Even though I love to read, I’m definitely one for buying books and then letting them sit on my shelf for weeks, months, sometimes years, unread.

A few weeks ago I wrote an inventory of my books and worked out how many I owned, and how many I hadn’t yet read – the results were a little embarrassing. Of 297 fiction books, I’ve only read 105 of them.

So this year my main aim is to read as many of these books as possible, while inevitably accumulating more in the process. With that in mind, I’ve picked out five books I want to read over the course of April.

The Note – Zoe Folbigg

The first book I’ll read this month is one Rob bought my for Christmas, The Note by Zoe Folbigg. Although I’m publishing this blog a couple of days late, I did start this on the 1st, so I’ve not broken my own rules already! I’m currently about 70 pages in as I type this and I’m really enjoying it so far, and will of course post a review when I’m done.

The Catcher in the Rye – JD Salinger

This is a book I’m ashamed not to have read sooner. Ever since I enjoyed reading To Kill a Mockingbird and Of Mice and Men, my dad has been telling me I should read this one too, and his dog-eared copy has been sitting on my bookshelf for at least two years. Time to finally give it a go, don’t you think?

Bonjour Tristesse – Francoise Sagan

I studied French as part of my degree and love reading French literature alongside English and American works, so this short book by Francoise Sagan has been on my to-read list for a while now, and I can’t wait to get through it.

A Thousand Splendid Suns – Khaled Hosseini

This is another choice inspired by a book I studied and loved years ago – The Kite Runner. Both A Thousand Splendid Suns and And The Mountains Echoed are must-reads for me this year, ahead of Hosseini’s new release later in 2018, which I’m so excited about.

A Year and a Day – Isabelle Broom

This fifth and final choice for April is one of the books I received during my Willoughby Book Club subscription, along with another by Broom, My Map of You, which I plan to read later in the year. This subscription chooses books for you based on other works you love, and I’m excited to see how good the books I got sent are!

What are you all planning to read this month? Let me know in the comments! 

ALSO: If you’re interested in getting a Willoughby Book Club subscription and want 10% off, use this referral link – http://146thewilloughbybo.refr.cc/natalietipping