What I Read: April 2024

April showers brought us a seventh (!) birthday for Arthur, our first all-family stomach bug, and, indeed, flowers.

A friend requested that I share *when* I read (Sonya has great ideas! Also, hilarious tax memes.), and I’m going to try to take better notice of that in May and share next month. Right now, I’m already 36 hours behind on sending this newsletter because the weather has been too nice to sit at a computer. So here’s April’s lineup, with promises to send life-changing here’s-how-to-fit-more-reading-into-your-day tips on May 31st.*

*Just kidding — I have no secrets, merely a general disrespect for going to bed on time when I’m in the middle of a really good book.

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Here’s What I Read in April:

Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect

by Will Guidara

I went into this book blind, just assuming it would pair well with The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker that I read in February. I expected it to be more of a how-to hosting book, when in reality it was more business-y/leadership focused told from the perspective of the front-of-house manager at a high-end restaurant. Will Guidara is an excellent storyteller, and he sprinkles in wisdom passed down from his dad and other leaders in his own life as he tells the story of taking Eleven Madison Park in NYC from an okay-nice restaurant to the number one restaurant in the world. I raced through this book, and immediately handed it to Scott to read, too. It made both of us want to eat at Eleven Madison Park someday… except that the $360+ per person price tag is antithetical to every frugal bone in my body. I think this would be excellent on audio.

Goodreads | Bookshop | Libro.FM

The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics

by Daniel James Brown

This was a pick for my neighborhood book club. I know people have been singing it’s praises for a few years now, but I haven’t at all been tempted to dive in. I say this as a person with a bachelor’s degree in history: I find most historical nonfiction to be too detailed and too long. It’s a great story! I loved it! And… it could have been 100 pages shorter. I do not need 18 sentences to describe an ultra-rainy fall in Seattle; I think a good writer should be able to accomplish setting that scene in 2-3 sentences, tops, and then let me move on to the story (that’s probably the bachelor’s in literature talking!).

If you generally read historical nonfiction, tell me your favorites! I’d love to change my mind because I love learning new things, I just don’t like to get too bogged down while doing so.

Goodreads | Bookshop | Libro.FM

Greenglass House (Greenglass House, #1)

by Kate Milford

I picked this book up at a thrift store for less than $1. I’ve heard it mentioned as a middle grade pick a few times, but I knew nothing else. The book follows Milo who is just settling into winter break at his family’s inn, looking forward to a quiet, relaxing week of no guests and no chores… and then mysterious people start arriving. The inn itself has a storied history, and as Milo peels back the layers on the house and the people, he discovers some true friends and some true things about himself. I really enjoyed it! As an adult reading middle grade, I’m often left a little underwhelmed by worlds that don’t feel quite all the way built, but I’m trying to remember that most 8-12 year olds aren’t quite as critical of a reader as I am. This is the first in a series of 5 or 6 books, and I will happily continue on with Milo and his adventures at some point.

Goodreads | Bookshop | Libro.FM

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What I’m Reading with the Kids:

One of the things I’ve loved about this past year of school for Arthur is that I’ve gotten to read a few classics that I must have missed as a kid. I’ve never read Pinocchio, and we’re almost to the end. It’s definitely more gruesome in print than the Disney version, as are all fairy tales, but I’ve found it interesting to see what parts Disney kept and what they glossed over. This version is illustrated by Quentin Greban, and we’ve really enjoyed the illustrations. Not too scary, but not too tame, either.

We are continuing our way through the Early Reader section of the library as Arthur gains more confidence. Not all Early Readers are created equal, and some are just down-right dull, so I’ll keep calling out ones that we truly enjoy. I remember Danny and the Dinosaur from my childhood, and this new-to-me series called Charlie & Mouse is adorable. Divided into four sections, the stories are fun, the illustrations are cute, and the characters are the perfect subjects for the repetition and entry-level sentence structure of an emerging reader.

We listened to The Trumpet of the Swan on audio in the last few weeks. E.B. White, who also wrote Charlotte’s Web, narrates this novel as well, and his voice is just the perfect thing for it. The book is both a real look at swans and their characteristics and habitats… and also hilariously impossible in all the best ways. The humor is the type that my kids don’t quite get yet, but I adored. We’ll definitely read and/or listen to E.B. White’s other novel, Stuart Little, soon.

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What I’m Reading Next:

I tried to listen to the audio of Children of Blood & Bone by Tomi Adeyemi, and there are too many unfamiliar names that I can’t follow the story, so I’ll try that one on paper sometime. I have Remaining You While Raising Them checked out from the library, which looks like it’ll be a short nonfiction read, but I might sneak a fiction book in first — in fact, I just picked up a copy of the newest Kate DiCamillo today: Ferris.

What are you reading? Hit “reply” and tell me!