I can’t believe how quickly April has flown by! It’s already mid month and therefore time for April Quick Lit. Every month of the 15th, Modern Mrs Darcy – one of my favorite book blogs and the voice behind the What Should I Read Next Podcast – hosts a link up. Fellow readers and book bloggers are invited to share what they’ve been reading lately.
My reading life in the first half of April has taken a new turn. I’ve read several comics and graphic novels so far this month. I also enjoyed a couple of middle grade audiobooks.
I’ve been struggling to get into my year of health nonfiction pick this month. Most of my April quick lit contains 4 star reads too which is wonderful! It’s been a nice break to escape into images and adventures geared toward a younger audience. Although one of these current reads is definitely for adult readers!
April Quick Lit:
Lumberjanes, Vol. 8: Stone Cold by Shannon Watters
Rating: 4 stars
The Lumberjanes comic series follows five best friends at a mysterious and magical summer camp. They must band together, taking their friendship to the max, as they battle supernatural forces popping up around camp.
In Lumberjanes, Vol. 8: Stone Cold, April, Jo, Ripley, Mal, and Molly are so excited that Barney is starting their first week at camp. When the friends head over to the Zodiac cabin to welcome them, they find all the cabin members turned to stone. Determined to bring them back to life, the Lumberjanes encounter an old enemy, navigate Greek mythology, and battle monsters to rescue the Zodiac cabin.
I just adore this series so anytime I get to spend an hour following a new adventure of the Lumberjanes is amazing. The theme of friendship and teamwork conquering anything are positive and reassuring. I enjoy the beautiful art conveying the natural world surrounding camp as well as the now familiar recurring characters. I hope that future volumes dig into the mystery of the supernatural forces surrounding the camp more.
Palace of Stone by Shannon Hale
Rating: 4 stars
Palace of Stone is the second book in Shannon Hale’s middle grade Princess Academy trilogy. I read the first book a couple of years ago. It was a cute and enjoyable read but I wasn’t certain I’d continue the series. When I saw the second book available on audio through my library, I knew it was time to pick the series back up again.
The story picks up with Miri and some of the other girls from the princess academy navigating their new lives in the city of Asland. While helping the future princess prepare for her wedding, Miri also gets the opportunity to attend school at the Queen’s Castle. There she makes friends with other students who expose her to ideas of revolution.
Miri soon finds herself torn between her friendship with the princess and embracing these new ideas. She also struggles with which place to call home, her small mountain town or this new city, and whether to stay true to her old love or experience a new relationship.
I think this book takes place a couple of years after the first. Miri and the other girls seem much older and the issues surrounding them like marriage and life or death decisions definitely feel more mature. It still had the same fairy tale atmosphere as the first book though.
The audiobook experience was also wonderful! The version I listened to featured a whole cast to voice different characters. I also enjoyed some of the music that brought Hale’s lyrics to life and the way that Miri’s inner voice was differentiated from her dialogue as well as the narration of the story.
Saga, Vol. 3 through 5 by Brian K. Vaughan
Rating: 4 stars
I began this series last summer when the first two volumes were available through Kindle Unlimited. These graphic novels are definitely meant for an adult audience. They contain graphic violence along with some explicit sex scenes.
Saga tells the story of Alana and Marko, members of two different species who are at war with one another and have dragged this entire universe into choosing sides. The two fall in love and work together to escape to a life on the run but spent with each other. When they have a child, Hazel, things get more complicated as many people in power try to wipe them away before word of their offspring gets out.
The series keeps building this universe with each additional volume adding a rich array of characters and subsequent story lines. While many of the themes surrounding this series are pretty depressing, I find it to be evocative and addictive.
Saga isn’t finished yet so I’ve tried to pace myself in reading it. After a three year hiatus, it looks like new volumes will be published this year although I couldn’t find a specific release date.
The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
Rating: 3.5 stars
12-year old Josh Bell and his twin brother Jordan live and breathe basketball. It runs in the family since their father is a retired basketball star. Josh is also a talented poet as he tells his family’s story in verse and shares how the rules of basketball also apply to life.
I listened to this book on audio and even slowed down the narration speed so I could really take in these beautiful words. While I enjoyed the audiobook, I think this story is probably most powerful when read. Apparently each chapter is formatted in a different form of poetry. That didn’t really come through for me with the audio version.
There is also a graphic novel adaption now which I’d be very interested in checking out. I loved Josh’s passion for basketball, his parents’ role modeling, and the way he wove his rules of basketball into a set of rules for life. I also thought it was cool how the chapters follow the flow of a game night with each chapter titled a different part of the game.
Will & Whit by Laura Lee Gulledge
Rating: 4.5 stars
I discovered Laura Lee Gulledge’s work last November when I read her graphic novel Page by Paige. The story surprised me with themes that dug much deeper than I expected. It was wonderfully whimsical and I thought Gulledge’s illustrations were amazing.
Her second book, Will & Whit, did not disappoint me. Wilhelmina, who goes by Will, is looking forward to spending the summer before her senior year having adventures with her friends. She struggles with her fears of the dark and the shadows in it that she isn’t ready to deal with. So Will makes lanterns out of any materials she can find to hold onto the light.
When a hurricane named Whitney rolls through her town causing a long blackout, Will is forced to deal with her fears. Old friends and new ones come together to encourage Will to leave her safe zone and embrace her building skills against the backdrop of an arts carnival.
Again, Gulledge created a story full of whimsy and characters full of creative talents. She brought the same feeling I loved in her first book to her second. The friendships and support around Will is beautiful. I thought the way she deals with her fears and works through her pain was inspiring. The only thing I’d wish for is that the story was a little longer.
What have you been reading this April?
