What I read & recommend: April 2026

The first half is all the books I read & recommend.

The second half are books I started reading / read but do not think highly enough of to recommend (although some I had to finish simply because I got too invested in what was happening and needed to know the ending).

No book links because I thoroughly encourage you to use a library or a local, independent bookseller and absolutely by all means possible, avoid Indigo/Chapters, and Amazon.

If you need one that delivers in Canada, I very much like McNally Robinson. They can order any book you like.

 

WHAT I RECOMMEND

Happy go money: Melissa Long

Personal Finance – Beginner – Contemplative Questions – Redirecting your life and money – Canadian

If you have been reading personal finance books for 2 decades now, and you are already financially independent, this is not the book for you. If you want to read it anyway to get a little inspiration, motivation and reaffirmation of what you are doing with your money is the right path – read it. Or if you are a beginner to all of this. A solid book, with excellent questions to ask yourself and your family at the end of each chapter to make sure you are making the most of your life and money.

Exactly as you are: Shea Tuttle

Mr. Rogers – Dry but not witty – Faith based – Memoir

A memoir of Mr. Rogers and how he came to be. This man must have been a damn saint because he really considered the feelings of children, and was so devoted to helping, it is kind of incredible people like this exist, particularly with what is happening in the world today. If man was like him, or even remotely like him, we would eliminate 99% of the issues in the world.

Forty Million Dollar Slaves – William Rhoden

High earning athletes – Black – Capitalism – Patriarchy – Another kind of slavery – History

I can’t say the subject matter interested me very much, but if you are really into sports, you should absolutely read this. It details out the history of the rise, fall and redemption of the black athlete – as it says. As someone who never follows or followed sports, it wasn’t interesting, but it was interesting nonetheless. If you have watched the documentary – Get Smart With Money (2022) – as I did, you will think of the story of the young black athlete featured – Teez Tabor – who tried to get financial help to not lose the rest of the earnings he made with his debut.

A sociopath’s guide to a successful marriage – M. K. Oliver

Dark humour – Reformed sociopath – Marriage and relationships – Abuse

I didn’t know what to expect when I started reading this book, the title certainly caught my attention, and I was about to give up on it a chapter into it (it is just so odd..) but I am glad I stuck with it because I became engrossed in the storyline and it ended up working out (?) at the end. If you have ever watched the TV series – Killing Eve – this book is basically like that. It also made me wonder if everyone at the top was a sociopath. LOL.

Loch Down Abbey – Beth Cowan-Erskine

Murder mystery – Pandemic vibes – Spoiled aristocrats – Dry wit

This was a minor diversion. I mean, I am not screaming from the rooftops for people to read it, but it was interesting enough to read as a bit of murder mystery fluff. It is obviously very strongly based on the pandemic with the references to baking and toilet paper, and there is a nice mystery woven throughout. I just found it a little stale and the mystery itself wasn’t anything to speak of, but I liked the dry wit of the characters throughout the book which kept it lively.

The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post – Allison Pataki

Memoir – Post cereals – Heiress – Philanthropy – American

Historical fiction come to life, detailing the life of Marjorie Post – how she became an heiress, the husbands she worked through, her wealth and money being put to good use (unlike today), and all woven into a rather interesting first-person perspective memoir. I feel rather bad for people who are this rich, to be honest. Not because of the money but of all the trouble that comes with it.

Fame Junkies: Jake Halpern

Fame Obsession – Celebrity Worship – Addiction – Lives – Anecdotes – Hidden Truths

A solid read on Americans (and I daresay much of the world) being obsessed with becoming famous. It is an addiction and the delusion of many to think that they would ever reach such a level of success, but to also assume it comes with zero setbacks, is kind of wild. I personally would avoid and shun fame as much as possible, but apparently many people are not like this. I actually hear this a lot on reality shows like Top Chef where many young chefs come on and say – I want to be rich, famous, have many restaurants and books in my name – but they don’t understand what they are really saying. It comes with a lot of terrible things too.

The girl you killed: Leslie Wolfe

Mental Thriller – Mystery – Twisted – Double identity – Psychological

If you like Frieda McFadden and the like, you will like this VERY quick read and mystery about a girl who was murdered and the story of the one who murdered her. I don’t want to give it away but it is quite a good twist and easy to read without having to tax your brain cells.

Strange Sally Diamond – Liz Nugent

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder – Pedophilia – Kidnapping – Abuse – Nurture versus Nature – Misogyny

I heard a lot about this book and had I known more about it, I may not have picked it up to read it because of its content about kidnapping children, pedophilia and the like, especially given today’s reality with the horrors of what has been happening and is still happening but finally being revealed. That said, it was such a compelling book that I finished it and was kind of angry it ended on such a terrible note with no loose ends tied up. Made you also think about nature versus nurture and if children turn out the way you nurture them or if they are like that to begin with. So I am torn in recommending the book, it was a good read, but the subject matter was distressing for me.

