April “hopefuls”, because I can’t be trusted with TBRs right now

April 1, 2022

Another month, another TBR ~

March was a bit of an odd month for me! I’ll go into it more in my wrap-up post next week, but the short of it is that I spent the first 1/3 of the month ruined by stress, the second 1/3 of the month adjusting to some big changes that were made in hopes of alleviating said stress, and the final third of the month slowly working my way back to “normal”. I just hope April is more peaceful.

March goal check-in: 

  1. Read everyday ✅ — I DID IT!
  2. Finish my entire Winter TBR by March 20th 🤷‍♀️ — I’m giving this one a half-yes, half-no, because I didn’t finish everything by that date, but I had at least started every book on my Winter TBR by the time the season ended, and that’s bigger progress than I’ve ever made on any seasonal TBR in the history of this blog!
  3. Daily blogging on weekdays ❌ — NOPE! I think I cursed myself by making this goal, because I only posted a dozen or so blog posts in March, and most of them were pre-written content. 😅

My goals for April are: 

  1. Read everyday — this goal has been so motivational for me the past few months, that I want to try again in April!
  2. Catch up on all of my buddy reads
  3. Post at least three blog posts per week (this feels like a MUCH more attainable goal 🤞)

current reads (leftovers):

For the first time in a little while, I have leftover current reads AND leftover TBR picks! Here’s what I’m “overdue” on:

🌸The Shadow of the Gods // John Gwynne
🌸 Vespertine // Margaret Rogerson
🌸 A Court of Silver Flames // Sarah J. Maas
🌸 In Darkness, Delight: Fear the Future // Andrew Lennon & Evans Light
🌸 Delilah Green Doesn’t Care // Ashley Herring Blake
🌸 For the Wolf // Hannah F. Whitten
🌸 A Dowry of Blood // S.T. Gibson
🌸 Riot Baby // Tochi Onyebuchi


april’s picks:

I realized over the past few weeks, as I started to feel overwhelmed by how I’m falling behind on my goals (mainly my 2022 TBR), that I’ve been expecting a little too much of myself. 😅 So I’ve decided, in April, all of my TBR picks will just be things I want to read to catch up on other goals. These are also less of a defined TBR and more of a stack of “hopefuls” that I hope to read in April. While I really enjoy setting goals for myself and pressuring myself a little, I need to focus on finding a happy balance and not pressuring myself TOO much! So, these are the books that I HOPE to read in April:

Hands Down // Mariana Zapata (Spring TBR + Hoemance Book Club group read)
I didn’t love The Wall of Winnipeg and Me, but this follow-up features the one character I did really like from that book, so I have to read it!

Comfort Me With Apples // Catherynne M. Valente (review copy + 2022 TBR + buddy read with Evelyn)
I’ve been really excited to read this weird little thriller novella and I can’t wait to buddy read it with Evelyn! It’s only about 100pg long, too, so it’s one of several short books I picked to hopefully read this month.

Come Closer // Sara Gran (TBR & Beyond group read)
I’ve been meaning to read this for sooo long! It’s a horror novella and I think the protagonist thinks she’s possessed by a demon? It sounds super creepy and like exactly what I’m in the mood for.

Kingdom of Needle and Bone // Mira Grant (re-read + TBR & Beyond group read)
I loved this novella when I read it a few years ago, but I’m a little apprehensive to see how re-reading it will go right now, given that the main plot is about a pandemic.

Book of Night // Holly Black (review copy + Spring TBR)
I’m so so so excited to read this and honestly can’t believe I haven’t already!

This is How You Lose the Time War // Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone (Spring TBR)
Another short read for this month, and after hearing SO much hype for it over the past couple of years, I really hope it’s everything I want it to be and more.

House of Earth and Blood // Sarah J. Maas (2022 TBR + Spring TBR + buddy read with Sarah and Brooklynne)
I gotta finish A Court of Silver Flames first, and then I’m really excited to finally start this series! I mean, I technically started this book when it first came out, but only got 100pg in before The Slump™️ hit me, so this will be attempt #2.

My Best Friend’s Exorcism // Grady Hendrix (12 in 12 recommendations TBR)
I’ve been meaning to read this for SO DAMN LONG and I’m so excited to finally pick it up!

