My April Reads
Hello! I hope you had a great April and managed to read lots of lovely books. Today I’m sharing my April reads, and a fabulous collection they were, too.
As you probably know by now, each month I read at least one Agatha Christie novel, as I’m taking part in the Read Christie 2025 Challenge (I’ve been doing these challenges for the last few years now as I’m a huge Christie fan) and also ticking off at least one square in my own Book Bingo challenge, which you can find here.
Other than that, I choose books purely by whatever takes my fancy. I keep track of them in a journal and rate them out of five privately, but publicly I don’t give them ratings. What I do share is the cover, the blurb, and the buying links.
So let’s go!
Hedge Witch by Joanna Van Der Hoeven
(The fifth square in my 2025 Book Bingo ticked off. Author’s debut novel. Joanna has written non-fiction previously.)
In the little village of Burley, deep in the New Forest there is a very magickal secret.
On the surface, Burley is a little tourist spot with interesting shops, history and folklore. But underneath that exterior can be found very real, very magickal and very powerful practitioners of the art. Many outsiders believe that Witchcraft is a gimmick to get the tourists in, and for the most part, the real magickal community are happy to let people make that assumption. Those that have lived there long enough, however, understand and keep quiet, in order to protect the people and hereditary lines of the five magickal families that live there. For they are the ones who see and understand Burley for what it is: a magickal and liminal place where myth and legend come to life. But the dynamic between the old families is suddenly shifted with the arrival of newcomers. How may the fate of all be changed?
Two Canadian sisters, Hunter and Ryder, inherit their aunt’s property on the edge of Burley. As they try to decide what to do with their inheritance, they make friends and begin to learn the secrets of this special place, while also learning about magick and how it is linked to their own heritage. Now all they have to do is survive magickal attacks, learn enough in the short space of time they have, and find out just who they are in this new world where myth and reality walk hand in hand.
This is the first part of Hunter’s story. Hunter is the careful and cautious elder sister. A university professor, she is familiar with some of the history of the area. However, Hunter’s world is turned upside-down when she discovers not only her family legacy, but also the extent of her own powers as a Hedge Witch. Her guarded heart is opened by the love of a Druid whose life’s work is in dedication to the land, and whose encouragement to come into her own power changes her life forever.
Click to buy
The Secret of Chimneys by Agatha Christie
The Secrets of Chimneys by Agatha Christie is a classic mystery novel that unfolds against the backdrop of an English country estate called Chimneys. The story follows the protagonist, Anthony Cade, who becomes embroiled in a web of intrigue and deception.
The Narrative kicks off when Anthony Cade, a charming but down-on-his-luck adventurer, is approached by a friend, Jimmy McGrath, to help deliver a political document to the English government.
The Secrets of Chimneys is a masterfully crafted mystery novel that keeps readers guessing until the very end. With its intricate plot and cleverly concealed clues, the novel showcases Christie's unparalleled skill as the queen of crime fiction.
Click to buy
The Seven Dials Mystery by Agatha Christie
(The April choice for the Read Christie Challenge)
A healthy young man dies in his sleep, despite the ringing of seven separate alarm clocks…
Gerry Wade had proved himself to be a champion sleeper; so the other house guests decided to play a practical joke on him. Eight alarm clocks were set to go off, one after the other, starting at 6.30 a.m. But when morning arrived, one clock was missing and the prank had backfired with tragic consequences.
For Jimmy Thesiger in particular, the words ‘Seven Dials’ were to take on a new and chilling significance…
Click to buy
Now It All Makes Sense by Alex Partridge
FROM THE HOST OF THE GLOBALLY ACCLAIMED 'ADHD CHATTER' PODCAST
Aged just 21, Alex Partridge founded UNILAD and LADBible, social news sites which now have a following of 100 million people around the globe. A legal case over ownership in 2017 tipped him over the edge of the cliff into alcoholism, triggering years of mental health issues until, aged 34, he was diagnosed with ADHD.
In his chart-topping podcast, ADHD Chatter, Alex has spoken to dozens of experts on ADHD and related conditions in a bid to understand and improve outcomes for the neurodiverse population - and this groundbreaking book brings them all together, for the first time, in one place.
A blend of lived experience and expert insight, this deep dive into ADHD has the power to change your life. If you've ever wondered why you can't remember those critical appointments, how you can be hyper-focused one minute and down a YouTube rabbit-hole 30 seconds later, or why do people walk so slowly? then this relatable and unashamedly honest book is for you.
