What I Read in April 2019

Last year, I read quite a lot, so this year, one of the items on my "19 for 2019" list is to keep track of the books I read. I thought it would be fun to share what I've read each month, and I'd love it if you'd share what you're reading in the comments so that we can all find new books! Note: I picked these books all on my own (no sponsors involved), and all opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links that help support this site at no additional cost to you. Thank you for using them! You can read CFO's full disclosure here.


I didn't read nearly as much in April as I normally do. I have, of course, been quite busy, but that's never stopped me when a book is really good. So not surprisingly, one reason I didn't read that much is that I started but didn't finish a half dozen books that I just didn't find compelling enough to read through. The other main reason is that I'm about halfway through a dense, non-fiction book and it's just very slow going.

But I did finish the following three books:

The Templars by Dan Jones (audio) - I think this book came onto my radar from a list of best audiobooks, when I was just looking for something entertaining to listen to. I really enjoyed it, although listening instead of reading means that I can't spell most of the names of the historical figures discussed. I was a history major, but I never spent much time on this era, so it was a real jolt to be reminded of just how many centuries Christians and Muslims have been fighting each other, especially in light of today's wars.

The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell (audio) - I've read essays by Gladwell, but I don't think I've ever read one of his books. This one was quite short, which may have been because he reads quite quickly. (I infinitely prefer books read by the author, at least when it comes to nonfiction.) I was familiar with the concept of a tipping point, but the examples he gave were illuminating. The one that really sticks with me is about the murder of Kitty Genovese, which led to research concluding that the larger the number of bystanders, the lower the likelihood that someone will step forward to help a victim. I don't ever want to be one of the bystanders who did nothing, when all that was needed was for someone to do something.

Paid in Blood by Mel Odom - I found this book when I was looking for procedurals that my 14-year-old might enjoy. I tend to read books before I give them to him, since they're usually for adults and not in the Young Adult section. This one was appealing because the characters are NCIS agents, and it was fine. Not as good as James Rollins and Matthew Reilly books, but I think my son will enjoy it.

One of my book clubs picked The Suspect by Fiona Barton, and I'm looking forward to reading it soon. What did you read recently?