March was a bit better in terms of refreshing books that made me feel stoked to wake up the next day and dive back in. I love that feeling!

1. I Might Be in Trouble by Daniel Aleman

This was pretty funny – a struggling writer gets himself in a pickle and with the help of his hilariously sassy agent, this turns into some bizarre Weekend at Bernie’s type of scramble. I had fun reading this one and would be interested in reading more from this guy!

2. The Wedding People by Alison Espach

I did not enjoy another book I had recently read by this author but several of my friends had raved about her newest one; I succumbed to peer pressure as one does. And thank god because this was FANTASTIC. I went into it knowing NOTHING about the synopsis and I think that is best so I will let you click the Goodreads link up there if you really want to know. But the reason I gave this a 4.5 is simple: THE CHARACTERS POPPED OFF THE PAGE. I wanted so badly to be there with them. Quirky, heartwarming without being corny, a REALISTIC ENDING. I loved every page of this book and I think it will be sticking with me for quite some time. Definitely recommend!

3. Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister

I gave this thriller a 3 but only because her other books were better, IMO. The author describes it as “a love story set in a hostage situation.” OK, sure. It was definitely a unique plot but I couldn’t connect. Basically, this broad wakes up and her husband is gone and then she finds out he has a bunch of people held hostage in a warehouse and then escapes the police. I did enjoy it, you just really have to suspend disbelief.

4. The Author’s Guide to Murder by Beatriz Williams

Corny. Next.

5. Butter by Asako Yuzuki

Usually, Japanese novels about murder really do it for me, but this one made me feel like I was reading something for a Feminism elective in community college. I could barely get through it, even after switching to audio. The blurb is “The cult Japanese bestseller about a female gourmet cook and serial killer and the journalist intent on cracking her case, inspired by a true story.” Sounds intriguing!! Sadly, not for me, fam.

6. Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley

If you love music like I love music, especially in the snobby sense, then you will love this. I lowkey didn’t like the protagonist, Percy, but it somehow didn’t deter from the actual reading experience for me.

7. Guillotine by Delilah S. Dawson

I needed an audiobook for my daily walks and this one caught my eye on Hoopla. It was fast-paced and a fun read. The Goodreads blurb says “The Menu meets Ready of Not” and I fully endorse this summary.

8. The English Teacher by Lily King

My third (?) Lily King novel. I REALLY like her writing. Her characters always feel like real people to me, too, going through actual hardships. The protagonist here is not very likable on purpose but you understand why she is the way she is because King has written her character so exquisitely. I really can’t say enough good things about Lily King.

9. The Favorites by Layne Fargo

The fact that I couldn’t even remember what this was right away….lol. I thought it was fine, it kept my attention even though I’m not necessarily a figure skate aficionado. It did kind of feel like a dollar store version of a Taylor Jenkins Reid book though in that it’s written in both story-form and through interviews / news reports. I would say pick up Carrie Soto Is Back by Reid instead if you’re into dramatic female-fronted sports comeback stories. This one kind of fell flat for me – for a while there I was certain that there was some underlying murder that was going to rear its head and flip the narrative but nope. It didn’t really feel like there was much of a pay-off here.

10. I Want to Die But I Want to Eat Tteokbokki by Baek Se-hee

Hashtag relatable. This wasn’t an entertaining book by any means, it was very clinical and dry, but holy shit I felt like it was written about me. Also, same bestie – tteokbokki gives me the will to keep on keepin’ on, too.

11. Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney

Two fuckin’ stars. Alice Feeney, you failed me again. I swear, she gave me one solid 5-star with Daisy Darker and everything else has been swill in a barrel.

This was so stupid, unreal, preposterous, no tension. The best part was the dog!!!

12. The Haar by David Sodergren

Yes. YES! A solid, sick, gory, horror story but also one that was full of love and life. Sentimental horror. I had this on audio and was almost done with it when we took Chooch back to Philly after spring break and I just couldn’t wait any longer so I asked Henry if he minded if I put it on in the car (I didn’t have my headphones) – lol like it really mattered to me if he minded or not. Anyway, he was like, “WHAT is this??” after quietly listening about a sea blob thing devouring shitty men in very explicit detail. But this just felt like a love story to me more than anything and I was so there for it.

13. This Book Will Bury Me by Ashley Winstead

Winstead’s debut novel was such a solid 5 for me and then everything after was shit (IMO, anyway). But this one finally brought me back on board. College student becomes obsessed with a true crime message board after the death (natural causes, not murder) of her father. I gave this 4 stars for the entertainment value – it was a page-turner – but it still had a lot of faults like being obviously based on the recent U.of Idaho murders. I did enjoy the found family aspect, but unless I’m missing something, I didn’t really care much for the parts that circled back to her dead dad.

Actually, now that I’m revisiting this from a distance, I’m realizing that there were many flaws but this was STILL better than her other post-In My Dreams I Hold a Knife novels. I think I would still recommend it. I’m tired, lol.

And that’s it for March! I’m so great at talking about books! Invite me to your book club! :/