The Book Nook Chronicles

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Hi, lovely people of the Internet. I’m still killing it with the reading in 2025, but keeping up with these reviews has not been going quite as smoothly. As of today (June 7th) I have completed 38 books. That’s 76% of my 2025 goal, which is wild.

April and May were filled with a lot of travel and chaos, so I had to decided to cut one thing from my to-do list. Writing my reviews got the chop.

Now, I’m finally putting my full thoughts down on metaphorical paper regarding my April reads. I was excited to see that four out of the five books I ready this month were published in the last two years. I’m usually so behind on my TBR that I’m reading books that came out five or more years ago instead of semi-recently. It’s a refreshing change to feel caught up.

One banned book was thrown in there for book club and has inspired me to build up my banned book collection over the coming months. So, without further ado, here are my five reads from April.

Every Time We Say Goodbye Review

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4.5 on StoryGraph

Genre: Historical Fiction

Author: Natalie Jenner

Page Count: 336

Publication Date: May 14, 2024

Because of my current Libby obsession, I keep finding myself reading book series out of order. This is another example of that. Set in 1950s Rome, this novel follows protagonist Vivian Lowry, an aspiring script writer immersing herself in the Italian film industry as she tries to navigate life after loosing her fiancé in World War II.

If 1950s Hollywood is your jam, this novel dives deep into the other side of the industry during the era, focusing heavily on the industry professionals who fled from California to avoid the impacts of the Hollywood Blacklist.

The lingering grief of World War II plays a massive role throughout this novel, with the film Vivian’s working on focused around a poignant young girl that played a pivotal role in the Italian resistance (and possibly the death of her fiancé).

I was extremely impressed by the inner workings of the relationships throughout this novel and the strong female characters made it extremely enjoyable. It’s filled with drama, hope, sadness, and redemption. I’d definitely pick up another title by Natalie Jenner, and just might have to read book one of this series.

2.75 on StoryGraph

I really didn’t enjoy this book. I blame it particularly on the dark rabbit hole I managed to get myself into during March and April. It seemed like every book I managed to randomly select on Libby featured a storyline where a mother was deeply struggling with raising her children and her personal identity post-motherhood. As someone who is currently 16 months into her fertility journey, I haven’t really been here for main characters that don’t seem to want the children they have, but the Libby algorithm sure thinks I am.

This book is marked as LGBTQ+ fiction, but it didn’t feel like that significant of a plot point to justify pointing it out (that’s coming from someone that isn’t uncomfortable with people having different sexual preferences than herself, so what do I know). Either way, main character Kit’s bi-sexual daydreams were easily overshadowed by her acid trips and transcendent conversations with her dead sister, Julie.

As a novel deeply routed in the denials and struggles that come with grief, this book bummed me out hard. And during this era of my life, it was the last thing I needed to read.

4.5 on StoryGraph

Did you know that Connie Chung has a strain of weed named after her? Well, now you do thanks to her memoir.

This book was honestly everything I needed it to be and more. Connie Chung is a true icon, a working woman’s role model, and a comedic writer in her own fact-driven reporter way. She is the queen of boss bitches everywhere. She is the oldest daughter without being the oldest. She is a guru in what it’s like to be a woman that wants it all, but doesn’t have time for it. She is an inspiration, and she’s utterly unaware of it.

Throughout this book, you get to see Chung’s humility and ability to grind first hand. You laugh and scream with her as she recounts her time as one of the first female reporters on television. You empathize with her as she struggles to conceive after putting her career before her personal life. With every page you read, you fall in love with the woman that she is and was.

This memoir is a perfect reminder of how far women have come in the workforce and how far we still need to go. Read this book. Do it. Now.

After the owner of the magazine passes away, he wills down the publication to his snooty upper-class niece, Mrs. Porter, who has no idea what everyday women in war-struck London want or need to read. It’s up to Emmy and her fellow staff members to push back against Mrs. Porter’s wanted changes while keeping the magazine afloat.