March Book Recap

It's still a little hard for some of y'all to believe, but I didn't really grow up reading. Clif Notes were a lifesaver in high school. I'd read 'enough' to get by, but I didn't enjoy the act of reading so never did it. Maybe I wasn't reading things that held my interest or maybe it was because it was "required", but whatever the reason, I'm glad I took the challenge to add the goal of reading 17 books in 2017 (which became 88 books in 2017, 77 books in 2018, 67 books in 2019, 66 books in 2020, 67 books in 2021, 41 books in 2022, 98 books in 2023, 224 books in 2024 and 136 books in 2025). The majority of my reading recently has been listening to audiobooks, but it still counts! Even still, holding a physical book is my JAM and I hope I can add that back into my routine on a more regular basis. Just like in years past, writing a monthly recap of the books I finish is a great way for me to both record what I'm reading (so I don't forget and in case anyone is curious) and to stay accountable. So, without further ado, here are the books I completed in the month of March:

• Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Wrath of the Triple Goddess by Rick Riordan - This is the seventh book in this series. I was under the impression that this was the end of the series and was excited to see how everything would get wrapped up, but apparently the next installment just isn't set to drop for another year or so (which seems like an extremely long time between books, but I guess I'm not a writer so I can't really complain). Anywho, Percy is in his senior year of high school and is doing this quest because he needs to get three letters of recommendation to apply for college (which he will only get once he successfully completes tasks from three different gods). This is his second quest of the three and, spoiler alert, he gets it handled (with help from Annabeth and Grover, of course). I enjoyed this one because who doesn't love a good pet-sitting story ;) Sure, they may have been magical creatures, but I am always down for a sweet story about animals. I'm just a little ticked off that we have to wait so long to see what happens next. I would give it an 8 out of 10.

• Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren - I was excited when another of their books became available at the library. This one is about two childhood sweethearts, Macy and Elliott, who eventually reconnect after over a decade apart. The story switches back and forth between now and then, which I enjoy because I feel like you can really get a sense for why things have turned out the way they have. It was so sweet to follow along with their friendship turned first love (and first everything) and I was gutted to find out what eventually drove them apart. It was definitely an emotional rollercoaster and had me feeling all the feels. I'll be honest and say that the end felt a bit rushed to me, but that's probably because of how long it took for the the buildup to grow. (And, yes, I did read this at the beach in March - thank you SoCal "winters"!) I would give it an 8 out of 10.

• The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins - I had seen this book on a few recent lists and I was intrigued. The idea is that we give away too much of our power to worrying about things outside of our control (how others see us, what other people are doing, etc) while what we should really be doing is spending our energy on our own happiness and goals. You should 'let them' do/ think/ feel what they are going to do/ think/ feel (because you can't control another person anyway) and 'let me' build a life I am happy with and proud of. The advice feels practical and manageable, even if it isn't necessarily easy to implement - simple doesn't necessarily mean easy (or at least I doubt it will be a snap of the fingers for people to stop putting the focus on others after doing so for such a long time). It's definitely a mindshift change that will take some adjusting to, but hopefully one that can bring with it happiness and an inner sense of peace. I would give it an 8 out of 10.

• Honey & Spice by Bolu Babalola - None of the books I had saved for later in my Libby app were grabbing my attention, so I thought I'd search the "Reese's Book Club" sticker to see if anything caught my eye. I came across this one and figured I'd give it a shot. Let's just say it did not disappoint. This is a romcom featuring the tried-and-true fake relationship trope. Kiki hosts a college radio station where she doles out relationship advice and ends up kissing a guy she recently roasted on air to get a different guy off her case. The two decide a fake relationship could be mutually beneficial (Kiki needs to get new listeners to help her secure an internship and Malakai needs help to give his current film project a cohesive voice). As one would guess, the feelings don't stay fake for long and the pair has to figure out how navigate messy true love. I loved the witty banter, the romantic tension, the pop culture references, the strong sisterhood, the swoon-worthy story. Yay for this great debut novel - here's to more coming down the pike from this author. I would give it an 8 out of 10.

