After a couple more modest months, it would seem April was a relative boon of new books. In part, it sort of just happened. At least half of these I didn’t plan on picking up, I just came across them randomly and decided to snap them up. I’m actually getting a little concerned about book space. I’m probably going to need to reorganize my shelves soon, and maybe get rid of some books I definitely don’t care to keep. That will be hard, and I’m sure I’ll put it off a lot.

Enough about getting rid, let’s move on to the new books!

New Books

These two are uniquely similar because they represent moments of weakness at the grocery store, so to speak. I’m not supposed to be book shopping there, I don’t feel, but I saw them and couldn’t resist.

The High Republic: Midnight Horizon by Daniel José Older was the next young adult Star War: The High Republic novel that I needed, though I’ve not actually read the book the precedes it yet. I just saw it on the shelf at the store and went for it. Sometimes I wonder if it was wise to commit to buying these in hardcover. Oh well.

On a separate trip I also picked up Pandora’s Jar by Natalie Haynes, an author who has appeared on my radar before for her novel A Thousand Ships, though I haven’t picked that one up yet. My interest in her books is branching off from the works of Madeline Miller, so I’m not sure if I’ll be as into her approach to the material yet, but it’s a subject that interests me regardless, so it was an easy purchase.

French Exit by Patrick DeWitt was a thrift store find that I couldn’t pass up. I’ve actually hummed and hawed a lot about picking this book up in general, as I’ve enjoyed a number of DeWitt’s novels now, but I’m glad I waited until now, as I’ve obtained a copy that looks practically new for much cheaper.

Death in Her Hands by Ottessa Moshfegh was picked up during a planned trip to a local bookshop, so I can’t blame random spontaneity; I went out to buy a book. I couldn’t really settle on anything, but I knew I wanted something that wasn’t part of a series. I’ve enjoyed a lot of Moshfegh’s work, though, and being reminded of the premise for this one by reading the back cover, I decided it was time to actually get myself a copy.

These are perhaps the most straightforward purchases, as I’ve been gradually continuing my reading of the Berserk series by Kentaro Miura for the last couple of years now. On the same trip where I got Death in Her Hands, I made a stop at a local comic shop to pick these up. Apparently volume 41 is coming out this year and it will actually be the last one in the series. It’s a little poignant to see that I’m actually within reach of the ending, though I’m grateful I won’t personally have long to await reading it.

Novel Discoveries

I have BookTok to thank for a number of the books I’ve added this month, though it seems the algorithm there has me pegged for horror more specifically. I’m not really complaining though, I’m always happy to get horror recommendations.

The Swallowed Man by Edward Carey is a telling of the years Geppetto spent in the belly of a sea beast, drawing from the story of Pinocchio. I had to look up that this is what it’s about, so it didn’t stick with me all that well, but I maintain my interest.

The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper is another book I think I have interest in thanks to Madeline Miller’s work, which is really just me succumbing to marketing I suppose. A story about a girl forced to work in a brothel in Pompeii does sound interesting, though, so I’m here for it.

The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of the Whole Stupid World by Matt Kracht I discovered after I finished The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North America. The book indicated that it was based on a blog written by the author, so I wondered if he perhaps had more books. Turns out he does, and it just came out last year. Naturally, I want this one now too.

The Me You Love In The Dark by Skottie Young and Jorge Corona is a graphic novel about an artist who moves into an old house in a small town to find inspiration and ends up becoming close with a strange entity that resides there. The trade paperback very recently came out, and I’m really curious about reading this one.

Eyes of Sleeping Children by D.A. Butcher is another BookTok recommendation, and I’m am unashamed of the fact that I shelved this because of the title and cover. I don’t remember the synopsis, and I’m not sure if I was even told. I don’t need it.

Closing Thoughts

My workload has been significantly higher over the past week, but I’m happy I managed to get this written, even if it’s a little last minute. Hopefully I’ll have some more free time soon to get some much-needed reading done and an overdue review written. Here’s hoping.

Have you picked up or learned about any new books that you’re excited about? Let me know!

Until next time, thank you for reading.