Monday, June 8, 2026

April 2026 Books

* Getting Named: The Quiet Work of Becoming Perfectly Imperfect ¹ by Valerie Bertinelli - I mean who doesn't like Valerie Bertinelli? She's been around my whole life and always seemed like a genuinely likable lady. This book was a little woo-woo at times and could border on being a bit over-the-top, but I liked her optimism.

** You With The Sad Eyes ¹ by Christina Applegate - This was at times an extremely difficult book to get through. To know that all the shit that Kiki has been through and continues to go through is real and happened to such an intelligent, gifted, and hilarious woman is shattering. I loved her honesty and how vulnerable she allowed herself to be. It made it so that I felt she was a friend, confiding in me, rather than a stranger sitting at a kitchen table listening to an audiobook. I wish nothing but complete and total love, happiness, and a life free from pain for this remarkably resilient woman. 

The Blunders ¹ by David Walliams - I was not at all into this story of a family of goobers and the stupid shit they got up to. Walliams, for me, is hit or miss. He'll have one that will have me in tears and then laughing out loud and the next one I read will be an utter drag. This one fell in to the latter.

* The Old Dark House Full of Stars by Jeff Jacobs - I completely adored Jacobs' first book, Darkness Descends on Princeton. This book was good, but missed the proverbial mark. I think there were so many characters and not enough story. At least for me. But Jacobs' writing is such that the reader can easily visualise the old dark house in question and create a film version in the mind's eye. I doubt he'll put out any more books, which frankly, is a damn shame. I'd love more from him!

Simply More ¹ by Cynthia Erivo - This one was recommended to me by Natalia. I've only ever seen Erivo in interviews, never on film. I'm writing this in mid May, a month after I listened to it and honestly, I can't remember a single thing. I liked it, but my memory is mush of late and a book has to really paint a vivid picture in my mind for me to see it and commit it to memory for good. 

¹ - audiobook
² - abridged version
* - liked
♥ - loved
Any unmarked titles were, in my opinion, so-so.

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