So it’s super late, but life has been, well, life and certain things had to take a back seat. But here are all the books I read in March! As always this is just a brief recap of my thoughts, full reviews are linked where applicable.
5 Stars:
The In-Between
Written by Rebecca K.S. Ansari
Published by Walden Pond Press
I adore this story – which will likely appeal more to the older middle grade reader and adult audience – but it was so touching, so nuanced, so smartly wrote. I could go on and on about the brilliance of this story, so just head over to the review for all my thoughts! Definitely one of my favourites of this year.
Full review HERE.
You can find it here: Bookshop.org
Midnight at the Electric
Written by Jodi Lynn Anderson
Published by HarperCollins
I listened to this as an audiobook which may have enhanced the story? Split amongst three different narrators (and I loved all three), the story really came alive. It may be itty bitty, but this story shines with emotion, detailed characters and a pulse of environmental urgency … it was unlike anything I’ve read and I was captivated from the first page!
Full review HERE.
You can find it here: Bookshop.org
Amari and the Night Brothers
Written by B.B. Alston
Published by Balzer + Bray
Just. So. Good. Everyone and their mother is talking about this one, and it lives up to that hype. A really solid middle grade fantasy, with loveable characters, magic, inclusivity, important conversations of the here and now … heart, magic, grit and gumption all combine in this wild ride. Enjoy!
Full review HERE.
You can find it here: Bookshop.org
The Final Revival of Opal & Nev
Written by Dawnie Walton
Published by 37 Ink
I wasn’t sure at first, because it is so very much like Daisy Jones & The Six, but Dawnie Walton took this in a different direction completely. A story that exposes the unchanging systematic racism and inequalities in North America written around a scalpel-precise narrative. Truly a memorable read.
Full review HERE.
You can find it here: Bookshop.org
4 Stars:
The Switch
Written by Beth O’Leary
Published by Flatiron Books
A delightful surprise in the sea of pastel-covered contemporary genre! I enjoyed the depth of character and emotional honesty that Beth O’Leary brought to this story by weaving the narrative around a conversation of healing and grief. It was honest, comforting, and smart.
Full review HERE.
You can find it here: Bookshop.org
Becoming Leidah
Written by Michelle Grierson
Published by Simon & Schuster
I love a weird little story and Becoming Leidah definitely checks all the boxes – part mythology, part historical fiction, part fantasy – Michelle Grierson balanced all these genres into a compelling, page flipping story wound around her beautifully ethereal writing style. Descriptive without falling into purple prose … I was really immersed in this oddly unique story. Although sometimes I did struggle to understand what was going on!
Full review HERE.
You can find it here: Bookshop.org
Spinning Silver
Written by Naomi Novik
Published by Del Rey Books
(3.5 stars rounded up): This is such a challenging rating for me, because no one creates worlds and visually real characters and settings like Naomi, and while I am prepared to wait while she builds her story, Spinning Silver really pushed my patience. It is incredibly snail paced that was exacerbated by characters that lacked energy or surprise – leaving the whole feeling very lethargic. But! I still liked it? Somehow? She just creates interesting worlds that I don’t mind spending time in, but I definitely didn’t love this as much as Uprooted.
Full review HERE.
You can find it here: Bookshop.org
Mr. Flood’s Last Resort
Written by Jess Kidd
Published by Washington Square Press
Quickly becoming one of my favourite authors, I simply love the combination of historical fiction, humour, mystery and horror that lives in Jess Kidd’s multi-layered stories. Her imagination is stunning (and somewhat frightening at times!) but I did find myself wishing some of the reveals were a little more forthcoming in her sophomore story, as it became difficult to follow.
Full review HERE.
You can find it here: Bookshop.org
The Bone Shard Daughter
Written by Andrea Stewart
Published by Orbit Books
(3.5 stars rounded up): I think if I’d realized this story really wasn’t going to have much to do with the “Bone Shard Daughter” as the title suggests and more of a split narrative among 4 other characters, I might have rated it higher … maybe. I wanted to read the story the jacket blurb teased at! But even though The Bone Shard Daughter unfolded in a completely different direction than I went in anticipating, it was still a great fantasy that will have great crossover appeal to the YA market.
Full review HERE.
You can find it here: Bookshop.org
3 Stars:
The Ladies of the Secret Circus
Written by Constance Sayers
Published by Redhook
I was hoping to enjoy this one so much more than I did – magical, macabre circus in the 1920s hits all the literary buzzwords for me – but I struggled through most of the reading. From the annoying amount of editorial mistakes that kept pulling me out of the story to the poorly handled quantity of genres this was trying to straddle – historical fiction, fantasy, mystery, horror and romance – to the ending that was collection of absurd character decisions and flat revelations … it all missed the mark for me.
Full review HERE.
You can find it here: Bookshop.org
DNF:
Black Buck
Written by Mateo Askaripour
Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
As much as I wanted this to be my next favourite Deacon King Kong … it was just too much satirical “in your face” over the top for me. I understand it was supposed to be satire, but it really didn’t jive with me – written as a self help guide, it was akin to a painful self aggrandizing power conference speech on hustle culture … you know the ones I’m talking about. Based on reviews it doesn’t get much better and so it landed in the DNF pile.
You can find it here: Bookshop.org
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