Another month is over which means it’s time for us to check in and show you all what we read in March. Did we have a good reading month? Were we able to work on any of our bookish goals? Keep reading to find out!
Candyce
While this wasn’t a good month when it comes to my reading goals, I had an AMAZING reading month. I read a total of 21 books! I read 3 physical books this month! The only reading goal that is going well is my Goodreads Challenge. I’m now at 50 out of 160 books. I’m ahead of schedule. My backlist challenge is still at 2/50. I was able to finish two series this month though, so that is now at 3/12. Right on schedule without even realizing it. I had hoped for it to be more older series, but I still have nine months to do that, haha. Now it’s time to take a look at what I read this month. If you can click on the title, it means that the review for that book has already been posted on the blog.
The Exact Opposite of Okay – Laura Steven
I loved this book. It has such an important message for younger girls. Our review was posted to the blog yesterday. Izzy goes through a lot when pictures of her naked are made public. The sad thing is, she is blamed, said she did something wrong, but the guys involved don’t get the same negative attention. This book has a lot of truth about society today.
The Trials of Morrigan Crow – Jessica Townsend
This was my first middle grade book and it was so cute. Morrigan is cursed and probably won’t survive her 11th birthday, but things take a turn and she ends up in a magical world. The world is amazing and the characters are just as good. It has been compared a bit to Harry Potter and I definitely see some similarities. I am looking forward to the second book very much.
Obsidio – Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
The last book in The Illuminae Files trilogy. Characters from both books unite and once again it was a very fast paced and exciting story. This one seemed more brutal than the first two, but once again kept me on the edge of my seat. I am definitely sad this trilogy is over, because it was so unique.
One Last Time – Corinne Michaels
I have been wanting to read something by Corinne Michaels for quite a long time. Her books were going to be on my wishlist for Christmas last year, but they weren’t available. When the opportunity was available to sign up for this blog tour I needed to read this. A woman getting out of a terrible marriage and trying to get back on her feet and a down to earth actor who seems amazing! It takes a leap of faith, but finding love happens when you least expect it.
Then There Was You & My Way Back to You – Claire Contreras
Just like Corinne Michaels, Claire Contreras has been on my list for quite some time. She published a duology in a month and it was filled with romance and second chances. I liked the first book better than the second, but I still enjoyed myself. The story left a smile on my face.
Colliding Skies – Debbie Zaken
This book sounded amazing and the cover is gorgeous. Unfortunately this story just didn’t do it for me, even though it started out really strong! I would’ve liked to have read more about the actual alien invasion and what was happening with that than only about her ‘maybe’ relationship with an alien. For me it was too focused on the love interests and the action didn’t appear until the last 10 pages of the book.
This book is about heart break and building your life back up again and opening up to love. This is the second book of the series and even though it’s a standalone, some things make it clear there was a book before this one. It took me a bit to get into the book, because the first few chapters have different characters. Once I got used to that though, I really enjoyed it. The characters were interesting and I loved the setting of this book. Spending time in a cottage like that sounds amazing even though I don’t ski. I would curl up with a book by the fireplace.
This book was amazing! Definitely a romantic comedy. I mean, with a cover like that I didn’t expect anything else. Everything seems to keep going wrong and in this book opposites attract even when they don’t want to, haha. Even though this book was pretty predictable, it was still amazing.
Crazy Madly Deeply – Lily White
This book took a different turn than I expected. I couldn’t put it down. I read this book in one sitting. The only time I put it down was to eat dinner, haha. These characters make you love them and hope that everything turns out okay. This isn’t a typical romance, but I would suggest this to romance readers who like unique stories. I finished this book a couple of weeks ago, but I still think about it at times. I am hoping to finally put my thoughts in to words in April, so you all can read about what I thought of this amazing book.
Hero – Lauren Rowe
This is the first romance I read with a firefighter. The first few pages broke my heart, but the author figured out how to put it together again. We all need a Colby, haha. Then again, all the brothers in this series seem amazing. After I read this, I figured out it wasn’t the first in the series and that there are already two other books. I loved these brothers, so I know I need to get to those as well!
To Fall For Winter – Kelsey Kingsley
This was another book I read in one day. I was afraid after One Night to Fall that the next brother in this series wouldn’t cut it, but I was so wrong. Ryan is sweet and a bit insecure, but he needed the love that Snow came to give. Both being the black sheep of the family, they have a connection neither of them saw coming.
Take Your Medicine – Hannah Carmack
This is a gothic Alice and Wonderland retelling. I enjoyed the author’s writing and the story, but being a novella, it missed a bit of character development. I think this would’ve been amazing if it was a full book. It’s clear this author is very talented though and I hope she gives this a full book one day!
