March was a relatively good reading month. I enjoyed most of the things that I read and I was able to catch up on at least a few of my eARCs, which felt really good. I also got some really great books in and chipped away at reading them. You can see everything I hauled and read below the cut.
Books I hauled in March:
- She is a Haunting by Trang Thanh Tran
- Last Violent Call by Chloe Gong
- Kill Joy by Holly Jackson
- The Witch King by H.E. Edgmon
- Clown in a Cornfield 2: Friendo Lives by Adam Cesare
- Enter the Body by Joy McCullough
- A Long Stretch of Bad Days by Mindy McGinnis
- Lone Women by Victor Lavalle
- Weyward by Emilia Hart
- The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth
Books I read in March:
1. Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: I love this series, though I loved book one slightly more than this one. There were some very hard to read parts, but they definitely made sense in the context of the story that was being told. It was very well written and paced. The plot kept me guessing as I had no idea what was going to happen next. I also really loved the way that Tracy Deonn was able to expand the Legendborn world in a unique and interesting way. The novel was really action packed and it really kept you on the edge of your seat. I love Bree as a character, and its so interesting to watch her face her problems and deal with the consequences of the way she is forced to navigate the world.
2. Lost in the Never Woods by Aiden Thomas
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I am really glad that I finally finished reading this book. It’s a very well written story. Wendy is such an interesting character, and I enjoyed hearing her story. The Peter Pan aspect was also very interesting, and well written. I felt that the world building was really unique. I liked watching the romance build behind between Peter and Wendy. I also found the mystery elements really compelling. I was really invested in finding out what happened to her brothers and what the shadow was doing with the children who were going missing.
3. Solutions and Other Problems by Allie Brosh
Rating: 3 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: This was a really interesting story. I liked reading it, and I enjoyed the art that went along with it. There was some really good humorous aspects that I really appreciated. I think I might go and read her other works because I would be interesting in seeing what her other stuff is like. It was definitely a neat collection.
4. Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I had a lot of fun reading this book. For some reason, I really love books about moving buildings and this really worked for me. I wasn’t always a huge fan of our main character, Jani, but she did grow on me as the story continued on. I found the world building really interesting. I wanted to visit the hotel to see its wonders, though mostly the version at the end. I liked the dynamic between Jani and her sister. It was a real highlight of the book. I also liked Bel a lot. He was a really interesting character.
5. Ghosts and Garlands by Kelley Armstrong
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I am obsessed with this series. It’s well written and I just really enjoy the Christmas novellas that she writes as well. They’re a bit of fan service, but I really do love getting to see the characters again. They’re always so cute. Miranda and Nico weren’t my favourite of the couples, but I still really loved seeing them explore the 21st century. There were some truly good moments as they dealt with the ‘future’ that really made me giggle. It was quite funny. They have a good dynamic.
6. Kill Joy by Holly Jackson
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I had so much fun reading this prequel novella. It was super interesting to read about Pip and who she was before the events of A Good Girls Guide to Murder. I loved hearing about how her brain worked even then. I also really loved the premise of Pip and her friends getting together to participate in a murder mystery party as I love a really good murder mystery party. I couldn’t help but giggle a few times. This was totally fun.
7. The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: There is a part of me that really enjoys reading books about writing, so this one struck my fancy. I enjoyed the premise of a fancy dancy writers retreat hosted by a mysterious famous writer. It sounded very idyllic. I also really like an isolated setting, so that was a fun addition to the story as well. I found myself completely caught off guard by the plot twist, but I loved it nonetheless. It was definitely twisted, and I was fascinated by how the story played out. It had a lot of drama and a lot of interesting twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat.
8. I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: I wasn’t sure what to think going into this book. I thought it was going to be a bit more a mystery, and while it did have elements of that, the mystery part resolved much earlier than I expected it to. That being said, I really enjoyed reading it. The characters were well written and developed, and I felt like they all grew quite a bit over the course of the novel. I also really liked the dynamic between the main characters in the story. They had a unique vibe. I did want the mystery to last longer, but overall, I had a good time reading it.
