I refuse to believe that we are already a third of the way through the year. This year is going insanely fast, which is both a good and bad thing. Like everyone else, I want to go back to normal and we're getting one step closer to that. However, I finish my degree next month and don't have anything planned, which is causing me a lot of anxiety. So if time could slow down, that would be great. Between March and April, I read 12 books.
March
In March, I read four books. This was quite a slow reading month for me as I was very busy with uni work and wasn't very well for most of March. Here are the books I read in March.
The Queen's Gambit by Walter Tevis
The first book I read in March, I decided to pick this up after adoring the TV show. You can read my review of the Netflix adaptation here. I did spot that there were some changes from the book to the show, which I think have been changed for the best. I still think that Beth is a great protagonist and I really enjoyed reading about her. Personally, I do think I prefer the TV show as the descriptions of chess were a bit lost on me. With the TV show, you had the visuals to help you. I enjoyed my time reading this book and gave it 4/5 stars.
Chain of Iron by Cassandra Clare
I was so excited for the release of the second book in the Lost Hours series. I do have a whole review of this book, which you can read here. Without discussing any spoilers for this book, I will admit that I was unsure how to feel about it when I finished. I read it in three days, which I think was a mistake. I ended up finding it a bit underwhelming for what I was expecting. I still enjoyed reading it and am interested to see where the series goes. I gave it 4/5 stars.
Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell
This was an impulse purchase before the shops closed in December and I'm glad I decided to get it. The writing style was beautiful. I have never read a book by Maggie O'Farrell before and I would be interested in reading from her again. This is a retelling/ fictionalised version of William Shakespeare's life. More specifically, it's about his son Hamnet and how he is supposed to have inspired Hamlet. I felt that this book required a basic knowledge of Shakespeare's life and Hamlet, which I have. I think if I hadn't had that knowledge, some of the story would have been a bit lost on the reader. I also gave this one 4/5 stars.
Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh
I haven't had the best experience with Renee's books and sadly this was no exception. I just found this underwhelming. There were too many characters and POVs for my liking. I did like the feminist message at its core, but this book just ended up not being for me. I have one more book by Renee to read and that is The Wrath and The Dawn. I've heard such good things about it, so we'll have to see if I get along with this book. I gave it 3/5 stars.
April
In April, I read 8 books, 3 of which were rereads. I'm very happy with the books I managed to read this month as I started the month not feeling well and swamped by uni work.
The Binding by Bridget Collins
I actually started reading this in March, but didn't finish it until April. I think the best way to describe my thoughts on this book were that they were all over the place. The plot, the characters, the writing, it was just all over the place. It was split into three sections and I did actually really enjoy the middle section. Apart from that, this book just wasn't for me. I do have Bridget's other book, The Betrayals, which I am not unsure about how I'll feel going into it. I gave it 3/5 stars.
Through the Moon- Dragon Prince by Peter Wartman
I recently watched The Dragon Prince on Netflix and was very happy when I discovered there were graphic novel spin offs. I thought this one was okay. There were some odd character decisions, which felt a bit off for them. The artwork was stunning. I am going to continue with this series and can't wait to see where they take the characters. I gave it 3/5 stars.
If We Were Villains by M.L Rio
This was by far my favourite read of the month (excluding the books I reread). I was hooked. I couldn't stop reading this. I do have a full review for this book, which you can read here. I loved the story and the characters. The atmosphere was wonderful. This book made me miss the theatre with every fibre of my being. I will say that the Shakespearean dialogue did get a bit annoying after a while and I did start to skim read it in places. Asides from that, I adored this book. I gave it 4.5/5 stars.
The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo
This was a lovely little feminist novella with a non-binary protagonist. I enjoyed reading it. My only issue with it was that I needed a tiny bit more information about the world as at times I felt a bit lost. There is a second novella in this series, which I am going to read when I get it. I gave this one 3/5 stars.
The Call by Peadar O'Guilin
I bought this back in 2017 after seeing it on a BookTubers channel. I think if I had read it in 2017, I would have really enjoyed it. However, reading it 2021 it just wasn't for me. I felt that the author built a wonderfully creepy atmosphere, which this book needed. I struggled to connect with the characters, partly because they were all 14-15 (and I'm nearly 21) and partly because of how they were written. There was something in the writing style that really bothered me. I have decided to part ways with this book and that I won't be continuing with the series. I gave it 3/5 stars.
Heartstopper Volume One to Three by Alice Oseman
I decided to reread the Heartstopper comics in a spur of the moment decision. I needed something a bit lighter and fun for various reasons. I also wanted to refresh myself of the story with the fourth volume coming out this month. Alice is so good at creating interesting and complex characters. I adore these comics. I can't wait to see where the story goes. I gave them all 5/5 stars.
That concludes my spring what I've been reading recently. What have you been reading recently?