• That's Not My Name by Megan Lally - A few friends had recently mentioned this book, so I thought I would give it a try (hoping that the thriller wouldn't be too scary for lil ol' me ;)). It's technically a YA thriller, so I was excited to give it a go. It switches back and forth between two perspectives. At first, one of them is just named 'girl' when she wakes up in a ditch and can't remember anything about herself, including her name. Her father comes to claim her at the police station and she finds out her name is Mary. The other perspective is Drew, who is the boyfriend of a missing girl. There seem to be two storylines playing out at the same time, of course with plenty of suspenseful moments and reveals. I don't want to give anything away (especially because I did really enjoy the book and would recommend you give it a read), but let's just say there were a few twists and turns that had me a little shook - it was quite the rollercoaster ride! I would give it an 8 out of 10. 

• Maybe Not by Colleen Hoover - I read this one slightly out of order because it wasn't available at the library yet. This is a short 'novella' that takes place between two books (Maybe Someday and Maybe Now) that I read last month. It's about Warren and Bridgette (two characters I really enjoyed from the series). I don't think that it was necessary to the overall story, but I liked that we got a look behind the bedroom door. Their relationship definitely wasn't a traditional one, but as I'm sure you could tell from the other two books, Bridgette had a lot going on in her life so she isn't your 'traditional' type of gal. I enjoyed the book - it was a quick read (I actually finished it on my lunch break in my car at work one day), made me chuckle a few times and gave me insight behind the tumultuous relationship these two seemed to have in the background. I would give it an 8 out of 10.

• Crank by Ellen Hopkins - While I was scrolling through my Libby app I was recommended the second book in this series... but I realized I never read the first, so thought I'd check it out. This is the story of a high schooler who gets sucked into the life of crystal meth and how everything falls apart around her. It's a short book and written in a way that makes it feel as though the author might be on the drug while writing it. The sentence structure can be short and obscure, thoughts jump from here to there at times and you can tell the main character's point of view is very frenetic. It seems to be written as a cautionary tale showing that falling for 'the monster' can happen to anyone. Although this is a novel, I found out it's loosely based on the author's daughter and her addiction to this destructive drug. I don't know that I'm chomping at the bit to check out the next two books in the series, but I'll probably give them a go if I have some down time. I would give it an 8 out of 10.

• The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman - Another book about the Thursday Murder Club and I was excited when it was finally available at my library. This is the fifth book in the series and I don't think I could ever get sick of this group of retirees. The story revolved around a missing man, a blown up woman and a huge sum of Bitcoin. I was stoked to see Elizabeth getting back into her groove after losing her hubby, Stephen, in the previous book. The whole cast and crew had me smiling this go-around. It felt like Ibrahim played a little larger of a role, which I loved, and I was thrilled to have Kendrick show his sweet little face more in this story (even if he didn't really have a choice). I couldn't put this book down and I'll be honest and say I'm bummed that the author seems to be taking a break from this series to explore other storylines. I would give it a 9 out of 10.

• Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams - I saw this pop up on my Libby app and I was intrigued. This is written (and read) by a former employee of Facebook. It is definitely a critical look at the inside of the organization (at points I was actually shocked that she hadn't been forced to sign an NDA because some of the 'behind-the-curtain' type stories she was sharing seemed to be pretty damning). There seemed to be a lot of evidence (that she was willing to share openly and honestly) of how there was a huge disconnect between the decision makers and the harm their choices were having in the real world. Let's be real, we all know that power can lead to corruption, but I guess I was hoping there'd be some more fail-safes in place (or maybe people willing to take a stand and force change). Definitely a lot of ugly truths in this one. I would give it an 8 out of 10.

