Friends, this was the best reading month I’ve had in years. Actually, maybe it was the best reading month I’ve ever had in my entire life. Truly, I mean it; years! I read so much, and I loved so much of what I read! I was able to read sixteen things, and they were all four and five stars reads except two! The amount of five stars, and all-time favorites, I read this month is honestly nothing short of ridiculous. 💖
I was also able to go to California for a week, where I was able to reread one of my all-time favorite books on the beach and just relax! And if any of you are looking to vacation in Cali, Huntington Beach will always be one of my favorite places in the US.
Okay, but without further ado, here are all of the things that I was able to read in the month of March! 💛✨
Like always, you can click the links in each of the titles if you would like to read a more in-depth review of each book and see the individual trigger and content warnings.
➽ Opal (The Raven Cycle #4.5) by Maggie Stiefvater – ★★★★★
With The Raven King coming out in paperback, Maggie blessed us with this short novel told in the perspective of our favorite little satyr-like dream child! This was perfection and being back in this world mean more to me than I have words for. I need Ronan’s trilogy now.
➽ A Vow of Thorns (Blackest Gold #3) by R. Scarlett – ★★★★★
You’re about to see a read a lot for this author this month, but it was because I was on the blog tour for her newest book, but I wanted to read everything else by her first! This is a demon paranormal romance set in New York and it is everything. This book was my personal favorite of them all.
➽ To Crown A Beast (Blackest Gold #4) by R. Scarlett – ★★★★
And this was the ending of this quartet, but it set up perfectly for the new standalone that I was on the blog tour for! This was such a satisfying conclusion. And even though I had a bit of a rough start with these first two books in this quartet, I ended up absolutely falling in love with the last two
➽ Zodiac Starforce: By the Power of Astra (Zodiac Starforce #1-4) by Kevin Panetta & Paulina Ganucheau – ★★★★
I’ve been slacking so very badly with graphic novels lately, but this one just rekindled my love. First off, this was nothing short of probably the most adorable graphic novel I’ve ever read. Secondly, I love magical girls, always and forever. Thirdly, I never knew I needed magical zombie girls until now, but it turns out I did. Fourth, the color pallet and art throughout this entire story is beyond words beautiful. And lastly, this showcases how girl friendship can be the most powerful magical force in the world, and I loved this.
➽ When Sinners Kneel (Blackest Gold World #1) by R. Scarlett – ★★★★
This is such an amazing standalone set in a The Blackest Gold world. Plus, it has everything; romance, steamy sex, mystery, political intrigue, demon hierarchies, thrilling suspense, amazing grey and flawed characters. There is a lot to love from this world and from this author. If you guys love the paranormal romance genre, you have to give these a try, especially this book.
➽ Furyborn (Empirium #1) by Claire Legrand – ★★★★
I buddy read this with so many people! Like, this was honestly the biggest buddy read I think I’ve ever done! But most of us really liked it, and I’m super excited to get my hands on a finished copy come May 22nd! Furyborn is a book about two girls who are leading very different paths, from very different times. But I really enjoyed this one, and I can’t wait to see where Claire Legrand takes these two interwoven tales next, especially with how both points of view leave off. I thought this was fun, and filled with action, and hard to put down each night.
➽ Toil & Trouble: 15 Tales of Women & Witchcraft edited by Tess Sharpe & Jessica Spotswood – ★★★★
Friends, don’t sleep on this anthology. It is may be my favorite anthology of all time. It doesn’t come out until August 28th, but I just couldn’t keep myself from inhale reading it. I think three stories really stood out for me, but there is honestly so much to love here. But my favorite was easily Why They Watch Us Burn by Elizabeth May. It meant so much to me that I instantly reread it, with just as many tears in my eyes. It was powerful, and important, and is going to change so many lives. I feel so blessed to have read it, and I’ll carry it with me forever. Love Spell by Anna-Marie McLemore was also a masterpiece, and one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever read in my entire life. And The One Who Stayed by Nova Ren Suma also left me speechless from all the emotions it was able to evoke from me. I promise you, there are so many good stories in this anthology, but these three were my personal favorites.
