Favorite book I read in April 2026
Yeah, I will definitely be nominating The Subtle Art of Folding Space for awards next year.
Books I COMPLETED
I read 5 books in April and started/continued 2 other books. I didn’t read as much because I got swept up into a reading-related project.
So. I wanted to re-read a book (Maia Kobabe’s Genderqueer) that I was sure that I owned as an ebook. I couldn’t find it. Instead I found pockets and stashes of ebooks scattered over so many folders and devices and servers. Now I am trying to consolidate my ebook collection (and back it up.) I finally cracked Calibre and got it to work for me! I need to clean up my records! LibraryThing works too, but it requires so much effort. I spend too much time trying to find the correct edition, add it to my library, then the title is in Spanish, I have make more edits, and sigh. But it is very easy to get my data out of LT.
Still haven’t found the Kobabe book; however, I have found so many other books and comics that I want to read.
I’ve included snippets from my reviews and additional thoughts.
The Subtle Art of Folding Space (4/7/26) by John Chu (eARC)
Ellie is a maintainer, part of a secret-ish group that can access the skunkworks of this universe and fix it when something goes wrong. She comes from a family of maintainers. Her mom, Vera, was one of the best, but is now dying. Her older sister, Chris, sets herself up as the perfect doting daughter and won’t let Ellie help with the caretaking.
The novel is based on a short story, which appears as chapter 1. I loved this book, even if I don’t understand its physics. 99% certain this will be on my Hugo nomination ballot next year.
A Lady for All Seasons (3/10/26) by TJ Alexander (re-read)
Loved this book so much that I purchased a copy for myself and re-read it.
The Experiences of Loveday Brooke, Lady Detective (1894) by Catherine Louisa Pirkis
Loveday Brooke is not very noticeable. She uses that anonymity plus her keen observation skills to solve mysteries for clients and the police. She will always do things her own way, and will never apologize for that.
The book is a collection of short stories, most of which first appeared in 1893-1894 magazines. The reader does not get enough clues to solve the mystery on their own. Each story is structured as a casefic. I was shocked to find out that no one has made a movie or tv series yet! I bet the creators of Miss Scarlet and the Duke have read it. Though any adaptation would have to fill in her scant background and add in at least one love interest, which I would not like. Let her be a smart, independent lady detective who likes life’s comforts and gets annoyed at stupid men.
The Village Demon-Hunting Society (2024) by CM Waggoner
Cozy mystery that combines librarians, Murder, She Wrote, and supernatural elements. It celebrates the genre instead of making fun of it. I liked it.
The Enchanted April (1922) by Elizabeth von Arnim (re-read)
Every few years I re-read this novel, usually in April. It is so soft and gentle and full of sunshine and flowers. It can almost strip away the reader’s own burnout. The novel is written in that 1920s style of stream-of-consciousness. If that’s not your thing, watch the 1990s movie instead–it is an excellent adaptation.
Books I’M currently reading
Still noodling around with consciously reading multiple books at the same time. Here are the other titles I also read or started in April/early May:
- Hell’s Heart (3/10/26) by Alexis Hall – lost my momentum, but I will finish it once I buy myself a copy
- Marx for Cats: A Radical Bestiary (2023) by Leigh Claire La Berge – currently on pause
- An Accident of Dragons (4/28/26) by Cheryl Radke (eARC)
- A Long and Speaking Silence (5/5/26) by Nghi Vo (eARC)
- A Trade of Blood (8/26/26) by Robert Jackson Bennett (eARC)
May TBR
Backlist
Haven’t decided yet, too many choices from my ebook collection.
Upcoming May Releases That I Want to Read
Many of these titles are ones that I had been eagerly waiting, for which I got eARCs, and then haven’t read. I need to get over this odd fear of disappointment.
- The Tapestry of Fate (5/5/26) by Shannon Chakraborty
- All Hail Chaos (5/12/26) by Sarah Rees Brennan
- Villain (5/19/26) by Natalie Zina Walschots
- Ode to the Half-Broken (5/26/26) by Suzanne Palmer
- The Redemption Center Is Closed on Sundays (4/28/26) by Andrea Hairston
Already read:
- Platform Decay (5/5/26) by Martha Wells
- Last Best Quest Ever (5/26/26) by FT Lukens
- Bromantasy (5/26/26) by Maire Roche
Notes AND PLANS
- Have to figure out how to work in some of 2026 Hugo Award nominations
- Still liking the idea to add in at least one longer review in a separate post each month.
- Do you use Calibre and/or LibraryThing? Please talk to me.