• Sweet Heat by Bolu Babalola - Earlier this month I listened to the first book in this series (it was a couple years old, but I had just run across it) so when I saw the second book was recently released and it was available at my library I ran over and picked it up. (I forgot to take a picture of the book before returning it, so I ended up taking a screenshot of the audiobook version I found on the InterWebs.) This catches back up with Kiki and Malakai three years after they have broken up - thrown back together because their best friends are getting married and they are in the wedding party. I would say it is technically a standalone story, but flows well from the previous book, especially since I had just finished it a few days earlier. Who doesn't enjoy the second-chance love trope?! This was definitely spicy, but it had me feeling all the feels and seemed to have genuine emotion flowing through it (both in heartbreak and swoon-worthy romance). I would give it an 8 out of 10.

• Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan - I came across this title when I was doing some googling of recommended books. I didn't know anything about it, but it was available on my Libby app, so I thought I'd give it a try. I'm so glad I did because I really enjoyed it. This was told from two different perspectives (with the audiobook being read by two different actors) and in two different directions (one being told in a forward timeline and one being told in reverse). The story centers around three main characters - Asher, Lily and Olivia. Olivia is Asher's mother and Lily is his girlfriend. Asher calls his mom after he finds his girlfriend dead at the bottom of her stairs. Olivia's timeline moves forward from the accident to Asher's ultimate arrest and trial, while Lily's timeline moves backwards from her death to what may have lead to it. I didn't realize until listening to the authors' notes afterward that the two different perspectives were written by the two separate authors (I mean, it totally makes sense, but I guess I just assumed they collaborated and wrote the whole thing together) - I just found it so well woven together that I didn't even ponder that was the case. It was a story of mystery mixed with love mixed with a fair amount of beekeeping. I would give it an 8 out of 10.

• Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave by Elle Cosimano - This is the most recent installment of the Finlay Donovan series and I was looking forward to it once I realized it was available at my library. It has been a while since I've read any of the books, but I remember them being a hoot. Unfortunately I didn't love this one as much as I remember enjoying the previous ones. Maybe it had been too long since I was in that 'world', but it just didn't draw me in. I sort of figured out the mystery ahead of time and the story didn't have as many twists and turns as I would have liked. Don't get me wrong, it was fine and a quick read, but it definitely wasn't my favorite. Book six is set to be released soon, so we'll see how it all wraps up. I would give it a 7 out of 10. 

• My Lucky Charm by Courtney Walsh - I had listened to the first book of this series last month, but had to wait for my Hoopla downloads to reset come March so I could check out this one. It is technically a standalone story, but has carry over characters (the two main characters in this book are the sister of one of the main characters from the previous book and a hockey teammate of the other main character). Instead of the fake dating trope from the first book, this one is all about the grumpy/ sunshine theme. Eloise is the girl-next-door people person and Gray is the frustrated hockey player who is angry with a recent trade to Chicago. In a coinicidental turn of events, Eloise is hired as Gray's personal assistant to help him get along better with his teammates and hopefully fall in love with the new city he's ended up in. I thought it was a cute opposites attract rom-com that made me smile and say 'awwww' more than I was expecting. I would give it an 8 out of 10.

• The Love that Split the World by Emily Henry - I have thoroughly enjoyed this author's books, so I thought I'd check out some of her early releases (especially since they were in the YA genre). I didn't know anything about this one, other than it was Emily's debut novel. I really wanted to enjoy it, but I just didn't. I would say that time travel and wormholes and that type of fantasy isn't my cup of tea, so it makes sense that this book didn't grab me. This is the story of Natalie and Beau, who are seemingly living two parallel timelines in their small town of Union, Kentucky. Natalie is tasks with figuring out the mystery before time runs out and she loses someone forever. I did appreciate the inclusion of Indigenous Peoples and some of their cultural stories, but the overall plot just didn't have me aching to find out what would happen next. I would give it a 7 out of 10.

• Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney - This has been on a couple 'popular' lists and it was available on my Hoopla app (there was a long wait for it on Libby, so I opted for the quicker option), so I thought I'd give it a try. This is the story of an author and his missing (presumed dead) wife and the journey to a remote Scottish island. It is told from both of their perspectives, but the majority is coming from his. I really wanted to enjoy it, but for some reason I didn't (or at least not as much as I was hoping to). I'm not sure if it's because the author becomes an unreliable narrator at some point and I didn't want him to succeed or maybe a revenge plot just isn't my cup of tea. There were some twists and turns that I didn't see coming, but others that I guessed along the way. The story was so-so... it kept me entertained but I wasn't on the edge of my seat. I would give it a 7 out of 10.

• Pitcher Perfect by Tessa Bailey - A banner on my Hoopla app popped up with this book and I recognized that I had read the first few books in this series, so figured I'd keep the train a'going. These are standalone books, but with carryover characters (and at least this one had a carryover event - the baseball game between the hockey team and neighborhood baseball players). This one was all about a fake relationship and enemies-to-lovers. It was definitely a bit spicy (as are most of this author's books), but the sass, wit and character/ relationship development help me overlook the sex scenes. I love that one of the rookies on the Bearcats got their own story and hope there are more books to come in the Big Shots series. I would give it an 8 out of 10. 

• The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett - I saw this book mentioned by a friend recently so got in line for it at the local library. After a couple weeks of waiting it was available so I went and picked it up. I guess it's what you consider a dark comedy, although I'll be honest and say I didn't do much (if any) laughing during it. It sort of reminded me of the movie Little Miss Sunshine. It was about a dad/ husband that sort of gets a do-over. The book follows a cross-country roadtrip of a man, his adult daughter and two 'inherited' children (oh yeah, and you can't forget the cat that predicts death). It definitely pulls on your heartstrings - full of grief, disfunction and second chances. I enjoyed it and could see it being turned into a movie. I would give it an 8 out of 10.

• The Names by Florence Knapp - I saw this one on a recent 'must read' list so figured I'd try it out. Think of it like three parallel universes, but without all of the sciency stuff. The story is about a family (an abusive father, a loving mother, an older sister and a younger brother) told in three different ways. They all start around a singular event - what name the mother officially records for the son. In the first storyline, the boy is named Bear (suggested by the daughter) and the father is put in prison after a neighbor tries to help save the mother from being beaten and is killed. The second timeline has the son named Julian (the mother's original idea) and the mother is killed by the father during one of his rages so the children go to live with their grandmother in Ireland. In the final telling, the son is named after the father, Gordon, and the mother isn't able to get away from the abuse for a long, long time. I really enjoyed this one, even though it is not an easy read with all of the domestic abuse. There were multiple jumps of seven years as the story progressed so you could see the ripple effect that this one decision had on so many lives. A very inventive way to tell the story. I would give it an 8 out of 10.

• The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller - This is another one that I don't remember exactly how it ended up on my hold list, but I got the notice it was available for download on my Libby app so I grabbed it. Technically the majority of the story takes place over a single day, but with a plethora of flashbacks to see how everyone ended up where they did. The main character, Elle, has sex with her childhood best friend and is forced to make a decision between staying with her husband or blowing up her life and starting over with Jonas. Maybe I just wasn't "in the mood" for this book or maybe it just didn't grab my attention, but I felt pretty bored with this one. Don't get me wrong, it was choked with childhood trauma, family drama and a lifetime of secrets, but I wasn't drawn in to any of the characters and was 'blah' about it all. I would give it a 7 out of 10.

• A Taste for Love by Jennifer Yen - I thought it was time for a cutesy YA book, so scrolled through my Libby app and this one caught my eye. It was sort of like a youth British Bake-Off competition, but the mom (a local dessert chef and one of the judges) was actually using it to find suitors for her daughter. It was sweet, but nothing to write home about. I did get hungry listening to this one ;) (Apparently there were nods to Pride and Prejudice, but since I've never read it they must've gone over my head.) I would give it an 8 out of 10.