➽ The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid – ★★★★★
This is one of the best books I’ve ever had the privilege to read. It is probably in the top five for best books I’ve ever read in my entire life. I have been looking for a book like this my entire life, and no combination of words I’m about to type, and you’re about to read, is going to do this masterpiece justice. But I will say that Gabby, Joce, Amelie, and Elyse were all right, and I’m so happy I listened to them, because this book is worth every single ounce of hype. Instant new all-time favorite.
➽ The Lamb Will Slaughter the Lion (Danielle Cain #1) by Margaret Killjoy – ★★★★
Please pick up this so underhyped, yet so deserving of more hype, novella. I am blown away. Within 100 pages, this book was able to create a beautifully diverse cast, talk about some pretty important issues, showcases a homeless main character, show the beauty of unconditional-loving found families, and it even gave me some pretty gothic spooky animals. This was amazing, and I think truly believe so many of my book friends would love it.
➽ The Heart Forger (The Bone Witch #2) by Rin Chupeco – ★★★★★
This series means so much to me. I loved The Bone Witch so much, but The Heart Forger is now in a tier by itself. This is the type of book that makes you wish there were more than five stars, because it just feels like it deserves something more. It was glorious perfection, and Tea is my favorite necromancer of all time. And Rin Chupeco is a master storyteller. This is easily one of the best thing I’ve read all year. Easily.
➽ Renegades (Renegades #1) by Marissa Meyer – ★★★
Renegades is set in a world where people rely on superheroes. The superheroes come with a vast array of powers and abilities, but with superheroes, there are always supervillains, too! Yet, the supervillains are more of rebels with superpowers, and they call themselves the Anarchists! This was super enjoyable, I think that I’m just the world’s worst audiobook reader, and maybe that took away from my enjoyment of this one. I’m not sure, but this was just a middle of the road book for me!
➽ Strange the Dreamer (Strange the Dreamer #1) by Laini Taylor – ★★★★★
This was a reread and the only thing I wanted to read while I was in California. Perfection. Perfection last year, perfection this year. This book is everything, and no combination of words will ever be able to explain how much it means to me. All the stars.
➽ Circe by Madeline Miller – ★★★★★
This is the pièce de résistance I’ve been searching for my entire life. Not only did I fall in love with this story, I predict that this will be the best book I’ll read all year. This book is about healing and doing what it takes to come into your own. This book is about love; the love between lovers, the love of a mother, and the love you must find in yourself. This book proves why family of choice will always be greater than family of origin. This book is about magic, and how we can find it in ourselves if we look hard enough. This is a book about becoming the witch you’ve always buried deep inside you.
➽ The Barrow Will Send What it May (Danielle Cain #2) by Margaret Killjoy – ★★★★
Danielle and her brand-new friends are on the run after the events that took place in The Lamb Will Slaughter the Lion with a certain demonic deer that was summoned. Now, they are half demon hunters looking for their next mission, and half just laying low from the law. But they have stumbled upon a new town in Montana, that happens to have a squatter owned building, turned library, that specializes in occult books! Oh, and there may or may not be a necromancer that is raising the dead because of a certain spell in a spell book. Perfection.
➽ Snotgirl, Vol. 1: Green Hair Don’t Care by Bryan Lee O’Malley, Leslie Hung, Mickey Quinn, & Maré Odomo – ★★
Easily the worst thing I read all month! Which is super sad, because the color pallet, panel layouts, lettering, and just general aesthetics are out of this world. This is one of the most beautiful graphic novels I’ve ever held! Bad sadly, aesthetics were the only things I really enjoyed about this one. Lottie was just a terrible protagonist to read about. At first, I thought I was going to have empathy for her, but they she just treated everyone like shit and only cared about the way people looked. I also didn’t like the treatment of the PoC side characters. I will not be continuing on.
