Everything I Read in March-April 2025
March and April were heavy on the audiobooks! I finished nine books, and seven of the nine were on audio. I read five fiction books and four nonfiction books! Highlights included a really fun and fast-paced mystery series and some more celebrity memoirs.
For 2025, my goal is to read 50 books and 14,000 pages! I’m currently at 17 books and 5,340 pages read after April. If you’re also a reader, join StoryGraph and add me as a friend: my username is cottoncashmerecathair! And please share your favorite recent read(s) in the comments.
READ NEXT: Everything I Read in January-February 2025
Everything I Read in March-April 2025
Fiction
How to End a Love story by Yulin Kuang
I heard such great things about this book, so I was excited to finally read it! I ended up really liking it. I’m not obsessed with it, but I felt that it was well-written and had the type of ending I was looking for!
I found it a little difficult to connect to the main characters at first since it’s switches points of view but stays in third person. I enjoyed how the author discusses the roller coaster ride that is grief in a thoughtful way. I also enjoyed the differences in the cultures of the characters. It’s a relatable, heartfelt story that I recommend!
Saltwater by Katy Hays
I received this book as an advanced reader copy (ARC) from the publisher. It was my first time reading a Katy Hays book; this is her second, and her first book, The Cloisters, is on my TBR! I was intrigued by the premise—rich family with lots of secrets—and the setting being in Italy. It’s told across two timelines and from the points of view of multiple characters.
I found Saltwater to be a very slow burn. It was hard for me to get into the first 40-50% of the book; there are a lot of characters that I had trouble keeping straight. The second half was more interesting, but what I REALLY loved was the ending!!! I did not predict it at all. I was shook! I shrieked and yelled “OH MY GOD” out loud and surprised Korri, ha.
Thank you so much to Penguin Random House for the ARC!
Audiobooks
The perfectionist’s Guide to Losing Control by Katherine Morgan Schafler
OMG, I listened to this audiobook and truly felt seen like I’ve never felt seen before! I’ve always considered myself a perfectionist, but I didn’t realize just how many different types of perfectionists there were. I’m definitely mostly a procrastinator perfectionist; it’s hard for me to start things if I’m not sure what the correct plan of action is, and it’s hard for me to finish things once they’re started. I just sort of put things aside and think I’m going to deal with them later…and then later never comes. Ha.
I liked that the author focused on the positives of being a perfectionist. I sort of wish the author dove more into the different types of perfectionists and then described techniques each type could use to “combat” your perfectionist tendencies, but it’s more of a general guide on living with perfectionism and learning to embrace your perfectionism. There’s a short religious quip at the end that I could have done without personally (and is what keeps this from being a 5-star read).
Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick
I know Anna Kendrick best from her role in the Pitch Perfect movies, and I was delighted to learn more about her life before and as she got her start in Hollywood. She is just as funny in her book as she is in her films. Even though it’s not the deepest memoir, I felt like I could relate to Anna and that we could be friends if we ever crossed paths in real life. If you like Anna, you’ll probably enjoy this book, and especially the audio version because she narrates it herself!
Wildflower by Drew Barrymore
Wildflower is Drew Barrymore’s memoir, and she narrates it herself. You can really feel the emotion in her stories, especially in the stories about her dad and her kids. I wish the stories were shared chronologically because it’s hard to follow at times with all the jumping around. It’s also a bit of a bummer to listen to this knowing that she split from her husband and father of her kiddos. Still, much like Anna Kendrick, she has a wit and casualness about her that makes her relatable.
On the Hippie Trail by Rick Steves
You likely know Rich Steves as the guy who writes all of the travel guidebooks. I’ve used his guidebooks and phrase books in my own travels! I honestly didn’t know much about him until recently, when I learned that he’s been protesting against actions of the administration, and it made me appreciate him even more.
On the Hippie Trail is essentially him sharing the travel journal that he wrote as a 22-year-old embarking on the Hippie Trail (from Istanbul to Kathmandu) in 1978. This is the trip that inspired his love of travel. It’s mind-boggling to hear about how folks USED to travel and how different it is now! I enjoyed this audiobook, which Rick narrates himself, and I loved his closing thoughts in the final few minutes.
Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano
I’ve been wanting to read this series, and I got the chance when the publisher offered the entire Finlay Donovan series (including a short story and the soon-to-be-released 5th book, which is now out) as a “read now” option via NetGalley! I unfortunately didn’t get the files on my Kindle before they were archived, so I started listening to the audiobooks, and to be honest, I’m LOVING the series on audio. The narrator is fantastic!
Finlay Donovan is Killing It is the first book (of six) in the series, a fun, funny, and fast-paced mystery series that follows a newly-single mother and suspense author, Finlay, and her nanny-turned-best-friend, Veronica (Vero), as they unintentionally find themselves sucked into the world of crime and a murder investigation. It’s full of wit and a bit of suspense and lots of action! I can listen to these books pretty quickly, which is great.
Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead by Elle Cosimano
This is the second book in the Finlay Donovan series! Finlay and Vero get caught up in a murder-for-hire scheme in the first book (unintentionally, of course), and in the second, Finlay finds out that someone is out to murder her ex-husband and father of her two children. She’s determined to solve the mystery of who wants her husband dead all while trying to figure out the plot of her next book and the hot cop that’s helping her with the case.
The narrator, Angela Dawe, does a great job with the voices of all of the characters. I often forget that it’s just one person narrating!
Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun by Elle Cosimano
This is the third book in the Finlay Donovan series. There are five books out now (with one more to come in 2026) plus a short story that focuses on Vero!
I found the third book to have the weakest plot of the three, and it felt the most…unbelievable, if you can believe me (ha). It just felt like the most unrealistic, which is funny considering the series as a whole isn’t really realistic. It just went a little TOO far for me, I guess! It’s still a fun book, and I’m still looking forward to the rest!
Thank you so much to Minotaur Books for the free copies of the Finlay Donovan series!
