April hopefully will have less snow for me than March did. We just had ten inches of snow melt and now we’re heading into another week of probable snowstorms. I’m looking forward to more spring-like weather by the end of the month. Maybe rain. Speaking of rain, the words are raining… I’m writing again. I’ll tell more in the diary section of this page (below the book list.)
Word of the Month
Truth
Bible Verse of the Month
Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.”
– Jesus (John 17:17)
This month’s reading diary is at the bottom of this page, after the book list.
My Goodreads page: https://www.goodreads.com/lindajm
★ – I’m reading it.
✓ – I finished reading it. Yay!
⇗ – Still reading at the end of the month.
⇓ – I did not like it or finish it.
∅ – Stalled – I started but didn’t finish.
April is a month of birthdays for my family. Happy Birthday to all my April birthday loved ones! You know who you are.
Still reading, since last month
✓ Christian: The Cloud of Unknowing, by A 13th Century Monk
I’m reading this with a group of other Booktubers. At the end of Lent there will be a Zoom meeting. Lent ends on April 6 this year. I read quite a bit of this in March but will have to hurry to finish by April 6. Finished: April 8 – Powerful, for contemplative prayer. Here’s my review. Five stars.
✓ Classic Fiction: A Passage to India, by E.M. Forster
A novel about British imperialism in India c. 1920. Finished: April 24 – Awesome classic! Worth reading at least once. Here’s my review. Four stars.
★ Historical Fiction: Ireland, A Novel, by Frank Delaney
Started this in March to celebrate my Irish heritage. I’ll continue this month. It is long – over 600 pages – and I’m not even to page 100 yet. I had a lot of distractions in March. It is an interesting story about a traveling storyteller in Ireland and the stories he tells, and a boy who loves listening to him.
★ History: Lifting the Veil on The Lost Continent of Mu, the Motherland of Men, by Jack Churchward, great-grandson of James Churchward
The entire original James Churchward text about Mu is contained in this book. This is novel research, and I’m reading it for Historathon 2023!
Here’s where I’m keeping notes on this book and my research on it: The Continent of Mu: history or fantasy?
So far I’m really interested in what I’m reading here. I’ve always had an interest in ancient archeology.
⇗★ Christian Nonfiction: The Power of Praying For Your Adult Children, by Stormie Omartian
Still reading. I’m loving and appreciating it – and at the same time am having a hard time making time for it and getting through it.
★ Christian: Clinging to Hope, by Charles R. Swindoll
My current Netgalley read.
✓ Classic Fiction: An American Tragedy, by Theodore Dreiser
I’m about 1/3 of the way through this monster of a 859 page book. Audiobooking it. It isn’t hard to listen to but does seem to move way too slowly at times. Also, it suffers from the terrible problem of having no likable characters. Finished: April 13 – There was a lot not to like about this book but in the end I gave it five stars because of the impact on me, and the Christian message. Here’s my review.
New In April
✓ Juvenile Fiction: The Golden Goblet, by Eloise Jarvis McGraw
For my Around the World in 80 Days Challenge – a book set in Egypt. I wanted to read this in March but didn’t even get started. Finished: April 10 – Excellent book for ages 10 and up with a young boy as the main character. My review. Four stars.
✓ Romantic Suspense: The Wind Off the Small Isles, and The Lost One, by Mary Stewart
Our Mary Stewart book of the month…… two novellas. Finished: April 18 – well, the second story was more of a short story and the first was a novella. Both had the same main character, Perdita. I enjoyed both stories. Here’s my review. Five stars.
✓ Adventure Fiction: Hornblower and the Atropos, by CS Forester
Reading with a group on Booktube. Finished: April 22 – starting with a canal boat, then transferring to the Atropos, a journey in the Mediterranean. Here’s my review. Four stars.
✓ Fiction: Piranisi, by Susanna Clarke
Fascinating, and unique. Finished: April 25 – LOVED this novel. My review. Five stars.
✓ Christian Classic Fiction: The Pilgrim’s Progress, by John Bunyan
A very nice audio version of this classic. There is SO much wisdom in this novel…!!!!! Finished: April 29 – Maybe one of the best things I’ve read this month. Great book! Here’s my review. Five stars.
My April 2023 Reading Diary
April 1 – April Fool’s Day. I have nothing to say. April Fools . . .
April 8 – This has been a busy month already. I’ve gone back to church, joined a Bible study, and am cleaning my van out in preparation for an out-of-town trip. Busy, busy. That’s me. Today I finished reading The Cloud of Unknowing. Here’s my review. Five stars.
April 10 – I am exhausted after my trip to Medford for a vision appointment, plus I picked up a lot of gardening supplies at Home Depot. So tired! But I finished an audiobook today of The Golden Goblet. It was about a young boy in Egypt. My review. Four stars.
April 13 – I finished reading Theodore Dreiser’s 859-page masterpiece classic novel – An American Tragedy. Here’s my review. FFmarymmmmmmive stars.
April 18 – Today I finished reading The Wind Off the Small Isles and The Lost One, two stories by Mary Stewart. Here’s my review. Five stars.
April 22 – Another Hornblower bites the dust. Here’s my review. Four stars.
April 24 – I finished reading A Passage to India by EM Forster. Awesome book. Here’s my review. Four stars. – I took away a star only because I found the first and third parts of the book a bit hard to follow. I’d be willing to read another book by this author.
April 25 – I read Piranisi today. Really loved it. Here’s my review. Five stars.
April 29 – Now I know why so many people love The Pilgrim’s Progress. Awesome book for Christians! Here’s my review. Five stars.
Hi Linda, I somehow lost track of you and your book talks. I was dealing with a surgery for a while and lost track of a few people I had been following.
Hope things have been going well for you where you have been living and you are still doing your book reviews and other things.
Sincerely,
Melanie Reding