Target: 9
Read: 7
I really wanted to reach my reading goal for this month but unfortunately I failed yet again. There were a couple of books that took me a little longer to finish, even though I wanted to finish them ASAP. But as it is, I still managed to read seven books and these are the books that I read.
Hallowed by Cynthia Hand
This is book 2 in the Unearthly series by Cynthia Hand and this follows the story of Clara who finds out a lot more things about herself and her purpose and ultimately has to make a choice between the boy she loves and the boy she’s destined to be with. Along with it, she has to protect herself as well those she loves from a Black Wing who is eager to seek revenge.
I found this book lukewarm at the most. Other than a boatload of teenage angst and Clara constantly complaining about her life and the guy she’s supposed to be with, nothing much happens. I thought there would be a final showdown or something with the villain but it doesn’t even come close to that. Other than the story leading up to her mother’s death nothing much happens.
However, the loss of a parent was described extremely well and it was something I could relate to, as I felt pretty much the same way Clara did after her mother died, so hats off to the author for nailing that on the head. But, on the other hand, I’m glad to have read the book and can’t wait to read the final book and finish the series.
A Dawn Most Wicked by Susan Dennard
This is a prequel novella of the Something Strange and Deadly series by Susan Dennard and it’s about Daniel Sheridan and how he’s trying to do the best he can for the woman he loves who happens to be none other than his best friend Cassidy Cochran, all the while trying to save the fate of Sadie Queen, the ship which is destined to retire. Throw in a bunch of ghosts and a healthy serving of drama and you have yourself an intriguing novella.
This book was fun. It was short and full of action, which wasn’t something I was expecting. I thought it’ll be just about Daniel doing his best to take care of Cassidy and their love story, but it was so much more than that.
Moreover, I fell in love with the writing style of the story. Susan Dennard really knows how to coin metaphors and use them in the best way possible. I read some pretty creative metaphors in this novella and it only makes me look forward to reading the rest of the books by her because I want more of her unique writing style. I honestly wish I could write like her, but that’s never going to happen so might as well just read her books to satiate my thirst.
If you’ve read the Something Strange and Deadly series by Susan Dennard then give this novella a chance if you haven’t already because you’re not going to regret it.
Emerald Green by Kerstin Gier
This is book 3 in The Precious Stone Trilogy by Kerstin Gier and the final book in the series and I’m so glad I finally got the chance to read this book and finish this series as I make sure to only read by an author every year as I want to read different authors. But I finally got to finish this series and I must say this series has become one of my favorite.
Like the previous two books before this, we follow Gwen and Gideon as they try to understand the events of the past and present by traveling through time and try to figure out the poetic prophesies that can lead to death. Add in broken hearts and passionate kisses with a ghostly pet and a whole lot of tears and laughter, and you have a masterpiece that is this book. There’s a lot more I want to say about this book but it’ll make this already long post even longer, so if this book becomes a favorite of the month, then I’ll give more details about my thoughts when I do a review of this book.
I loved, loved, loved this book! This book had danger sprinkled throughout the pages along with a healthy dose of humor which made this an all time favorite. I love Kerstin Gier’s writing style and the way she presented this concept of time travel. It’s a work of art and I can’t wait to get started with the rest of her books.
Castles in Their Bones by Laura Sebastian
This is book 1 in a new series titled by the same name by Laura Sebastian and follows three princesses Daphne, Sophornia and Beatriz who have been raised to take over the countries currently independent in the continent of Vesteria. Their mother, Empress Margaraux has planned it down to the last detail and she will make sure no one messes with her plans. However, the princesses barely follow the plan they’ve been raised to follow since childhood when they start to see the big picture and realize that perhaps the continent of Vesteria would not do well under their mother’s rule and so against their better judgement, they do what they were told not to do.
This is the first book by Laura Sebastian that I’ve read—I do intend on reading the Ash Princess series by her as well but for this book, I really enjoyed everything. The plot, the characters, the ups and downs, it was absolutely stunning. I’m not sure which of the princesses I like best because they all have such admirable qualities. I admire the way Laura has fleshed out the characters and made them so humane and relatable. The pacing was perfect and I can’t wait for the next books in the series, I’m eager to know what happens next.
I highly recommend checking this book out if you haven’t already, I’m sure you’re going to love it. And if you’re a fan of Laura Sebastian’s writing like I’ve come to be, then this book should definitely be on top of your TBR pile.
If I Built a Car by Chris Van Dusen
This is a children’s book and I read this in order to fulfill a prompt for the reading challenge that I’m participating in for the year.
As the name suggest, the book is about a boy who is describing the car he would build if he could and the car contains all sorts of cool and interesting features, like the ability to drive on both land and sea and even fly. The car also has the ability to provide you with whatever kind of food you desire and on top of that it smells fantastic!
It was a cute book with really pretty and colorful illustrations. If you want a story for your little one, then don’t hesitate to pick up this book.
The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan
This is book 2 in The Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan. This is the second series by him which I’m reading and book 2 didn’t fail to blow my mind just like book 1. I’m glad I finally got the chance to read the next book in the series which follows the story from Percy Jackson’s perspective as he finds himself in camp Jupiter with absolutely no recollection of his memories except for the memory of a girl named Anabeth, who we all know happens to be his girlfriend back at camp Half-Blood.
The story follows a cast of new characters with Percy as they embark on a new quest in order to defeat the giants and stop Gaea from unleashing her evil plans on the world. And with Thanatos aka Death being locked up and the dead coming back to life, the stakes couldn’t be higher, especially with the clock ticking over their heads. Not to mention Percy’s amnesia really not doing him any favors.
I really had fun reading this story, just like the previous books I’ve read by this author. It was an easy read and I was finished before I knew it, and I cannot wait to finish reading this series but I do have to wait as I want to read other authors and books this year, so let’s see if I get the chance to read any more books in this series.
Rick Riordan has really done a fabulous job with this story, especially incorporating elements of Roman mythology which satisfied my thirst for knowledge. I got to read about new mythological creatures which I didn’t know of before, so that really added to the brownie points for this books. As always, this book was a fantastic read and I know the next books in the series will not disappoint me.
Yolk by Mary H. K. Choi
This is the first book I’m reading by this author and I first heard about this book on a YouTube channel known as Jamie’s Library, you can go visit her channel here.
I went into this book with no expectations, but I must say this book is crazy sweet. It’ll touch your heart and fill you with emotion in a way only a few books are capable of doing and no matter how you end up feeling towards the end, you just know that this book will stay in your heart for a long time to come.
This book follows the story of two sisters who are living polar opposite lives. June is older and successful with a good job and a fancy apartment—or so it seems—while Jayne is the younger sister who is trudging through life making one bad decision after another. But when their worlds collide with a terrible news June and Jayne have no option but to come together and be there for one another no matter how much they don’t want to, and so begins a ride filled with tears and laughter, hate and love, lies and truth and it all comes down to family.
The relationship dynamics is something the author did a very good job on, not to mention the writing style. I found it easy and interesting the way Mary H. K. Choi weaves her words. I want to read more of her books in order to better grasp her writing style. It’s easy and yet not so easy, so I’ll label it as interesting. The characterization and the plot was light and juicy, giving you a rainbow of flavors followed by an ending which leaves you with a smile and tears in your eyes with a heart filled with emotions.
I highly recommend this book and I can’t wait to dive into Mary H. K. Choi’s other works and look forward to seeing her publish more books in the future.
Well, there you have it. These are the seven books I read in the month of March. Have you read any of these books? If so, let me know in the comments what are your opinions on the books and also do let me know what you read in the month of March.
Nothing More Beyond 