Monthly Wrap-Up – April 2020

Hello everyone,

Well, it is fair to say that April was another unusual month. For me, as I am sure is the case for all of you, it was spent almost exclusively at home. All the days seemed to merge into one, not to mention go very quickly.

The best thing for me in this difficult time is to try and stay busy and keep my brain as active as possible, so I have aimed to do a number of different things since the lockdown begun in order to ensure that.

It has of course, given me more time to read! April was my most prolific reading month of 2020 so far, with a total of seven books, including what I think will end up being the best the best book I read all year. Here they are!

The Escape ⭐⭐⭐.5
Where The Crawdads Sing ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Shadow And Bone ⭐⭐⭐.5
In The Absence Of Miracles ⭐⭐⭐
The Family Secret ⭐⭐⭐
The Glass Woman ⭐⭐⭐
The Lies We Told ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Stay tuned for my review of Where The Crawdads Sing next weekend. It deserved every sparkle of those five stars! I actually went through a bit of a book review slump at the start of the month, where I was finding so difficult to put my thoughts into words, but after my last two reviews I seem to be back on track.

I began working on my new WIP on 22nd March, and so far I have made it to around 11,500 words. I try to write a little bit of it every day, even if it is just a small amount. It keeps me consumed in the story, and the self-doubt hasn’t arrived yet! It contains two POVs, one of which is much easier to write than the other.

In more disappointing writing news, I was passed up by another agency for my previous non-fiction WIP. I am beginning to feel pessimistic that it will ever be accepted, despite having what I think is a strong submission. But I shall keep trying!

Also in April, I started an university run online course it forensics. It is extremely interesting and interactive, and I have learned a lot. I have held in interest in forensics and anthropology for a little while now, and four weeks into the course has taught me so much.

My other activities during lockdown have included jigsaw puzzles (I have completed five to date), watching shows on Netflix and BBC iPlayer, listening to podcasts, and of course blogging!

Speaking of which, here are some of my favourite blog posts from the month of April:

• Lili wrote about five of the most popular books that were released in 2019 that she may or may not choose to read.
• Darina wrote an excellent discussion post about the importance of pace in thrillers.
• Elysia asked a very interesting and relevant question in her post, How Many Books Make A Book Blogger?
• What would it be like if Hufflepuffs ruled the world? Beth gave us some amazing ideas.
• In the second instalment of her post series, Caitlin read several books recommended by other bloggers, and posted her reactions.

That’s everything for April! Have a nice May, and happy reading 🙂