books read: 2025 april

[meitachi]

I almost forgot my book recap for last month! So here it is, belated. It was a busy month but I did manage to read (webtoons!) and now that the semester is over, I've got time for fun and work/social justice reading. April was rainy with surprise snow, but it felt distinctly like spring emerging out of winter. May so far has been absolutely gorgeous.

1. A Sunny Place for Shady People by Mariana Enriquez - Translated from Spanish, a collection of short stories that were a mix of fantasy and horror. They were great and creepy and not really for me! I don't enjoy horror that much.



2. Oksi by Mari Ahokoivu - A beautiful graphic novel with gorgeous coloring based off Finnish mythology and lore. A story of sky and earth, mothers and daughters, and life and death in forests.



3. I Ship My Rival X Me (the Comic / Manhua) Vol 2 by Pepa - This remains pure delight with adorable art. I love them so much. However, the sugar daddy misunderstanding is not very clear, imo; it was more obvious in the cnovel.



4. We'll Prescribe You A Cat by Syou Ishida - A sweet magical realism story set in contemporary Japan with cats helping reconnect people with each other, their feelings, etc. This is the vein of books being translated these days. I love cats but I've read better versions of this theme.



5. One Piece Vol 108 by Eiichiro Oda - Bonney and Kuma's backstory; I am full of tears. Let them get off Egghead! Are we near the end yet? Please, I need to know what's going on with the elders, the lost history, and obviously Roger's treasure and all that jazz. I don't even know what would feel like a satisfying ending at this point, tbh.



6. Be the Good to My Bad by Mill Mill - A webtoon, short and sweet: a D-list actor runs into an A-list actor in Hawaii and tabloids have them dating, so they go with it for reasons. (It's always for reasons.) It wasn't super memorable (iirc the main character, Hyesung, has a bff who maybe has feelings for him? childhood trauma is a thing?) but overall a fun read and I liked the love interest, Yoo-il, a lot.



7. Graceling by Kristin Cashore - (Graceling Realm #1) A reread since my first read when it first came out. It remains very good! I liked both Katsa and Po a lot; they were very romantic in a non-traditional way (none of the current romantasy themes). He respected her agency a lot, but they had great chemistry. I liked the supporting cast too, though they didn't get as much page time. I will probably read the sequels for the first time...eventually.



8. Can't Think Straight by Pangin - WIP webtoon with the premise of a gay college student being stuck with a very hot, very homophobic roommate who walks in on him masturbating. He was genuinely unlikeable! And then he genuinely develops feelings and undergoes growth! I'm kinda rooting for them now, now that it's the main character who's holding back and uncertain about the relationship (they started off as hate fuckbuddies and now he's supposed to believe it's real romance)? Interested in seeing what additional drama there is before the end. Right now we've got a shitty ex causing problems.



9. Faking It by Jennifer Crusie - A fun romantic comedy based around a con man and a family of art forgers. It's a family of women with issues, but they're all there for each other, and all kind of find love.



10. You Didn't Hear This From Me: (Mostly) True Notes on Gossip by Kelsey McKinney - A collection of essays on gossip, originally imagined to be a defense of the social good of gossip but really evolving into a philosophical questioning of what gossip even is. What is it not? What benefits or harms stem from it? It was an interesting interrogation and meditation!



11. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas - I started this back in January with the goal of reading a chapter a day to finally finish 117 chapters. I did it! It was a rollicking adventure from beginning to end, never boring. Had interesting characters, sympathetic and not, and adventures of all dubious kinds. Obviously requires a lot of suspension of disbelief, but fun nonetheless.



12. Well Witched by Frances Hardinge - Possibly the only remaining book of hers I hadn't read (well, barring The Forest of a Thousand Eyes, which just came out). Set in modern-day UK, with magic and wishes gone wrong! Delightful cast of kid protagonists who are wrestling with family, friendship, and finding their own sense of self. Creepy weird and fun magic. Her writing is engaging and compelling as always.

Enjoying reading more webtoons, and currently also making time for some dramas! Enjoying Perfect Match right now for low-stakes historical romance.