April Reflection

Published on by Isabelle @ Nine Tale Vixen

April is a promise that May is bound to keep.

Hal Borland

It’s been a much busier month than I was anticipating, though perhaps I should’ve seen it coming. After all, in addition to Bookending Spring, April is National Autism Awareness Month, National Poetry Month, Camp NaNoWriMo, and it contains National Library Week and the A-Spec Readathon that I didn’t end up participating in.

Also, it’s the month before finals. So although I would say April was a pretty good month overall, I’m pretty ready for May.

April highlights:

  • I got my first houseplant: a succulent that I have decided to name Cactus. (Any tips for keeping my new baby alive would be greatly appreciated!)
  • My lab class finished, so I have 3-8 hours of my week back … just in time to start preparing for final exams.
  • My final paper from last year was chosen to be presented at an undergraduate research writing conference at my university; aside from some technical difficulties, it went pretty well!
  • I was elected to the executive board for two on-campus organizations I’m highly involved with, so part of my summer will be spent preparing for next year’s events and programming.
  • On Friday I missed my first-ever post — my original plan fell through, and between seeing Avengers: Endgame (no spoilers but it was AMAZING and I sobbed through the whole three hours) and studying for orgo, I decided against scrambling to replace it. Because it was inevitable that I would miss a post eventually, and now I’m not waiting for the shoe to drop.
header: posted this month

My Top April Posts

Other Awesome April Posts

header: read this month

Clicking on the titles below will take you to the book’s Goodreads page; clicking on the flames (which indicate my rating out of 5) will take you to my review. Books marked as [ARC] were received as Advance Review Copies; [RC] indicates a post-release review copy.

14 total, 3.15 average rating

Top [new] read of the month: Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi

header: coming out this month

As always, this is just the books I’m most looking forward to! There are so many books on the horizon, and I’m sure I’ve missed tons of great ones.

ARCs I Have

TBR After Release

header: looking to next month

As I’ve already mentioned, next month I have final exams; after the semester officially ends, I’m moving all my stuff off-campus, flying home for a few weeks, then returning to hopefully get research and/or work experience and possibly retake organic chemistry 2 if I need to. Once I’m settled into my summer, though, it should all be pretty smooth sailing!

I’ll be participating in Asian Lit Bingo (which will double as catch-up for YARC and somewhat for Beat the Backlist since I’ve fallen a little behind while working on ARCs) as well, and I’m super excited to get started. Readathons haven’t really been my thing since I tend to forget they’re happening and/or get really busy right when they’re being held, but I love longer challenges.

My bullet journal isn’t even set up for next month yet, so that’s the first order of business once this post is finished.

What’s the best book you read in April? Did you read any of this month’s releases, or ARCs of May/June releases? Have you set any goals for May? Will you be participating in Asian Lit Bingo?

16 thoughts on “April Reflection”

  1. You had SUCH a busy month! I feel like you blew everyone out of the water with how much you read and still juggled with school. Congrats on your leadership positions in academics and I can honestly say I loved your Ode to Libraries, I thought it was such a touching ode. I can’t wait to see what posts you come out with for May and Asian lit bingo sounds amazing!

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  2. You had a great reading month! I definitely need to read Caraval!

    ~ Kendra @ <a href=”http://kendralovesbooks.blogspot.com>Kendra Loves Books

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  3. Oooh, a cactus! And it looks like a great month – congrats on your paper and being elected to the executive board! And managing to read too…I slowed down a lot once this semester started.

    Hope your exams go well!

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  4. My my! That was a busy month with so much reading and so many ARCs! Great! I love succulents but for some reason I can never keep plants alive 🤔 Oh and wish you the very best for your finals!!

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  6. Ohh goodluck with the succulent ! I however cannot give much tips, I once got a bonsai and mind you it died 😂
    Hooray for your paper being choosen and being elected !! That’s awesome!

    Yeah .. good thing that first missed post helped you chill on that a bit – I still have yet to have mine. So i’m still a paranoid one for that case ahaha
    Goodluck for the coming exams xx

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  7. Wow, it definitely looks like university life is going well. Glad you have your fewer hours week back and yay for your work being chosen to be featured 🙂 Haha I did like Endgame and as my flatmate who I went to see it with is a true Marvel fan, she sobbed throughout the whole thing too. I’d brought tissues anticipating this and was just handing them over one after the other. xD Yay for reading 14 books and I hope you have a great May ahead 🙂

    My recent post: https://oliviascatastrophe.com/2019/05/she-bakes-the-cakes-book-review/

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    1. haha my suitemate brought tissues to Endgame, but she was sitting in the middle of our group so I didn’t have access … but honestly I could’ve gone through a whole box 😭 my heart was so full after seeing it!

      thank you, and I hope your May is awesome too!

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  8. If I am being honest, I got tired reading all the stuff you accomplished in April! Congrats on the leadership positions and having your research chosen.

    I wish you well with your succulent, Cactus. I have killed every single plant and succulent that I have tried to mother, so I will not be giving you advice LOL.

    I really enjoyed reading Aurora Rising and we’ve already talked at length about Finale. I hope your finals go well and that ou have some good reading inbetween!

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