Gosh, April was a complete blur. One of my friends mockingly asked me how my new year’s resolution to rest and do less was going, and all I could think was the famous Dorinda Medley gif:
Anyway, I’M FINE! I’m taking some time off work next week to do lots of self care and to go to a wedding, but more on that in next month’s wrap up.
In April, I went on a really fun work trip to Prague, and then caught a cold/flu that fully floored me, but the really big news is that Harriet finally got neutered! I truly believe she was in some kind of hormone-induced psychosis because she’s been a completely different cat since she had her uterus whipped out. She’s still nervous and prefers to not be around humans, but her anxiety and constant crying has completely gone. The vet nurse also said that her uterus was one of the worst she’d ever seen, confirming that motherhood is a complex and traumatic journey across the animal kingdom.
Anyway, I’d say I read a little less than average this month because of the aforementioned chaos, but still had some good stuff. I’ve also linked my April playlist below.
Esther Is Now Following You by Tanya Sweeney
I got this on Kobo for 99p, which seemed like a great bargain for a recently published book by an Irish journalist who I’m pretty familiar with! It really wasn’t what I was expecting. The titular Esther suffers some trauma, and becomes wrapped up in the online fan community of a Canadian actor. It took some wild twists that I didn’t see coming, but it’s really compulsive reading.
Y: The Last Man Book 4 by Brian K. Vaughan
I think my college ex-boyfriend got me into these graphic novels about a future world where all Y chromosomal mammals except for one man and his pet monkey drop dead and it’s been really fun re-reading them. I’ve been thinking about watching the TV adaptation but I think it got cancelled after one season. Let me know if you watched it.
Jazz by Toni Morrison
I have an English degree and have been a voracious reader my entire life, which is why I’m so ashamed to say that this is the first Toni Morrison I’ve ever read. What the fuck is wrong with me?! This book is about a post-middle-aged couple in 1920s Harlem who live with the repercussions of the husbands affair with a much younger woman, who he subsequently murders. It’s a fascinating and lyrical book that benefits from being sat down and devoured, rather than being read in bits and pieces.
The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk
Are you even processing trauma if you haven’t read this book?! I read this during the pandemic, and listened to it this month for a reminder that yoga IS in fact helping me work through any bad thing that’s ever happened to me.
Whatever Happened to Madeline Stone? by Louise O’Neill
If you don’t have a journalist as a friend, you’re stupid. As well as being the most fun people, they get great perks, one of which is proofs. My friend kindly gave me the proof of Louise O’Neill’s latest novel, about child star twins coming to fame in the toxic noughties. It’s highly triggering and familiar to any of us who grew up in that time and had to be witness to the way the media treated women and girls. I really enjoyed this, and my only complaint is that I hit a twist in the story right as my plane landed in Prague and I had to put it away.
You Better Believe I’m Gonna Talk About It by Lisa Rinna
I listened to this on audio, which was literally perfect. This is a must-read for any Bravo fan and she really hams it up in the narration.
Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash
Another unexpected read this month! The Kobo 99p deals are actually so good. This is about a dysfunctional family in the US and the various misadventures that they get into after the mother and wife insists on opening up her marriage to the dad and father. I don’t even want to go into any more details because it was an insane ride. The characters are so odd and funny, and the storylines are so unique. If you like something a bit weird, I’d really recommend this.
