Memo Pad: April Wrap Up

Another month. I feel like I’m maybe the only person in the world that feels like time is going quickly right now!

I can’t actually remember much of what I did in April! I know I got feedback and started another round of revisions on my YA scifi story. I’ve also done a lot of colourful crochet on my newest blanket which is coming on very nicely. Although I may run out of yarn soon, and with the lockdown I’m not sure when I’ll be able to get more. The photo isn’t where I am currently at, but I don’t have a more recent photo.

Mum made very yummy chocolate cookies at one point which might have been my highlight. I also watched both Star Wars: the rise of sky walker, and Avengers: Endgame for the first time! It took a while but I enjoyed both. Action films are my fav. I actually wasn’t expecting to love Endgame because I really didn’t enjoy Infinity War but it was so much better than I expected. And Star Wars could have been better (there seemed to be a lot of pointless or illogical scenes) but again, I love action so I enjoyed it!

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OH! And I managed to get in the pool for a swim, and when I say swim I mean float but psssh pedantics. I’ve lived here for eight months and that was my second time I’ve managed it so that was great.

I also managed to read four books, I’m definitely down on last year (I’m reading half as much!) but I expected that and I’m still managing to read a bit. Though I am in a reading slump at the moment which is making it hard.

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Reading Summary

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Robin Hood: Hacking, Heists, and Flaming Arrows by Robert Muchamore***** (review copy)

Modern Robin Hood retelling about a twelve-year-old Robin who has to flee into the forest after his dad is arrested. Featuring bows and arrows, dirt bikes, and hacking.

Hostile Takeover by Cristelle Cromby***** (review copy)

Urban fantasy about a private detective who works for Lady Death and must investigate when someone is sending beasts through from the other realm.

Switchback by Danika Stone *****

YA survival story about two best friends who get lost on a school hiking trip and have to survive snow storms, bears, bullies and so much more as their friendship grows stronger.

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Favourite Book of April:

The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep by HG Parry***** (review copy)

This is such a good book! It’s about two brothers, one of which has the ability to bring characters out of books and make them real (and often does accidentally!) and the older brother who tells the story and would just like life to be normal and boring for once. The brothers relationship was THE BEST thing about this very awesome book. It was heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time and just so realistic and loving yet complicated!

Charlie, the magical younger brother of the two, is a literary critic and university professor who was attended university as a child and has a liking for all things Dickens which brings about lots of Victorian complications into real life, including a whole street of real fictional characters, a lot of whom aren’t such good people. Rob, the elder brother, is a lawyer with a lovely girlfriend and an ordinary life he loves. But he has to keep sneaking away to save Charlie and have unwilling adventures by his side to keep him safe, all while feeling inferior compared to his prodigy-level smart little brother. The way their relationship developed and the way they saw each other was so good, and I loved all the backstory of how complicated but loving their relationship had always been. I loved all the fictional characters too, from Dorian Grey, to Darcy, to Sherlock Holmes and the Jaberwocky. It was always exciting to see a new one that I recognised and see how they acted together in modern life and what mischief they got up to.

Basically, come for the really cool book magic, fall in love with the deep and complicated sibling relationship.

Favourite Quotes of April:

I hesitated just a moment longer. “Is that what Charlie thinks of me?” I asked, against my will. “An intelligent man in my own way?”

“Of course not,” Holmes replied at once. “It is what I think of you. Your brother thinks you are the best and wisest man in this world.”

The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep – HG Parry

“You won’t beat me,” she said. “I am better than you. That is indisputable fact,”

“We’re not fact,” Charlie said. “We’re fiction,”

The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep = HG Parry

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Yes, I know, i picked two quotes but I couldn’t choose one. I will post my mini reviews for the other books I read in April at some point. Soon I hope, but we’ll see! But anyway, how was your month? What’s been the best book you’ve read lately? Have you watched either Star Wars or Endgame, what did you think? I realise I’m late but I was avoiding spoilers when everyone was talking about them before!