For the first time since I started my maternity leave, it feels like the days are flying by. While collectively it feels like time has moved quickly when I consider I now have a 7-month-old baby, up until recently, each day in and of itself felt extremely long. Sometime around when baby girl began to get more independent and love to play things started to shift, and now the days are a blur of meal prep and serving, loud, bright toys, and nursery rhymes. 

It feels good to be busy again. I’m not a person who enjoys being idle unless it’s because I have a great book in my lap. So much of April was spent seeing family, experiencing new things with baby girl, and getting active again that I’m leaving the month behind feeling like my cup is very full. May is my last full month of maternity leave before I return to work, so I’ll be savouring this new normal a little before things get even more chaotic.

In terms of reading, it was a great month, namely because I finally finished The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon. While I technically read other books this month, it feels like I didn’t because Priory was so endlessly long and substantial in the best possible way. It didn’t leave much time for anything else reading-wise, but it was well worth it.

Here’s all that I managed to cover in April:

Books Read in April 2025

1. The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin: what a profoundly fantastic fantasy novel. I’ve had this one on my TBR for ages and am so glad I knocked it out. It was a wonderfully executed world, a deeply moving concept drawn out perfectly, and a story that will stick with me for a long time. An easy 5 stars with a full review to come.
2. The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose: this is quickly becoming one of my favourite cozy series. Molly is such a perfect FMC, and the bookish mystery in this one was so enjoyable. I loved this one just as much as the first in the series, which is saying a lot. This was another 5-star read with a full review to come.
3. The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon: Shannon is such an immense talent that it’s always a joy to read her works. Somehow even knowing this, Priory managed to blow all of my expectations out of the water. It is easily my favourite epic fantasy to date, and while I have so much more to say, I’ll save it for my full review. An infinite number of stars for this one.
4. Januaries: Stories of Love, Magic and Betrayal by Olivie Blake: full disclosure, after about 70% of this book, I only skimmed the remainder. I had high hopes for Januaries because I’m such a Blake fan but this compilation of short stories fell flat for me. There were a couple that I liked early on, but most I couldn’t get into. I won’t be writing a full review for this one, though I left a few thoughts on my Goodreads and ultimately gave it 2.5 stars on Storygraph rounded up to 3 on Goodreads.

TBR Lists

As always, I kept my eyes open for new and/or promising books that I thought I’d enjoy, though as April was very busy, I didn’t add many. Here’s what I added to my TBR last month:

• The Amalfi Curse by Sarah Penner: this book promises powerful witchcraft, a hunt for sunken treasure, and forbidden love on the high seas. Combine that with the fact that I thoroughly enjoyed Penner’s book The Lost Apothecary and I was sold. 
• The Wedding People by Alison Espach: a novel about a woman at rock bottom who takes herself on a trip she’s always wanted to an Inn where she’s the only guest not there for an elaborate wedding. I’ve heard it’s as funny as it is devastating, which is a very promising combination in my opinion.

What I’m Loving Right Now

I feel like you can’t always feel it when you’re moving into a new stage of life, but right now, I definitely can. Things are changing every day as baby girl gets more mobile and engaged, and with me heading back to work soon, I took some time to intentionally begin incorporating some things that I’d like to carry forward as our lives get infinitely busier. Here are some of the things I’ve been working to add in that are bringing me the most joy:

My New Matcha Station

Now that the sleepless newborn nights are behind us, I wanted to consume less coffee without completely sacrificing the caffeine that gives me a much-needed afternoon boost. I love getting matcha when we’re hitting up a café but it’s so expensive that I was determined I could make it just as good at home, and I’m happy to report that has been 100% true. I set up a little matcha station in our kitchen complete with a bamboo whisk, bamboo spoon, flavourings and matcha bowl and have been making iced vanilla matchas every afternoon since. Life is infinitely sweeter with a little treat each day.

Couch to 5KM Training Program

When I was younger, I was extremely athletic. I was a competitive swimmer for more than a decade and after that, I stayed active in my free time. Between the pandemic and pursuing several years of fertility treatments though, my activity has sunk to an all-time low.

Now that I have a daughter, it feels more important than ever to make sure that I’m healthy enough to be here for a good, long time, and with a high quality of life. I started the Couch to 5KM program a few weeks ago and I’m already feeling so much better. My aerobic capacity is returning, I feel stronger, and I’m excited for each run to go a little bit further. As a bonus, running is the perfect activity to empty my brain after an exhausting day, too.

I’ve given myself until 2026, but I’d like to work up to running a half marathon. Running was a much-needed addition to my weekly routine and I’m happier for it.

Our Backyard Oasis

It’s feeling like spring and summer, enough so that we’ve set up all of our patio furniture and barbeques, and I love sitting outside with my husband and daughter. I genuinely feel the serotonin boosting in my system from all the fresh air. I’m so happy that outdoor season is here. all the fresh air, and I can’t wait to spend more time outside!