Reading Log: March to April
Updated: Oct 22, 2021
Hi friends!
I took last week off from the blog for multiple reasons but we’re back at it this week.
Today I’m recapping the books I read in March and April. It was a combination of new reads, re-reads, and sequels I’ve been waiting ages for (read: about year or so 😂). I started a few new series that have been on my list for a while and I’m excited to walk you through them.
MARCH
L’etranger | Albert Camus| Classic French Literature | You may or may not know that I’ve been trying to learn/re-learn French for the past 10 months or so through Duolingo and I thought reading a book in full French was the next step. Though the book is an easy read, the themes and subject matter of this story were heavier. Camus is an incredible writer with a brilliant insight into human philosophy and psychology.
Deadly Education | Naomi Novik | YA Fantasy | Harry Potter but make it Dark Academia. I was pulled in by the concept of this magical boarding school that is out to get you, quite literally. The world building and pacing was a tad bit slow but I’m curious about the world and where the story will go.
Dream Big | Bob Goff | Non-Fiction | This book came at the perfect time in my life. It is both encouraging and inspiring but at times feels targeted towards a more extroverted/bold/outgoing audience. Overall a good book and I’m glad I read it.
Wildcard (Warcross #2) | Marie Lu | YA Science Fiction | A wonderful ending to the Warcross duology. This book was a wild and fun ride. The characters and plot were so brilliantly written and I badly want a movie or TV show of this story.
Legend (Legend Series #1) | Marie Lu | YA Dystopian Sci-Fi | I love how brilliant the concept of this story was. From plagues, the America’s being divided into two warring nations, government secrets, rebellions, and so much more, Lu might as well be the queen of YA Dystopian Fiction.
Namesake (Fable #2) | Adrienne Young | YA High Fantasy | I read Fable last year and it immediately became a favorite so it’s no surprise that I had to get Namesake as soon as it came out. Namesake is a perfect sequel filled with wonderful twists and turns. This book gave me Pirates of The Caribbean even more than book 1.
APRIL
Lady Midnight | Cassandra Clare | YA Urban Fantasy | My friend Alexa from @alexalovesbooks has been pushing me to read The Dark Artifices series and I’ve finally made that leap. I simply adore all of the characters in this book. Plot-wise, this is by far my favorite out of Clare’s works.
The Abolition of Man | CS Lewis | Theology Classics | One of CS Lewis’ best work. It poses a lot of questions about morality and what makes us human.
Shadow & Bone | Leigh Bardugo | YA High Fantasy | My second re-read and right before the Netflix show came out. I still adore Bardugo’s world-building and the lore behind her books. Re-reading this story brings me back and also makes the rest of the story make way more sense to me and more impactful.
Crime & Punishment | Fyodor Dostoyevsky | Classics Russian Literature | Surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. Regardless of the heavier and darker themes which I also loved, I found lots of humorous lines and scenes sprinkled throughout the story. Dostoyevsky explored morality and the struggle of humanity so accurately and well.
Too Clever Fox | Leigh Bardugo | Fairytales | Listened through Audible Exclusive. This was a cute and brilliant fairytale in Bardugo’s Grishaverse.
Rule of Wolves (King of Scars #2) | Leigh Bardugo | YA High Fantasy | Book 8 in Bardugo’s Grishaverse and it was a rollercoaster ride of emotions. I’ve always appreciated the themes and societal issues that she tackles in her books and how her character weaves through them and this book is no different. We’re introduced to more characters and more cultures which I am hoping will be explored more in future works.
Prodigy (Legend Series #2) | Marie Lu | YA Dystopian Sci-Fi | A good sequel to book 1. I loved seeing June, Day, and the rest of the characters mature in this series and the events in book 2 were pivotal to that.
Champion (Legend Series #3) | Marie Lu | YA Dystopian Sci-Fi | A great conclusion to the trilogy and my favorite, next to Rebel. The ending was beautifully heartbreaking and I loved the development and growth these characters went through, individually and together.
Rebel (Legend Series #4) | Marie Lu | YA Dystopian Sci-Fi | My favorite from the series. This book focuses on Eden’s journey but we see familiar and loved characters from the previous books as well.
Six of Crows | Leigh Bardugo | YA High Fantasy | 6 years later and I am still in love with this story, this world, and the dynamic between these characters. Leigh never fails to create amazing, relatable, and diverse characters.
The Hound of The Baskervilles | Arthur Conan Doyle | Classics Mystery Crime | Doyle is a favorite when it comes to Mystery Thrillers and this book doesn’t disappoint. I love how brilliantly he wove an existing legend into one of Sherlock’s adventures and made it his own.
Beginner’s Mind | Yo-Yo Ma | Music Memoir | An Audible original. Beginner’s Mind was beautiful and soothing. In a lot of ways, I saw my story in Ma’s. This has reignited my love for the strings and now I badly want to take violin/cello lessons. It was a short listen but perhaps that speaks to who Yo-Yo Ma is as a musician and human – he lets the music speak for itself.
Jujustu Kaisen | Gege Akatumi | Supernatural Dark Fantasy | This is such a smart and fun series and I can’t believe it took me so long to get into it. In so many ways it reminds me of another anime/manga series that I also absolutely adore but JJK improves upon so many of those aspects especially storytelling and character development in a short span of time. ⠀⠀⠀
