I had a great reading month in April, with two 5-star reads and several others I loved. Let’s get into it!

Stats

Total books read: 8

Physical books: 3

2026 releases: 3

Dungeon Crawler Carl: 2

Historical fantasy: 2

Aardvaark picks: 1

Superfan by Jenny Tinghui Zhang (5 stars) – This was the second Aardvaark Book Club book I picked up after joining in January, and the second one in a row that was a 5-star read! This dual narrative was excellently written and emotionally resonant; I’ll be looking out for more from this author.

The Butcher’s Masquerade by Matt Dinniman (5 stars) – I’ve been continuing in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series, and although I’ce loved every book in the series so far, this month I finally hit an installment that was an official 5-star. This one hit particularly hard emotionally in addition to keeping up with its signature humor and nonstop action.

The Eye of the Bedlam Bride by Matt Dinniman (4 stars) – Another great DCC read.

Anderson in Bloom by Jennifer Dugan (4 stars) – I loved this contemporary second-chance Sapphic romance between a movie star and a former child star turned florist from a new-to-me author.

Making Space by R. F. Kuang (short story) (4 stars) – This short story was really interesting, with a cool concept.

Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett (4 stars) – My least favorite installment in the Emily Wilde series, but still enjoyable.

The Scholar & The Last Faerie Door by H.G. Parry (4 stars) – Not quite what I was expecting, but an interesting and well-realized historical fantasy.

A Pack for Spring by Emilia Emerson (4 stars) – My least favorite so far in the Cozyverse quartet, but still a very fun read, particularly since it features A BABY BUNNY.