March was… progress.

Going into the month, I once again set my ambitious goal of reading 20 books. And while I didn’t quite hit that number (we’re noticing a pattern here 👀), I did manage to read 15 books this month—which is actually an improvement from February.

So yes, we’re celebrating growth.

Even if my TBR is still side-eyeing me.

Heated Rivalry

I finished this one early this month. I have to say, I liked the pacing of this book more than Game Changer, but the story lacked a measure of depth to it early on. I mean, let’s be real, the characters don’t actually gain some depth until about halfway through the book. Most of it is about sex. Have I seen the show? No, so maybe the show is slightly better at playing with the nuances. But, from the book standpoint, I know a lot of it was about both characters punishing themselves to deal with their sexuality. So, I enjoyed it, but Game Changer was, in my opinion, a better-written story.

The Klaatu Terminus

Mind-blowing. Honestly, this book was insane. I loved the plot twist there at the end, and I love how the characters reunited. I’m trying not to think about the time paradoxes too much. There was so much that happened, and I really don’t want to spoil anything about it. The way the story went back and forth to develop some of the characters by fleshing out their past was amazing. It was easy to follow, and honestly, it was so good. This was a great conclusion to a great series.

The Robin on the Oak Throne

Okay, so story-wise, this novel was better than its predecessor. It had a better pace and stronger character dynamics and development. But where it lost me was the smut and the dirty talk. I don’t know, maybe I’m just a prude, but I really don’t like reading that stuff. Watching it, you know, I’m fine with that; it doesn’t really faze me, but when I read it, it felt forced and a little cringey at times and made me uncomfortable. Otherwise, though, I mean, I was invested, the ending with Lorcan still makes me angry. Like, I was invested in that scene. And the fact that I was that emotionally invested in what happened there to the characters means the book, ultimately, had an impact on me.

The Secret World of Briar Rose

So, this was sent to me as an arc from the publisher, and I have to say, I was impressed. It’s a very different retelling of Sleeping Beauty. I like the way it goes back and forth between the past and the present. It goes back and forth between Corin and Amelia (aka Briar Rose). Present day, 100 years after the princess succumbed to her curse, the kingdom is in disarray. Looking for her sister, Elly stumbles upon the prince and the fairies and enters the dream world of Briar Rose.

I love the take on the characters, and I would say I love how the novels handle depression because both girls have a form of it. Depression isn’t a one-size-fits-all kind of thing; it’s unique to each person. I will say, my only hindrance is that Corin is a little too unlikable early on, and the sapphic aspect of the story, the relationship between Corin and Amelia, only comes alive near the end of the book and feels rushed.

This Gilded Abyss

Think 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea meets 28 Days Later. This book is so unhinged, but it is in the best way possible. Not a whole lot happens in the novel, but it is, at its core, a survival story. Nix and Kessandra are trapped in a submersible going to an underwater city when an infection starts turning people into basically angry zombies. Fast zombies, not slow ones. And it was great.

There is a fantastical element coming from the source of the infection, from an angry Titan that should not exist. It’s great. There is a subtle political intrigue to the story, a somewhat toxic sapphic relationship (including a scene with a vibrator, which was so great), and a lot of tension rising from this trapped underwater, surrounded by zombies’ aspect of the story. It was, honestly, a super quick and addictive read.

Through Our Teeth

Now this was an expected read. This novel follows Liz, who, alongside her two friends, does not believe that their friend Hope killed herself. Hope may have had a history of depression and had gone through a nasty breakup when the accusations of her ex-boyfriend’s domestic abuse fell on deaf ears, but they don’t think she killed herself. No, they believe that Brendan killed her.

So they lure him to a house to make him confess, only for a storm to knock out the power and turn the house into a panic room with no way out. Only someone has started to kill them off one by one. I loved the rising tension in the story. It reminded me of And Then There Were None and Tiffany Jackson. And that ending? I didn’t see it coming.

