March Wrap Up (2021)

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And tonight I'm back with my March Wrap Up! 

After only reading 4 books (even though they were significantly larger than usual) I'd like to say I definitely redeemed myself this month, because I read a total of 10 books! 

Enjoy! 

1. The FlatShare, by Beth O' Leary 

I was gifted this for Valentine's Day and unfortunately wasn't able to get to in February. Naturally it was rolled over to this month. This book is about two people that share a flat- but have never met. Leon is a nurse, taking the night shifts, which means that Tiffany has the run of the flat in the evenings. But between crazy exes, about a million notes and wrongly imprisoned brothers, they have plenty to be getting on with. I honestly didn't enjoy reading from one perspective other the other. Both were engaging, entertaining and enthralling by themselves, but together they told an amazing tale of two people sharing a flat, finally meeting, (which was exciting in itself) and eventually turning into something else. This was a book that was sweet, funny at times, realistic tale and I can't wait to read more of Beth's books in the future. 

2. The Switch, by Beth O' Leary 

This is a high-wired, extremely energetic book about a twenty-something girl, completely switching lives with her pushing-eightees grandmother. They switch phones, houses, responsibilities, everything, and this book genuinely makes me want to try something similar. It's such a breath of fresh air, because I honestly don't think many people my age would be able to attempt something like this today. I loved how the two women switched lives, but still seemed presently there by the people around them. The book did have some more serious subjects, as most fiction novels do, and although they weren't the main focus, they certainly contributed towards the story. The Switch was a well-balanced, enjoyable read that I'd love to read again soon. 

3. My Dark Vanessa, by Kate Elizabeth Russell

I have a review for this if you want to see my in-depth thoughts, but here's my general impression. 

For a debut novel, this sure was ambitious, complicated, brilliant, hard to decipher. You name it, it was everything a good book can be. Though is it wrong to call it good when it's main theme is abuse? Even I'm trying to figure that out. My Dark Vanessa follows, well Vanessa, from two points in her life: when she's 15, and decades later, when the teacher she had a secret relationship is accused of sexually assaulting a student. This is incescently graphic, so I recommend taking a think about whether this book is for you before picking it up if you have any triggers about rape, abuse, manipulation, just to name a few. Such a raw book. 

4. The Falling in Love Montage, by Ciara Smyth 

This has been the best YA romance/contemporary I've read this year. Although it isn't the best of all time, I'm glad I read it when I did. It was the relief I needed after My Dark Vanessa, and although I wish the characters had been more in-depth, I got enough of their characters, to love them as a couple and want this book to have a happy ending for them. Aside from that, it was the source I needed to want to seek out all the greatest rom-coms! 

5. We Are Okay, by Nina LaCour 

Short and heartfelt, I knew I needed to be in the right mindset to pick this up. I didn't know if I was, to tell the truth, but I wanted to pick this up, and I did. Honestly, the length was the best part for me. It didn't feel too long or too short, it felt just right. This felt like a theraputic book for me to read, it's about a girl called Marin who ran away to college following the death of her grandfather, processing everything she's supressed in the three months since she left home. There are some sensitive themes surrounding this book, but if you feel you can handle those kinds of themes, I'd recommend giving this a try. 

6. Girl A. by Abigail Dean 

Unfortunately, this just didn't gel well with me. It if had been any longer, I most likely would have been in danger of DNF'ing it. I was expecting something similar to My Dark Vanessa, and although it was similar in a lot of ways to that book, I failed to be drawn in by the characters' inner monologues. The font was large, the page count was short, and although I relatively liked some of the characters, I just didn't feel engaged at all, for a good portion of the novel. I hate to post a negative review, especially as most people who read this tend to take away so much from it, but I just wasn't able to take away the same. This will undoubtedly be on my unhaul pile soon.

7. Romanov, by Nadine Brandes

I do have a review linked to the title, so if you want to, you can see all my in-depth thoughts there. But in short, I thoroughly enjoyed this. A little clasp of magic sprinkled in; violence, hardship, the love a family can have for eachother, romance, and war, are just a few of the themes that are included in this tale about the Romanov family- this is a retelling of Anastacia, the Pixar classic. I love these kinds of books, the ones that make me curious enough to go and research the actual historical events, to find out 1) how accurate the story is, and 2) what kind of history would eventually lead to a book this magic. After devouring this book in approximately 3 days, I'm eager for more books about the Romanov family and/or any other books that have been written by Nadine Brandes. Anybody know of any? Comment down below.

8. Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson #1), by Rick Riorda. 

9. Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson #2), by Rick Riordan 

10. Percy Jackson and the Titan's Curse (Percy Jackson #3), by Rick Riordan 

When I had a week left in the month and having finished what I'd put on my monthly TBR, I knew I wanted to start what would be the second series on my 2021 TBR. The Percy Jackson series. Because, if I wanted to get caught up with all the Rick Riordan series', I knew I'd have to start at the beginning. Now, with only one book standing before me until the finale, I'm so glad I did. Amazing, fleshed out characters, tempremental gods, fast-paced adventures and friendships that I think will last a lifetime (if they don't die fighting some huge uprising), I'm thoroughly enjoying this series so far. I'm severely anxious for these characters, especially as they're all so young, they seem like babies to me, but I'm rooting for them so much, I can't believe how attached I've become to these characters! Loving this series so far! 

Okay! That's my March Wrap Up (2021)! I hope you enjoyed it, and feel free to comment what you read in the comments, so we can talk about it! 

I hope you have a wonderful evening, and I'll see you all soon with my April TBR (2021)! 

Byeeeee! 

-Abi xxxxx