Another reading month is in the books, my friends, and March was good to me! I had my first 5 star read of 2024, I read a bunch of great middle grade, and had a generally good time. We even went on vacation and I still read a ton! Love it! I had thought my March numbers would be down, as I started three books this month that I had no intention on finishing (1 – a new slow buddy read for #MalandEmBookClub, 2 – A Barbara Kingsolver yearlong reading project, and 3 – an 1000+ page Draco/Hermione fanfic which I’m honestly farther in that I expected to be because I’m mildly obsessed), but then middle grade of course comes in to solve that problem. I already gave mini reviews for all my middle grade titles just a couple days ago, so I’m not going to repeat those here, and today we’re just going to do a real quick rundown:
Simon Sort of Says, by Erin Bow (Disney Hyperion 2023): Loved it top to bottom, these are some of the best characters I’ve read in a while. This is the stuff good middle grade is made of. Read my full review here.
Hummingbird, by Natalie Lloyd, read by the author (Scholastic Audio 2022): Speaking of stuff good middle grade is made of… mini review here.
When Stars Are Scattered, by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed (Dial Books 2020): More middle grade goodness… mini review here.
An Impossible Thing to Say, by Arya Shahi (Allida 2023): I loved this YA novel in verse so much. Rap music meets Shakespeare meets coming of age meets first crush. Full review here.
This Time Tomorrow, by Emma Straub (Riverhead 2022): I think I’ve said before that I would read Emma Straub’s grocery lists, and I think that still holds true. This was a very interesting version of a time travel novel with immense heart and some truly lovable characters (a bit of a departure for Straub!). I have some thoughts on this one, so a full review is definitely to come.
The Violin Conspiracy, by Brendan Slocumb; narrated by JD Jackson (Random House Audio 2022): I really enjoyed this coming of age story about a young Black violinist who inherits a Stradivarius which is then stolen from him. Read my full review here.
Big Tree, by Brian Selznick (Scholastic 2023): Selznick is back with his chonky masterpieces… mini review here.
A Field Guide to Mermaids, by Emily B. Martin (Henry Holt 2022): A simply beautiful “nonfiction” guidebook to mermaids and their habitats. Very, very cool. Mini review here.
The Agathas, by Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson (Listening Library 2022): This fun murder mystery kept me guessing till the end, and while I liked the characters a lot, one of the narrators didn’t work for me. Full review to come.
The Last Mapmaker, by Christina Soontornvat, read by Sura Siu (Orange Sky Audio 2022): A fun adventure that probably won’t stick with me. Mini review here.
That’s it, folks! I just started a new print book yesterday, but after that, I don’t have any books next on deck! My TBR bookshelf is my oyster! What fun! Can’t wait to see what April will bring me! Happy reading!