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Ashley’s March 2025 Book Haul and Reading Wrap Up

07.21.2025 by Ashley // Leave a Comment

March always ends up being a bit of a crazy month.  The term sort of gears down

Books I hauled in March:

  • Oathbound by Tracy Deonn
  • They Bloom at Night by Trang Thanh Tran
  • Vox Machina: Stories Untold by Jess Barber
  • You Killed Me First by John Marrs
  • First Time Caller by BK Borison
  • The Wedding People by Alison Espach
  • Count My Lies by Sophie Stava
  • Death at a Highland Wedding by Kelley Armstrong
  • Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
  • The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones

Books I read in March:

1. Rigsby WI: Foothold by SE Case

Rating: 4 Stars

Format: eBook

Review: Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this eARC.  This was an interesting graphic novel.  I felt the teens were pretty realistic, and the more ‘historical’ (It hurt me to write that) setting was pretty interesting to me.  This art style was really good.  I really liked the design and colour palette.  I liked the way the characters were designed.  It was an incredibly engaging read.

2. Daydream by Hannah Grace

Rating: 5 Stars

Format: Physical Copy

Review: I loved this book so much!  Henry and Halle are such good and interesting characters, and I especially loved their dynamic together.  I think the plot was really good as well.  I I felt that they had good character journeys and great growth.  I loved the friend group dynamics.

3. Muted, Volume 1 by Miranda Mundt

Rating: 4 Stars

Format: eBook

Review: Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this eARC.  This was a really great graphic novel.  I loved the art style and the design of the panels and characters.  The premise of the story was really, really good.  The character had some interesting growth, and discoveries within herself.  I really want to read the next one in the series.

4. Monster High: New Scaremester by Jacque Aye

Rating: 3 Stars

Format: eBook

Review: Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC.  This was a quick read.  I haven’t really engaged with much Monster High stuff as it was a bit after my childhood, and so I thought I could give it a try here.  Ultimately, it wasn’t super for me, but I felt that it was interesting and gave a good representation of the characters.  The art style was really good.

5. Love Languages by James Albon

Rating: 4 Stars

Format: eBook

Review: Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC.  I found this to be a really compelling story.  I liked the characters and how they slowly connected over the course of the story.  The art was really beautiful and had really unique feel to it.  I think the story did a really interesting thing with the characters and their communication.  They had a lovely relationship.

6. Motherlover by Lindsay Ishihiro

Rating: 4 Stars

Format: eBook

Review: Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC.  This was such a good book.  I liked the characters a lot, and I loved how they slowly grew together.  They both really learned a lot about themselves, so reading about their journeys was so great.  The art was great.  Each character was super easy to recognize.  It was just a beautiful book.

7. The Well by Jon Allen

Rating: 4 Stars

Format: eBook

Review: Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC.  This was a very strange sort of book, but I ended up really enjoying them.  The character design was a little strange but it worked with the overall feel of the story.  I was kept engaged through out, and I was kept guessing.  It’s definitely worth being checked out.

8. Perfect Crime Party by Kel McDonald

Rating: 3 Stars

Format: eBook

Review: Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC.  This was unique because it was a collection of mystery/crime stories.  Some of them I liked a lot, but there were some that didn’t hold me so I skipped them.  Several of them were quite fun.

9. Godly Heathens by HE Edgmon

Rating: 4 Stars

Format: Audiobook

Review: This felt like a really unique premise to read about.  I liked that they were seemingly original god-like beings.  I also enjoyed the reincarnation aspects to it.  The main character was really interesting, and I liked watching the character journey.  The plot was compelling.  I’ll definitely be picking up the sequel at some point.

10. Macbeth by William Shakespeare

Rating: 5 Stars

Format: Physical Copy

Review: This was a reread with a class, and it was so good.

11. Hamlet by William Shakespeare

Rating: 5 Stars

Format: Physical Copy

Review: This was a reread with a class.

12. Catch and Keep by Erin Hahn

Rating: 4 Stars

Format: Physical Copy

Review: I love Erin Hahn books.  The vibe of this one was so, so fun.  There were some truly ridiculous moments but I loved them all.  The FMC and MMC had an excellent dynamic together.  I very much enjoy the older brother’s best friend trope, so it was fun to read that in this book.  She did such a great job.

13. The Sin Bin by Robbie Thompson

Rating: 4 Stars

Format: eBook

Review: Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC.  The monster hunting hockey player was a really interesting premise.  I really liked how the main character and how she got brought into the conflict in the story.  It was well-written, and had a great art style.

