Ok ok, I’m a day late for posting this in May but I am doing it! I’m doing the thing! April was an ok month for books. I got a new computer in April also, because of storage issues (due to a miscommunication about iCloud+ storage when I bought my previous MacBook Air) so now I have a 1TB shiny new blue MacBook Air and it’s been fun. Since I had the space and power, I downloaded the Sims 4 again and started playing – I indulged in some expansion packs, too. That kept me busy on top of the books and work.
As you can see, I finished my re-read of the Outlander novels but I also read a lot of new great books for a total of 21.
- Coming in hot with book 8 of the Outlander series, Written in My Own Heart’s Blood is a beefy volume for Gabaldon. This is actually one of my favorites because it has *so much* American history that I didn’t know before. The detail with which she goes into the early battles of the revolutionary way are pretty cool. The only storyline I don’t love here is Bri and Rogers.
- Book 9 of the series is also a personal favorite, probably at least partially because I waited 10 years for it (I mean, everyone did!) but Go Tell The Bees That I am Gone brings Bri and Roger back as well as brings William and Jamie more closely into each other’s lives. Because Lord John is my favorite character after Jamie and Claire, I love that he has a deep and all consuming storyline in this book. I loved the Lord John novellas and recommend them to anyone who has read the series and wants more.
- This was actually a non-fiction read (mostly) and Elyse Graham did an excellent job of delving into the creation of modern day intelligence in Book and Dagger: How Scholars and Librarians Became the Unlikely Spies of World War II. I had some small idea this was how recruiting took place in the early days of the war, but I didn’t know the depth of academia’s influence over it. It makes sense. Graham’s obvious interest in the history comes through but her ability to weave a bit of storytelling into it really elevates this book.
- The Witches of Scotland: The Dream Dancers was unfortunately, a let down. The storyline is actually quite good IMO and reminded me a lot of the elements of CJ Archer’s Glass & Steele series that I loved, but the pacing was terrible and Aitchison did a really poor job of staying consistent. There were entire plot points that were mentioned and forgotten, never revisited, not fleshed out, and they weren’t small things that could be overlooked. As the series progressed, I found myself constantly saying “but what about???” “Whatever happened to X?” – I read these really quickly and finished the series but there was more potential here than anything, but potential doesn’t really make a story.
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- Of course a KJ Charles novel would make the list and one of her newer releases, All of Us Murderers was very good. Of course, I love the story telling, but I also love how she weaves queer love stories and angst together. It’s really unique for the genre now. I also do enjoy that they’re all a bit of a mystery telling. I don’t know how I missed this one in 2025 – I must have been busy with all her other books. But knowing she had a new release on the way, I snatched it up as soon as I could.
- I haven’t read a lot of historical fiction set in the US but Trisha Thomas’ What Passes as Love had been on my TBR for years. I am glad I finally gave it the time. The story of a young girl, born into slavery but the child of the slave owner, she eventually realizes she can pass. Stories that explore the deep complexities and personal conflict of passing are really telling, to me. Dahlia/Lily Dove makes impossible decisions to live the life she wants and her story is worth reading.
- Another favorite writer of mine, Marie Benedict – she mostly writes novels but has a few of these very short novellas that I’ve enjoyed. Amelia’s Shadow explores the friendship between Ruth Nicholes and Amelia Earhart. This was fun because although she was lost early in her career, Earhart is the female pilot we hear and learn the most about. Learning about Nichols as fun, even though this was short.
- We all know I love historical fiction, particularly WW2 fiction and Pam Jenoff is an author I haven’t delved into much. I have several of her books on my TBR and this one was waiting for me as the first in my audible library (which I have finally made it through!) and it didn’t disappoint! The focus Code Name Sapphire, Hannah Martel, joins an underground resistance group in Brussels, and I love that it’s a story not set in Germany, or France, like so many WW2 novels are, and it explores the impact of Martel’s resistance activity on her family. It’s also based on a few true stories, which I always appreciate in historical fiction.
- As I work to make my way through Marie Benedicts entire bibliography, I tackled The Only Woman in The Room. Did you know Hedy Lamarr (yes, the Hollywood starlet!) was an Austrian Jew born Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler who married a Nazi arms dealer and then fled both her abusive marriage and Austria just before Hitler’s occupation? Ok, well, now you do and you must read Benedict’s novelization of her life. Oh, did you also know she helped INVENT a type of radio guidance for torpedoes that eventually laid the foundation for technologies we take for granted, like Bluetooth and early Wi-Fi? Yeah, well. Read this!
- More Marie Benedict, of course – Agent 355 is based on a real (anonymous) woman who offered intelligence to Washington’s army during the Revolutionary Way. She used her invisibility as an upper class woman to listen and pass along information from British soldiers. This is another short one but anything that brings to lite potentially forgotten moments of history, is worth the time.
- I honestly cannot remember how The Boxcar Librarian found its way into my library but it’s a great story. It was a little predictable at the middle, but set up nicely and is also a historical fiction based in the US – however it’s neither a focus on slavery or war time, but rather on the post-war Depression Era WPA project: American Guide Series. Set in Montana and based on a true story, Millie, Alice, and Colette take on the states copper mining companies. It explores the union busting of the era and how important books are to people.
- I am not sure if this one will be surprising, but I don’t typically gravitate towards Sci-Fi so I hadn’t read any Octavia Butler, despite being recommended to for the better part of a decade. I finally picked up Kindred and could not have been more glad. This is my style of sci-fi/fantasy and the way Butler used those elements to tell not only Dana’s story, but those of her ancestors, was powerful. I look forward to reading more Butler and think this should be required reading.
- Many many years ago, like a lot of people at the time, I read Philippa Gregory’s novels about Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII. I didn’t realize they had been serialized and numbered, though. I picked up Boleyn Traitor despite its length, as a sort of palette cleanser, as I remembered Gregory’s writing as being good but easy. The story of Jane Boleyn, a seemingly insignificant (compared to a Tudor Queen, that is) courtier is a fun exploration into the “behind the scenes” of the happenings surrounding the monarchy.
- I polished off the month with more KJ Charles, as soon as her newest was released on 28 April. How to Fake it in Society did not disappoint – unsurprisingly. I loved the “rag to riches” vibe of this story but the trope wasn’t gratuitous. Titus Pilcrow is immensely likable and unfortunately for everyone, so is Nico, the “Comte de Valois de La Motte”. Allegedly. Another mystery-queer-romance but it’s also another unique story with a fun plot and good writing.
May has been a lot slower, actually. I think I only read 3 books in the whole month? They were good – and long – though. I’ll post about them in a few days! What are you reading? Have you read any of these? What did you think? Do you have a book I should read? I just finished Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart and I am currently reading his newest, John of John. I am at 52 books for the year so far.
-M
