March Wrap Up
Last month had been full of ups and downs when it came to reading but I loved every part of it. I was consistently productive to the point where I didn’t feel proud anymore when I accomplished something. That had become my everyday life.
February wasn’t the best month for me because I had read 0 books in total but I wanted to redeem myself in March. To do that, I decided that I needed to read what I was currently craving. It was back then that I really wanted to read romance novels and anything that reminded me of summer.
And so I started reading books I wanted to read for the past few years and never got the chance to. I prioritized my personal taste rather than the books other people wanted me to read.
It also helped that I had my Instagram followers vote which books I should read next (those books all being what I was craving at the time).
So, without further ado, let’s get into the list of books I’ve read in March.
1. TO ALL THE BOYS I’VE LOVED BEFORE by Jenny Han
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RATING: 4/5 stars
Review: I started March off with To All The Boy I’ve Loved Before. I’ve watched the movie before reading it despite the fact that I’ve had this book on my bookshelf for a couple of years. I was pleasantly surprised and how much the movie stayed true to the book and found myself enjoying the characters.
In the book, Lara Jean writes love letters when she has a crush in order to help her either move on or deal with her emotions. She doesn’t send them but keeps them in a box that her sister later discovers and makes sure the letters get out to its recipients.
I loved Lara Jean and how different she was. Such a sweetheart, living in her own world. I liked her far more than I did her sisters – I thought both of them were quite annoying. Margot was entitled and Kitty was annoying.
There were moments I didn’t like Peter either (I thought the Peter from the movie was less rude). But there was still something about him I found likable and wanted for him to be happy. The dynamic or Peter and Lara Jean just worked.
I always liked Jenny Han’s writing – she focuses more on the characters and their thoughts rather than diving into unnecessary setting of the background, going on about the details of people’s shirts and every single thing about their face. She really has a way of writing that makes you think you’re the main character because you’re so focused on the main character’s emotions and thoughts – making the book more personal.
I think that’s also what makes her books such easy reads. Her characters are light and funny, their internal monologues make me smile and give characters such as Lara Jean a voice of their own.
2. THE PRINCESS SAVES HERSELF IN THIS ONE by Amanda Lovelace
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Rating: 3/5 stars
Review: The lower rating is because I never liked poetry. I just can’t immerse myself in it like some people seem to. But I liked it. I thought it was emotional, empowering and something every woman should read.
3. UNFILTERED: NO SHAME, NO REGRETS, JUST ME by Lily Collins
Rating: 5/5 stars
Review: This book is so beautifully written and wonderful. I was deeply touched by everything Lily shared in this book. She has a really special way with words that’s endearing and rare. Such talent is so refreshing to come by and I now love her even more. Such a positive, incredible soul.
Definitely recommend this book to everyone!
4. THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER by C. S. Lewis
Rating: 4/5 stars
Review: This is my favorite book when it comes to Narnia. I watched the movie way before I read the book and fell in love with the story they portrayed on the screen. When reading this book, however, I found that it’s just as enjoyable to read because it’s different from the movie but the same in a lot of aspects. It’s a fun read for anyone who loves Narnia.
5. IT’S NOT SUMMER WITHOUT YOU by Jenny Han
Rating: 5/5 stars
Review: My third 5-star rating this year. After my taste had changed drastically and I swore I could not bear reading this book (ever), I decided to give it a second chance – the first chance being about two years ago. But I’m glad I put the book down and waited to be in the right mindset to read it and truly understand the greatness of it.
This book is such a beautiful read that touched hidden parts of my soul. I cried several times and related to Belly, understanding why she reacted the way she did and loving her flawed personality. Some people may think she’s selfish but that’s what makes her so realistic. And unlike in the first book, her selfishness is mostly rooted in the grief (both when it comes to Susannah and the loss of her love).
What makes Belly different from Conrad is that she is a loyal friend even when those people don’t deserve it. Sure, she wasn’t perfect herself but Conrad did screw things up and was horrible to Belly, expecting her to keep coming back to him. I loved him in the first book but this book just made me love Jeremiah more. There’s no excuse for being a dick.
Jeremiah is the exact opposite from Conrad. He didn’t shut down but instead stepped up and that’s why he’s so likable. He always does the right thing and doesn’t think of only himself. While a part of me still strongly prefers Conrad over him, I do hope that he’s the one Belly chooses. She deserves better.
Jenny Han never disappoints. She created a light summer story and turned it into a touching read that made me cry several times. I felt the pain the characters felt because the book is so nicely written. Many would argue that the story isn’t perfect and while I would 100% agree two years ago, I do think that it’s written exactly how it should be. Every person deals with grief differently and each of these characters had their own ways of coping. I wouldn’t change a single detail, a single thing that was said or a single character. I loved the overreactions because flawed characters = relatable characters.
