Month: April 2023

Current Library Holds: April 2023 

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My library holds list always has at least one upcoming or recent release…in the case of today’s post, it’s nine books, oops. I blame this mostly on the fact that April through June has most of the best book releases of the rest of the year (I shared my April anticipated releases back in March, and plan on having May and June releases posts too). I also added a few more on a recent trip to Barnes and Noble (PSA that if you have a Barnes and Noble Educator’s card, they are doing a promo for the next few months where you can exchange your educator account for a free year of their new premium membership, hence the purpose of my trip), where I realized some of my anticipated books are already out!

The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren – I don’t typically put books on my holds list that have at least a month or two before the come out, but I added The True Love Experiment pretty recently because any new CLo release is a hot commodity. The True Love Experiment comes out on May 16th. 

The Daydreams by Laura Hankin – The Daydreams is another one that I suspect is going to be very popular once it comes out on May 2nd, given the popularity of Laura Hankin’s previous two books, Happy & You Know It and A Special Place for Women. I expect this one to also be popular given its Hollywood premise, following the cast of a reunion special of a very popular 2000s teen show. 

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January – March 2023 Favorite Books

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As per usual, I meant to share my favorite books for the first three months of 2023 within the first week of April, but as per usual, I was distracted by work, life, and of course, the books I’ve been loving this April. Between January, February, and March, I read a total of 41 books, with my absolute favorites shared below! 

Which books have been your absolute faves of 2023 so far? Share in the comments!

What I’ve Been Reading: April 2023 

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I fortunately had spring break over the past week, and it was one of the best spring breaks because the weather was basically summer, which means I got SO much reading done outside and even at the beach. I caught up on TV over the week too, including the latest seasons of Ted Lasso and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel – I’ll have more thoughts on both in my monthly wrap ups, but Ted Lasso is still the most comforting comedy and I’m SO sad that Maisel is ending because it’s just such a fantastic show and I’m loving the glimpses at the future of Midge’s career. I also started watching Shrinking, starring Jason Segel and Harrison Ford – another show I’ve been loving but trying to savor & not rush through. 

Anyways, you’re probably here for my reading updates, so let’s get into it!If you want more real time updates on what I’m reading or a peek on what I’m excited about in the book world (usually announcements about new books or adaptations), you can follow me on Instagram at Fangirl Fury. 

Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson – Jenny Jackson’s Pineapple Street has deservedly gotten so much buzz. This book is set amongst the New York 1% in Brooklyn, & it’s the perfect read for readers like me who love reading about the elite and their spending habits and scandals. Such a easy read to breeze through in one sitting. My Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

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MUST READ GRAPHIC NOVEL: Sunshine by Jarrett J. Krosozska

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Summary (from the publisher):The extraordinary–and extraordinarily powerful–follow-up to HEY, KIDDO.

71vwW2rACrL._AC_UF1000,1000_QL80_When Jarrett J. Krosoczka was in high school, he was part of a program that sent students to be counselors at a camp for seriously ill kids and their families. Going into, Jarrett was worried: Wouldn’t it be depressing, to be around kids facing such a serious struggle? Wouldn’t it be grim?

But instead of the shadow of death, Jarrett found something else at Camp Sunshine: the hope and determination that gets people through the most troubled of times. Not only was he subject to some of the usual rituals that come with being a camp counselor (wilderness challenges, spooky campfire stories, an extremely stinky mascot costume), but he also got a chance to meet some extraordinary kids facing extraordinary circumstances. He learned about the captivity of illness, for sure . . . but he also learned about the freedom a safe space can bring.

Now, in his follow-up to the National Book Award finalist Hey, Kiddo, Jarrett brings readers back to Camp Sunshine so we can meet the campers and fellow counselors who changed the course of his life.

My Rating: 5/5 Stars 

My Thoughts: 

I was a on a graphic novel reading kick back in 2018 and one of the ones I LOVED (& still do) is Jarrett J. Krosoczka’s graphic memoir, Hey, Kiddo, following his childhood being raised by his grandparents and being the child of a parent with addiction. Flash forward to 2023, I once again have been incorporating more graphic novels into my reading because my middle school students love them. The most popular book in my classroom library is Hey, Kiddo. I think they love that yes, it’s a graphic novel, but more importantly, deals with more serious and applicable themes. That being said, I felt like the coolest person (still do) that Scholastic sent me an advance reader’s edition of the follow-up graphic novel, Sunshine.

Sunshine follows Jarrett J. Krosoczka’s week during summer vacation in high school volunteering at a camp for kids with serious illness and their family members. Jarrett is assigned to work directly with a family whose youngest sibling, Eric, has been treated for cancer and Diego, a thirteen year old kid whose cancer forces him to be in a wheelchair.  

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March 2023 Wrap Up

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Is anyone else ready for spring and summer weather, so that they can read outside? I’m putting this post together on Sunday and while it’s already April, I’m so sad that it’s in the forties where I live and am instead writing this wrap up. I have a short work week then it’s on to spring break! 

I read a lot in March, finishing the month with 15 books read. I enjoyed this reading month for the books I absolutely loved, specifically:

The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise – I read this book before it was named a GMA Book Pick, 110% recommend, so unique compared to Colleen Oakley’s previous releases 

Off the Map by Trish Doller– This is the third novel in the Beck Sisters companion series, loved that it was set in Ireland and one of the few novels where I love the insta-chemistry

Things We Hide From the Light by Lucy Score – you’ll find out below that romance wasn’t my jam this month when it came to actually enjoying the books I read, but Things We Hide From the Light was an exception. The Knockemout series is just pure joy 

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