Update + Books Read in March 2017

So, something new happened in the last month — I had a baby!

Part of me thought that might be the end of this (already quite neglected) blog, as my days are now filled with feeding and nappy changing, and even when my baby sleeps he does it a lot of the time on me. It’s tricky to do much in the way of writing, social media, blogging, or even reading when you only have one hand free for a portion of the day, and zero hands free the rest of the time. But I love the bookish world too much to give it up completely, so although I’ll likely be even quieter on social media and this blog than usual, I’m not going anywhere!

Without further ado, the books I read in March (not counting the baby books, as you don’t want to hear about those).

• The Cruelty by Scott Bergstrom — YA thriller. Scott Bergstrom has had some bad press, but I’d read some decent reviews of the book itself, so thought I’d give it a go. The Cruelty is about a girl who takes on the criminal underworld after her father goes missing. As the title suggests, it doesn’t dumb down the violence and nastiness of that world for its audience, which a lot of people might appreciate, though it turned me off a little. Otherwise, fast paced and well plotted.

• A Quiet Kind of Thunder by Sara Barnard — UKYA romance about a selectively mute girl and a deaf boy. A lot of sweet moments, and I liked the diversity aspect — I can see why lots of people love it. YA contemporary is always a tough sell with me, though, and the romance didn’t sweep me off my feet *quite* as much as I wanted.

• The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon — YA romance. Now, this is one YA contemporary that did work for me! About a single day in which a boy and girl meet, debate and philosophise, then fall in love, despite knowing they may have only one day together. I loved the romance, but what elevated this book for me were the chapters in which we get insights into the lives of others. Full of empathy and heart.

• We Were Liars by E. Lockhart — YA mystery. I read this back in 2014 and loved it, and always thought it merited a reread. A different experience second time around, knowing what’s coming, but I enjoyed it just as much.

• The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood — Adult literary historical fiction. I’ve blogged a zillion times about this being my favourite book, and I’ve read it a zillion times too. We Were Liars put me in the rereading mood, so I treated myself to another round with it. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of it — it’s so poignant and beautifully written that it doesn’t matter I know the plot inside out.

What did you read in March?

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