letters to april reads & media

the things i read and consumed in April

May 05, 2025

books📚

The Penelopiad - Margaret Atwood

4.0 stars

I loved this concept, and of course, Atwood's writing is beautiful! It's a quick read and very accessible. It's written with excerpts from a play version sprinkled throughout. This story really focused on the 12 maids as well as Penelope. I was left wanting more, though. I think even an extra 50 pages could have helped me see this complex story through her eyes. I felt like this scratched the surface, but didn't have the depth it could have had.

Spells for Forgetting - Adrienne Young🎧

5.0 stars

Wow. I was wondering if this could possibly be as good as The Unmaking of June Farrow… and yes. Yes, it is!! My goodness, this was an amazing read. Witchcraft, magical realism, ancestral secrets, and a great mystery.. plus a stunning love story!!! I thought I saw the plot twist coming, and when it came, I was so shocked. This is an incredible story by a phenomenal author.

The Lamb - Lucy Rose

5.0 stars

wow… I love gothic horror and I loved Juniper and Thorn, so this was right up my alley. I read it for a book club and gobbled it right up… As someone who has endured an abusive relationship with my mother, where I was praised when I was quiet and blended in, I related so much to Margot. Yes it’s a book about cannibalism … on the surface. What it’s actually about is the experience of being a girl learning about womanhood from an unwell and unsafe mother. It’s about only being loved as an extension of your mother and that love going away when individuation begins. Take the trigger warnings seriously because yikes!! Beautiful prose, beautiful imagery and haunting writing.

Beowulf
5.0 stars

I genuinely enjoyed this so much! I really liked how fast paced it was and how lyrical it flowed. It was so cool to see one of the OG fantasy stories and to observe the differences and similarities. I really enjoyed the story and the meaning. I also found it quite easy to read and comprehend.

We Have Always Lived in the Castle - Shirley Jackson

5.0 stars

I devoured this book! Gothic, haunting, mysterious, sad, and intriguing. I initially found this because I loved Juniper and Thorn, and others mused that it was based or inspired by this book.

Blue Sisters - Coco Mellors🎧

4.0 stars

A beautiful story about three sisters navigating the grief of their sister, the responsibility they all feel for her death, and how they should live their lives in her honor. I think this book would have been better physically read, as I didn't love the narrator all that much (not bad, just not my cup of tea), but that's what my library had available. It also seemed to be highly inspired by Little Women.

Book Lovers - Emily Henry

5.0 stars

I re-read this as a light read to break up some of the heavier reads I’ve been doing recently. My first time reading this was via audiobook, and something I love about both the author Emily Henry and the narrator Julia Whelan is that they are both SO talented. Reading physically and listening are both amazing, and elicit a new experience. I knew what was happening, but my heart was still fluttering and my fingers were still rapidly turning pages. I love the concept, the characters, and of course, the love. I still have butterflies and tears!

Beowulf: A New Translation - Maria Dahvana Headley

DNF

I wanted to like this! I loved the introduction, and I loved the idea of exploring this through a feminist and modern lens. However…. using bro and daddy felt too forced. It felt like it was trying to be amusing and hip in a way that completely took me out of the story.