14. Low Orbit by Kazimir Lee

Rating: 4 Stars

Format: eBook

Review: Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC.  This was a well-written story.  It was pretty emotionally impactful as you read about the coming of age aspects.  The character arc was really compelling.  I really enjoyed reading this book.

15. Star Trek: Lower Decks – Warp Your Own Way by Ryan North

Rating: 4 Stars

Format: eBook

Review: Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC.  It’s been so long since I read a choose your own adventure novel, and this was so, so fun.  Lower Decks is my favourite Star Trek series, so I really liked seeing and reading about the characters in this graphic novel.  I just wish that it had been easier to navigate the eBook format.

16. Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees by Patrick Honorath

Rating: 4 Stars

Format: eBook

Review: Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC.  This book was not at all what I expected, but I was so pleasantly surprised by it.  I really thought that based on the art, it would be kind of cutesy, but it definitely, definitely wasn’t.  It was really compelling as a story, and it was very well-written.  I highly recommend this.

17. New Adventures of Turning Red, Volume 1 by Sloan Leong

Rating: 3 Stars

Format: eBook

Review: Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC.  This was really cute, and young kids will love it.

18. New Adventures of Encanto, Volume 1 by Amparo Ortiz

Rating: 3 Stars

Format: eBook

Review: Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC. This was really cute, and young kids will love it.

19. The Loud House Spooky Special by Casagrandes Creative Team

Rating: 3 Stars

Format: eBook

Review: Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC.  This was really cute, and young kids will love it.

20. They Bloom at Night by Trang Thanh Tran

Rating: 4 Stars

Format: Physical Copy

Review: This was definitely spooky, and not for those who are sensitive to creepiness.  It is also not for you if water stuff scares you.  I didn’t love this book as much as the author’s debut book, but it was still really interesting to me, and I still had a good time reading it.  I really liked the main character and the premise of the story.

21. A Death at the Party by Amy Stuart

Rating: 4 Stars

Format: Audiobook

Review: Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC.  This was an interesting story.  I liked the way it opened up, and then took you back so that you could catch up and figure out how it happened.  The writing was really good, and the characters were really compelling.  Definitely a fun mystery.

22. Remember Us to Life by Joanna Rubin Dranger

Rating: 3 Stars

Format: eBook

Review: Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC.  This book took me a while to get through.  It was very long and very text heavy.  I just ended up not being super interested in it.

23. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

Rating: 3 Stars

Format: Audiobook

Review: This was interesting enough and I liked the idea of it, but I just didn’t love it.  The concept isn’t for me as much.  I did really enjoy some of the characters.

24. Scythe and Sparrow by Brynne Weaver

Rating: 4 Stars

Format: Physical Copy

Review: This was so good and so fun.  I liked how it encompassed the timelines of the previous books, so it was a bit of a throwback.  It was well-written, and a very fun read on the whole.  I really liked the dynamic between the FMC and the MMC.

25. Godzilla: War for Humanity by

Rating: 3 Stars

Format: eBook

Review: Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC.  I liked the way the main character idolized Godzilla and believed in him.  It was interesting how the whole storyline played out.

26. Godzilla: 70th Anniversary by Various Authors

Rating: 3 Stars

Format: eBook

Review: Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC.  I liked some of the stories in this, but not all of them.  I am not a ginormous fan of Godzilla, so this probably wasn’t the best for me to request.

27. The Stranded by Sarah Daniels

Rating: 3 Stars

Format: Audiobook

Review: Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC.  This book had an interesting premise, but I didn’t super love the world or the storyline.  I don’t think I’ll be continuing it.

28. Romancing Mr. Bridgerton by Julia Quinn

Rating: 4 Stars

Format: Audiobook

Review: I liked the development of the romance between Penelope and Colin.  He definitely sucked as a person for a good part of it, but he got better as things went along.  I was glad when they finally got together.  It made me want to watch the show.

29. Romancing Mr. Bridgerton: Second Epilogue by Julia Quinn

Rating: 4 Stars

Format: Audiobook

Review: This was cute and fun to read.  I love seeing a couple that I love get their happily ever after.

30. Sunrise on the Reaping by Susanne Collins

Rating: 5 Stars

Format: Physical Copy

Review: I am obsessed with this book.  Suzanne Collins did a fantastic job.  I loved reading from Haymitch’s perspective.  He is a really interesting character to me.  I loved all the lore drops and the background information.  I also felt that the message about propaganda and governmental meddling to be a very important one.

31. The Book of Denial by Ricardo Chavez Castaneda

Rating: 4 Stars

Format: Physical Copy

Review: This was both confusing and intriguing.  I really enjoyed it.  The art was kind of strange, but it was definitely interesting.

