April has been a crazy month, with most of the world being in lock down. It’s been a difficult few weeks but one positive is that it has given me loads of time to read. April ended up being a terrific reading month and I read 20 books. I’m going to keep this quite short otherwise getting through 20 books would make this post massive!

1. Magic For Liars – Sarah Gailey
This murder mystery set in a magic school was an interesting and engaging read. I had seen it described as ‘Veronica Mars at Hogwarts’ and I think that’s a pretty apt description! (3/5 stars)

2. The Cold Is In Her Bones – Paternelle Van Arsdale
I picked this up on a whim and found it to be quite a fun and eerie tale. The story of a village cursed by a woman who was cast out, young women in the village become possessed by demons. Quite a quick read and enjoyed the fairy tale like quality. (3/5 stars)

3. Viper – Bex Hogan
I’ve had a copy of this book for a while but I finally picked it up and I’m so glad I did. Bloodthirsty pirates, revenge plots and mysterious magical powers, I couldn’t get enough of this one and absolutely raced through it. (4.5/5 stars)

4. Prosper’s Demon – K J Parker
This extremely short novella follows an unnamed narrator as he exercises demons from the local people. It was a fun and fascinating tale the perfect quick read. A unique story, it definitely made me want to try more from this author. (3.75/5 stars)

5.  Hold Back the Tide – Melinda Salisbury
I loved everything about this book. Eerie atmospheric setting, long buried secrets and a hint of something supernatural? I’m sold. The story of a young girl living in the Scottish highlands with her murderer father, it’s one of my favourite books of the year so far. (5/5 stars)

6. The Dark Knight Returns – Frank Miller
I thought I would revisit a graphic novel I haven’t read since University and it was such a fun reread. This dark tale follows Batman as he returns to save Gotham after many years. He’s older and not as capable as he once was, but that isn’t going to stop him. (4/5 stars)

7. Heart of Thorns – Bree Barton
Heart of Thorns is the first in a YA trilogy featuring a young woman forced to marry a prince but soon discovers she has powers that she will be hunted for. It falls into a lot of typical YA tropes, but it was a fun read and I’m interested to see what book two brings. (3/5 stars)

8. Bloodchild – Anna Stephens
Bloodchild is the third and final instalment in one of my favourite grimdark trilogies. Bloody, brutal and heartbreaking, it was everything I was hoping for and more. I already want to go back and reread the series. (5/5 stars)

9. Bookish and the Beast – Ashley Poston
Ashley Poston is a genius at creating these geeky retellings. Bookish and the Beast might be my favourite ever. I loved the way she worked in the fairy tale and it was also nice to get glimpses of characters we met in book one and book two! (4.5/5 stars)

10. Every Heart A Doorway – Seanan McGuire
This series has a lot of buzz so I thought I would try it on audiobook to see what the fuss was about and oh I’m so glad I did. I completely loved this magical story full of unique worlds and fascinating characters (4.25/5 stars)

11. The Lodger – C L Taylor
This short story is available to people signed up for C L Taylor’s book club. It was a fun read with a surprise twist at the end, but I would have loved for it to be a bit longer to give you the chance to get to know the characters. (2.75/5 stars) 

12. Down Among the Sticks and Bones – Seanan McGuire
After loving book one so much I decided to dive right back into book two and this one was definitely my favourite. Jack and Jill are without a doubt my favourite characters and it was brilliant seeing them on the moors. (5/5 stars)

13. One Of Us Is Next – Karen M. McManus
I really enjoyed One Of Us Is Lying so was interested to see how Karen M. McManus would handle a sequel. It was interesting to revisit some of the characters from book one and it was a fast paced read, but I did guess the twists quite early on. (3.5/5 stars)

14. Strangers – C. L Taylor
C L Taylor has done it again with another fast paced and unputdownable thriller. Every time she releases a new book I need to just spend the day reading it because I know I won’t be able to put it down. (5/5 stars)

15. Beneath the Sugar Sky – Seanan McGuire
I am pretty much obsessed with the Wayward Children series at this point. I didn’t enjoy this one as much as the previous two – I found Rini a bit on the irritating side, but I still completely love the world and the adventures they get up to. (3.75/5 stars)

16. King of Fools – Amanda Foody
WHY did I wait so long to pick this one up? Amanda Foody had me on the edge of my seat with this one. I really love the world she has created and I’ve become so attached to the characters. Equal parts excited and terrified to see how it all ends in Queen of Volts (5/5 stars)

17. In An Absent Dream – Seanan McGuire
I must admit that the Goblin Market was one of the worlds that intrigued me most. Lundy’s story is a really sad one and it made me appreciate her character all the more. (4/5 stars)

18. Firewalkers – Adrian Tchaikovsky
A story where the Earth is burning and three young people must risk their lives in the burning desert to repair solar panels for the rich, this was a gripping read. Featuring creepy AI’s and monstrous creepy crawlies, I really enjoyed this one. (4/5 stars)

19. Seeker – Cate Tiernan
Continuing my reread of the Wicca series with book number 10. It was interesting seeing things from Hunter’s perspective for a change, but I kind of missed Morgan. Looking forward to rereading the last five books. (3.75/5 stars)

20. Come Tumbling Down – Seanan McGuire
I was overjoyed to learn that the next book in the series would be returning to the moors. I enjoyed this one just as much and honestly would love a full length novel just of the magnificent characters McGuire has created in the moors. (5/5 stars)

So those are all the books I read in April! I still can’t quite believe I managed to read 20 books in one month, hoping I can do just as many in May. If you’ve read any of these I’d love to know your thoughts, as well as what books you read in April!