➽ Grey Sister (Book of the Ancestor #2) by Mark Lawrence – ★★★★★
This is phenomenal. My favorite thing by Mark Lawrence to date! I never want to stop reading about Nona and her sisters at the Convent of Sweet Mercy. This is the second book in this series, and it’s one of my all-time favorites! And the quotes? I feel like I could highlight this entire thing! I still have around 60 pages to read this afternoon, so my review won’t be up until the second of April, which is a little bad because it releases the third of April, but this series is so worth a buy. I love this world, and I can’t wait for more.
And I participated in Life and Lit’s Women’s History Month Bingo:
And I actually watched a few things this month, too! So, I figured I’d talk about them!
➽ Mai-HiME: DNF @ 50%
“Thirteen girls, each with the ability to materialize “Elements” and summon metallic guardians called “Childs” have been brought to Fuuka Academy to battle mysterious creatures called Orphans. Each with a different personality and background, they must decide who they truly care about and why they fight.”
I buddy watched the first season with my little brother and with my friend Alexis, and I had mixed feelings. The show for sure is a testament to its time, but I didn’t think it was necessarily bad. It was just super heavy on fanservice, and I felt a little weird. But I’m still happy that I was able to watch the first season with two people I care about!
➽ ef: A Tale of Memories: ★★★★★
“Renji Asou, a boy who dreams of being a girl’s knight in shining armor, has a chance encounter with Kei’s twin sister—the overly shy Chihiro Shindou, who spends her time reading alone—at an abandoned train station. The two quickly become friends and eventually decide to write a novel together. However, when Renji discovers Chihiro’s secret, a disability that causes her to have an eternally ephemeral memory, his childish ideals will be put to the test.”
Me and my brother then proceeded to watch this short little story that was amazing! I couldn’t believe all that it was able to do in only twelve episodes! Seriously, if you have time, and lots of Kleenex, please give this story a try. I loved it so much!
➽ Jessica Jones – Season 2: ★★★
“The second season of the American web television series Jessica Jones, which is based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name, follows Jones as she takes on a new case after the events surrounding her encounter with Kilgrave”
Okay, so I ended up not loving this nearly as much as I loved Season one, and I’m still super sad about it. I still enjoyed watching it, but it was just really lacking for me. But, you all are probably going to scream “ACOMAF” during one episode, like I did.
➽ Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life: ★★
“It is a sequel to Gilmore Girls, an American comedy-drama television series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino and starring Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel, which ran from 2000 to 2007 on The WB and The CW.”
Okay, so I was never the biggest Gilmore Girls fan, but my Grandma has been wanting me to watch these so that I could talk with her! And it has been out for over a year now, so I’m really slacking. And I figured it wouldn’t take that long, because there was only four episodes, one for each season. I ended up watching the first one (Winter) while I was in California, and I didn’t hate it, so I continued on for her! Sadly, Spring had a gross amount of cheating that really put me off. Then Summer came, and very much made me hate Rory with a fiery passion, because the cheating not only continued, but she continued to act stuck up and like she was embarrassed to be back in Stars Hallow, the coolest town ever. And that play/musical thing… so bad, so cringe, so awful. It was honestly hard to watch. It was like a bad version of the musical episode of Buffy (which was amazing)! But mostly Rory and her insensitivity just ruined the third episode for me completely. And finally, the last episode of Fall, warmed my heart to finally see a certain marriage, but that cliffhanger ending made me feel so much rage. SO MUCH RAGE. I just, I honestly don’t even feel like it was worth watching. But I finished, and I can talk with my Grandma about it, but I feel like I deserve a gold star.
Whew, okay, I know that was a lot! Bless you all, if you read all of that! But I hope everyone had a great March! And I’d love to know what was your favorite thing that you read this month! Please, let me know! And I’m wishing you all a very happy Easter tomorrow, and very happy reading always! 🐰💗
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What a great reading month. Gj 🙂 Jessica Jones Season 2 is out?! Sweet. Sad to hear you didn’t like it as much as the first because I enjoyed Season 1 a lot too. Time to watch, thanks!