32. To Sir Phillip, With Love by Julia Quinn

Rating: 3 Stars

Format: Audiobook

Review: This wasn’t my favourite of the Bridgerton books thus far.  I wanted a bit more for Eloise, so I kind of hope the show changes it.  I loved the kids though.

33. To Sir Phillip, With Love: Second Epilogue by Julia Quinn

Rating: 3 Stars

Format: Audiobook

Review: This was a cute follow up to the book.  It was interesting to see the step daughter all grown up.

34. What the Neighbours Saw by Melissa Adelman

Rating: 4 Stars

Format: Audiobook

Review: Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC.  This was an interesting mystery.  It kept me guessing.  I really begs the question of how do you know who to trust?  I liked the suburbia vibes.

35. A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams

Rating: 4 Stars

Format: Physical Copy

Review: I wasn’t sure what to expect when I read this, but I was pleasantly surprised.  It was well-written and well-plotted.  I found the characters well developed and easy to relate to.  I definitely got a bit emotional in some parts of the book.  It was an excellent read.

36. Lilac by BB Reid

Rating: 2.5 Stars

Format: eBook

Review: I had a hard time enjoying this book.  I did not like any of the characters, and I did not enjoy the way they pushed each other’s boundaries in a not great way.  The synesthesia stuff could have been cool, but it just ended up being weird.  I wanted more rockband stuff and less weird sex.

37. Dark Succession by Katee Robert

Rating: 4 Stars

Format: Physical Copy

Review: I was intrigued to try out this mob series, and I wasn’t disappointed.  It was perhaps a bit insta-lovey, but the characters were great and I did really like them together.  The plot was also really interesting and fun to read, so I can’t complain too much.  I enjoy4ed the lead in to the next book.  It will be fun to continue on.

38. Faking With Benefits by Lily Gold

Rating: 5 Stars

Format: eBook

Review: I love Lily Gold’s books.  They just really hit this sweet spot for me.  I really enjoyed this one as well, though I don’t think it’s my favourite that she’s written.  It made me feel emotional in the right places.  I also really enjoyed the fake dating aspects.  I enjoyed the growth of the characters over the course of the book.

39. Writing Mr. Wrong by Kelley Armstrong

Rating: 4 Stars

Format: eBook

Review: There is a full review of this up on the blog here.

40. They’re Watching You by Chelsea Ichaso

Rating: 3 Stars

Format: Audiobook

Review: Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC. This was interesting, but didn’t fully hit the way I wanted it to, to be honest.  I was interested enough to keep reading, but I didn’t love all of the execution.  I wanted a bit more of a build up, and some more development.

41. The Black Girl Survives in this One by Desiree S. Evans

Rating: 4 Stars

Format: Physical Copy

Review: This was one of the best collection of short stories that I have read in a while.  They were all pretty spooky, and while there were some I enjoyed more than others, I enjoyed every story.  They were very interesting.

42. When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn

Rating: 4 Stars

Format: Audiobook

Review: This one was more emotionally devastating at the beginning than I expected.  It was interesting to read.  I liked Francesca as a character, so it was interesting to see her get a second chance at love.

43. When He Was Wicked: Second Epilogue by Julia Quinn

Rating: 4 Stars

Format: Audiobook

Review: This was cute.  I enjoyed it.

44. Weyward by Emilia Hart

Rating: 5 Stars

Format: Audiobook

Review: This was a compelling read.  It had a slower pace to it, but it had a lot of interesting elements that did really work for me.  I liked the main/current timeline protagonist the best.  I highly recommend this.

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Filed Under: Ashley, Book Hauls, Wrap Ups Tagged: advanced readers copy, anticipated releases, book, book review, books, earc, fiction, graphic novel, haul, opinion, rating, reader, reading, reading wrap up, thoughts, what to read, wrap up

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The Complete Works
The Complete Works
by William Shakespeare
The First Part of the Contention Between the Two Famous Houses of York and Lancaster, &c., 1594
The First Part of the Contention Between the Two Famous Houses of York and Lancaster, &c., 1594
by William Shakespeare
All the Stars and Teeth
All the Stars and Teeth
by Adalyn Grace
I Am Still Alive
I Am Still Alive
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Blood of Elves
Blood of Elves
by Andrzej Sapkowski

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The Name of the Wind
The Name of the Wind
by Patrick Rothfuss
Contagion
Contagion
by Erin Bowman
Crown of Midnight
Crown of Midnight
by Sarah J. Maas
Queen of Shadows
Queen of Shadows
by Sarah J. Maas
Ruthless Gods
Ruthless Gods
by Emily A. Duncan

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