9. Girls Like Girls by Hayley Kiyoko
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: There will be a full review of this up on the blog closer to its publication date.
10. Missing Dead Girls by Sara Walters
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: There is a full review of this up on the blog here.
11. She is a Haunting by Trang Thanh Tran
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: There were moments where I was so surprised that this was a debut novel because it was so well written and so well crafted. The main character was really interesting and I really could understand her motivations for visiting her father and for staying in the haunted house. I really liked the depiction of the ghosts and also getting the snippets of the house’s perspective. It was really haunting to read. The author did a great job at building this really horrifying and haunting atmosphere. It was all very eerie. I highly recommend this.
12. Spare by Prince Harry
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: I am glad I finally got to listen to this memoir. I love author narrated memoirs. This wasn’t the best written one that I’ve read, but it was still really interesting. It felt like I was having an extended conversation with Prince Harry, which is my favourite thin about memoirs on audio. I found the moments he recounted really interesting. I really felt for him as he really was quite poorly treated by his family.
13. Hamlet by William Shakespeare
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: This is yet another re-read with my classes, and I thoroughly enjoyed it as per the usual.
14. Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: After starting to watch the Daisy Jones and the Six show on Amazon Prime, I had to do another re-read of this book. I continue to be so obsessed with this book. It was fun to compare the book the show as I read it. There were definitely a lot of changes between the books and the show, but I still really enjoyed the show. I just love rereading the book again. It’s so well written, and the characters feel so real to me. It’s really beautifully crafted.
15. Enter the Body by Joy McCullough
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: This novel was beautifully constructed and I am obsessed with it. I loved getting to hear from Ophelia, and Juliet, and seeing their perspective on their own stories. I also really liked that they were given the chance to rewrite their own story. I loved the poetry and how each girl had a very unique voice. I also really enjoyed the moments in the room below the stage and getting a glimpse of the other female characters from Shakespeare’s plays. It was, in my opinion, a really beautiful story.
16. Grave Things Like Love by Sara Bennett Wealer
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I really enjoyed this story. It set you up to believe that the romance was going to go one way, and then really flipped you on your head, but I enjoyed that. I also really enjoyed the main character’s journey as she explored what she wanted out of life and also who she wanted. I liked the way that she learned how she deserved to be treated. I also liked how she was able to finally stand up for herself at the end.
17. Bad Things Happen Here by Rebecca Barrow
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: This was a really interesting mystery. I liked Luca as a character, and it was interesting to watch her navigate the world. I felt for Luca as she coped with the loss of her sister and the lingering trauma she felt from the loss of her friend. I was glad that we learned what happened to her sister, but I wished that we had learned what happened to her friend. I enjoyed the way the book ended because it wasn’t what I expected, but completely made sense for the story.
18. It Had to Be You by Cecily von Ziegesar
Rating: 3 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I recently bought myself all the Gossip Girl books because I loved them as a teen and the nostalgia is strong with me. That being said, there are parts of this story that aged like milk, and I didn’t super love some of the language that was used. However, it was interesting to revisit the origin of these characters that I so enjoyed reading about when I was younger. I still think that the Blair/Serena/Nate love triangle is kind of the worst. The nostalgia aspect was fun.
19. Teen Titans: Robin by Kami Garcia
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I love this graphic novel series. This was a great continuation, as I really enjoyed getting to know two different versions of Robin. I’m not super familiar with DC characters, but I always enjoyed watching the odd episode of Teen Titans when I was younger. Some highlights in this novel is the art style, and the training montages. I liked watching the characters come into their powers and practice gaining control of their abilities. The art is really nice, and I like the use of colours to emphasise details of the characters.
20. The Summer We Forgot by Caroline George
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: There is a full review of this up on the blog here.
21. Vanished in Vermillion by Lou Raguse
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: There is a full review of this up on the blog here.
22. All Together Now by Alan Doyle
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: I really enjoyed this memoir. It was interesrint go hear him reminisce on his life from a position of eriting during the pandemic. The story and the moments from his history were well written and quite interesting to hear about. I loved hearing his stories in his voice, it made it all the more engaging. It was well developed.
That’s everything I read in March. What did you read?
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