March Wrap Up (2022)

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And this month I'm quite happy with my reading progress. I've been trying to make up for that disasterous January for some time now, and this month I caught up! (Though I now have no unread books which makes me feel a little bit like a fish out of water, but more are on their way.) 

Anyway, this month I read a total of 6 books and I'm happy to say, I very much enjoyed all of them. 

I hope you enjoy this. 

1. Girls of Paper and Fire (Girls of Paper and Fire #1), by Natasha Ngan 

2. Girls of Shadow and Storm (Girls of Paper and Fire #2), Natasha Ngan 

3. Girls of Fate and Fury (Girls of Paper and Fire #3), by Natasha Ngan 

It was so wonderful to be able to fully re-emerge myself back into this story and this world. When Girls of Paper and Fire was released, it was all anybody was talking about. The second and third books didn't get quite as much traffic, but in my opinion they were just as blood- pumping, action filled, and overall just as fantastic as book one was. 

After fleeing the castle, Wren and Lei face the challenge of recruiting the most followed clans in the hope to raise an army and overthrow the king. I often find that when there isn't a clear premise, like in the first book, then I can't get as invested. That was true for book 2 the first time I picked this up, but re-reading it this time around, I'm so glad I took the time to give this a re-read because I actually found that I enjoyed it more than the first time around. 

As for Girls of Fate and Fury, such a well done finale. My heart was in my mind throughout, I was very happy with how it wrapped up and although I'm sad that the series is now finished, I honestly don't believe there is anything that was left unexplained. Very solid series. 

4. The Good Thieves, by Katherine Rundell 

After the intense fantasy series I'd just finished, I was in the mood for something funny and light-hearted and that's exactly what I got with this. After finding out that her grandfather had been made homeless by a scumbag salesman, Vita sets out, with a pick-pocket and members of the circus, to steal back a priceless emereld necklace that will allow her grandfather to buy back his home. Such a simple premise but what struck most about this book is that it's such a realistic premise, like it could happen to my grandad, or someone else's auntie or uncle. But despite that, this book still manages to be fun, engaging and really very, sweet, because of the relationships between Vita, her mother and her grandfather. Another wonderful Katherine Rundell read. 

5. Paperweight, by Meg Haston 

This book has been on my "Want to read" shelf for just under four years and a couple of months ago I bit the bullet and purchased a copy. 

I knew this was going to be a hard book to read, given that it's from the POV of a girl that's just been admitted into an eating clinic, but I wasn't expecting to be wincing from the first chapter. It has these staccato jolts that you don't expect, that leave no grey areas to Stevie's pain. You know when you have like a sick relation, and they make a joke about their illness that isn't funny? That's kind of what it feels like with those staccato moments. It's a harsh, realistic book about a girl in an institution, and it doesn't shy away from the hard topics. 

There are several triggers like suicide, murder, relationship trauma, manipulation, not to mention eating disorders, so if those themes are triggers for you I would advice you not to read this, but I put this on my "Want to read" for a reason. And I for one, am relieved to have finally read this. (3.5 stars.)

6. Still Alice, by Lisa Genova 

Another book thats been on my "Want to Read" shelf for the end of time. Also purchased a couple of months ago, and to be honest, even though this was my last unread book that I owned, I wasn't sure I wanted to read it (especially after Paperweight). But I'm so glad I did, in the end. 

If you didn't know, Still Alice is about Alice, a professor at Harvard, who is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease. Now, I feel like there's a spectrum of different emotions when reading a book, particularly sadness. I thought I was sad when I was reading Paperweright, and I was. But it was nothing compared to knowing that Alice was never going to get any better. That she was slowly, but surely going to decline until she didn't even know how to eat, or go to the toilet, or dress herself. 

This was heartbreaking- that was what I expected and that's exactly what I got. Solid four stars. 

Okay! So those are the books that I read this month! 

I hope you've had a wonderful reading month too and feel free to shout about what you've read in the comments! 

I hope you have a wonderful afternoon and I'll see you all soon for my April TBR (2022)! 

Byeeee! 

-Abi xxxxx