10 books, a lockdown, an affinity for hummus and a change in weather – that’s about all I have to report for March because damn, that month just disappeared. While there weren’t too many highlights for the month, I did fly through 10 solid books.
Notable mentions:
Pet by Akwaeke Emezi ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (more like 4.5 stars)
Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (more like 4.5 stars)
The Familiar Dark by Amy Engel ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (more like 4.5 stars)
The Grace Year by Kim Liggett ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(more like 3.75 stars)
Need some more inspo? Check out our reading corner for other ideas and book reviews.
Dear Girls by Ali Wong
Non-fiction, autobiography, celebrity memoir
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ali Wong’s heartfelt and hilarious letters to her daughters (the two she put to work while they were still in utero), covering everything they need to know in life, like the unpleasant details of dating, how to be a working mom in a male-dominated profession, and how she trapped their dad.
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My thoughts
This is such a fun and entertaining read that any fan of Ali Wong will love.
A strong woman who doesn’t shy away from the not so shiny parts of her life, Ali has penned a beautiful (and utterly filthy) letter to her daughters. Whether she’s discussing her family, detailing embarrassing moments of her sex life or talking about how she fell in love with her husband, every story is told with an equal amount of comedy and heart. I really enjoyed hearing about her rise in the comedy world and listening to her talk about her dad with such affection.
Do yourself a favour and grab the audiobook.
Also, her husbands afterword nearly made me shed a tear at my desk – it’s sweet AF.
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
Fiction, contemporary and romance
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Lucy Hutton has always been certain that the nice girl can get the corner office. She’s charming and accommodating and prides herself on being loved by everyone at Bexley & Gamin. Everyone except for coldly efficient, impeccably attired, physically intimidating Joshua Templeman. And the feeling is mutual.
Trapped in a shared office together 40 (OK, 50 or 60) hours a week, they’ve become entrenched in an addictive, ridiculous never-ending game of one-upmanship. Lucy can’t let Joshua beat her at anything—especially when a huge new promotion goes up for the taking.
If Lucy wins this game, she’ll be Joshua’s boss. If she loses, she’ll resign. So why is she suddenly having steamy dreams about Joshua, and dressing for work like she’s got a hot date?
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My thoughts
Soon to be a movie, The Hating Game is a cute AF romance that will give you all the feels.
While the book as a whole doesn’t add anything new to the genre, the hate-to-love romance is slow, quirky and full of embarrassing moments – all of which add to the enjoyment of the book.
This was my first novel by Sally Thorne and it definitely won’t be the last. Her writing style is fantastic and I loved the little ways she fleshed out each character.
Definitely a solid weekend read.
Shadow and Bone (Series) by Leigh Bardugo
Fiction, young-adult and fantasy
- Shadow and Bone ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(more like 3.75 stars)
- Seige and Storm ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Ruin and Rising ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (more like 4.5 stars)
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My thoughts
I wasn’t planning on picking this up until I stumbled upon the trailer for the Netflix adaptation but damn, I’ve been sleeping on Leigh Bardugo!
A dark, magical and fast-paced read, the books go from strength to strength as we follow our heroine Alina as she tries to save the world (of course!).
Combining all of my favourite high-fantasy tropes, the Shadow and Bone series is a thrill-ride from start to end.
Excited to check out the series when it hits Netflix 23 April 2021.
The Guest List by Lucy Foley
Fiction, thriller, suspense
⭐️⭐️⭐️
On an island off the coast of Ireland, guests gather to celebrate two people joining their lives together as one. The groom: handsome and charming, a rising television star. The bride: smart and ambitious, a magazine publisher. It’s a wedding for a magazine, or for a celebrity: the designer dress, the remote location, the luxe party favors, the boutique whiskey. The cell phone service may be spotty and the waves may be rough, but every detail has been expertly planned and will be expertly executed.
But perfection is for plans, and people are all too human. As the champagne is popped and the festivities begin, resentments and petty jealousies begin to mingle with the reminiscences and well wishes. The groomsmen begin the drinking game from their school days. The bridesmaid not-so-accidentally ruins her dress. The bride’s oldest (male) friend gives an uncomfortably caring toast.
And then someone turns up dead. Who didn’t wish the happy couple well? And perhaps more important, why?
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My thoughts
A slow burn thriller, I thought The Guest List was an interesting but fairly predictable read. The dual perspective chapters were great for establishing the characters more deeply but I felt like they drew the twists out unnecessarily. Speaking of the twists, boy are there a lot of them, each of them as heartbreaking as the last. The reveals are slow and don’t start happening until the last 20% of the book but once they start hitting, it puts a lot of the wider story in context.
With an eerie island backdrop, The Guest List is a good addition to the thriller genre and would be the perfect entry-point for anyone wanting to dive into a murder mystery.
Written by Monique Renee
Usually barefoot and deep in wanderlust mode, Mon loves binging Netflix, cuddling babies and stalking through Instagram looking for boho decor inspo and hotties with man buns. You’ll usually find her on holiday, planning a holiday or thinking about holidays.
Favourite Instagram to follow: @the_female_lead
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