Book Review: April Edition

As always, I am coming to you with my book reviews: April edition! This month felt off, I won’t lie to you all. This quarantine lifestyle is really starting to affect me as I’m running out of books to read with library closures. After finishing these four books, I did take a break from reading and jumped into a bunch of different TV shows, so please give me all your recs in the comments below!

This month we are covering two romance novels, a lifestyle book with a ton of psych studies, and a self-help book! I hope you followed along and enjoy this review!

Note: This post may contain affiliate links. This means that, at no additional cost to you, I may receive a commission or similar benefit if you click through and make a purchase.

Book 1: The Light We Lost by Jill Santopolo

Growing up I always heard “you’ll never forget your first love,” and this book is complete proof of that sentiment. Lucy and Gabe meet in a Shakespeare class on 9/11 at Columbia University. Watching the Twin Towers fall, they promise themselves they will have a life of meaning and pursue any passions they have. After 14 months together, Gabe, a photographer, decides he can’t pass up the opportunity to capture the Middle East during this troubling time. Lucy doesn’t want to go into a war zone, she wants to follow her scriptwriting dreams in New York, leading them to ultimately break up as they go separate ways. It’s been said before: love can change the course of your life. And, Lucy is left reeling wondering why she wasn’t worth staying behind for.

Written in Lucy’s point of view, the book reads like a letter written to Gabe, provoking a ton of foreshadowing without giving the reader any idea on what is happening. Even though it’s been 10 years, and Lucy has since moved on, she feels as if her heart will always gravitate toward Gabe. Should she commit to a life with someone else for stability or will she constantly desire the hot flames of her past love? Over the years, the two continue to communicate and the reader is left to wonder why she is revisiting her old romance now? While you may not fully understand the choices she makes, you will definitely want to read this book to find out where the story takes you.

I am sincere when I say I started this book at 10:30pm and it was finished by 7am the next day. One of the quicker reads I’ve recapped on my blog! You will absolutely fly through this book and not want to put it down! I think it’s pretty obvious, but I give it 5/5 stars all the way!

Book 2: The Last True Poets of the Sea by Julia Drake

Years ago, the Lyric sank near the coast of Maine leaving one survivor, Fidelia. Fidelia was the great-great-great grandmother of Violet, our main character, and her brother Sam. After Fidelia swam to shore, she fell in love and founded Lyric, Maine, a town Violet and Sam visit each summer. For this reason, the Larkin family is known to be survivors that persevere. Yet why does it feel like their life is a constant shipwreck (no pun intended)? Violet is constantly hanging out with the wrong crowd, sleeping around and drinking too much. Sam has been a shell of himself for awhile and it seems nobody is noticing him slowly shrinking away. After Sam attempts suicide, Violet leaves town to cope and live with her uncle in Lyric, while Sam is shipped off to a treatment center.

Lyric is different from NYC where Violet is used to her lifestyle. With nothing to do, she swears off her old patterns, shaves her head, and starts volunteering her time at the town’s run-down aquarium. There she meets her first friend, Orion, who quickly introduces her to his group of misfits. Violet takes special interest in Liv who appears to be fascinated with Lyric history and cannot believe Violet is an ancestor to the founder of their town and lone survivor of a shipwreck. Violet spends her days thinking of the past and remembering her brother’s desire to find the site of the crash when they were growing up. She decides she is going to do whatever it takes to discover the lost wreckage.

This book will capture your attention from the first page. Not only does it make you cling to the mystery of a lost shipwreck and explore family lineage, but it also will have you feeling all the feels for the characters as they explore relationships. I was looking for a good book that would take my mind off of quarantine, and this one did just that! 5/5 stars.

Book 3: The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter by Meg Jay

As someone who turned 26 earlier this month, this book gave me a bit of an anxiety attack. Dr. Meg Jay, a psychologist, wrote this book for twenty somethings to help them realize how decisions we make today will impact our 30s and 40s. As if we needed the reminder! She uses case studies and gives examples on all areas of life such as marriage, job security, children, etc. I especially enjoyed the chapter on her client who was overwhelmed with giving off a perfect facade on social media. So many 20-year-olds today want to show off a superficial version of their lives when in reality, we are all messy and don’t necessarily have it together! The chapter that stressed me out the most was regarding careers and how we should essentially always be moving up the ladder. I feel like now is the time to figure that out, but according to Dr. Jay, not so much!

While there were some wake-up calls throughout the book, I do think it was a nice way to showcase some of the improvements I should be making in my twenties. She and her book are very future oriented, and I am someone who really lives life in the present. I want to enjoy each chapter of my life and not stress about what I cannot control. Her writing can, at times, come across feeling a little judgmental or condescending. However, it did spark some great questions. I’m fascinated to know if my thoughts would have been different reading this as a 23-year-old rather than now. You will just have to read it to see what you think! The book provides tools necessary to make the most of your twenties and how our mindset can change more during this decade than any other time in our life if we use the time wisely. Overall, I gave the book 3/5 stars.

Book 4: You Are the Girl for the Job by Jess Connolly

This book came to me at a perfect time, and I believe it will for you too! Jess Connolly is a Christian writer, coach, mother, and wife to a pastor. She weaves scripture, biblical examples, and her own personal testimony to write why you -yes, you!- are the girl for any job God is nudging you to pursue. She urges you not to second guess your gifts while showing you God has prepared you for this. This book will bring you confidence and purpose as you walk into this next stage of your life by using these six steps: set your focus, take stock of the story that has shaped you, face your fear, catch the vision, make a plan, and make your move.

I love self-help books so I knew I would love this one. With this quarantine, I have been starting my mornings with the Bible so reading a scripture based book was a change of pace but I loved the connection she was able to make. The whole message is this – you are the girl for the job. What job? Whatever it is that you find yourself be called to! It is empowering and really got me motivated to start my next journey. You don’t have to be a Christian to read this book but I do think if you are you will love it even more! This book is for all women who tend to be fearful, are exhausted, strive for perfection, desire for other people’s approval, etc. God’s word will ease the overwhelm you feel while reading Connolly’s words. If you’re in need of a dose of truth, this is the next book you should read! You bet it got a 5 star from me!

There you have it – four more books to read while you are stuck at home! Tell me, how are you doing with all this social distancing? I’m always a DM away if you need someone to chat with or want to discuss books! I hope you enjoy this month’s reads. I’ll be right back here next month!