All in all, I did very much love this book despite dropping it. I guess we all have to read certain books in their own time, when we’re ready to truly feel them.
6. THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE by Shirley Jackson
Rating: 2/5 stars
Review: I expected a lot more from this book. I didn’t feel any particular attachment to the characters or their stories and felt like the entire plot could have been explored more, with added horror scenes that would make the reader truly terrified.
Having watched the show prior to reading this book, I prefer the drastic changes they made because that made the entire story more enjoyable.
I think that it was all in all very nicely written and that the author’s talent really shone through. This book might not have been my cup of tea but I surely won’t discourage anyone who might want to give it a chance.
7. CRAZY RICH ASIANS by Kevin Kwan
Rating: 5/5 stars
Review: This book was fantastic from beginning to end! The author’s portrayal of all sorts of characters was intriguing and skillful. I loved Rachel, Astrid and Nick. Even the villains in this story were so well-written and didn’t seem 2 dimensional at all.
They say that the devil is in the details and this book is the perfect example of that. Not only is the general writing style of the author such a delight to read but it fills me with envy. I only wish to be able to create such stories myself one day. Every character has its own agenda and a set of likes and dislikes. Every family has a history and it’s never repetitive. To some, this book might feel like Game of Thrones, where you sometimes can’t remember which character was which, but I found it easy to immerse myself and keep track of everyone.
I love the Asian culture and so reading this book was a delight. It was just what I had been craving for and thought it was a very cute romance story with lots of scheming to keep it interesting. I thought the characters were stable in their way, meaning that the author never strayed away from how they were introduced and kept up with their stories. It’s all hard to explain but I am very much in love with this book. Will definitely be reading on.
8. P. S. I STILL LOVE YOU by Jenny Han
Rating: 4/5 stars
Review: My honest review is that I do not ship this ship at all. I think it’s toxic and I don’t approve of Peter’s behavior. He needs to get his shit together and stop lying to Lara Jean. She needs to have a guy who will put a bit more effort to make her happy. Peter’s just there and does the bare minimal. And I guess Lara Jean does the same.
I loved the story Jenny Han wrote and the direction she took it in with the games and the old childhood memories. This book was such a pleasure to read (don’t really mind my frustrations, they don’t reflect badly on the book or its rating as they’re very subjective). I think all good books make the reader feel something and that’s how they know how invested they were in the story as well as its characters.
I need to read the next book and I hope Peter does something to redeem himself because I’m far far less forgiving than Lara Jean.
9. ELEANOR & PARK by Rainbow Rowell
Rating: 4/5 stars
Review: It’s always hard to read a story when abuse or bullying is involved. I found myself wanting to reach out to Eleanor and give her a massive hug, feeling deeply for her as if I were her mother. I know that victims of abuse shouldn’t be blamed for being scared to leave and thinking the kids would be better off if they stayed. It’s what’s been manipulated into their minds, thinking that they’ll never be anything without the person who took their strength and power away in the first place. The abuser always overpowers the victims. I just wish her mother didn’t knowingly let her husband secretly look at her daughter and still take his side.
It’s hard because stories like these rarely have good endings. And I just so desperately wish the main characters would ride off into the sunset and be happy. I wish that there were no men or women abusing their children or their partners. I wish things like alcohol, drugs or guns didn’t exist. I wish every person was only worried about what they were going to eat for dinner or cry about their nails being broken. I wish that the true horror of the world didn’t exist and that nobody else walked around, turning a blind eye to it all. You can always do something. Anything. Even if it’s just to say a kind word.
I know…. I usually talk about the book more but its contents are what touched me emotionally so that I cannot think clearly and much like my mind, my eyes aren’t clear either. Books like these are hard to forget because they just remind you of the cold, hard truth. There is still evil in this world and we don’t appreciate the friendships, the love and everything light and bright that exists between us.
10. ALWAYS & FOREVER, LARA JEAN by Jenny Han
Rating: 3/5 stars
Review: It really is the end of a very cute story and I can’t help but feel sad that it’s over. I have grown to care so much about the characters. I found Lara Jean’s sentimentality endearing and I’m not going to lie that Peter did redeem himself a little bit.
I did think that I felt Jenny Han rambled at times about things that didn’t matter – even thought that pretty much sums up Lara Jean’s character. I also thought this book wasn’t as enjoyable as the other ones simply because we were always reminded that this was the end. I also thought the first half of the book was a bit boring and didn’t care much about it.
I liked reading the book but felt like something was missing and maybe that was Genevieve or Lucas or other original characters.
I’m glad I finished this trilogy though. Definitely deserves a spot on my bookshelf.
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Thank you so much for staying with me and catching up on all the reading I did. How many books did you read in March? Let me know in the comments below.
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