The Correspondant – Virginia Evans

A Life in Letters – Family – Adoption – Apologies – Time Missed – Redemption – Affecting Lives – Themes of Bullying and Neglect

This came highly recommended by so many, and for a good reason. It is basically a book of letters, showing one side of the story (and the other) via only letters to one another. It is an elderly woman who writes to her family (NO EMAILS), and you learn about her life and who she is through her words and what others write back to her about. It is heartwarming, sweet and for me, it is a book about apologies and redemption, most of all.

Soy sauce for beginners – Kirstin Chen

Family Legacy – Heartbreak – Expectations – Tradition – Soy sauce business – Life – Growing up rich – Finding oneself

It follows a girl who is a typical stereotype of someone growing up with money, and not wanting to take over the family business and trying to “find herself”. That said, the story was interesting, compelling and ended rather satisfactorily for my taste even if I would have liked an epilogue with what happened to each family member. It is a good read of someone finding herself, what she really wants and how much of that is family versus her own self.

All the things we never knew – Sophie Ranald

Dying husband – Affairs – Intertwined lives – Complicated – Mystery

I had mixed feelings about this book. I liked it, it was very compelling and a good read, but the whole plot line made me sad, but also, I didn’t get any damn ANSWERS at the end of explaining what happened with the husband in his childhood. It wasn’t a successful ending for me, but it was a great read. If you expect things to turn out properly in the end and everything to be explained, give this one a miss.

A ruse of shadows & A tempest at sea – Sherry Thomas

Charlotte Holmes Books 7 & 8

Mystery – Sherlock Holmes spinoff – Brilliant protagonist – Feminist

Obviously they are murder mysteries and this whole Charlotte Holmes story arc that spins off of Sherlock Holmes is rather brilliant. She is a fantastic character as a detective who is obviously a feminist living in a time where the word couldn’t even be uttered. The mysteries themselves are also excellent and not easy to figure out.

People we meet on vacation – Emily Henry

Chicklit – Unlikely Couple – Travel writer – Vacations

It was a nice read, but I am not screaming for you to pick it up and read it right away. It was a passable diversion, interesting enough to finish but it wasn’t life changing. Perhaps my taste in books is changing to go away from cliché boy-meets-girl sort of stories? Who knows but it was “okay”. Still a nice read if you don’t want to tax brain cells. Maybe it is because her job and her boss is is so incredibly UNREALISTIC that I want to scream.

Ghosts – Dolly Alderton

Passing time – Family Evolution – Friends leaving – Singleton

Another nice read but not so compelling I am asking you to pick it up and read it TODAY. It is basically an overview of a single woman in her thirties, watching her friends leave for the suburbs, having children and their priorities changing as a result which aren’t in line with what they stereotypically think of a single woman who is still dating, doing with her life. Typical observations on judgemental friends and the like.

Strangers – Belle Burden

Memoir – Non-Fiction – Marriage – Aristocrat – Stay-at-home parent – Heartbreaking

Wow. This was unhinged. I am sorry, my heart broke throughout the entire book, but this raw account of her marriage was just abnormal. That is the only word I have for it. But also… sadly, very normal. I don’t want to spoil it, but know in the end, it turned out well. It is also a major financial wakeup call and a serious one. I suggest every parent read this, and take action accordingly.

Yesteryear – Caro Claire Burke

Tradwife – Influencer – Time Travel – Family – Social Media – Pressures

A tradwife making bank as an influencer (we all know who they are), wakes up in an actual tradwife life that isn’t buffered by nannies, farm hands, huge trust funds or gobs of money and production managers. It is brilliant. I only read it because I saw on social media that an actress bought the rights to the book and wants to make a movie (maybe?) out of it, so I read it instead.

If I didn’t choose Strangers as my book for the month, this one would have been the book of the month. A very close second.

Pineapple Street – Jenny Jackson

Socialites – Old rich families – Relationships – Pressures

I loved this book as well! I mean, I skipped 5 books after reading the first chapter and I was about to give up, then I randomly clicked on this book to read and I was sucked in. A wonderful, fluffy but not cloyingly sweet read. A great view of “old money” families living in New York City, but through the eyes of their children as they navigate their lives and relationships, as well as from the perspective of the wife of the one of the sons. A nice way to end the month.

WOULDN’T READ

I who have never known men: Jacqueline Hartman

Couldn’t get into it. And I have a pile of over 1000 books (no joke) that I could spend my time on, so I gave it 3 chapters and tapped out. I guess it has something to do with a girl being born and only having been in a prison all of her life? I just didn’t get into it.

Three Sisters: Heather Morris

I gave it 3 chapters and gave up. It is supposed to be right up my alley about 3 sisters but it didn’t grab and keep my attention.

Mapp and Lucia – EF Benson

I tried to love it. I really did. But I couldn’t get into it. It is about two women trying to reach the top of their social circle, and I guess I am just not a fan of this kind of poisonous vitriol.

Want more book recommendations?

All of my previous book recommendations are here.

If you’re lazy like me, here are my YEARLY book roundups from each year.