The month of March has been fairly up and down, the past few weeks i've definitely been reading but just at a slower pace then normal. I've read 8 books this month with a decent amount of three and four star ratings and then came the bang at the end of the month! Small victories though because I managed to read all three books in the Shadow and Bone trilogy this month! This is in preparation for the Netflix series coming out in April and I'll be tackling Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom before the release date.
Stats
Shadow and Bone (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy #1) by Leigh Bardugo
This was a re-read for me, having read it for the first time in 2018 and with the Netflix series coming out soon I wanted to read all of the Grishaverse books in anticipation. I think I enjoyed this slightly less then the first time. I could see the flaws with the way the characters are presented and the love triangle is just a bit meh. It's the world and magic system that really kept my attention, I loved coming back to Ravka and being able to understand the different types of powers a little better.
Felicity Carrol and the Murderous Menace by Patricia Marcantonio
An old Netgalley ARC that I needed to read which I ended up really liking. This is a Victorian murder mystery, it's actually the second in a series, that follows our heroine as she tracks down Jack the Ripper stateside. It had a strong, wilful heroine and was a clever twist on the infamous case. I definitely want to go back and the read the first book now. You can read my full review here.
The One by John Marrs
A book I didn't initally intend on reading this month but then I discovered that the Netflix series was based on it and knowing me, I couldn't not read the book when it was literally three feet away from me! The One is a really twisty and fascinating thriller/sci-fi/romance mash-up that works really well. Told from five different perspectives we discover how DNA can now match you with your soulmate. Every chapter brought a new shock and the whole thing kept me tearing through the pages. Highly recommend. You can read my full review of the book here and if you want to check out my review of the Netflix series you can do so here.
Siege and Storm (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy #2) by Leigh Bardugo
I think this book suffered from being the second book in the series as there was just so much filler in here. The pacing just slowed right down for most of the book as what could be considered a pretty big event happens fairly close to the start which I didn't really understand why. Alina is fine as a main character, I don't hate her but I'm not in love with her either. Mal just gets more and more annoying. The saving grace here was Nikolai, the charming and rogueish prince that managed to make every scene he was in highly entertaining. Overall, a decent book but it could have been so much more.
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
Considering this is a Booker Prize nominee, I actually found this to be incredibly readable for literary fiction. It had a really interesting premise, it handled the topics of privilege and racial prejudice well and it gave me a lot to think about. The characters were all well fleshed out, the narrative was strong and it explored the way white saviours often excuse their behaviour and how these instances affect black people. Will definitely be picking up more by Kiley Reid.
A beautifully written exploration of growing up and discovering who you are. I raced through this book within a couple of days due to the fact that I was so captivated by these characters and the way the story was unfolding. Aristotle and Dante both felt so real and the character development in here, so good. This book really takes you on a journey. Alire Sáenz's writing is very expressive and emotional, there are some stunning passages in here. I became so invested in the relationship between these two boys that I'm eagerly awaiting the sequels release later this year.
Ruin and Rising (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy #3) by Leigh Bardugo
I enjoyed this significantly more then the second book so we're already off to a good start. I think I just liked how fast-paced and action packed this one was, so much is happening and the events kept happen one after another giving you barely enough time to breathe. I'm in two minds about the overall ending of the series, part of me feels like it works but another part thinks it was a bit of a cop out. I enjoyed the series for what it was but not exactly a new favourite. It's certainly made me excited for the Netflix adaptation now though so that's something.
Threadneedle (The Language of Magic #1) by Cari Thomas
Ok, so technically I finished this book in the early hours of this morning so really it should be on my April wrap up but I'm gonna count it here because it was only the last 15% or so. This book was everything I wanted and more. So much magic and creativeness went into this, Cari Thomas is a wonder. An astounding debut. I haven't ever picked up a physical copy of a Netgalley ARC before but I am definitely pre-ordering this one so I can bask in it's glory properly. I'm trying not to reveal anything as I'll be posting a full review next week but seriously, if you love witches and stories about magic - do yourself a favour and read this as soon as possible.
What did you read in March? Have you read any of these books? What
were your opinions? Leave a comment below and happy reading!
No comments
Post a Comment