Amy Scott's Thoughts

Bookish Thoughts for April 2026

You’ll notice that April was a very 3 star month for me. Lingering illness and a lack of stamina meant I had extra time for reading this month. It also meant that I focused more on fluffy reading. Some seasons call for fluff! Huzzah! It just dawned on me that after my 5 star Emma M. Lion month in March, maybe everything else feels like a 3 star book now. Nothing compares to Emma. I already dedicated my March post to Emma M. Lion. I promise I won’t start up again and give you a round two! (But it would be very easy for me to do so!)

A couple books did stand out to me this month. I very much enjoyed Gifts from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. A few months ago, a friend at book club was sharing her experience with the book. She had been gifted it when she was young and she didn’t connect with the content at the time. Reading it a couple decades later gave the book greater meaning to her. I shared that I had owned the book in my twenties and didn’t relate to it either. I gave my copy away at some point and I was disappointed in that decision after hearing her review. This dear friend gifted me a copy of the book for my birthday after paying attention to what I said at book club. It was so sweet and kind of her! I reread the book (while at the beach, seemed fitting) and I immensely enjoyed it. It’s a book that resonates in midlife and my younger self couldn’t appreciate the wisdom. It’s an encouraging take a woman’s role as a person, wife, mother, and community member in comparison to different shells found on the seashore. Even though the book was published decades ago, I found it speaking to my soul and my situations even in modern times. I’m so grateful for a second chance with this book!

My top fiction read this month was The Wrong Lady Meets the Right Lord by Suzanne Allain. I’ve enjoyed her other works and this one was no exception. I’m a big fan of Victorian London during The Season. This book features a case of mistaken identity and two cousins trying to find their way in the world and finding love along the way. It was the perfect weekend read. Relaxing, sweet, and a happily ever after. Set in a similar time and setting was A Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting by Sophie Irwin. I enjoyed the determination of the characters in that book along with the delightful side characters that brought so much color to the story.

In closing, I wanted to highlight that it is curriculum time again! It’s always fun (and a little stressful) to order the textbooks for the coming school year. We are close to wrapping up this school year in May. New books are necessary to start our summer school program. It’s always a treat to move to our lighter summer schedule and new books add to the joyful transition. It appears the highlight this coming year will be Cooking 1. I plan to offer a weekly elective were the kids (and parents) team up to learn kitchen and cooking skills. Owen has been pouring over the book whenever he has down time. He is going to have the whole book memorized by the time we open it for school and start cooking together!

The Book List for April
1 Star = I did not like it. 2 stars = It was okay. 3 stars = I liked it. 4 stars = I really liked it. 5 stars = It was amazing.

Non-Fiction:

• Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh – 4 stars
• The Small and the Mighty: Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History by Sharon McMahon – 4 stars

Fiction:

• The Cinderella Plot by Pepper Basham – 3 stars
• Tides of Secrets by A.R. Conwell – 3 stars
• Miss Magnolia’s in a Mash by Carina Taylor – 3 stars
• Could’ve Fooled Me by Jenny Proctor – 3 stars
• Bookishly Ever After by Sarah Monzon – 3 stars
• Book Nerds and Boyfriends by Sarah Monzon – 3 stars
• The Cowboy’s Touch by Denise Hunter – 3 stars
• The Accidental Bride by Denise Hunter – 3 stars
• The Trouble with Cowboys by Denise Hunter – 3 stars
• The Goodbye Bride by Denise Hunter – 3 stars
• How to Lose a Lord in Ten Days by Sophie Irwin – 3 stars
• A Ladies Guide to Fortune-Hunting by Sophie Irwin – 4 stars
• The Wrong Lady Meets the Right Lord by Suzanne Allain – 4 stars
• Ruling Out Robin by Deborah M. Hathaway – 3 stars
• The Set-Up Man by Kate Watson – 3 stars
• Mischief, Mayhem, and Marriage by Rebecca Connolly – 3 stars