Ink – Elizabeth Hunter
A main character taking over her grandmother’s bookstore was enough to make me want to read this book before I even knew anything else, haha. It didn’t disappoint. A tattoo shop in a bookstore is something I had never heard of before, but it worked in this book. Besides reading about the bookstore being developed, we get an amazing love story, with a male main character who is definitely a family man. Just a tough one with tattoos, haha.
Leah’s Song – Daphne James Huff
I read Stage Kiss already and Leah’s Song is the second book in this trilogy. Once again it was a walk down memory lane with a lot of 90’s stuff like Polly Pocket, Blockbuster and the Spice Girls. My only complaint is that I want more!
Our Unscripted Story – L.A. Fiore
This book was very unique. It started off when Alexis was two years old and ends when she’s fourty. I have never read a book that was written this way. There was enough information from bother Alexis and Greyson. This wasn’t just a romance though, but about healing and families, no matter if your blood or not. This book was very emotional, but the author knew what she was doing. Our Unscripted Story is an emotional rollercoaster.
Cut Short – Julia Wolf
Rachel’s highschool crush shows up in her small town and just happens to be the person who bought her dream house. While this sounds cliché, this story was very well done. A lot of humor, romance and definitely second chances. On top of that, Rachel has an amazing group of best friends, who I hope Julia Wolf writes books about.
Long Live Dead Reckless – Safari Spell
This book sounded interesting, a romance, a princess and vampires. A pretty unique combination. It took a bit for things to actually start happening, but I was very interested in the characters and the mysterious Sage. Some things were pretty confusing and maybe it didn’t need to be as long as it was, but I did enjoy the book and hope to pick up the second book.
The Promised One – Morgan G. Farris
I love the cover of this book and it sounded very interesting. Elizabeth is in love with the prince, but she’s a slave, so not really sure how that was supposed to work. Ferryl forgets who she is though and a lot of other things are going on in the kingdom. While magic is forbodden, it doesn’t seem to be real. Except things start happening to make them wonder. I loved the writing and just the whole idea of this story. I will be posting my review next week, so I don’t want to say too much here.
Rise of the Sea Witch – Stacey Rourke
Rise of the Sea Witch is a Little Mermaid retelling (or at least that’s what I got from it). I loved this story and I read it within two days. A few years ago I read this author’s Gryphon series and once again, she didn’t disappoint. The main character is pretty sassy and I loved her. If all goes well, my review will be posted on Monday.
Marriage of Inconvenience – Penny Reid
Once again an author I have heard so much about, but haven’t had a chance to read a book for. This is an interesting romance with the female main character being a billionaire, at least she will be when her father passes. The only problem is, her cousin is trying to have her committed, so he can take over the family company. To solve this problem, she has to get married, but without a boyfriend this is an issue. Along comes Dan the Security Man. As expected this book is filled with a lot of laughs, but also a lot of love.
Isabelle
I’ve had an AMAZING reading month! I read 17 books this month, that must be a record for me haha. On the other reading goals I kinda dropped the ball haha. The only goals I accomplished were in the comic department (3 comic and 1 manga) and unfinished series (finished 1). I’m going to try and be more mindful of all my goals this coming month but won’t make any promises haha. As I said I read 3 comics and 1 manga, I also read an additional 4 physical books, 3 ebooks and 6 audiobooks. Let’s take a look at them.
Ms. Marvel Volume 1: No Normal – G. Willow Wilson
This one had been on my wishlist for quite a while and this month I found it was pretty cheap on Amazon.de so I obviously had to have it. I read it as soon as it arrived and will definitely continue with the rest of the series. Excited to see what else is in store for Ms. Marvel.
Snotgirl Volume 1: Green Hair Don’t Care – Bryan Lee O’Malley
Another one I’ve had my eye on for awhile. I went book shopping for my bday with my mom and this was one of the books I got. I immediately started reading it as I got home. You can find my mini review here. Can’t wait for Volume 2 to be released.
Saga Volume 2 – Brian K. Vaughan
I read and really enjoyed Saga volume 1 last October I believe and I’m happy I’m continuing this serie. I don’t want to wait to long before picking up the next volume as there is quite a lot going on and I don’t want to forget any details. A very enjoyable read!
Gangsta 1 – Kohske
I think someone recommended this one to me when I mentioned I wanted to get more into manga and I finally picked it up as part of my bday haul. I really enjoyed the story and the art style, will be continuing this series.
Follow Me Back – A.V. Geiger
Candyce really enjoyed this one when she read it and I was super happy to find it in my Bday Surprise Box. I started reading it the same day I think and I didn’t stop until I finished it, in the middle of the night haha. I wasn’t able to fall asleep right away as I was a bit scared after reading it haha. I cannot wait until we get the sequel! I hope it is a suspenseful as the first one.