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You have to tell me what you think, Paolo! And thank you so much for your kind words, love. Happy Easter tomorrow, and happy reading and watching always! 💗xx
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Will do. Thanks and Happy Easter to you as well!
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Strange the Dreamer is SUCH a beautiful book, I love it soooo much 😁 So many other great books on your list for the last month.
I really want to read Furyborn, so it’s great to hear you liked it 😘
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Awh, thank you Lena! Yeah, Strange the Dreamer is such a forever favorite. And Furyborn was so good, too! But it’s appearing to be rather polarizing, so I’m excited to see where you fall! 💗xx
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I am currently reading Furyborn and I can’t wait to complete the book 🙂
Great post 🙂
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Thank you, Priyasha! Furyborn seems so polarizing, but I hope you end up enjoying it too! Happy reading! 💛✨
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Great review Mel! I agree like 1000% on the Gilmore Girls revival. I damn near threw the remote at the tv when it was over
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Hahah! Thank you, beautiful! I can’t wait to hear about everything on your adventure today! Also – don’t forget COZY LIFE SALE… 7PM PST and 10 PM EST tonight! Got to her site liked 5 mins before and just keep refreshing! ❤ xx
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I’m so worn out from today, I’ll send you a snap!
& I won’t forget, I’m stalking the page lol
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Congrats on the great reading month, Melanie! Thanks for all your reviews, I always know I’m going to enjoy if not full out love a book that you’ve rated highly.
(Also your blog has been inspiring me to potentially start my own!)
I wanted to comment because I noticed you mentioned Buffy and being the absolute-ridiculous-crazed Buffy fan that I am, I immediately freaked out! I just wanted to tell you, if you were a Buffy fan, you should definitely check out the Buffering the Vampire Slayer podcast! I think you would love it! Two amazing ladies talking about every episode of Buffy! Feminism, 90’s nostalgia, songs for every episode, and always full of laughs! (Also they’re married and their relationship makes my heart so happy!)
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I love this comment… MORE THAN WORDS, Kamisha! I LOVE Buffering the Vampire, SO MUCH! They are… such relationship goals.. and the song? PERFECTION!
Also, this doesn’t come out until 2019, but have you seen this, yet? https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34723130-slayer (I cannot wait!)
And this comment is so damn sweet! Thank you so much for it. Completely made my day! You should for sure start a blog! And I can’t wait to follow and read more of your lovely words! Happy reading, sweetheart! ❤ xx
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WOW. Wow. Wow. It makes me beyond excited to know you already knew about all of this! I was definitely thinking I had gone a little over board with my Buffy fangirling, but yay! So happy! I would’ve liked your reply so many times if I could have. Which is obviously yet another reason for me to get on WordPress…
I had not seen that yet, but that is so EXCITING! I remember reading Paranormalcy when it first came out and thinking she was definitely drawing on some Buffy inspo for that. Insta-add to my goodreads shelf for sure, 2019 is too far away!
You’re welcome for the comment and thank you for the amazing response! It makes MY day to find other people who appreciate the same things I do! I look forward to reading more of your posts and hopefully more book/Buffy-bonding! 🙂
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You’ll be happy to know I just started reading Strange the Dreamer! I’m doing a buddy read with two lovely ladies. I’m not very far along but I’m loving the beautiful writing already ❤
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I just fell out of my bed. Wow. Like…. THE HAPPIEST OF READING! 💛✨
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I’m glad you have such an amazing month and I hope April is even better 😀😀
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Awh, thank you, love! Happy Easter (if you celebrate) and happy reading always! 🐰💗xx
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Your welcome and happy Easter too 🙂
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What a great month you had! I just added Circe to my TBR. Super jealous that you were in southern California, but so glad you had a great time. We were in San Diego in February and I miss it so much (it’s my dream/goal to live there).
