Not to be that person, but where did March go!? It went by in the blink of an eye. I was in a reading slump during the first half of the month due to being busier than expected, but I'm happy to report that the slump has been busted! For the most part, I enjoyed everything I read this month.Â
Being back home in a routine coupled with cutting back on our TV time this month yielded many cozy nights on the couch with a good book during the back half of the month, which absolutely delighted me.Â
I followed my reading intuition, caught up on a few ARCs on my Kindle, and even had a few "can't put it down" reading experiences. Here are the nine books I read this month and some brief thoughts on them.
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Brutes by Dizz Tate | Literary fiction | It was okay
This is a wild fever dream of a novel. The beginning half is pretty straightforward; I liked how Tate alternated the chapters from different characters' perspectives with flashbacks to a summer from their youth when a girl in their town, the pastor’s daughter, disappeared. But the back half of this book gets wild! I wasn't sure what was going on in some scenes. I saw it compared to Bunny by Mona Awad, and that's an apt comparison. I do not often find myself googling "ending of X explained," but I did for this book.Â
Greta & Valdin by Rebecca K Reilly | Literary fiction | Really liked it
This book made me laugh out loud so much! It is so clever and warm. It's told from the alternating perspectives of Greta and Valdin over a few months. Through their perspectives, we learn about them, their extended family, and other close relationships that come and go from their lives. The comparison to Schitt's Creek and Royal Tenenbaums is spot on, and I was blown away by how funny and smart this novel is. Readers of Elizabeth McKenzie will enjoy this quirky family drama.
Weekends with You by Alexandra Paige (out on April 9) | Romance | Liked it
What a sweet rom-com! Lucy is a florist living in London when she meets Henry, a traveling photographer, and they become studio/flatmates. They share a warehouse space with several other young creatives and, once a month, plan a weekend together. Each chapter details that month's "Warehouse Weekend," and Henry and Lucy come together to find out if what they have is more than just friends. I loved the big cast of characters, the London setting, and the flower shop. Overall, this was a warm and lighthearted story perfect for Beth O'Leary and Josie Silver fans. It also reminded me of Lease on Love by Fallon Ballard.
The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden (out on May 28) | Literary fiction | Loved it
I loved this quiet novel about two women, Isabel and Eva, living in a house in the Dutch countryside in the 1960s. I loved the tension and atmosphere in this book and was intrigued to see where van der Wouden was taking the story until the end. I most loved the descriptions of the house and the surrounding nature. Isabel's interior life was also interesting, and I loved how her relationship with Eva unfolded in the three distinct parts of the book. Readers of Claire Fuller will find lots to love in this one!
Kala by Colin Walsh | Literary fiction | Loved it
I was entranced by this literary mystery about three 30-something friends who have returned to their hometown on the west coast of Ireland. As they come together for the weekend, a break in the case of their friend's disappearance from 15 years ago happens. The story alternates between the present day and the past, so we get insights into the friendship of these teenagers and what happened. We also learn about the town and some of the families in it. I found this one well-paced, stylish, and intriguing until the final twists.
Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle | Romance | Liked it
Serle's signature touch of magic is ever present in this romance about Daphne, who receives a slip of paper with an amount of time each time she meets someone she will date. This has allowed her to take a backseat to her dating life and let life happen to her rather than live fully. I enjoyed this breezy read and its strong sense of place being set in LA. I would have liked to see more depth from Daphne's family and friends; it would have made the story even richer.
Open Throat by Henry Hoke | Literary fiction | Loved it
This will be one of my favorite books of the year! This slim novel is told from the perspective of a mountain lion living in the hills of LA who is forced closer to civilization by a wildfire. Hoke's writing invokes such a sense of place and character. It was equal parts funny (a mountain lion saying, "a therapist is something I want" after overhearing hikers talk about their therapist experience...) and sad (it does, after all, deal with the detrimental effects that humans have on nature). I thought this novel was deeply creative, funny, sad, and so unique. I will be recommending it to everyone!
Go as a River by Shelley Read | Historical fiction | Liked it
I was impressed by this debut novel about a woman in Colorado in the 1940s who gets pregnant and must make some hard decisions. What stood out most to me in this book was Read's descriptions of nature; much like Where the Crawdads Sing, the setting is its own character. It's a novel told over a few decades and will definitely tug at your heartstrings (maybe too much at moments?), and I found that I couldn't stop reading once I started.Â
The Other Side of Disappearing by Kate Clayborn | Romance | Really liked it
This book solidified the fact that I must read more Kate Clayborn! After enjoying Georgie, All Along last year, I was excited to see another new release from Clayborn this year. This one felt different in tone. It delves into the mysterious disappearance of a mother, so it feels heavier rather than funny. But Jess and Adam were such real characters that I found easy to root for, and the storyline involving the podcast that brought them together felt really fresh to me. I really enjoyed it!
Have you read any of these? What was your favorite read this month? I’d love to hear in the comments!
Some incredible recommends in here thank you! 🤩
I’ve wanted to read Kala for so long! It’s that Irish charm we love 🤣 I’m glad you enjoyed it - that and Open Throat will be read by me asap x
I also was in a reading slump at the beginning of this month and managed to turn it round and read 9 books - how funny!?