Phobos2 – Victor Dixen
I read the first book in this series last year because Victor was coming to the Netherlands and was surprised to like it as much as I did. I read this series in Dutch as I don’t think it’s translated into English just yet (or the first one might be now). I can’t believe I read this one in a day! (Turns out I didn’t, looked at the wrong book haha, it actually took me 3 days). While the book isn’t very fast paced, I feel like only 2 things happened in the whole book, I kept on reading and enjoyed it a lot.
Obsidio – Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
I think this was one of the most anticipated releases of the whole year! Not just for me but for everyone who’s read the Illuminae files. This book did not disappoint! It did take me longer to read than the first 2 books and I feel like there was more text in this one that the other 2. I truly love the format of these books and hope we get more like them without those being copycats if you know what I mean? It’s pretty sad this journey is over but it definitely sparked my interest in sci-fi books.
Renegades – Marissa Meyer
After meeting Marissa and having my copy signed I really felt compelled to start reading Renegades. The story hooked me right away and I just wanted to keep on reading and reading. I especially read the last half fast, and that ending was so worth the ride! I’m looking forward to the ending of this duology and have no clue how it will all end!
Opal – Maggie Stiefvater
This short story that goes with The Raven Boys was released this month and I had to get it right away. I love love love the Raven Boys and cannot wait for the spin off series. I have to admit I kinda forgot who Opal was but after reading a bit it all came back to me. It was great being back in this world.
Innocent in Las Vegas – A.R. Winters
I had this one on my kindle app for quite a while and was finally in the mood to read it. I really enjoy cozy mysteries but haven’t been reading much of them. However I keep downloading them when I see a free one on Amazon or Ibooks haha. I’m happy I read this one, it was a cute and fun read and I might continue the series at some point.
Take Your Medicine
The author send Candyce and me a copy of this novella that she originally wrote as a part of an anthology. It was a quick read and left me want more! We already posted our review and an interview with the author.
Truly Devious – Mareen Johnson
I was really excited when I found out the audiobook for this one was on Storytel and started listening to it right away. While I got a bit confused at first, the book alternates between the past and the present, I really enjoyed it in the end. I’m excited for the sequel!
Kill the Boy Band – Goldy Moldavsky
While I probably wouldn’t spend my money on this one, I really enjoyed the audiobook. It was so ridiculous but also so funny. The satire reminded me of Libba Bray’s Beauty Queens, another highly enjoyable read.
Zenith – Sasha Alsberg & Lindsey Cummings
I’m so excited that there are so many new books on Storytel, I really get to read more 2018 books this way. There has been said a lot about Zenith, among other things that Sasha only got this publishing deal because she’s such a famous booktuber, but I think people are way to harsh on this book. It wasn’t perfect but I really enjoyed it and will definitely continue this series. You can find my review here.
The Exact Opposite of Okay – Laura Steven
We posted our review of this laugh-out-loud funny book yesterday. This wasn’t just a funny book though, it also talks about very important topics. The narrator did an amazing job!
Restore Me – Tahereh Mafi
I read the original trilogy in this series quite a while ago and while I did enjoy them I wasn’t their biggest fan. Maybe that’s way the ending didn’t bother me as much as it did most people. This is another book that I probably wouldn’t have spend my money on but am happy to have been able to listen to. I enjoyed it a lot and the narrators were great. That ending ensured I will be reading/listening to the sequel.
The Final Six – Alexandra Monir
This was one of my anticipated releases for the month, while I read some negative reviews I was still excited to listen to it. It took be a bit to get into it as the male narrator was the same as the narrator used for Warner in Restore Me haha. However this story sucked me right in so I forgot all about that in no time. This book was exactly what I expected of it and I really enjoyed it. I can’t find if there’s a sequel coming fo sure but I do hope so!
That was our reading month! We both had really good months. How was your reading month? Read any books we need to check out?
AWESOME reading month girls wow!!! I read more than my usual as well and got 12 books finished. You can see which ones on my wrap up. Isabelle I think it’s so cool that you also read comics and mangas
Thank you, I’m so happy I discovered them recently. I’m really enjoying myself <3 and 12 books is so good! Everyone I talked to had a great reading month and actually a great reading year so far!
Such an amazing reading month! We read a few of the same things! Also, I feel so bad I still haven’t finished Nevermore… But I’m really enjoying it! Happy Easter (if you celebrate) and happy reading always! 🐰💗xx
Thank you! Happy belated Easter to you haha, hope you had a great day. I might pick up Nevermoor as soon as I get home, I’m super excited to read it!
Looks like your romance was up the game this month😍😍😍
Great post, lovelies♥️
It was 😍😍. And thank you ❤️
Wow!! Well done on reading so much last month, that’s amazing.
I’ve just finished Saga vol. 3 and have Saga vol. 4 to read next. It gets so intense! Definitely one of my favourite graphic novels.
Can’t wait to get more of them! I’m trying to slow myself down a bit or I would just be reading graphic novels and manga haha. Currently looking at bookdepo and so many of them on my wishlist are CHEAP