April reading round-up!

This month has been a good month for reading - I've read ten books! This photo doesn't do it justice, because one of my books is with a friend, and two others had to go back to the library. But here they are in all their stacked glory!

My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga - Aysel and Roman meet on the suicide chatroom, Smooth Passages, and agree to be each other's suicide partner. But as the deadline draws closer, Aysel wonders if there's hope for her after all. 3 out of 5 stars

Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard - adapted into the popular television series, the first book finds Aria, Spencer, Hanna and Emily three years after their friend Ali went missing. In this instalment, Ali's body is found, opening up a murder investigation, and their secrets aren't safe - mystery texter 'A' is ready to spill all. 5 out of 5 stars

Othergirl by Nicole Burstein - Erica and Louise are best friends, partners in crime, super hero and assistant. As Erica begins superhero training, Louise investigates the validity of Erica's new friend, Jay. 5 out of 5 stars

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli - Simon and Blue email each other every day. They go to the same school, they're both gay, but they don't know each other - they've hidden their real names because neither one is 'out'. So when someone threatens to expose Simon, he panics. What will this mean for his friendship with Blue? 5 out of 5 stars

Multilingualism by John Edwards - to throw an odd read into the mix, this was a set text that I had to read for one of my university modules. Although I didn't do this myself, it could be read in a single sitting and provides an easy-to-read overview of the topic. A simple starting point. 4 out of 5 stars

Under My Skin by James Dawson - when shy and sweet Sally Feather feels drawn to a tattoo parlour one day, she doesn't think anything of it. Not until her tattoo, sassy pin-up Molly-Sue, starts talking to and even possessing Sally. And Sally's attempts at tattoo removal are no match for the power of Molly Sue. 5 out of 5 stars

Creative Writing: How to Unlock Your Imagination and Develop Your Writing Skills by Adele Ramet - I read this for tips on improving my writing and it has definitely helped me. I only wish now that it was my own copy and not the library's - it would be good to own for future reference. 4 out of 5 stars

First, Last and Always by Kim Lehman - Charlotte and Miles have been best friends forever, but Miles has a secret. He's been in love with her since the third grade, but will he tell her? (Thank you to Netgalley for this copy) 5 out of 5 stars

Crow Moon by Anna McKerrow - the Greenworld is a simpler way of life compared to the greedy, fuel-hungry Redworld. Danny's mom is one of the head witches, and as he begins to discover his own power, he also falls in love with Saba, a powerful witch he meets. 4 out of 5 stars

Starring Kitty by Keris Stainton - Kitty enters the local film competition with her best friends, Hannah and Sunny, to take her mind of her mom's illness and the girl she likes but is too afraid to admit to her friends and family, for fear of the bullies finding out. 5 out of 5 stars

Things We Know By Heart by Jessi Kirby - when Quinn's boyfriend Trent died, his organs were donated. She has met them all, except the guy who got his heart. She finds Colton as a way of keeping Trent close, but instead finds a reason to let him go. 5 out of 5 stars

I had a really good month of reading, and this was because I needed an escape that only books could offer me. Now that I've finished my university degree, I'm expecting to have a lot more months like this, where the books I've read keep stacking up. I'm already ahead of schedule for my goodreads challenge, which is the most important thing.

There are reviews for all of these books on this blog or my goodreads account, and if you'd like to follow my progress, follow me on any of these! :)

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Things We Know By Heart - Jessi Kirby

I literally finished this a few minutes before I went to bed last night, so this will also feature in my April reading round-up, which I will probably post next week. I had been waiting for this book to be released for months, so I was so happy when it came in the post a couple of days ago and I started reading it straight away. It was exactly the story I needed, and it didn't disappoint me. I now consider this book one of my all-time favourites.

It has been four hundred days since Trent died, and his organs were donated to other people. His girlfriend, Quinn, wrote to each recipient, and heard back from all of them...apart from the nineteen-year-old male from California, who got Trent's heart.

Quinn obsessively searches for the last recipient - the most important piece of Trent. Her journey spurred the most beautiful quote I have ever read in a book: 'For so long, I was the one with his heart. I just need to see where it is now.'

One day, she finds Shelby's blog, which fills the gaps for Quinn. Trent's heart went to Colton, Shelby's brother, and he's doing well. And he's not very far away. All Quinn wants to do is see Colton - not even speak to him. What she doesn't expect to do is fall in love with him.

I really loved this book. The story is so special and moving that my eyes were filling at several points. Her dad's ongoing health issues is something I can very strongly relate to, and I only wish I'd had someone like her sister, Ryan, to help me the way she helped Quinn.

I love the way this book is written, so I am intrigued to see if Jessi's other books are similar. I especially enjoyed the facts and quotes about the heart at the beginning of each chapter - I learnt a lot from them. The bottom line is that everyone should read this wonderful, unique book. 

Verdict: 5/5, one of my all-time favourites