April Books Picks

April is one of our rainiest months in the PNW as well as the time we Oregonians like to get into our gardens. However, gardening days are spotty due to the rain. But rainy evenings are perfect for books, and I have selected some good ones for this month! As usual, I mixed things up my reading with history, culture, and fiction. Variety is good for the mind and so is learning new things! Keep reading for April Books Picks.

April Books Picks

Belgravia by Julian Fellowes. If you are a Downton Abbey fan, then this one is for you. Belgravia is written by the creator of Downton Abbey, so you are in for a treat. A newly wealthy family, the Trenchards, are trying to climb the social ladder, yet land themselves in a social scandal involving their daughter and the son of one of the most elite families in their city. They manage to keep the secret for decades until fate comes into play and the secrets begin to unravel. I sped right through this Regency Era soap opera with its dramatic storyline and enjoyed every bit! In fact, I ordered two more books Fellowes wrote.

Enchantress of Numbers. This novel piqued my interest with its historical biographical storyline of Ada Lovelace, daughter of the famous poet, Lord Byron. Ada Lovelace is credited as the world’s first computer programmer- in the 1840s. The novel itself is fictional and loosely follows the story of Ada Lovelace raised by her single, mathematician mother. Later on, Ada’s friendship with the original ‘Father of the computer” Charles Babbage leads to her involvement with his futuristic machine. I love a good piece of history, so this book made the list when I saw it.

The Viscount who Loved Me by Julia Quinn. After reading her first book, The Duke and I, the second one was ordered right away. This story swirls around another Bridgerton family member, Anthony, an absolute rake who shows no intentions of reforming. However, he surprises everyone with a decision to marry and has even picked someone. However, no one is more surprised than Anthony himself when events change, and he finds himself hankering after a woman he can’t stand.

Wild Swans by Jung Chang. This modern classic is the true story of three generations of women in China during the Mao period. Jung Chang is the granddaughter of a woman who was a concubine to a Warlord shortly before the communists came to power. The story follows the lives of these women during this transition to communism as well as their involvement in the movement as Communist revolutionaries. This period in China’s history brought immense changes and was also very brutal. Millions of people died. Jung is raw and honest as she brings to life a world westerners don’t see during China’s Great Leap Forward.

Have a lovely day!