• Mother, Nature by Jedidiah Jenkins - I have a friend who loves just about everything this author writes (and I've never read anything by him), so I added an alert on my Libby app to notify me any time any of his books become available. I got the ping for this book and thought I'd give it a try. This was an autobiographical story of the author and his mother taking a cross-country roadtrip. His parents actually walked from Louisiana to Oregon in the 70s (and became somewhat famous for the trek - writing books/ National Geographic articles/ etc about it), so Jedidiah and his mother decided to drive the route many years later. Along the way, the author wanted to have an important conversation with his mother - seeing as she believes him being gay is wrong/ sinful, would she ever attend a wedding between him and a man if that's the route his life takes him? I really enjoyed it - showing readers that even amid differences we can still choose love. I would give it an 8 out of 10.

• The Upside of Falling by Alex Light - This one popped up in the recommended section of my Hoopla app and I thought it looked sweet (spoiler alert - it was). It was a cutesy YA story filled with the fake dating trope. Becca, a quiet, book-loving senior, made an off-handed comment to a frenemy in the hallway that she did in fact have a boyfriend and, much to her surprise, the popular football captain, Brett, came to her rescue and jumped in to help her with the ruse. Of course things get complicated when feelings turn out to be more real than they first anticipated. It was a quick listen and made me smile, so I'll consider it a win. I would give it an 8 out of 10. 

• Dear Debbie by Freida McFadden - This one had a couple things going for it before I even downloaded it. First, it was in the recommended list on my Hoopla app, which hopefully bodes well for the book (I'm not sure it that list is curated from titles I've checked out in the past, because of readers' ratings, etc, but it's gotta come from somewhere good, right?!). Next, I have enjoyed a few of this author's books already, so was hoping my enjoyment would continue. Last but definitely not least, one of the narrators for the audiobook (there were three in total) is my all time fave (Julia Whalen). With that being said, the deck was stacked from the jump and I am stoked to report that it lived up to my hype. I really enjoyed this one. It was a mystery/ thriller, but not in the dark sense. Don't get me wrong, there may have been a murder or two thrown in there, but it seemed to be more about the suspense and intrigue than the killings. There were twists and turns along the way and I didn't see the majority of them coming. I guess you could say it was about a family - a stay-at-home mom, an overworked and underappreciated (at least at work) dad and two teen daughters. The mom had a small town advice column (hence the "Dear Debbie" title), but did a lot more than wrote in her spare time (don't worry - no spoilers here ;)). I was hooked and will pick up more books from this author soon. I would give it a 9 out of 10.

• Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz - I had seen a few friends mention this book, so I got in line at the local library and snagged it once it became available. I didn't know what it was about, and I'm actually glad I didn't because I probably wouldn't have picked it up had I known. I mean, robots aren't normally my thing, but this was a quick read (technically considered a novella, only about 150 pages) and it packed a punch in the limited space. This was set in the near future, in post-war San Francisco, where robots work as alternative labor. The story starts after a group of robots had been powered down for about 6 months, after their 'owners' left town, leaving them to rot in one of their defunct restaurants. The group try to open a hand-pulled noodle restaurant themselves, while having to battle hardships like negative online reviews, living in a world not built for them, societal prejudices, etc. Although the robots were hunks of metal, I found the story soft and heartwarming. The little crew captured my heart and made me want to join their community. I would give it a 9 out of 10.

• The Influencer by Adriane Leigh - This popped up on my Hoopla app as a Bonus Borrow, meaning it wouldn't count towards my downloads for the month. I had actually saved it in my 'for later' list a couple months back, so figured it was the perfect time to give it a try. It was supposed to be a psychological thriller, but for some reason I couldn't lose myself in the story. Maybe it was because I didn't really like the main character, so I wasn't rooting for her, I'm not really sure. I listened to it because I felt like I was committed, but I was sort of wish the ending would come sooner so I could get on to my next book. It looks like there are two more books in this series, but I doubt I'll be running out to pick them up any time soon. I would give it a 6 out of 10.

With that, March is done-zo. If you have suggestions, let me know! I'm always looking to add to my "must read" list! 

What's the best book you've read lately?