Which books are worth the read and which should you skip? Find out what books I’ve been reading lately and whether I recommend them.
Welcome to my new monthly series Worth the Read. At the end of each month, I’ll be wrapping up my monthly reading with a list of all the books I read. I often talk about books on my to-read list, so now it’s time to see what I thought after I read them. Each month, I’ll break down my monthly reading list for you so you can know which books I found worth the read, and which books I wish I had skipped.
Another month of reading down, and while my numbers have dropped from previous months, I was able to get in quite a few books. 11 fiction and 2 nonfiction. In my list, I have eight new 2019 releases, one 2018 bestseller, two classics, and two older books I’d never read. Only one book was a re-read. I read 10 books from the library, I owned one book, and read 2 advance review copies on my Kindle app.
This month, I reached a high of five overdue library books, though I currently am only down to one. Luckily my library doesn’t do overdue fines.
As a result of an injury, I didn’t go to the gym much, so I didn’t listen to any audiobooks this month. But you didn’t come here to read about the numbers. Let’s get down to the book recommendations. Keeping reading to find out which books I loved and which I felt weren’t worth the read.
My Monthly Reading Roundup
The Good Neighbor
MAxwell King
After a decade of broadcasting Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood, Fred Rogers became a cultural icon and a fierce champion of early childhood development. In the first full biography of his life and one of the 2018 Goodreads Choice Award winners, Maxwell King details Fred Roger’s life and his drive to create the best children’s show he could.
Combining teaching kindness and inclusion with best practices by child development experts, Roger’s was a force for good in this world and will always be remembered fondly. Don’t expect any scandalous revelations about Rogers. While not a saint, Rogers was one of those truly great men who lived his life exactly as he seemed.
Verdict: Worth the read … if you like biographies
Rayne & Delilah’s Midnite Matinee
Jeff Zentner
Earlier this year, I fell in love with Jeff Zentner’s style in his first two Young Adult books, both tearjerkers that make you cry. So I was excited to pick up his February 2019 book release, despite the hideous cover and awkward title. High school seniors and best friends Delia and Josie are the hosts of Midnite Matinee, a campy late-night horror movie show on the local public access station. With graduation looming, both girls have decisions to make. Josie must decide whether to stay and pursue the show with Delia or move on to bigger opportunities, while Delia is looking to find the father who abandoned her.
Sadly, the story never really came together for me. Although I sobbed through his previous books, Zentner failed to connect emotionally in this novel. The kitschy nature of the show, the MMA fighting boyfriend and the less than witty teenage banter all felt like distractions. What you see is what you get – a book with an awkward title that will be forgotten quickly.
Verdict: Skip … read his other books instead
Daisy Jones & The Six
Taylor Jenkins Reid
I think we’ve found the frontrunner for the best book of the year. Already snapped up by Reese Witherspoon’s company to become an Amazon miniseries, Daisy Jones and the Six is making waves this spring. After her highly successful novel The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Taylor Jenkins Reid is back with an addictingly fun read about the rise and fall of a fictional 70s band.
With sex, drugs, and rock and roll, you’ll feel like you’re watching a biopic on VH1 – but an extremely well-written one. Selected by Book of the Month club for March, Daisy Jones and the Six will quite possibly be the best book of the entire year.
Verdict: Worth the read … top 2019 new release so far
It Can’t Happen Here
Sinclair Lewis
Just so you know, Sinclair Lewis is one of my favorite authors. He has some great books satirizing the hypocrisy of America’s middle class. However, with the start of the Great Depression, Lewis needed a new topic to write about. It Can’t Happen Here depicts the rise of a political demagogue to the Presidency of the United States.
With surprising accurate parallels to Donald Trump’s ascendancy to the presidency, Lewis’s novel has hit a second wind recently. However, the parallels don’t extend very far. In the novel, a dictatorship is set up within a week of the inauguration and America’s complacent citizens just let fascism steamroll them. Not nearly his best work, I would suggest you read 1984 or Brave New World instead if you want a classic dystopian novel.
Verdict: Skip … unless you love classics or Sinclair Lewis
The Power
Naomi Alderman
What if all women suddenly developed the power of sparking electricity with their hands? How would that ability change the balance of power in the world? Naomi Alderman does a good job of setting up this dystopian scenario. Her narrative follows several individuals who see opportunity in the shifting times and manage to change the world, but not always for better.
While I thought the story was well-written, I just couldn’t quite fall in love. Yet, I can fully understand why others would. Just be warned, there is quite a bit of language and violence in this story.