Dungeon Crawler Carl

Let this be my very public apology to my bestie Jeff for not reading this book sooner. I have a large TBR to cut me some slack. This book is perfect; I have no notes. It was funny and thoughtful, and as someone who not only plays video games but also plays DnD, this book was perfect.

I have to say, I highly recommend the immersive reading way to read this book because the audiobook is top-tier. I mean, it captured the book perfectly, and it made me laugh and smile, and it was impossible to put down. So don’t mind me, just gonna make this my whole personality and add all the books to my inventory.

Fallen City

This was an unexpected delight. I like Adrienne Young as a writer, and it was nice to see her return to her fantasy roots. She’s been writing a lot of magical realism lately, which I also like, but I also like her fantasy because it’s very grounded. The fantasy aspect of the story is very subtle as the story leans more into this Roman-inspired world filled with political upheaval. It was very interesting, and I think the nonlinear storytelling added more tension to the story.

Dragon Cursed

This was a slow start for me. I think that the problem was that there wasn’t any clear world-building in the beginning, we were just dropped into this world. Which is fine, but it did make reading it a little slow for me because I’m still trying to wrap my head around how the magic in the story functions, even as they enter the tribunal. I will say the tribunal was where the pacing of the story did pick up and the tension did rise.

The Time of Contempt

I think I liked this one more than the blood of elves. I didn’t feel like I was missing anything while I reading this one. However, the pacing was still a little too slow for my taste. I think I’ve set such high expectations for this series and it’s just hindering my enjoyment a little bit. I don’t know, but it was a  little bit of a struggle to get into. I still liked it, don’t get me wrong, especially the moments with Ciri and Little Horse, those were precious to me. But ultimately, I mean, it’s growing on me.

Beast Becomes Her

This book was amazing! First, I love the Norse mythology being used here. I love the way that Skallagrim mirrors Nevermore from Wednesday but has its own unique aspect to it. I think it was really cool honestly. Edith discovers she’s a berserkr, which means she can turn into an animal of her choosing. However, she’s so terrified that she is going to be a monster like her father who was abusive and killed their mother in a murder-suicide. However, once she starts school, someone starts killing students around the school in horrific ways. So now she must clear her name all while dealing with past trauma and unpacking her inner animal. It was a fast-paced story, tension driven, and completely relevant. I loved every minute of it.

I Killed the King

Think Knives Out but fantasy. That is exactly what this novel is all about. In a locked room, surrounded by six people, the king is murdered. Which one of them did it? While trying to finalize plans of peace between two kingdoms, the six teens have to solve the murder all while hiding the fact that a murderer is on the loose and that the king is on the loose. Oh, and a basilisk is roaming the castle, no big deal. It was fast paced, tension driven, and the ending came as a complete surprise to me. Not even on of my list of suspects, and I love it when that happens.

The Last Ember

So, I read this book to my son every night over the course of the month, and it was enjoyable. I will say my son wasn’t as engaged as he was with previous picks. It was a fun read, probably a little too old for him, (he’s 6, turning 7 later this year). It was a fun story ultimately, I enjoyed it. I think Eva Alexander was a little too obnoxious, especially with her inner monologue. She reminded me of Hermoine, but without the charm. She just always wanted to be right and didn’t have a problem belittling people. So, I wanted to like it more than I did. Dusty was adorable though and I loved him.

Unending

I waited so long for this book, and it did not disappoint! Two years guys, I waited two years. This one now splits the POV between Isolde and Seelie, sisters, changelings. I love that it did that because now we were able to follow two separate adventures and see a ton of character growth. I love the character growth in Seelie, and I love how we are continuing to see neurodivergent characters take center stage and be main characters and heroes. I love that about her, how she faces her inner struggles and doesn’t let them consume her. I also love her romance with Raze. It was so sweet and he’s just all kinds of green flags.

Cardcaptor Sakura Collector’s Edition Vol. 6

What can I say, I love Cardcaptor Sakura. I can’t wait to give these to my kids when they get older and can read them by themselves. I love the art style and the characters. No notes, simply perfect.

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