April Book Reviews

The time to learn my April reads is here! I feel I got a good amount of books done due to all the things I had going on this month. April was pretty busy with holidays, recital preparation, and family things. But that's enough about me. Let's move on to the reviews.

Best Books

Thornghost- Tone Almhjell

My Rating: 5 stars

What I Liked:

• Niklas and Secret. Niklas is the protagonist of the novel. Secret is a lynx that get imbued with magic so she can talk. They work together to figure out how to get rid of the trolls in Niklas's world. They're an awesome team, but I like Secret just the tiniest bit more. She's sassy, slightly prickly, and a great friend to Niklas.

• The world. This book takes place partially in our world, and partially in the same world as The Twistrose Key. Only this time we get to see a darker, less friendly part of it. It's beautiful and has some amazing things. Like fruit made of gems you can actually eat. Who wouldn't want to try a diamond apple?

• Mystery. The author did a great job of not showing all her cards at once. She kept things hidden from you, then revealed them, so that everything you previously learned changes in relation. If you can do it right, then this can be an amazing technique.

• Character development. Like in her previous novel, the main character learns the thing they need as they travel on their journey. Niklas learns to be a much better person by the end of the book.

• Creepy and dark. If The Twistrose Key felt like Narnia, Thornghost felt more like an N. D. Wilson book. The two books a quite different, but in a good way. Don't read it at night, though.

• It ties into The Twistrose Key! This was one of my favorite parts of the book. Niklas is Lin's friend that she left behind, so there are all sorts of delicious tie ins.

What I Disliked:

• A few time I thought the plot was wandering. It wasn't often or bad, and that just might be me. But other than that, I can't think of anything I didn't like.

The Winner's Crime- Marie Rutkoski

My Rating: 4 1/2 stars

What I Liked:

• That cover. It's so gorgeous. The bright blue dress especially. Though as one of my brothers pointed out, is she holding a sword or a knife? It certainly doesn't look like she's holding a sword.

• Kestrel. She's one of the best YA heroins I've read in a while. She's not a superb fighter. Instead, she's smart and calculating. She's tough in ways other than physical, which is refreshing. We need more characters like her.

• World-building. This series has great a great world. Different cultures, religions, and traditions. And the world is based off of more than medieval England. Each culture has a different feel to it.

• Kept me reading and on the edge of my seat. When I got to the last few chapters, I couldn't put it down, even though I had things to do. That's good writing. Plus, the author is great at keeping things tense.

There's so much more I could go on and on about. Why don't you save me the trouble and just go read it yourself? You won't regret it.

What I Disliked:

• Arin. Go ahead and murder me now if you're completely in love with Arin. But I found him pretty annoying most of this book. He was stubborn, self-centered, and refused to listen. He did come around in the end, so that made me happy.

Books I Liked Slightly Less

A quick note: I read a lot of good books this month. I didn't have any I really hated or disliked this time. So my worst books are really just the ones I liked a little less than some of the others. Okay, let's move on.

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up- Marie Kondo

My Rating: 3 stars

What I Liked:

• Some of her ideas. Marie Kondo is pretty radical in her ideas. But the thought of sorting things and keeping only what makes you happy is a good one. Not practical for everything, I know, but for other things it works great.

• Her folding technique. She makes folding clothes almost like cloth origami, making each item into a little rectangle that can stand up on its own. Excuse me while I go geek out about folding clothes.

• Some of her storage ideas. She also has some good ideas there. Like using shoe boxes for various things. She likes them because they're rectangular and fit well into space.

What I Disliked:

• Some of her other ideas. Like thanking things for what they've done for you. Or talking to your house. It's too Japanese for me.

• The thought that items have feelings. Sorry, I just can't bring myself to think that my socks feel things. Or a notebook. Or an electrical cord. (Possibly books, though.) It's a very Japanese idea.

• Her ideas about books. You can so tell she's not a book nerd. She wants you to get rid of way too many books, like unread ones. Have you ever heard of a TBR? And, get this, she wants you to put your bookcase in your closet if it will fit. What sort of monster does that? How you can you look at their loveliness if it's hidden away? (I have strong feelings concerning books and bookcases. Can you tell?)

I plan on doing a whole post about the KonMari method later after I've tried it out, so if you want to know more of my thoughts, stay tuned until then. There will be pictures!

Leepike Ridge- N. D. Wilson

Before my N. D. Wilson fangirl card is revoked, allow me to say that I did like this book. I just didn't like it as much as some of his other books, which is why I chose it for this list.

My Rating: 3 1/2 stars

What I Liked:

• The characters. N. D. is great at writing relatable, fun characters for his books. These were no exception. Tom was a bit thickheaded, but then, what 12-year-old isn't?

• Fast paced. It kept flying along with barely a break. When the breaks did come, they were in just the right place.

• Loathable bad guys. I love a bad guy you can loath. For one thing, it gives me an opportunity to use the word loath in a blog post. Plus, sometimes you just want a villain you can hate and not worry about suddenly feeling sorry for.

• Setting and speculations. I've listed these two together because they go hand-in-hand. The world hidden beneath the cliffs is amazing, and has some fun speculations attached to it. I won't say more so I don't spoil it.

What I Disliked:

• The writing style. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't like his other novels, which threw me off a bit. It's a pet peeve, really.

Notable Mention

Iron Man: The Gauntlet- Eoin Colfer

My Rating: 3 1/2 stars

My feelings on Iron Man are mixed. At times, I love him. (Especially the snark.) Other times, I want to punch him in the face. But I couldn't resist this book, given the fact that Eoin Colfer had written it.

It was pretty good, even if it wasn't part of the MCU. Tony was well written, the tech was awesome, and fight scenes quite realistic. People actually got hurt when they did crazy things, like jump off cliffs into the water or have sword fights with no previous experience.

But there were also parts I didn't like. Saoirse annoyed me because I don't like child geniuses. They rub it in your face that they're way smarter. Also, I feel he wrecked Tony and Rhodey's friendship, even if Rhodey wasn't in the book. It also felt a bit drawn out at times. Still, I would totally recommend this book for any Iron Man fans.

Other Books Read

Tainted- Morgan L. Busse- 4 stars
The Last Musketeer- Stuart Gibbs- 4 stars
Summerkin- Sarah Prineas- 4 stars
Moonkind- Sarah Prineas- 4 stars
The Magic Thief- Sarah Prineas- 4 stars (What can I say? I was on a kick. Besides, her books are great.)
Horten's Miraculous Mechanisms- Lissa Evans- 4 stars
Spark Joy- Marie Kondo

Let's talk! What books have you read this month? Do you like female protagonists that aren't physically kick-butt? Tell me in the comments.