Queen of Teeth // Hailey Piper (TBR jar + Spring TBR)
Gimme all the queer horror! Hailey is a gem and I fully expect to love this.

The Bone Cutters // Renee S. DeCamillis (TBR jar)
I’ve never really heard anyone talk about this horror novella, but something about the premise and cover sucked me in a long time ago and it’s past time for me to finally read it.

Dustborn // Erin Bowman (TBR jar)
I loved Erin’s Contagion and Vengeance Road duologies, so I’m really excited to read this. I think it’s a mash-up of western and dystopian?

The Bone Orchard // Sara A. Mueller (review copy)
I got an ARC of this and it just released, so I’m a little overdue for it, but I’m trying really hard to get on a better track record with my ARCs and I’m excited to read this! It’s about a necromancer who doubles as the Emperor’s consort, and the premise checks a LOT of boxes for me.


What are you reading this month?


destiny

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More about Destiny @ Howling Libraries

Just a horror aficionado/geek girl trying to juggle motherhood, reading, blogging, gaming, and everyday life.

16 Comments
    1. this title is the most relatable!!! also this is how you lose the time war rules i can’t wait to hear what you think of it

    1. I hope you have a great reading month! I´m very excited for Comfort me with Apples!

    1. March sucks huh? I’m happy to be into April. Feels like a fresh start with Spring finally here (though Ohio hasn’t got the memo yet).

      Looking forward to your thoughts on My Best Friend’s Exorcism. I read it in 2018 or 2019 and had my own thoughts lol.

      1. March really was a bit meh haha. 😂 I hope April is better for us both! And I hope your weather gets the memo soon, lol. We’ve been having very back-and-forth weather in Georgia, but that’s normal for us in early spring. It was 81 degrees a few days ago, and this weekend it’s down in the 30s at night. Like, what?

        Lol! We should discuss it after I finish it, then!

    1. I love calling it hopefuls rather than TBR, I think I need to start calling my “TBR” hopefuls instead!

      I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on A Dowry of Blood, because I knowww you’ll love it!!! Also, Book of Night -screams- I haven’t read it yet but as soon as its released I will DEVOUR it!

      I read Dustborn when it first came out and it was such a good story, its so underrated but a very good (and fast!) read! It is a dystopian western kinda mash-up, yes! Hope you enjoy it~

      1. Haha thank you! Oooh I can’t wait for all of these, I hope I love them! And I hope we both love Book of Night! 😀 I feel like Erin Bowman is such an underrated author in general, you know?

        1. Agreed, Erin Bowman is underrated and it makes me sad, she deserves so much more love! Her writing is great! I haven’t read Contagion yet, I need to get to that, but I loved Vengeance Road duology!

    1. Congrats on reading every day! That always sounds like such a simple goal but it’s actually quite hard if life gets super busy! I always struggle to keep a streak going.

      The Shadow of the Gods is also on my TBR! But I’m intimidated lol I read Dustborn earlier this year and I really enjoyed it! It’s not as great as her other books BUT I still really loved it and would say 4.5/5.

      Happy reading!

      1. Thank you so much! It really is tough! I’ve unfortunately already failed in April (I’ve missed 3 days so far), but I had good reason for missing 2 of those days, so I’m not fretting. I’m just hoping I can find some reading time every day for the rest of the month! 😄

        I’m so glad you liked Dustborn, I can’t wait to read it!

    1. Good luck with your reading plans 🥰 I hope you enjoy Delilah Green Doesn’t Care, I had such a good time with it! I also still haven’t read Vespertine and House of Earth and Blood (I bought this when it came out, but then never picked it up 😭), so I hope you get around to reading them!

      1. Thank you, Caro! I feel sad that I still haven’t gotten fully sucked into Delilah, but I’m hoping it’s just because I’m only a few chapters in and that I will soon. 😄 And I hope you get to read Vespertine and HOEAB soon! I’m loving Vespertine so much right now!

    1. DUSTBORN IS SO GOOD, DESTINY! I can’t wait for you to read it and please screech at me in the DMs everywhere when you do! (also yaaas to For the Wolf and Dowry of Blood – two of my faves from last year!)

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