March 2018 Bookish Wrap-Up + Book Haul

Goodbye March & hello April!

April is such an awesome month, don’t you think?  I mean, I guess I am a little bias since it is my birth month and all.  I will be turning 29 for the 3rd year in a row, and I must say 29 still feels great 🙂

Anyways!  Let’s see what I read & accomplished in March…

 

» As Good As True by Cheryl Reid

Feelings in a few thoughts:

• This book took me longer than normal to get through, which I attribute to the heavy tone throughout the book
• The writing was really good
• Explores complex themes like segregation, dysfunctional family dynamics, race issues, motherhood, etc.
• I struggled with the main character, Anna.  On one hand I respected her strength, but on the other I was frustrated with her weakness.  I also struggled with her neediness in regards to her daughter
• There was just something “off” about this book – possibly the lack of balance.  There needed to be some lighter-hearted moments to balance out Anna’s life
• Content/Trigger warning: domestic violence & rape

» Warcross by Marie Lu

Feelings in a few thoughts:

• I’m so glad I decided to give this one a go – it was definitely outside of my comfort zone
• The concept behind this book was absolutely fascinating – loved the world building
• You don’t need to be avid gamer to enjoy this book – I’m sure not – but I feel like those who are into gaming will appreciate this book even more
• It did include some of the typical YA tropes: orphaned main character – Why do parents always have to be killed off or abandon their kids in YA books?  and the rich guy/poor girl trope – which here it didn’t overly bother me because the rich guy wasn’t showering her with lavish gifts, so I guess it was ok.
• I enjoyed the plotline – I saw one of the big twists coming, but did not expect the other one.
• Loved the chemistry between Emika & her love interest
• My one hang up is that I wanted to see more inside the Warcross Games & the training.  We get to see the first round of the games & the training for the first match, but the 2nd round is glazed over… I just wanted a little more about the rest of the competition.  The book needed to be longer.

» Good Omens by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett

Feelings in a few thoughts:

• The concept for this one is so clever & unique – very Gaiman (who came up with the original idea from what I understand)
• Good vs. Evil
• I adored the quirky characters.  My favorites would be Aziraphale, Crowley, Shadwell, & Madame Tracy
• Aspects of this book felt like Gaiman, while others did not – I felt like this book went off on tangents quit a bit that hindered the flow of the story for me – I’ve never read any of Terry Pratchett’s work, so I wonder if this was more his style
• Despite the intriguing plot line & great characters, my attention tended to wander
• I listened to the audiobook format (which was wonderfully narrated) but maybe this (paired with the random tangents) was why I had a hard time concentrating
• Will possibly revisit in print form – will not rate until then
• Possibly too many perspectives – I could have done without Newt & Anathema’s perspectives
• Adam’s perspective felt off in the story
• Can’t wait to see how this translates to a TV mini-series

 

» Eligible (The Austen Project #4) by Curtis Sittenfeld

Feelings in a few thoughts:

• Pride & Prejudice retelling – I think the author did a great job of bringing this story up to modern times.
• I am actually shocked at how much I enjoyed this book – probably one of the more captivating “chick-lit” books I’ve read, BUT this may have more to do with the fact it was a retelling of one of my favorite classics.
• I’d call this book a guilty pleasure type of book – family drama to the extreme
• Despite the fact that it was very readable & I enjoyed the retelling, there felt like there were some problematic issues.  I felt like some of the diversity was thrown in for the sake of diversity – a transgendered character, a bi-racial couple, a woman who decides to get pregnant via a sperm donor…  It just felt like these were thrown into the story to make it more modern and to provide drama, which didn’t feel right to me.
• The final chapter felt oddly placed – I appreciated the insight into that particular character, but didn’t like how the book ended on that note.

» Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay

*Feelings to come in a separate post*

» Bygone Badass Broads by Mackenzie Lee

*Feelings to come in a separate post*

» The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley by Hannah Tinti

*4.5 Stars*

Feelings in a few thoughts:

• The layout of this book was wonderfully executed.  We slowly learn about Hawley over the course of the book by seeing how he received each of his bullet wounds.  These alternating chapters between Hawley’s sketchy past & Loo’s present day kept the pace of the book steady throughout & kept me interested from start to finish.
• Themes: coming of age, father-daughter relationships, love, forgiveness, loss & grief, small town living, and the blurred lines between good & bad.
• As much as this is Loo’s coming-of-age story, it is also very much about a father’s love for his daughter.
• I feel like this book appeals across a wide range of readers – thriller readers, mystery readers, and literary fiction readers.  While there are thriller & mystery elements, there is much more depth to this book as well.
• The characters in this book blur the line between good & bad, you might not always approve of their actions & decisions, but we are given enough character development to understand them.

» Women Who Dared by Linda Skeers

*Feelings to come in a separate post*

» The Daughter’s of Palatine Hill by Phyllis T. Smith

Feelings in a few thoughts:

• The Fictionalized account of Emperor Augustus (Julius Ceaser’s successor), his descendants, & the descendants of Mark Antony and Cleopatra.  Despite the fact that this is a work of fiction, the people and events are based in history.  I knew almost nothing about these historical figures.
• Holy complicated family tree batman!  Trying to figure out all the family ties made my head hurt – this is history, you can’t make this up.
• Lots of political intrigue and family drama
• Book is told in 3 alternating perspectives: Lavia (Augustus’s Wife), Julia (Augustus’s daughter from a previous marriage), and Selene (daughter of Mark Antony & Cleopatra) – I found each POV & story equally interesting.  The 3 POV’s worked well here.  All the characters felt well fleshed out.
• The biggest weakness in The Daughter’s of Palatine Hill was the setting.  When I read historical fiction, I need the author to put me in that time period.  Unfortunately, there was almost no descriptions of the setting or context to the era.

 

 » The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco

*3.5 Stars*

Feelings in a few thoughts:

• I had a hard time connecting with the characters, especially in the beginning.  I would have preferred the author introduce us to Tea & Fox BEFORE the raising, it would have helped me emotionally connect to them.
• I really enjoyed the unique world, the culture & customs, the magic system, etc.
• I really liked HOW Chupeco presented the story itself – weaving back and forth between Tea’s current situation, and the past events that led to the present.
• This is a slower paced book – typical first book where the author introduces us to the world and characters.  I’m sure the second book will be more action packed.
• I feel like fans of this book would also like The Shadow Queen by C.J. Redwine.  Not a similar story by any means, but I feel like the writing styles are similar.

 

February 2018 Bookish Wrap-Up + Book Haul

March 2018 TBR

Books I Read for #BlackHistoryMonth 2018

Kids’ Corner: Pink is for Boys by Robb Pearlman

Author Event: An Evening with Neil Gaiman

eBooks:

» The Reluctant Queen (The Queens of Renthia#2) by Sarah Beth Durst

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Print Books:

» Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman *Signed Copy*

» The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee *Signed Copy*

» Bygone Badass Broads by Mackenzi Lee *Signed Copy*

 

Which books did you read this month?

Have you read any of the books I read or hauled this month?  If so, what did you think?

Did you buy any books?  If so, which ones?

Comment below & let me know 🙂