March Books 2023

 

Either I’m early or perfectly on time. I know it’s only March 24, but I have a ton of books to share. I’m hoping next week for a special blog about my choice for “Published in 2023.” My Mortar & Pestle series has dropped, save one (mine), and I’m giving you a review! Stay tuned next week for the big reveal.

This month I read a total of 18 books—11 audio, 2 print, and 4 digital.

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir “Starts with G” 5 Stars. What the hell did I read? This space adventure, murder mystery with necromancers had me floored. The novel is And Then There Were None with Necromancers. The story was a little long with too many characters. Not to mention, after that ending, I probably have to read the next in the series. It’s a ride. Read it.

Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott “Starts with I” 4 Stars. I started this classic in high school and always meant to finish it. Well, I did. Now I can say that. One classic a year is good enough for me.

The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James “Book with a Dedication” 4 Stars The dedication reads “For my mother who didn’t get to read this one.” This novel is a paranormal thriller. I was not expecting ghosts when I started this cold, case murder mystery. But who says ghosts can’t help you solve the crime? Not what I expected, but still rather good.

I’ll be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara “Published Postmortem” 4 Stars. This book was published after the unexpected death of its author. Her husband pushed for its publication and publicity. The police claim the book had nothing to do with the discovery of the killer and his subsequent arrest, but I doubt that. Good read.

The All of It by Jeanette Haien “Book Under 200 Pages” 3 Stars. This tale, at 147 pages, stumped me. I’m glad I read the foreword, or I would not have understood the story is about the priest, not the woman telling it. My coworker recommended the tale, and I
liked it. But not loved, and that’s okay.

The It Girl by Ruth Ware Typographical Title 3 Stars. If this had been my first Ruth Ware novel, I would have rated it higher. But it sounded like a retelling of her title, The Lying Game. And with the same reader for all her books, (which are in first-person), it sounded like the same girl was going through the same thing. I won’t mention how it was a slog and needed to be tighter, but I digress. Read the paper for this one.

Locked In by John Scalzi “Dystopian Fiction” 5 Stars. The novel doesn’t quite fit the category, but it’s an interesting near-future tale where we survive a super virus. Considering the book came out in 2014, it’s scary how on the nose some of it was. There was an additional novella at the end, which comprised a documentary-style history of the virus and the tech used to conquer it. I loved it.

Spite House by Johnny Compton 4 Stars A horror title recommended by my supervisor. He’s hardly ever wrong when it comes to horror. This was a keeper.

Monk’s Hood by Ellis Peters 3 Stars Another title for the used book prompt. I like the monk mysteries, but this one wasn’t my favorite.

November 9 by Colleen Hoover 4 Stars. Okay, I got on the bandwagon. Great romance with a twist. And Colleen does the twist so well!

Mrs. Jeffries and the Missing Alibi by Emily Brightwell 4 Stars. I love this series. They are a sorbet refresher after I’ve read something too heavy.

Death of a Laird a short story by MC Beaton 4 Stars. The ghostwriter is doing a great job for both the Hamish and Agatha series. I’ll keep reading.

Heartstopper Vol. 2 by Alice Oseman 4 Stars. Another “Starts with H.” I had to find out if they got together!

Dear Writer, Are You in Burnout? by Becca Syme 5 Stars. I needed this book. I needed it right now in my career. I learned so much about myself, and I might be able to do another book. But not too soon.

Selkie by Sydney Winward and Seeker by Jean M. Grant I’ll save for next week.