My bookish April

My bookish April turned out to be quite productive and where better to write about the books I’ve read than in my blog? In the spirit of self-discipline, I’ll be posting a monthly book report, which I’ll publish on the main page of my blog.

For several years now, I’ve been ‘reading’ with my ears. Yes, I’m one of those captivated by audiobooks, although I still refer to it as “reading” out of habit.

This report will be a bit lengthy as I want to mention not only the books from April but also some from the previous month.

Looking Back at March

I don’t know how it happened, but this year I find myself reading multiple books by the same author in a row. This happened with Joanne Harris’s series about the privileged St. Oswald’s boys’ school . This series is classified as Dark Academia, though I’d add ‘light’ to that, as it doesn’t quite reach the intensity of “If We Were Villains” or “The Secret History,” but it certainly has its own charm.

Then I read all of Donna Tartt’s works, which was a fantastic experience. I didn’t plan to read all three books at once. However, starting with “The Secret History,” a quintessential Dark Academia novel, I couldn’t stop. I ended up devouring “The Little Friend” and “The Goldfinch.” Although in different genres, they were just as compelling.

The Beginning of a Bookish April

In April, I continued this trend but started with two books by Hanya Yanagihara. “The People in the Trees” was an elegantly written, slightly strange, and mysterious tale. It was told from three different timelines: 1893, 1993, and 2093. However, “A Little Life” nearly did me in, literally. Yanagihara is often criticized for her intentional infliction of discomfort.

I noticed all the narrative tricks designed to evoke maximum empathy. They aim at reaching even the most hardened and cynical readers. Although I got irritated and angry, somehow, I fell into every trap she set. Convincing myself to continue was necessary, not because it wasn’t interesting—the plot is gripping—but because it was just that intense.

It’s a book that comes with a trigger warning: violence, child abuse, cruelty, the nature of self-harm, etc. Of course, there were good moments too. But just as you believe things might finally be looking up for the protagonist, the author pulls the rug out from under you.

It’s no wonder that Geraldine Brooks’s “Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague” felt like light, relaxing reading afterward. Post-Yanagihara, any book would seem light. Even a novel about the plague set in 1665. As the Great London Plague spreads across the country, it reaches a small village. The residents endure the catastrophe on the pages of the novel.

An Unexpected Literary Journey

Then, quite unexpectedly, I turned to Russian author Yana Vagner. It’s odd because Russian authors don’t often make it onto my reading list. Last year, I read “Лисьи Броды” (unfortunately, this book has not been translated into English) by Anna Starobinets. I enjoyed it tremendously, listening to over 30 hours almost without a break.

Now, a year later, I decided to give Yana Vagner a chance too. I was so engrossed that I listened non-stop to “To the Lake” (only this book has been translated into English) and its sequel “Живые люди” (Living People). Then I followed with the locked-room mystery “Кто не спрятался” (The One Who Didn’t Hide). Just as her new novel “Тоннель” (The Tunnel) was released, I decided to dive into that as well. All these novels are tightly plotted, without any narrative gaps, and offer captivating stories. Vagner brilliantly portrays the core of each slice of Russian society. You read and can vividly see the reality, just transposed into fictional settings.

I finished April with the Spanish thriller “La Novia Gitana” (“The Gypsy Bride”) by Carmen Mola. It didn’t leave much of an impression deserving of lengthy discussion. A thriller at risk of turning into a melodrama—and at times it did just that—isn’t the best decision. Two more books in the series are planned. However, I doubt I’ll continue.