Verdict: Worth the read … if you like dystopian fiction
The Oedipus Cycle
Sophocles
Way back before the dawn of time, Sophocles was a Greek playwright famous for his tragedies. Of all his surviving works, he is best known for his three plays about Oedipus – Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone. In case your Greek references are a little rusty, Oedipus was a man who, without realizing it, murders his father and marries his mother.
Of the three plays, Oedipus the King and Antigone are worth reading; they are the epitome of Greek tragedy. On the other hand, Oedipus at Colonus is completely forgettable and adds no value to the series. Remember, plays are easier to read than novels, making them the perfect short classics to read if you need something quick for our 2019 Reading Challenge.
Verdict: Worth the read … if you like classic plays
The Sandcastle Girls
Chris Bohjalian
I tried to read The Sandcastle Girls back in February for my 2019 Reading Challenge and I just couldn’t get past the first chapter. However, since it had been recommended by a friend who I know has excellent taste, I wanted to try again.
Chris Bohjalian’s historical fiction novel describes the horrifying genocide of Armenians during World War I. Recent college graduate Elizabeth Endicott travels to Aleppo, Syria, with her father to deliver aid to the Armenians. Living at the American consulate and working in the hospital, she comes in first-hand contact with the suffering Armenians. There she befriends Armen, a young Armenian engineer whose wife and daughter were killed in the forced march across the desert.
Overall, the story is good and extremely informative about an oft-forgotten part of history. However, be aware that the story is extremely slow-building so this book is not for everyone.
Verdict: Worth the read … if you don’t mind a slow build
The Lost Man
Jane Harper
I’ve heard great things about Jane Harper’s novel The Dry, so when I saw her name among the list of February 2019 book releases, I knew I had to read her newest novel. Way out in the Australia outback, brothers Nathan and Bub Bright find the body of their brother Cameron on the edge of their ranch. Did Cam end his own life walking out into the desert or did someone end it for him? More a character study than a murder mystery, The Lost Man looks at the secrets a family keeps combined with a fascinating portrayal of life in the outback.
Verdict: Worth the read … if you like books
Unmarriageable
Soniah Kamal
Soniah Kamal’s retelling of Jane Austen’s classic Pride and Prejudice is set in modern-day Pakistan. At the biggest wedding their small town has ever hosted, Mrs. Binat is determined to snag husbands for her five daughters. Though Jena seems to have caught the eye of an eligible young man, the wealthy Mr. Darsee is clearly unimpressed with Alys and her siblings.
Soniah Kamal was spot-on when she noticed the similarities between Victorian England and modern-day Pakistan. Unfortunately, this means the story translates over without much change, and, therefore, doesn’t add anything new in the retelling.
Verdict: Skip … unless you like Pride and Prejudice retellings
A Girl Named Zippy
Haven Kimmel
Nicknamed “Zippy” as a kid for her energetic nature, Haven Kimmel was born in the small town of Mooreland, Indiana, (population 300) in 1965. While her life is quirkier than most, Kimmel’s simple memoir of her childhood accurately paints a picture of small-town Midwestern life.
If I hadn’t been reading this for my neighborhood book club, I definitely wouldn’t have finished it. While many reviews found it witty and humorous, I did not particularly find it amusing. I will note that there is quite a bit of violence against animals – some that she just happened to witness, some that are part of growing up on a farm, and some that could happen to anyone.
If you are sensitive, don’t read the book. However, it shouldn’t be condemned for the fact she grew up in a different era or lifestyle than you did.
Verdict: Skip … unless you like memoirs about growing up
The Girls at 17 Swann Street
Yara Zgheib
Yara Zgheib hits the emotions hard in her debut novel. Professional dancer Anna Roux is plagued with uncertainties. In an attempt to take control, she starts controlling her eating and eventually weighs only 88 pounds. Admitted to a treatment facility for her anorexia, Anna meets other brave women fighting their own battles with eating disorders.
Once you get past the formatting (short disjointed paragraphs and heavy use of italics indicating thoughts and dialogue), the raw emotion of the story draws you in as you see into Anna’s struggles with her disease. A great reminder of the power of mental illness and the awful toll anorexia takes on the body.
Verdict: Worth the read … if you like raw emotional reads
Upcoming Releases
One of the best perks of being a book blogger is receiving advance review copies (ARCs) of upcoming book releases from publishers.
At the beginning of each month, I cover all the new book releases coming out, and the April 2019 book releases are right around the corner. Here’s a peek at the April releases I’ve already read.
My To-Read List
What’s up next for me? Before I let you go, here are a few of the titles I’m hoping to get through this upcoming month.
Be sure to come back in May to see which ones I read.
Which Books Did You Read in April?
What books did you love this month? Which books did you hate? As always, let me know in the comments!
More Book Lists to Enjoy:
