March 2023 in Books

1. Nothing More to Tell - Karen M McManus ⭐⭐⭐⭐
2. Arsenic and Adobo - Mia P Manansala ⭐⭐⭐
3. He Started It - Samantha Downing ⭐⭐⭐⭐
4. Love in the Time of Serial Killers - Alicia Thompson ⭐⭐⭐
5. Ariadne - Jennifer Saint ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
6. We Had to Remove This Post - Hanna Bervoets ⭐⭐⭐
7. White Cat - Holly Black ⭐⭐⭐⭐
8. The Ivory Key - Akshaya Raman ⭐⭐
9. For Your Own Good - Samantha Downing ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
10. Five Survive - Holly Jackson ⭐⭐⭐⭐
11. It Ends With Us - Colleen Hoover ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
12. It Starts With Us - Colleen Hoover ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
13. Our Violent Ends - Chloe Gong ⭐⭐⭐⭐
14. His and Hers - Alice Feeney ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
15. Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert ⭐⭐⭐⭐
16. Wishful Drinking - Carrie Fisher ⭐⭐⭐⭐
17. Sharp Objects - Gillian Flynn ⭐⭐⭐⭐
18. The Confession - Jessie Burton ⭐⭐⭐⭐
19. Outrun the Moon - Stacey Lee ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
20. Triflers Need Not Apply - Camilla Bruce ⭐⭐⭐⭐
21. The Housemaid - Freida McFadden ⭐⭐⭐⭐
22. The Housemaid's Secret - Freida McFadden ⭐⭐⭐⭐
23. Anatomy of a Crime - Sibel Hodge ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
24. The Orchid Tree - Siobhan Daiko ⭐⭐⭐
25. Glass Geishas - Susanna Quinn ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
26. Fairy Tale - Stephen King ⭐⭐⭐⭐
27. The Surrogate Mother - Freida McFadden ⭐⭐⭐⭐
28. Wakker - Ingrid Oonincx ⭐⭐⭐⭐
29. Bestemming Bonaire - Linda van Rijn ⭐⭐⭐⭐
30. Night Road - Kristin Hannah ⭐⭐⭐⭐
31. Gletsjer - Suzanne Vermeer ⭐⭐⭐⭐
32. Never Lie - Freida McFadden ⭐⭐⭐⭐
33. Niet Mijn Droom - Eva Nagelkerke ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Outrun the Moon - Stacey Lee

Fifteen-year-old Mercy Wong is determined to break from the poverty of Chinatown, San Francisco in 1906, and an education at St. Clare's School for Girls is her best hope. Although St. Clare's is off-limits to all but the wealthiest white girls, Mercy gains admittance through a mix of cunning and a little bribery, only to discover that getting in was the easiest part. Not to be undone by a bunch of spoiled heiresses, Mercy stands strong--until disaster strikes.

On April 18, a historic earthquake rocks San Francisco, destroying Mercy's home and school. Now she's forced to wait with her classmates for their families in a temporary park encampment. Though fires might rage, and the city may be in shambles, Mercy can't sit by while they wait for the army to bring help--she still has the "bossy" cheeks that mark her as someone who gets things done. But what can one teenage girl do to heal so many suffering in her broken city?

Stacey Lee has done it again! This is a wonderful historical fiction novel with a Chinese American protagonist. I've loved every word of it! I think I've read all of Ms Lee's books now, and bar one, they've all been 5 star reads for me (the other was a 4 star so not bad at all).

Read for the 52 Book Club Challenge.
Prompt 21: A second-hand book.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Wishful Drinking - Carrie Fisher

In Wishful Drinking, Carrie Fisher told the true and intoxicating story of her life with inimitable wit.

Born to celebrity parents, she was picked to play a princess in a little movie called Star Wars when only 19 years old. "But it isn't all sweetness and light sabres." Alas, aside from a demanding career and her role as a single mother (not to mention the hyperspace hairdo), Carrie also spends her free time battling addiction and weathering the wild ride of manic depression.

It's an incredible tale: from having Elizabeth Taylor as a stepmother, to marrying (and divorcing) Paul Simon, and from having the father of her daughter leave her for a man, to ultimately waking up one morning and finding a friend dead beside her in bed.

Carrie Fisher was so incredibly funny and open about her life. I absolutely adored The Princess Diarist and this one is amazing too!

Read for the PopSugar 2023 Reading Challenge.
Prompt 26: The shortest book (by pages) on your TBR list.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Sharp Objects - Gillian Flynn

When two girls are abducted and killed in Missouri, journalist Camille Preaker is sent back to her home town to report on the crimes. Long-haunted by a childhood tragedy and estranged from her mother for years, Camille suddenly finds herself installed once again in her family's mansion, reacquainting herself with her distant mother and the half-sister she barely knows - a precocious 13-year-old who holds a disquieting grip on the town.

As Camille works to uncover the truth about these violent crimes, she finds herself identifying with the young victims - a bit too strongly. Clues keep leading to dead ends, forcing Camille to unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past to get at the story. Dogged by her own demons, Camille will have to confront what happened to her years before if she wants to survive this homecoming.

This is a gripping thriller which I thoroughly enjoyed. 4 stars!

Read for the 52 Book Club Challenge.
Prompt 20: A book about siblings.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert

Elizabeth Gilbert tells how she made the difficult choice to leave behind all the trappings of modern American success (marriage, house in the country, career) and find, instead, what she truly wanted from life. Setting out for a year to study three different aspects of her nature amid three different cultures, Gilbert explored the art of pleasure in Italy and the art of devotion in India, and then a balance between the two on the Indonesian island of Bali.

A woman decides she doesn't want to be married anymore and wants to learn Italian; this is the first step in Liz Gilbert's new life. She eats herself through Italy and then departs for an ashram in India. She ends up in Indonesia where she finds love again. All the makings of a romance novel, yet this is a memoir. I enjoyed this more than I thought I would, hence the 4 stars.

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Prompt 35: A book about divorce.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Our Violent Ends - Chloe Gong

This is the sequel to These Violent Delights.

After sacrificing her relationship with Roma to protect him from the blood feud, Juliette has been a girl on the warpath. One wrong move, and her cousin will step into usurp her place as the Scarlet Gang's heir. The only way to save the boy she loves from the wrath of the Scarlets is to have him want her dead for murdering his best friend in cold blood. If Juliette were actually guilty of the crime Roma believes she committed, his rejection might sting less.

Roma is still reeling from Marshall's death, and his cousin Benedikt will barely speak to him. Roma knows it's his fault for letting the ruthless Juliette back into his life, and he's determined to set things right - even if that means killing the girl he hates and loves with equal measure.

Then a new monstrous danger emerges in the city, and though secrets keep them apart, Juliette must secure Roma's cooperation if they are to end this threat once and for all. Shanghai is already at a boiling point: The Nationalists are marching in, whispers of civil war brew louder every day, and gangster rule faces complete annihilation. Roma and Juliette must put aside their differences to combat monsters and politics, but they aren't prepared for the biggest threat of all: protecting their hearts from each other.

I wanted to like These Violent Delights, but thought it wasn't great. When the sequel came up on an Amazon daily deal, I decided to buy it nonetheless, mainly because I needed a book set in the 1920s. I'm so glad I bought it! The sequel is so much better!

Read for the 52 Book Club Challenge.
Prompt 10: Takes place during the roaring twenties.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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The Ivory Key - Akshaya Raman

Vira is desperate to get out of her mother's shadow and establish her legacy as a revered queen of Ashoka. But with the country's only quarry running out of magic - a precious resource that has kept Ashoka safe from conflict - she can barely protect her citizens from the looming threat of war. And if her enemies discover this, they'll stop at nothing to seize the last of the magic.

Vira's only hope is to find a mysterious object of legend: the Ivory Key, rumoured to unlock a new source of magic. But in order to infiltrate enemy territory and retrieve it, she must reunite with her siblings, torn apart by broken relationships and the different paths their lives have taken. Each of them has something to gain from finding the Ivory Key - and even more to lose if they fail. Ronak plans to sell it to the highest bidder in exchange for escape from his impending political and unwanted marriage. Kaleb, falsely accused of assassinating the former maharani, needs it to clear his name. And Riya, the runaway sibling who cut all family ties, wants the Key to prove her loyalty to the rebels who took her in.

They must work together to survive the treacherous journey. But with each sibling harbouring secrets and their own conflicting agendas, the very thing that brought them together could tear apart their family - and their world - for good.

I was really looking forward to this book, and was really disappointed. I just couldn't get into it, and had to make myself finish it.

Read for the PopSugar 2023 Reading Challenge.
Prompt 27: A #BookTok recommendation.

Rating: ⭐⭐

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Five Survive - Holly Jackson

Eighteen year old Red and her friends are on a road trip in an RV, heading to the beach for Spring Break. It’s a long drive but spirits are high. Until the RV breaks down in the middle of nowhere. And as the wheels are shot out, one by one, the friends realise that this is no accident.

There’s a sniper out there. He’s watching them and he knows exactly who they are. One of the group has a secret that the sniper is willing to kill for.

As a game of cat-and-mouse plays out, the group desperately tries to get help. Buried secrets are forced to light and tensions within the group reach deadly levels. Only one thing is for sure. Not everyone will survive the night . . .

I enjoyed this book; it's a quick read and it had me guessing until the end. One note though, it's not as good as A Good Girl's Guide to Murder which I adored.

Read for the 52 Book Club Challenge.
Prompt 14: A Survival Story.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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White Cat - Holly Black

Cassel is cursed. Cursed by the memory of the fourteen year old girl he murdered. Life at school is a constant trial. Life at home even worse. No-one at home is ever going to forget that Cassel is a killer. No-one at home is ever going to forget that he isn't a magic worker.

Cassel's family are one of the big five crime families in America. Ever since magic was prohibited in 1929 magic workers have been driven underground and into crime. And while people still need their touch, their curses, their magical killings, their transformations, times have been hard. His granddad has been driven to drink, his mother is in prison and his brothers detest him as the only one of their family who can't do magic.

But there is a secret at the centre of Cassel's family and he's about to inherit it. It's terrifying and that's the truth.

I really enjoyed this book - and am looking forward to reading the next installment in the series!

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Prompt 9: A book with a colour in the title.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Ariadne - Jennifer Saint

Ariadne, Princess of Crete, grows up greeting the dawn from her beautiful dancing floor and listening to her nursemaid’s stories of gods and heroes. But beneath her golden palace echo the ever-present hoofbeats of her brother, the Minotaur, a monster who demands blood sacrifice.

When Theseus, Prince of Athens, arrives to vanquish the beast, Ariadne sees in his green eyes not a threat but an escape. Defying the gods, betraying her family and country, and risking everything for love, Ariadne helps Theseus kill the Minotaur. But will Ariadne’s decision ensure her happy ending? And what of Phaedra, the beloved younger sister she leaves behind?

This is a stunning retelling of the myth of Ariandne, and in part her sister Phaedra too. I can't wait to read Ms Saint's other book Elektra!

Read for the 52 Book Club Challenge.
Prompt 16: Featuring one of the “seven deadly sins”.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Love in the Time of Serial Killers - Alicia Thompson

PhD candidate Phoebe Walsh has always been obsessed with true crime. She's even analysing the genre in her dissertation - if she can manage to finish writing it. It's hard to find the time while she spends the summer in Florida, cleaning out her childhood home, dealing with her obnoxiously good-natured younger brother, and grappling with the complicated feelings of mourning a father she hadn't had a relationship with for years.

It doesn't help that she's low-key convinced that her new neighbour, Sam Dennings, is a serial killer (he may dress business casual by day, but at night he's clearly up to something). But it's not long before Phoebe realises that Sam might be something much scarier - a genuinely nice guy who can pierce her armour to reach her vulnerable heart.

As far as romances go, this wasn't bad. I am just not a fan of the genre. I liked Phoebe, like her I've always had an interest in serial killers, and like her I am overweight and I like cats. Unlike her, I don't think my neighbour is a serial killer, and he's not particularly hot either. Anyway, I gave this book 3 stars, because I enjoyed it.

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Prompt 10: A romance with a fat lead.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

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He Started It - Samantha Downing

Beth, Portia, and Eddie Morgan haven't all been together in years. And for very good reasons—we'll get to those later. But when their wealthy grandfather dies and leaves a cryptic final message in his wake, the siblings and their respective partners must come together for a cross-country road trip to fulfill his final wish and—more importantly—secure their inheritance. But time with your family can be tough. It is for everyone. It's even harder when you're all keeping secrets and trying to forget a memory—a missing person, an act of revenge, the man in the black truck who won't stop following your car—and especially when at least one of you is a killer and there's a body in the trunk. Just to name a few reasons.

I just finished this book and wow, what a ride. I don't think I liked any of the characters, they're all self-centered and looking out for no. 1. A great read though!

Read for the 52 Book Club Challenge.
Prompt 4: Title starting with the letter “H”.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Arsenic and Adobo - Mia P Manansala

When Lila Macapagal moves back home to recover from a horrible breakup, her life seems to be following all the typical rom-com tropes. She's tasked with saving her Tita Rosie's failing restaurant, and she has to deal with a group of matchmaking aunties who shower her with love and judgment. But when a notoriously nasty blogger (who happens to be her ex-boyfriend) drops dead moments after a confrontation with Lila, her life quickly swerves from a Jennifer Crusie romp to an Agatha Christie joint. With the cops treating her like she's the one and only suspect, and the shady landlord looking to finally kick the Macapagal family out and resell the storefront, Lila's left with no choice but to conduct her own investigation. Armed with the nosy auntie network, her barista best bud, and her trusted Dachshund, Longanisa, Lila takes on this tasty, twisted case before Tita Rosie's Kitchen is closed for good.

A cute whodunnit with some cool,recipes for Filippino food. I chose this book for the book that features two languages prompt on the PopSugar Reading Challenge. It features English and Tagalog.

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Prompt 48: A book that features two languages.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

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The Inheritance Games - Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Avery has a plan: keep her head down, work hard for a better future.Then an eccentric billionaire dies, leaving her almost his entire fortune. And no one, least of all Avery, knows why. Now she must move into the mansion she's inherited. It's filled with secrets and codes, and the old man's surviving relatives - a family hell-bent on discovering why Avery got 'their' money. Soon she is caught in a deadly game that everyone in this strange family is playing. But just how far will they go to keep their fortune?

I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the next installment of the series.

Read for the 52 Book Club Challenge.
Prompt 2: Featuring an inheritance.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Death by Hollywood - Steven Bochco

One evening, spying on his Hollywood Hills neighbours through his $4,000 electronic telescope, Bobby witnesses a beautiful woman making love to a handsome Latin actor called Ramon. As their pillow talk turns ugly, Bobby watches in horror as the woman appears to bludgeon her lover to death with his own acting trophy. Instead of rushing to the cops, Bobby decides to find out more about the events that led up to the crime, and to use the material for his next movie screenplay. However, when he sneaks into the actor's apartment, the discovery he makes changes his life forever. Empowered by his secret knowledge, Bobby is able to seduce the beautiful woman, while forging a unique friendship with Detective Dennis Farentino, the cop in charge of the investigation. Before long Bobby has dragged the detective, his wife, his lover, and his agent into a Hollywood fun-house hall of mirrors, where only the most manipulative player will survive.

I read this book at the beginning of last month and had high hopes for it, as the author writes for shows like NYPD Blue, but was sorely let down. The characters are flat and boring, it just didn't do it for me and I'm glad I borrowed the book from the library.

Read for the PopSugar 2023 Reading Challenge.
Prompt 11: A book about or set in Hollywood.

Rating: ⭐⭐

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