April 2026 Reading

April is when my birthday is, so naturally I got a bunch of books.  I’ve spent a lot of time recently focused on nonfiction and it is making me happy to read more fiction lately.  I read 11 books this month.

Nonfiction first, to get it out of the way.  I read three books on how to write mysteries.  They’re all good and useful for anyone interested in knowing more about how the sausage is made.  They are:  Mystery by Paul Tomlinson, Writing the Cozy Mystery by Nancy J. Cohen, and How to Write a Cozy Mystery by Nina Harrington.  The only other nonfiction I read this month is Diana Butler Bass’s book A People’s History of Christianity.  I liked it.  Having survived the behemoth book Christianity, the First 3000 Years by Diarmaid MacCulloch (see my report for February and March), Bass’s work seems a lot less complex if no less interesting.  Her aim is different, however.  She organizes things in a much more thematic way and consciously draws in contemporary experience.  Her emphasis is on the way that everyday people have consistently re-formed Christianity in order to meet current needs.  In short, she gives emphasis to the grassroots over the establishment.  Fascinating work that has sparked good discussions.

 

On to the fun stuff.  I listened to one audiobook in April, mostly because the stuff I wanted to listen to had long wait times.  It was Terry Pratchett’s Wee Free Men, which is absolutely hilarious and everyone should go out and read it or listen to it now.  (I have done both and either way is awesome.)  I also read his book Pyramids because my awesome kid gave it to me for my birthday.  It’s probably not my very favorite of his works, but he is always worth reading.  In this one, I particularly like his sendup of classic philosophy.

 

I read two more Grantchester novels by James Runcie, Sidney Chambers and the Shadow of Death, and Sidney Chambers and the Perils of the Night.  I have (obviously) been thinking about how mysteries are constructed and the fabric in these is sound.  They’re also fun to read.  There are some surprises for folks who have watched the show; not everything goes the same way in the books!  I expected each book to be a novel, but each one is actually a collection.  Some folks might find that a feature; others not so much.  I intend to carry on.

 

While in a bookstore (I try not to go in to those places; it gets expensive!), I discovered a bunch of T. Kingfisher books that I did not yet own.  I fixed this problem.  I read two of them this month.  Nine Goblins is hilarious and short and charmingly creepy.  Paladin’s Faith is the fourth in the Saint of Steel series and a wonderful spy romance.  I love her strong women.  Apparently, so do hunky paladin types.

 

Finally, I read Leonie Swann’s The Sunset Years of Agnes Sharp and Agnes Sharp and the Trip of a Lifetime.  What is not to like about a group of seniors solving crime?  Agnes and her ragtag band create mayhem wherever they go.  The books are fun, well-constructed, and beautifully written.

 

April total:  11

Spring 2026 to date:  29

2026 to date:  29