What I Read in April

I'm going to level with you: I didn't do much reading in April.

The reason I didn't do much reading in April? I spent a lot of time watching E.R. Like... all my time.

I made it through a few books, but if I keep up at this pace, there's no way I'll hit 100 books by the end of the year. I will, however, have watched all 331 episodes of E.R. by mid-May. Only two & a half seasons left to go!

I know the month isn't quiiiite over, but I'm pretty sure I'm not going to finish anything else before May begins - so here's what I made it through in April:

I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara

This book, part true crime non-fiction research & part personal memoir, was written by the late crime writer, true crime blogger, & wife of comedian Patton Oswalt, who died before she finished writing it. Oswalt hired her fellow researchers & friends to help finish the book, but the end result is a story that is disjointed & often difficult to follow - though incredibly well-written & well-researched, not to mention creepy as hell - about the search for the prolific rapist & murder who terrorized California in the late '70s & '80s. And who they caught this month!!! ★★★★☆

The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen

I thought I was having a difficult time getting into this suspenseful crime thriller, but before I knew it, I was already halfway through & fully engrossed. It goes back & forth between the perspectives of Nellie, a young preschool teacher engaged to Richard, & Vanessa, a struggling sales clerk who is also Richard's ex-wife. It's slightly tough to follow, but the moment when you hit that first big twist? Well, it all feels worth it. ★★★☆☆

The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter by Margareta Magnusson

This nonfiction home-help book was written by a Swedish woman who describes herself as being "somewhere between 80 & 100 years old," & thus, while reading it, it's best if you imagine it to be written by your adorable grandmother. It's all about how to clean your home in a way that will make it easier for those who love you to manage your affairs after you've died, which sounds depressing as hell, but she manages to make it, well, adorably grandmotherly - & helpful even if you're just trying to get a handle on a standard mess, without any plans to die soon. ★★★☆☆

Bachelor Nation: Inside the World of America's Favorite Guilty Pleasure by Amy Kaufman

Will you accept this rose? Kaufman's book about my favorite guilty pleasure reads like long-form journalism you might read in Vice or Rolling Stone, a surprisingly serious & in-depth look at a show that's about as deep as a puddle. If you're looking for Perez Hilton/Reality Steve-style gossip, you won't find anything here that you haven't already read there - but if you're interested in the psychology of the show - of the folks who make it, who go on it, & who watch it - this is the read for you. ★★★★☆

Comment to tell me what you're reading, then add me on Goodreads to keep in touch & see what I've read in months past.

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