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Writer's picturehaleylynnthomas22
Apr 24, 20204 min read

March Reading Wrap-Up

Updated: Apr 25, 2020

Monthly Stats (YTD)

Books Read (completed): 13 (28)

Total Pages Read: 4,379 (10,140)

Average Rating: 4.48 (4.34)

Average # of Pages per Book: 336.85 (362.14)


New Reads:


1. The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy (442 pages) (5 stars)

The sequel to The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue. It follows Felicity and two new characters; her estranged childhood friend Johanna Hoffman and new acquaintance Sim, a pirate. This novel is perfect for someone who loves books with a sense of adventure and strong female friendships.


2. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid (388 pages) (5 stars)

This is an adult historical fiction. The plot revolves around aging Hollywood actress Evelyn Hugo as she recounts her life story to journalist Monique. Celebrity gossip is my guilty pleasure and I love morally grey characters (which Evelyn very much is), and I very much found myself captivated by Evelyn's story.


3. With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo (388 pages) (5 stars)

This YA contemporary follows Emoni Santiago, a teen mom and budding chef as she traverses her senior year of high school. Full of heart and with an addictive writing style, this would be relatable to anyone in the midst of a major life transition.


4. The Gentleman's Guide to Getting Lucky by Mackenzi Lee (113 pages) (5 stars)

This novella is set after the events of The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue and before The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy. It is about Monty and Percy's first time being intimate together as well as them discussing their future. This was a light, fluffy, and a bit angsty read. While not a must-read, it is a feel good one.


5. The Hand on the Wall by Maureen Johnson (368 pages) (4.75 stars)

This is the third and final book of the Truly Devious trilogy. I can't say much about it here without spoiling the series, but it is a YA murder mystery with stellar atmosphere and enjoyable characters. I highly recommend it. This was a solid conclusion. The trilogy is perfect for someone who is looking for an atmospheric, well plotted mystery with a clever female protagonist.


6. Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia (385 pages) (4.5 stars)

The author of a popular web comic whose only friends exist online befriends (and romances) the new boy at her school who she learns is the number one fanfiction writer for her comic. This story was sweet but also raw at times. Perfect for someone who is looking for a book with a sweet romance and anyone who embraces fan culture.


7. Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett (503 pages) (4 stars)

This is an adult fantasy novel involving a heist and a magic system in which the properties of objects can be 'changed' via writing specific symbols on them. Perfect for someone looking for a fast paced, plot driven fantasy novel with a complex world. This book is not ideal for those just getting into fantasy as they may find the world building confusing.


8. The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller (323 pages) (4 stars)

This YA fantasy follows Alessandra, an overlooked but ruthless second daughter with a lust for power who plans to woo and marry her kingdom's king (the Shadow King) in order to kill him and rule in his place. This wasn't my favorite of Levenseller's books, but the main character was a breath of fresh air in a world where every YA fantasy heroine seems to be so similar.


9. Our Own Private Universe by Robin Talley (373 pages) (3 stars)

This YA contemporary romance follows Aki, a fifteen year old bisexual girl who spends her summer in Mexico on a church volunteer trip. While there she engages in a fling with fellow volunteer Christa. I had very mixed feelings about this novel. It tackles important social justice topics as well as safe sex, but the romance was surface level and the characters were not always likable.


10. Son by Lois Lowry (285 pages - Giver Omnibus Edition) (3 stars)

The final book in The Giver quartet which follows Claire who is the birthmother of Gabe from The Giver. The novel sees Claire as she struggles, first with being close to her son despite the rules in the community, and later to be reunited with him after they are separated from each other outside of the community. This was, unfortunately, my least favorite of the Giver quartet. I found the conclusion to be unsatisfactory.


Rereads:


11. Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott (276 pages) (5 stars)

This YA contemporary romance follows two teens (Stella and Will) who both have Cystic Fibrosis and fall in love despite being unable to get within six feet of each other. This was one of my favorite novels of 2019 as it is both heartwarming and heartbreaking. It's also very short and a quick read.


12. The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo (357 pages) (5 stars)

This YA contemporary written in verse follows high schooler Xiomara Batista as she questions her Catholic faith, falls in love for the first time despite being banned from dating, and discovers her voice through spoken word poetry. For my second read of this novel I chose to listen to the audiobook. I felt this enhanced my reading experience (I still followed along with the physical book) because the author is also the narrator and she has wonderful flow.


13. Messenger by Lois Lowry (133 pages - Giver Omnibus Edition) (5 stars)

This is the third book in The Giver quartet and follows Matty (Matt from the second book) as he makes the journey back to his birthplace one last time before his village closes its borders forever. This is my second favorite of the quartet in large part due to Matty as a character.

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