Written with Alex's trademark raw vulnerability, Now It All Makes Sense distils the essence of all the most important need-to-knows, from parenting with (and for) ADHD, to managing your mental health, your finances and even your shopping list. Most importantly it celebrates the opportunities and strengths, unique skillsets and positive traits of ADHD to remind you that you are NOT broken - and you are enough.
Click to buy
The Castle in the Bay by Margaret Amatt
(The fifth square in my 2025 Book Bingo ticked off - a book that was released in 2025)
What if the castle has the key to mend their broken hearts?
After a miserable few years, fun-loving Iona McKenzie tossed her corporate job to the wind, swore off long-term relationships, and escaped to the Hebridean island of Barra to teach water sports.
Recently dumped by an ex who labelled him 'boring', Monty MacNeil is having a tough time. When he's tasked with carrying out his late father’s last request to scatter his ashes at Kisimul Castle – the famous castle in the bay – he doesn't expect his trip to Barra to begin by running smack bang into a feisty and gorgeous woman, knocking her off her bike, and almost dropping his father’s urn into the sea.
Iona turns out to be the person he needs to take him over to the castle, but Monty soon sees another way she can help him. A few paddleboarding lessons would make him look more adventurous and give him a way back to his ex when his holiday’s done. But an unexpected attraction begins, despite both Monty and Iona fighting it, and the lessons soon develop from boarding and snorkelling to ‘love lessons’. Suddenly it’s harder to separate real from pretend.
True love may be closer than they think, but if they want it, both must take a chance – and soon – before Monty returns to his life on the mainland.
♥ This is the first book in a brand new series
♥ Set on the Hebridean island of Barra in Scotland with fun, romance, drama, and a guaranteed happy ending,The Castle in the Bay has a bit of steam and lots of heart.
Click to buy
Meet Me At Midnight by Holly Martin
Get ready to be whisked away to the magical village of Midnight as romance casts its spell on you with this summer’s hottest love story…
Iris McKenzie is on a mission – her scheming ex-boyfriend stole her grandmother’s locket and she’ll do anything to get it back, even using the magic she’s always kept hidden. But what she isn’t prepared for is competition…
Lynx Oakwood has been tasked with recovering the same locket and along with his fellow witches from the magical village of Midnight, Lynx believes the locket holds great powers that could be dangerous in the wrong hands.
Both are determined to take the locket, but neither is prepared for meeting their match. For not only is the connection between them electric, but with Iris’s ability to see into the future she can foresee a blissful destiny with Lynx she isn’t prepared for. So when Iris’s pursuit of the locket leads her to the charming village of Midnight, she does everything she can to avoid the future that’s mapped out for her. But the more time Iris spends living amongst magical people freely enjoying their powers, the more she feels she belongs, and the harder it gets to stop her heart falling for Lynx.
And when the locket brings a cauldron full of trouble to both Iris and Midnight, Lynx’s commitment to protect her reveals a love that’s true beyond fate. Will she deny herself happiness simply because it’s written in the stars? Or is there only so long Iris can run from her destiny?
Click to buy
The Man Who Made Husbands Jealous by Jilly Cooper
Lysander Hawkley is a good man - but far, far too attractive to women.
Lysander Hawkley combined breathtaking good looks with the kindest of hearts. He couldn't pass a stray dog, an ill-treated horse or a neglected wife without rushing to the rescue. And with neglected wives the rescue invariably led to ecstatic bonking, which didn't please their erring husbands one bit.
Lysander's mid-life crisis had begun at twenty-two. Reeling from the death of his beautiful mother, he was out of work, drinking too much and desperately in debt. The solution came from Ferdie, his fat, fast-operating friend: if Lysander was so good at making husbands jealous, why shouldn't he get paid for it?
Let loose among the neglected wives of the ritzy county of Rutshire, Lysander causes absolute havoc. But it is only when he meets Rannaldini, Rutshire's King Rat and a temperamental, fiendishly promiscuous international conductor, that the trouble really starts. The only unglamorous woman around Rannaldini is Kitty, his plump young wife who runs his life like clockwork. Soon Lysander is convinced that Kitty must be rescued from Rannaldini at all costs, even if it means enlisting the help of the old blue-eyed havoc maker: Rupert Campbell-Black.
Click to buy
I hope you find something among these fabulous books that interests you. Happy reading!