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Awh, thank you, love! And Yeah, I love SD so much, too! Hopefully you guys can go back soon (and eventually move!) Happy Easter (if you celebrate) and happy reading always! 🐰💗xx
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Thank you! I know we’ll be back (I’ve been there 3 times in the last 4 years). Happy Easter to you, too!
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What an incredible month! So glad you found so many new favourites 🙂 I always worry when I read too many five-star books close together in case I’m using up my quota for the year haha. I have loved reading your reviews this month and can’t wait to see what you read in April 🙂 ❤
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Awh, thank you so much, love! You are so kind! AND THIS IS ME… I’m always side eyeing April, because I’m so scared, hahahaha! Happy Easter (if you celebrate) and happy reading always! 🐰💗xx
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Wow, you really had an awesome reading month! I’m so glad you loved grey sister! I can’t wait to read it! I’m also super excited for Circe! I’ve heard nothing but amazing things about it. Hope you have a wonderful April and happy reading! 😉
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Awh, thank you so much, Raven! Yeah those two titles are for sure shining stars! Happy Easter (if you celebrate) and happy reading! 🐰💗xx
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Wow, you read 16 books. Way to go! You had a great reading month. Seven husbands and toil & trouble are on my thr for April
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I cannot WAIT for you to read these, Courtney! Like… once you finish that last story in Toil & Trouble… WE NEED TO GUSH! And… then we can gush about ever sentence in Seven Husbands! Hahaha!
And again, I’m so thankful for your friendship. Seriously. Your words meant so much to me this week. 💖xx
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Yes, I’ve heard amazing things about both of them.
Aww, your friendship means the world to me too. I’m always here if you need me. 💕💕
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You had an amazing month! There are a lot on your list I want to read.
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Awh, thank you, love! I honestly think this could be the best book month I’ve ever had…. all those five stars? I’m still shook! Haha! 💖xx
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Hopefully that keeps on happening!
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I’m glad you had such an awesome month!! Hope your April treats you the same! ❤
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Thank you so much, Poulami love! Wishing you all the happiness in the world for April and always! 💖xx
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Thanks! ❤
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You read so many amazing books in March! I’m so, so excited to read The Heart Forger, Furyborn and Circe. Toil and Trouble’s one of my most anticipated 2018 releases, for sure! Withcy books and magical girls are the best ❤️ Zodiac Starforce is so fun and cute, and the color scheme is perfection. I hope there will be another volume soon!
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Witchy books are EVERYTHING! Yeah, I had… probably the best reading month I’ll ever have! Hahaha! But thank you, my love! You are so kind! I hope you love all of those books, too! Happy reading! 💖xx
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YES SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO!!! i am pleased as punch that so many faves are reading and loving that book. also i’m so happy you had a great month!! yay yay ❤
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Awhhh, thank you, Emma love! It was… everything? I am still so shook. I go back and read my tabs at least one every two days. Like… TJR gave the book world a literal masterpiece. #blessed 💖xx
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Great wrap up! You have me even more excited about reading Furyborn and Circe! Hopefully April is as amazing of a month as March has been for you 💕
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Thank you so much, love! And…. now I need to gush with you about Circe, too! Hahaha! I’m wishing you the happiest of reading in April and always, Breanna! 💗xx
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EPIC reading month Mel! but it seems like we’re on a roll with amazing reads. Even with your Cali trip, you still read soooo many books & got me HYPED up for Circe! I had totally forgotten you asked me if I watched Gilmore Girls, I’ve never watched but always felt like I was missing out HAHA! but you gotta watch for G’ma Mel! I think it’s too cute you can share thoughts on it with her ❤ ❤ ❤
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Awh, thank you, Lilly love! It was such a damn good month, but I know not any other month is probably going to compare… soo…. *sips tea* WE WILL SEE! Hahaha! And girl, I promise, after that year of Gilmore epilogue… I promise, you weren’t missing anything. LORD, HELP ME!
Wishing you the happiest of reading always, love! 💕xx
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April is already proving to be a great reading month! YASSSS! & haha! well that’s good to know. Happy reading Mel!💜💜💜
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