mountain to confront the terrifying possibility that obedience is not the same as faith. It’s a story about destruction, rebuilding, and what happens when your destiny feels like a punishment.

What I Liked

This book isn’t comforting. And that’s exactly what I liked about it. It wrestles with the idea that sometimes we’re thrown into situations where divine logic makes no sense—and still, we’re expected to rise.

Elijah isn’t some perfect saint. He’s terrified. He doubts everything. He questions God, questions himself, and still chooses to build. Coelho’s take on prophecy is less about foretelling and more about becoming. That hit me hard.

Also, the prose is deceptively simple. There’s a stillness to it, a kind of spiritual pacing that makes you pause between lines. I found myself highlighting entire passages—not because they were beautiful, but because they named something I’d felt and couldn’t put into words.

Downsides

This isn’t a plot-heavy book. If you’re looking for dramatic turns or a fast-moving narrative, you won’t find it here. It’s philosophical fiction at its core, which means it’s slower, more internal, and often abstract.

Also, Coelho has a tendency to state his themes very explicitly. If you’re someone who prefers subtlety and inference, you might find it a bit heavy-handed in parts.

Final Thoughts & Who Should Read It

The Fifth Mountain isn’t for everyone. But if you’ve ever felt like you were being asked to rebuild your life from ashes without understanding why it burned down in the first place—this one might speak to you.

It’s a book for people in transition. For people who’ve lost their blueprint and are standing in the ruins asking, “Now what?”

Read it if you’re ready to think about faith, failure, and the terrifying freedom of choice. Skip it if you’re just looking for something light or entertaining. This book doesn’t entertain—it calls you.

Book 7: The Time Traveler’s Wife 

• Author: Audrey Niffenegger
• Genre: Literary Fiction, Romance

Why I Picked It Up

This was a reread I wasn’t emotionally prepared for. I first read The Time Traveler’s Wife when I was much younger and completely missed half of what the story was actually trying to say. Back then, I thought it was just a tragic love story with a sci-fi twist. Now? I see it for what it is: a meditation on time, grief, inevitability, and the strange compromises we make in the name of love.

Also, I’ve been thinking a lot about nonlinear lives lately—how some people arrive too early, some too late, and some never at all. This book knows exactly how that feels.

Summary

Henry is a librarian with a rare genetic disorder that causes him to involuntarily travel through time. Clare is an artist who has known and loved Henry since she was a child—because he kept showing up at various points in her life, out of order. As the two try to build a life together, the reality of loving someone who can vanish at any moment begins to unravel them both.

What I Liked

It’s haunting. The writing is quietly lyrical, the kind that sneaks up on you with its weight. Audrey Niffenegger doesn’t romanticize the concept of time travel; instead, she leans into the loneliness of it. The way time fractures identity, how it erodes the idea of normalcy, how it builds a relationship on absence as much as presence—it’s all here, and it’s devastating.

The dual POVs work beautifully. Clare’s chapters, in particular, are painful in their stillness. She’s not the manic pixie dream girl that the blurb might make her sound like—she’s a woman who grows up with a ghost. She’s angry, tender, often resigned. I appreciated how the book let her be both devoted and broken.

Also, this book does something rare: it lets love be difficult. Not in the cute “we bicker and banter” way, but in the “I am actively unraveling but I still choose you” way.

Downsides

Let’s be honest—some elements haven’t aged well. The power imbalance between Clare and Henry, especially in the earlier parts of her life, is uncomfortable. It’s meant to be complex, but sometimes it just reads as manipulative. There’s also a lot of gender essentialism in how their emotional experiences are written.

And yes, it’s slow. If you’re not in the mood for introspective grief-drenched chapters that wander in time, this book might feel like a drag. But if you are? It wrecks you, in a quiet, patient way.

Final Thoughts & Who Should Read It

The Time Traveler’s Wife is one of those books that hits differently depending on when you read it. It’s not a simple romance. It’s a story about time, loss, trauma, and the quiet ways people choose each other despite it all. It asks: What if you knew someone was going to leave, over and over again—would you still love them?

Read this if you’re in the mood to be undone slowly. If you liked One Day by David Nicholls or Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, this belongs on your shelf. It won’t leave you cheerful. But it will leave you changed.

Book 8: Book Lovers

• Author: Emily Henry
• Genre: Contemporary Romance

Why I Picked It Up

Emily Henry is one of those authors I reach for when I need to feel something, but not everything. Her books live in that perfect in-between space—funny, flirty, occasionally heartbreaking, but never emotionally irresponsible.

Also, I was promised bookish banter, enemies-to-lovers tension, and a lead character who doesn’t want to give up her edge to fit into someone else’s narrative. And I was like—finally, a romance that doesn’t punish ambitious women for existing.

Summary

Nora Stephens is a cutthroat literary agent with a sharp tongue and a sharper schedule. Charlie Lastra is a brooding editor she once had a disastrous meeting with. When Nora’s sister drags her to a quaint small town for a Hallmark-style getaway, the last person she expects to run into is Charlie.

What follows isn’t a cutesy romance between a career girl and a cinnamon-roll farmer. It’s a love story between two people who already know how the story usually ends—and want to write something different. Together.

What I Liked

Everything. Genuinely.

Nora is the kind of female protagonist we rarely get in romance—fiercely competent, emotionally walled-off, and uninterested in apologizing for who she is. She’s not the “quirky mess” or the “smol bean who trips over air.” She’s sharp. And human. And tired. Which is refreshing.

The banter between Nora and Charlie? 10/10. Dry, delicious, and very well-paced. You can tell Emily Henry respects her readers’ intelligence—there’s no dragging out of miscommunication tropes here. The conflict feels real. The attraction feels earned.

Also, the sister storyline? Quietly gutting. This isn’t just a romance—it’s a story about letting go of the roles you were forced to play. About realizing that being the responsible one doesn’t mean you don’t get to be held.

Downsides

If you’re expecting small-town charm and quirky side characters to be front and center, you might be a little disappointed. This book pokes fun at that trope more than it indulges in it.

Also, Emily Henry’s writing leans more literary than some might expect. If you’re here for straight-up fluff, the emotional introspection might feel like it slows things down. But personally? That’s what made it so good.

Final Thoughts & Who Should Read It

Book Lovers is a romance for people who are tired of being told to “just relax” or “let go and fall in love.” It’s for people who overthink everything, who take care of everyone else, and who secretly wonder if there’s room for them in a happy ending.

Read it if you loved Beach Read or The Love Hypothesis, but wanted something a little smarter, a little sadder, and a lot more honest about what it means to choose someone—without losing yourself in the process.

What I Read in April: Summary & Favourite (and Least Favorite) Book

This month’s reading list took me across quite the emotional spectrum—grief, war, magical tournaments, literary slow burns, and one very poetic time-travel-induced identity crisis. Not the soft, escapist lineup I thought I’d end up with, but honestly? I’m not mad about it. Every book had its own emotional tone—some soft, some sharp, some that left me sitting in silence for a while before I could pick up anything else.

If I had to pick a favorite, Book Lovers would probably take the crown. It was fun, honest, and emotionally layered in a way that made me pause mid-page. And even though The Time Traveler’s Wife destroyed me a little bit, I’m putting it in the ‘devastating honorable mentions’ pile because it wasn’t new to me. That emotional trauma was… familiar.

As for the least favorite—probably Earth Ending. And that’s it for April! What did you read this month? Have you read any of these? 

I’d love to hear your thoughts—especially if you have The Time Traveler’s Wife trauma too. Let’s start a support group.