Poetry for April ❤
1. Ode to Gossips by Safia Elhillo
2. For Allen Ginsberg by Dorothea Grossman
3. Still I Rise by Maya Angelou
4. North by Seamus Heaney
5. The Stranger in Her Feminine Sign by Dunya Mikhail
6. From the Sky by Sara Abou Rashed
7. lo nuestro by Ire’ne Lara Silva
8. Upon Arrival by Lena Khalaf Tuffaha
9. from the First Villancico by Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz
10. Sleeping Trees by Fady Joudah
Books for April ❤
1. Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
2. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
3. Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater
4. Grief is the Thing With Feathers by Max Porter
Sunrise on the Reaping was another banger from Suzanne Collins. This time, we travel back to the second Quarter Quell, Haymith Abernathy’ games. We know about these games only through what we discovered via our Katniss POV in the original trilogy. This story gives us such great insight into just who everyone in those books really is. Where they come from. How a revolution can grow. How fucked up the Capital and Snow really are. It allows us to understand so many moments in the future. It also explains why Haymitch is the way that he is. He also should be drinking a lot more, so props to that man. Now I am just bombarded with Hunger Games fan edits on TikTok and I am unwell yet again.
Wuthering Heights. I know there’s at least a few of you on here that are probably nervous to see what I have to say about this. For those of you that don’t know, I tried reading this in 7th grade for my book report and it was a horrible experience. I was not able to understand what the heck was going on. Poor little Madeline had to call in the special forces (John Chambers) to assist, and eventually we “figured it out” enough for me to get through my report. I decided I should give it another go, seeing as the movie is in production and all. I have to say, while I enjoyed it a lot more than in middle school, it was not my absolute favorite book. Misunderstood characters holding grudges, what did we really think would happen. I wish their family lines well in the future, hopefully they can escape the doom that is their futures.
Olivia Atwater’s book was such an adorable read. One or two sittings is all it should take you to finish. The Bridgerton vibes are heavy in this Regency Fantasy Romance. Romance in the G/T sense of the word, that is! The author left a note that this story is a metaphor for neurodivergence, and it is a really beautiful way to portray such a topic. This was our book club book, so more to come on this. (Yes this book club exists still)
If you thought Half a Soul was a quick read, Grief is the Thing With Feathers is even faster. This was my Service95 (Dua Lipa) book club read for the month of April. I feel I may have appreciated this book a little more if I were British or familiar with Ted Hughes. That being said, this book was still extremely unique in its approach to narration. The crow’s POV being interwoven in with the father and sons, and the more lyrical and poetic verse than a typical novel really elevated this story. Grief is something everyone experiences but is such a unique experience all the same.
Book Goal Tracker: 17/30
Madeline Daily 