What a time to be alive, huh? March has got to be the oddest month in my living memory. It’s also been the most anxiety inducing month for me, with all the craziness happening around the world because of the pandemic and everyone being on lock down for the foreseeable. One would think that with all the time available to read because we’re stuck in our homes I managed to read a ton of books. But you’re wrong. I had major issues with concentrating, something I’m still struggling with, and only managed to read five books in March.
Here’s my monthly reading wrap up:
Under the Dome – Stephen King – 4/5
“Did you really think this would work?” Barbie asked.
“No, but I didn’t think I’d ever see a man on Mars, either, but the Russians sat they’re going to send a crew of four in 2020.”
Not going to lie, I didn’t expect to finish this. I do enjoy Kings writing but when I first started it, I was overwhelmed by the lack of progress it seemed I made each day, despite managing an average of 100 pages a day.
So the book follows the life of people living in Chester’s Mill, Maine, after their normal life is turned into chaos and a public rescue mission when an invisible “Dome” falls over the town and cuts everyone off from the rest of the world.
I really wish I marked every page where we lost a character! It was b r u t a l! For a moment I thought I was reading GoT đ
The pacing was relentless, leaving you wanting more at the end of each chapter. It’s impressive King kept the tension throughout this 877 monster, never taking his foot off the gas.
It’s a heavy book and difficult to pick up (literally!) but it’s equally impossible to put down.
Really liked this đ
The Beautiful Dead – Belinda Bauer – 5/5
The Beautiful Dead is full on from the very first page until the last. It made me chuckle, it made me anxious and roll my eyes, it made me sad and a bit emotional- it was just everything.
I felt particularly close to Eve’s and Duncan’s relationship, right from the start, and found many moments as if they were written off from my life. (No not the killings, calm down!)
I could’ve easily have inhaled this in one sitting if I’d had the time.
Cannot recommend enough.
Ps! Duncan.. what a legend! đđ
In a Dark Dark Wood – Ruth Ware – 4.5/5
Nora is a creature of habit. She likes to have a routine and as a writer, who works from home, she has planned her day to the finest details. She likes being in control. When an invitation to celebrate Claraâs, her best friend in school, Hen Doâs invitation pops into her emails, she struggles to understand why. They havenât seen nor spoken to each-other for ten years. Reservedly she accepts the invitation and this is where the story begins.
In a Dark Dark Wood follows 26-year-old Nora who is struggling to piece together what happened to her and her friends in the secluded âGlass Houseâ over the weekend at Clareâs Hen Party, after something went very wrong. Very -very wrong.
This is only my second Ware book, but I really like how easy her writing is to read. She definitely tried to build a tense and eerie atmosphere in the secluded setting, which she pulled off with ease. Whatâs more scary than no mobile reception in the middle of no-where and something going awry.
I was certainly biting my nails throughout. I was wondering at the end of each chapter if Nora is actually telling me the truth or not. (Loved this!)
My opinion and theories changed, as fast as the pages turned and before I knew it the book was finished.
The culmination was slightly underwhelming for me. I didnât quite understand how the police went from thinking one thing to another, which I donât think was well explained. Iâm really not sure why Ware chose that particular character to be the âbad guyâ.
However, the ending didnât ruin the book, nor take away from my overall enjoyment. I would definitely recommend if youâre after a fast paced, tense and thrilling whodunnit/thriller with a slightly unreliable main character.
Tatiana & Alexander – Paullina Simons – 5/5
Tatiana and Alexander is the sequel to One of my favourite Historic Fiction/Romance (perhaps of all time!) – The Bronze Horseman.
Our main protagonists have to fight for their love in the midst of horrors that was WWII and not even death can keep those two apart.
War, battle, hardship, prison, ocean and love like no other– it is an ingredible follow-up to its predecessor and I cannot recommend it enough.. I will say I was incredibly frustrated in the last 100 or so pages, because I just couldn’t fathom their choices of action, but it’s a 5 out of 5 nevertheless.
Ps! I would also say that some parts of the book have low undertones of 50 Shades (minus the actual bondage and cringe), but it’s not the leading storyline and this book is so much more.
I cannot wait to read the final book The Summer Garden to see what happens next!
Small Great Things – Jodi Picoult – 3.5/5
I finished this a few days ago, but I’m still struggling to form my thoughts about it. Picoult is known to be really quite controversial and Small Great Things is another example. I’m not sure how I feel about the execution. I mean I liked the book overall, I really did, but the ending was just.. what?!
I think I will eventually be able to sit down to try put my thoughts down, the book deserves more than just a few lines of “meh, not sure”; it’s a difficult subject and I’m just not in the the right mindset to be able to get into it, or rather be able to express my thoughts fairly.
I’d recommend it, but suggest to go into it with an open mind.
The Ten Thousand Doors of January – Alix. E. Harrow – DNF
Another one of my 2020 Reading Challenge that I just couldn’t get in to. Perhaps it’s just not the right time for it, or I was a little bored? Probably the latter actually, the more I think about it. But the cover is GORGEOUS! Keeping it!
