March Book Wrap-Up

Three months down, nine to go! March wasn't a great month for reading if you look at how many books I managed to finish. But much like February what I did read was enjoyable, I didn't give anything less than a three star rating. After recently joining the Bookstagram community (Follow me at @BranchingPages) I've been bombarded with book inspiration so I'm hoping that will aid in my getting back on track with reading 10 books a month in April. I'm also taking part in the Magical Readathon over on Twitter, which will be sure to be fun. 

I digress, before looking to the future we have to revisit the past! So here are the books I read in March.

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The Wife Between Us
by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pakkanen

“I was happy, I think, but I wonder now if my memory is playing tricks on me. If it is giving me the gift of an illusion. We all layer them over our remembrances; the filters through which we want to see our lives.” 

Nellie and Vanessa lead very different lives. Vanessa has just divorced her husband and is struggling to come to terms with newly single life, living without the safety net that her husband had always placed under her. She feels like an empty shell, no longer being a wife is foreign to her. Nellie on the other hand has just got engaged to Richard, a wealthy man who is as charming as he is persuasive. She looks forward to starting a life with him, to becoming a wife, but when her past seems to come back to haunt her, she begins to question everything. This is a classic domestic thriller revolved around an ex-wife, husband, and mistress. But don't dismiss this book that easily. Boy, does this pack a butt load of twists. Some I guessed, others I did not, which is always fun. I like to feel as though I'm Sherlock, but I don't want the entire thing to be predictable, ya know? If thrillers are  your niche, and you haven't already picked up this hyped one, then do it. You won't regret it.

Rating: ★★★★

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The Kiss Quotation
by Helen Hoang 

“How did one not obsess over something wonderful? How did one like something a reasonable amount?” 

Refusing to let her diagnosis of Asperger's define her existence, Stella Lane decides that she wants to herself into a relationship. Partly for her, partly to stop her mother nagging her about dating prospects. Unsure about the way to go about it and most definitely needing the experience, she decides to hire an escort to help her adjust to the dating life. Unbeknown to her, the escort may just be the perfect boyfriend material.. Pretty Woman meets Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, this was as humorous as it was touching. This was a pure guilty pleasure read and I loved it. I expected parts to be cringe or for the smut to feel forced and unnecessary, but it all worked out perfectly and I adored the relationship between Stella and Michael. They were sweet, and I most definitely wasn't expecting that aspect of the story. This is definitely chic-lit, but not as corny as you might be expecting. Give it a try.

Rating: ★★★★★

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The Virgin Suicides
by Jeffery Eugenides  

“It didn't matter in the end how old they had been, or that they were girls, but only that we had loved them, and that they hadn't heard us calling, still do not hear us, up here in the tree house, with our thinning hair and soft bellies, calling them out of those rooms where they went to be alone for all time, alone in suicide, which is deeper than death, and where we will never find the pieces to put them back together.” 

The Summer that the Lisbon sisters all commit suicide was hard for many people, most notably their parent and the boys who had become infatuated with them. Why did they do it? This takes a look back through the eyes of one of the boys who lived across the street from the Lisbon's as he tries to find the answers. You've likely heard of The Virgin Suicides, whether it be the book or movie. It's popular and that made me all the more excited to finally pick it up, but.. meh. It just fell flat for me. I couldn't find myself caring for the characters and the lack of overall dialogue in the book made it feel all the more lacklustre. It was okay, not great. Beautiful writing but a dull story. The epitome of 3 stars.

Rating: ★★★

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Never Let Me Go
by Kazuo Ishiguro 

“I keep thinking about this river somewhere, with the water moving really fast. And these two people in the water, trying to hold onto each other, holding on as hard as they can, but in the end it's just too much. The current's too strong. They've got to let go, drift apart. That's how it is with us. It's a shame, Kath, because we've loved each other all our lives. But in the end, we can't stay together forever.”

Whether you've read it or seen the movie adaption, this is a story that has captured thousands of hearts. It's a modern classic, no doubt about that. Following the story of Kath, Tommy and Ruth, as they come to question the outside world that awaits for them outside of their boarding school. I enjoyed this, I wasn't surprised by the "twist" though which I think many give it 5 stars for. The writing was beautiful, the characters flawed, and I did like the questionable pacing of the novel. This is one I think you should 100% go into blind, and it is definitely worthy of the hype. The only downside for me was some of the unnecessary back stories to places or people that only really matter once. It pulled me out of the book at times and I found myself wanting to go back to our narrator as she told us her story.

Rating: ★★★★

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Daisy Jones & The Six
by Taylor Jenkins Reid 

“I had absolutely no interest in being somebody else's muse.

I am not a muse.

I am the somebody.

End of fucking story.”

When party girl Daisy Jones joins the 60s-70s rock band The Six, they are dubious as to whether she'll fit. Billy, the band's leader man, dislikes her attitude and she isn't all too fussed about him either. Can two people who dislike each other get along for the music that will undeniably skyrocket their careers? This is already well loved online, but boy, I didn't expect to love it as much as I did. This is a love letter written to modern day women, from women of the past. (Okay, fictional women, but let me dream them into reality). It's beautiful, realistic, and feminist as hell. Read it.

Also be sure to check out my full review HERE.

Rating: ★★★★★

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The Husbands Secret
by  Liane Moriarty 

“None of us ever know all the possible courses our lives could have and maybe should have taken. It's probably just as well. Some secrets are meant to stay secret forever. Just ask Pandora.”

In a similar style to her other novel Big Little Lies, this is a story of three women whose lives unexpectedly interconnect after one of them discovers a devastating secret. I was a sceptical going into this domestic fiction story as I hadn't heard overly positive things about it (though nothing overly bad either, just a strong 'meh'.), but that worry was for nought. If you enjoy Liane's writing, then you'll enjoy it. I think many were disappointed as they were expecting a thriller of sorts, but it is instead a story of female empowerment and marriage troubles. I liked it.

Rating: ★★★★

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The Reason I Jump

by Naoki Higashida

(translated by David Mitchell)

“When you see an object, it seems that you see it as an entire thing first, and only afterwards do its details follow on. But for people with autism, the details jump straight out at us first of all, and then only gradually, detail by detail, does the whole image float up into focus.”

Written by a thirteen year-old-boy who has Autism, this isn't your standard non-fiction. I wasn't sure what to expect when starting this short book, especially as the author was so young when writing it and the topic itself can be a sensitive one. So imagine my surprise when I found myself smiling continuously whilst reading. This book has such a beautiful voice and it wasn't at all dense (which a part of me thought it might be). I learnt so many things from the author about the illness, but I also learnt how to view the world in a much more beautiful light. It was a pleasure to read The Reason I Jump, and I'd happy recommend it to anyone wanting to learn more about Autism.

Rating: ★★★★★

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What was your favourite read of the month? Let me know in the comments!