If it weren’t for lovely (tiny) middle-grade reads like some of the ones on this list, I absolutely would not have read as many books as I did this month (though the number may still be minuscule to some, which is fair). This month featured a slumpy few weeks for me, and I didn’t finish all the books I wanted to (I keep procrastinating reading Siege and Storm, and without any real good reason). On a scale of enjoyment, it was alright, though it could be better. I was a tad disappointed in a couple but quite liked a few others.
Poison for Breakfast by Lemony Snicket
This sliver of a novel is about both everything and nothing all at once, brought to life by Snicket’s bewildering and enticing pen. The brevity serves it, and it’s quite a nice dollop of existentialism for a middle-grade read (I blame his work entirely for my chronic melancholy, but as much as I blame, I also thank). If you’re not a fan of Snicket’s mildly facetious tone and wandering prose, then this probably won’t be for you, but if you come into it with an open mind, you may enjoy it. While not as deeply woven and consuming as ASoUE, it’s a nice escape nonetheless. (4 stars.)
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
I meant to finish this one in February since it was the pick of that month for a Goodreads group I’m a part of “Everyone Has Read This But Me“, but it was a bit long and slow for my taste, so it took me quite a while to finish (though I’m glad I finally got around to completing it). Despite this book not wowing me necessarily, I don’t have anything particularly bad to say about it. I reviewed it here, and it was only one of two posts that I got in this month before sliding into a reading slump. I don’t mean to fault this book, but I think the slow pace wore me out and eased me into a decrease in reading. (Dropped from 3.5 to 3 stars.)
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Somehow, this 189-page book took me two and a half weeks to finish — which is kind of impressive for me, in all honesty. I used to regularly spend months on a novel before completing it. Despite my general habits, I did hope to read this one in only a couple of sittings, but it ended up dragging out for longer than I expected. I’ve seen the movie adaptation a few times, and I was hoping that wouldn’t interfere with my opinion on the book. Since finishing it, I’ll say that despite the two pieces of media involving the same elements and sequential factors, the tones are immensely different and almost incomparable. Out of the two, I’m a little disappointed to say I think I prefer the movie. The prose is far more straightforward than I had expected, but I know the originality is noteworthy and only seems less so because of my familiarity with the film. (3 stars.)
Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater (The Raven Cycle, #3)
Since discovering the audiobooks for this series on Spotify, I’ve experienced them in that format (though I’ve since purchased used paperbacks from eBay for each of them!) which has enabled me to do various crafts while absorbing the story. I’ve worked on a cross-stitch project featuring a mason jar of wildflowers (my brother says I’m eighteen going on eighty, and I think he may be right), and though I messed up the outlining of the stitches, this did not detract from my enjoyment of the book. I posted a review/book talk of this one, marking my second post of the month, which you can find here. At the end of the audiobook, a mix of the song featured in the story is played, and it has been in my head ever since, along with the characters and plot developments within those pages (or Spotify tracks?). (4 stars.)
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
This may have been my favorite read of the month (this, or perhaps Blue Lily, Lily Blue); I’m glad I finally got around to it! It got me thinking about the way I view opportunities and regrets, and in a fairly hopeful way at that, which was nice. It also prompted a review involving discussion on how a book doesn’t require objective quality to be “good” (you can find that review here!), and the phenomenon of fake deep books (this term is used with much affection). I went into this without many expectations because, despite its popularity, I’ve also heard less than stellar perspectives. Of all my reads this month, though, this was one I was more pleased with. (4 stars.)
Books Completed: 5
Average Rating: 3.6 stars
Most Read Genre: Magical Realism
Top Intended Audience: Middle Grade & Adult
I was hoping to enjoy a few of these a bit more (The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and Coraline, namely) but was glad to have picked up the rest. Hopefully, April will be a better reading month for me, because I have quite a list accumulated of books to read next.
What books did you read in March? What were your favorites and/or least favorites? Have you read any of the books I mentioned in this post? Did you like them? Why, or why not? I’d love to hear your thoughts below!
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