Whenever I start my month of reading, I never go into it with any kind of volume goals. I have talked about this in a few venues, but I'm not a big believer in number goals for me when it comes to reading. There are too many life factors that come into play - what kind of time do I have, what kind of books am I reading, what pace do they require. So, for me, I read what I read when I read it in the time it takes me to read it.

April was a great example of this. It was a but of a busy month in real life. Additionally, audiobooks just weren't doing it for me. I don't know if this is where audiobooks are headed for me, or if this was just a one off deal because I was distracted, but I usually do 2-3 audiobooks a month, and I was only really able to do one that I focused on. I also got through a couple bigger books this month, and books that I wanted to savor.

So April wound up being a bit slower volume wise. However, the quality of each book overall was great! I believe my average star rating for the month was around 4.2, and it is usually in the 3.8-3.9 range according to StoryGraph.

I am also a firm believer that every book is for someone, and I have gotten away from the yes/no/maybe format of monthly reviewing. So in my discussion of each of these books, I also try to describe who might enjoy them, even if they weren't my favorite!

So here is my monthly reading wrap up for April!

"The Voyage of the Damned" by Frances White

• 3/5 Stars

• Audiobook

• A fantasy/murder mystery that worked better as a murder mystery for me than it did as a fantasy

• Fans of murder mystery who are looking to get into fantasy and who don't mind a more tell versus show style of world building will enjoy this one.

"The Library at Mount Char" by Scott Hawkins

• 4.5/5 Stars

• Paperback

• A weird, wild modern fantasy that explores some deep topics, and requires trust in the author to deliver on a fantastic finish.

• Fans of low fantasy, weird stories, and enjoy a ride that starts out a little bewildering but ends with everything all tied up will love this one!

"Neuromancer" by William Gibson

• 4/5 Stars

• Paperback

• A genre-defining cyberpunk book that drops you into the middle of a wild ride and makes you figure your way out.

• Fans of cyberpunk and modern sci-fi would enjoy this, as well as people who like world building without any hand holding.

"The Zorg" by Siddarth Kara

• 4/5 Stars

• Hardback

• A nonfiction about a Dutch slave ship that was stolen by the British and upon which atrocities took place that would help spark the abolitionist movement in Britain in the late 1700's.

• This is an important read to show how small acts can make a huge difference, and nonfiction fans will really enjoy this one.

"Warship" by Joshua Dalzelle

• 3.75/5 stars

• Hardback

• A fast paced military sci-fi about a future where war has ceased as humanity has made it's way into the universe, but an encounter at the edges of the habitable universe will have them rethinking their strategy to decommission their warships.

• This would be a great one for fans of thrillers or military/spy thrillers who are looking to get into sci fi, or for sci fi fans who are looking for a quick, fast paced, fun palate cleanser in between big reads.

"The City of Brass" by Shannon Chakraborty

• 4.25/5 stars

• Trade paperback

• A young street urchin accidentally summons a djinn, and finds herself whisked into a world of myth and magic, and discovers she is more that she might seem. A young prince of djinn is trying to make his way through the politics of Daevabad. Their paths cross, and chaos ensues!

• Everyone should read this! If you like a book that blends myth, historical fiction, and fantasy in with romance, with real characters and lush world building, you need to check this out!

"The Gathering Storm" and "Towers at Midnight" By Brandon Sanderson and Robert Jordan

• 4.5 and 5/5 stars

• Trade paperback (The gathering storm) and a mix of audio/trade paperback (Towers at Midnight".

• The Wheel of Time begins its final run to the finish, as we get everything set for Tarmon Gai'don.

• Obviously, people reading the Wheel of Time will read these!

Thanks for checking out the video. And if you want early access to weekly YouTube videos, weekly reading updates, to pick a book for me to read each month, and to join a great community, consider signing up to be one of my Dark Travelers!

What did you read in April?