April 2022 Wrap-Up

I'm looking forward to getting out of here--my husband and I are taking a little anniversary trip this week. The school year will wrap up next week, and then I'll be getting ready to teach summer classes. Hopefully, I can enjoy myself more this summer, which often means more reading!

Books I Read This Month

1. The Kings of Nowhere by C.G. Drews --So glad to have the opportunity to get to read this on Patreon, and looking forward to buying the published book whenever that's possible. Drews has such a witty, whimsical way with words and her characters curl up in your heart and stay there. 
2. The German House by Annette Hess (Book club)-Set during the Frankfurt Auschwitz trials in 1963, which I hadn't heard of before. The protagonist, Eva, is a translator in the court where SS officers are on trial. The book was translated from the German. Not a book I would have chosen, but an interesting perspective. 
3. The Witch Collector by Charissa Weaks--This pretty cover (and Spinning Silver comps) caught my eye, and my husband bought me this book for Valentine's Day. I finally finished reading--the writing is as beautiful, lush, and enchanting as the cover art. The feisty protagonist Raina and Slavic-influenced fantasy world draw you in immediately, and the story reminded me strongly of Shadow & Bone as well as Spinning Silver and Uprooted, but with much more focus on feminist empowerment and female characters (in addition to the protagonist!) than any of those. Also, I don't love these romances between ancient men and young women (Raina is at least 24 and not a teenager but still), but the romance is also a strong focus and it's nice to get swept away in these steamy scenes, and ignore the conflict in the book and the world for a while.
4. Devotions by Mary Oliver--I've been reading this poetry collection for over a year; originally a few poems a night, then a handful every week or so, but how appropriate to finish during National Poetry Month. Mary Oliver always makes me want to sit down and write a poem, and also head off at dawn and spend all day counting dandelions in a secluded field. The ultimate Mary Oliver reader--highly recommend. 
5. You've Been Volunteered by Laurie Gelman (book club)--Quick, fun read, this is the book for May in the same club where we read The German House for April, so it was the perfect counterpoint. The breezy, irreverent tone of the viewpoint "class mom" makes for a hilarious read, but she does come off as unnecessarily harsh and mean, and I would not want to meet or interact with her irl.