This month was a bit better for my reading journey, although most of these books were shorter books. I was able to finish five books, bringing my YTD today to 13.
What I Read
The Black Dahlia: Murder, Monsters, and the Madness of Midcentury Hollywood by William J Mann
464 pages | True Crime | 4 stars
I read this book to cover in my other podcast, The Paranoid Perspective. This was just published in January 2026. There was a lot of good information in the book about who Elizabeth Short was before her tragic ending, as well as a round-up of the suspects, so it was very useful for my episode.
Listen to the podcast episode on The Black Dahlia
The East Wind by Alexandria Warwick
432 pages | Romantasy | 5 stars
The East Wind is the final book in Alexandria Warwick’s romantasy series The Four Winds. I actually got the Once Upon a Book Club box for this one so I could get the limited edition book, since I have the other three books in the same edition. I thought it was a good ending for the series. We finally see Eurus and go to the City of Gods for a tournament. The other brothers make an appearance at the end as well. Everything that was left unanswered in the third book was resolved here, so I was very happy.
Read my full review for The East Wind
Read my unboxing experience for Once Upon a Book Club’s Romantasy box ft. The East Wind
A Psalm for the Wild Built by Becky Chambers
151 pages | Sci-fi | 5 stars
I read this for my library book club, although I unfortunately couldn’t join for this month. It’s the first book in the Monk & Robot duology. I would classify this as cozy sci-fi, and it was an easy book to finish in one sitting. Dex is living on a moon of a planet, and they are living around 200 years after the robots in the factories gained consciousness and went into the woods, leaving humanity to figure out how to live more harmoniously with nature. Then Dex meets Mosscap, a robot who is determined to answer the question, what do humans need. It really got me thinking about life and purpose.
A Prayer for the Crown Shy by Becky Chambers
152 pages | Sci-fi | 4 stars
This is the second book in the Monk & Robot duology. Dex comes out of the wilds with Mosscap in tow and guides him across the human cities, meeting many different people along the way who all have a different answer to what humans need. It’s similar to the first book in that it’s cozy sci-fi with themes on life and purpose.
From Dream to Reality: How to Make a Living as a Freelance Writer by Jessie L Kwak
159 pages | Nonfiction – Writing | 4 stars
I picked up this book last fall, and it’s such a short read that I decided to just get it done. It was overall a good reference book for the different types of freelance writing you can do, and did have some online resources as well, so I think it was worth the read. I’m sure I’ll reference it more in the future, too.
Favorite Book of the Month
My favorite book for this month was A Psalm for the Wild Built by Becky Chambers. The story really resonated with me. Dex is in a transition period, searching for something else to do since their current work wasn’t lighting them up anymore, which is similar to my current situation, so I think it was the right time for me to read this book.
Catch Up on Past 2026 Monthly Wrap-Ups
What was your favorite book you read in April?
I’d love to hear what you’ve been reading so far this year, so leave them in the comments!
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