Book Riot's 2021 Read Harder Challenge - April Update: Everything I Never Told You & Brave New World

 Happy Thursday everyone!  I hope everyone's been staying healthy and happy.  I can't believe April is almost over!  Anyway, that means that I've now completed 8 tasks of Book Riot's 2021 Read Harder Challenge.  The tasks I completed this month required me to read a book set in the Midwest and a book you've been intimidated to read and I selected Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley.  Read on to see my mini reviews and what's coming up for May:

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I've been told to read Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng so many times and while it's not my usual style I'm glad I decided to stick with it.  I'm always interested in reading books either set in Ohio or by Ohio authors as it's my home state.  I wasn't expecting this story to be told in the manner that it is.  I was thinking there was going to be more of a mystery story rather than a dark family drama.  I may have preferred it a little more of a focus on the mystery with a healthy side of dark family drama.  I'm looking forward to the upcoming limited series adaptation that's coming up.

My review is also on Goodreads.

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I think I would have preferred Brave New World by Aldous Huxley if I read it back in high school. Or if I would have had the opportunity to read it back when it was brand new. I bet that would have been something else. I'm really surprised that it wasn't required reading when I was in high school or college. Overall, I liked the concept of the novel but not so much the writing style. I did appreciate how the novel begins, but as it kept going if I didn't know better I almost would have thought this was a parody. Plus, I wasn't the biggest fan of being hit over the head with the same information.

My review is also on Goodreads.

Next Up For May:

Read a book featuring a beloved pet where the pet doesn't die

My choice: The Purloined Poodle (Oberon's Meaty Mysteries #1) by Kevin Hearne - This is Oberon from The Iron Druid Chronicles spinoff and it sounds delightful.  I can't wait to see him again and Atticus again.

Read a non-European novel in translation

My choice: Ring (Ring #1) by Koji Suzuki, translated by Robert B. Rohmer and Glynne Walley - I love both the original Japanese film adapted from this and the American remake as well so I'm really looking forward to trying the source material.

Have you read either of these books?  Are you taking part in Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge this year?  As always, thanks for visiting my blog and perhaps even commenting down below!