March Reading Wrap-Up & April TBR

 

Hey, everyone! I hope that you are doing well during this very hard and frustrating time for many. I hope that you are staying inside and practicing social distancing when you are outside. This month was HARD for me. I am a senior in college who was interning at a high school and I didn't get tell any of my kids except my last two hours goodbye and it feels like they had been ripped from me. My whole life was flipped upside down and I just felt so much pain and frustration during the first week of having to deal with everything shutting down. I am currently still living on campus and my best friend (who is my roommate) go on walks in the park and play Just Dance to get exercise. We also finished Breaking Bad and I finally got to see El Camino (Jesse is my favorite character in the show, so it was amazing to get an epilogue). My life was Breaking Bad and not reading for two weeks and I have no regrets because it helped me cope with this hard situation. I did get some reading done in March, but not like February (honestly, though I don't think I'll ever read that amount of books again in a month). So, let's dive into the books I read in March!

The Books I Read in March:

    

a fire like you by Upile Chisala- 3.5 stars This poetry collection has a strong voice and is filled with anger and passion. I think it's an important poetry collection and I highly recommend it. Check out my review here.

The Wives by Tarryn Fisher- 1.5 stars (I'm generous) Y'all this book was a straight up TRAIN WRECK. I predicted this book to be 5-stars, but I'm ashamed of my own expectations because what could've been a wild ride became one of the worst thrillers I've ever read. I'm angry and still haven't written my review because I need time to process how toxic the plot twist in this novel was.

Bob Dylan by Mª Isabel Sánchez Vegara & Conrad Roset- 3 stars This was a cute little illustrated novel of Bob Dylan. If you like Bob Dylan, then you will love this. Check out my review here.

Lord, Teach Us to Pray by Andrew Murray- 4 stars I read another Murray book in February (Humility) and there are a ton of his books for free on Amazon. I find that reading older pastors who are no longer alive can be really enlightening as well as instrumental in looking at the fundamental teachings of Christianity (whether I agree with them or not is another thing). I enjoyed this one and I think it has a lot of beautiful key points. Check out my review here.

Stop Calling Me Beautiful: Finding Soul-Deep Strength in a Skin-Deep World by Phylicia Masonheimer 5 stars Yes, this was on my January wrap-up. Yes, I reread it the minute my paperback came in. Yes, it's still one of my favorite books of 2020. Yes, you should go read it. No, I haven't reviewed it yet, but it's coming.:)

break your glass slippers by amanda lovelace- 3 stars This is a poetry collection that focuses on retelling Cinderella and the first part is absolutely stunning. I loved it, but the rest of the book quickly took a turn and I began to dislike the poems. Sad about this one because it started off strongly. Check out my review here.

Fervent: A Woman's Battle Plan to Serious, Specific, and Strategic Prayer by Priscilla Shirer- 5 stars This audiobook was amazing. It was my first time reading a Priscilla Shirer book and I loved it. It's one that has been recommended to me thousands of time, but I didn't know if I would love it. I can't recommend this one enough. It awakened my heart and broke open the desire to return to deep and intercessory prayer.

Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer- 5 stars I AM SHOOK. This book blew me away. I'm surprised because I was convinced that I would never read this book. Friends recommended it to me, but I never really was convinced to pick it up. Then I saw Kayla from BooksandLala talk about and she said it was weird, but she hated the ending. Say no more, I needed this book in my life. The audiobook was spectacular. The horror was quaking and the suspense made my toes curl. I am still shook. Most surprising book I have read this year by far!

My Heart, Ever His: Prayer for Women by Barbara Rainey- 2 stars I wanted to love this, but I was so bored with it. I know that's horrible to say because these are a woman's real and genuine prayers, but these prayers are so specific that they didn't really apply to me and it's a beautiful and sweet book concept, but it didn't work for me. However, I am always cold-hearted and you would probably love these prayers. Check out my review here.

The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai- 4 stars This was such a dark and gruesome novel set in Vietnam during the Vietnam War. The story follows a young girl and her grandmother's story that involves so much death and pain. It was a hard book to read, but it was a beautiful story. Check out my review here.

Dear Girl by Aija Mayrock- 3 stars This was a poetry collection that is all about women. I didn't love it, but I think it will be a collection that younger women will find important. Check out my review here.

The Promise of God Storybook Bible: The Story of God's Unstoppable Love by Jennifer Lyell- 4 stars This was a beautiful illustrated Bible. Genuinely, breathtaking. I really enjoyed this and definitely plan on keeping my copy and reading it to my children. Check out my review here.

 Nothing to Prove: Why We Can Stop Trying So Hard by Jennie Allen- 4.25 stars I was blessed with the experience of reading this book with one of my best friends and discussing it. This book was a significant part of my life since last semester and I am kind of sad that I don't have more chapters to read. This was a beautiful book that dives into letting go of striving and looking instead at God's peace.

Everything is Beautiful, and I'm Not Afraid by Yao Xiao- 3.75 stars This is a graphic novel that is more of an existential comic strip series. I enjoyed reading this. It is based off of the author's experience as being a bisexual Chinese immigrant in the US. Check out my review here.

The Red Tent by Anita Diamant- 1 star DNF @52% This was a Biblical fiction book that I was so interested in, but it was horrible. Absolutely horrible and inaccurate. I have so many issues with Diamant's completely annihilation of Jewish worship and making all of these character pagan worshipers (which is so far off base and after reading some opinions from Jewish individuals, it saddens me to see their religion taken apart and ignored for the sake of claiming to be feminist).  This also just happens to be one of the most boring books I've ever listened to on audiobook. Like, my Lord, was I over the characters. I never want to hear about another shepherd raping a sheep again. Yuck. Check out my thoughts here, but I spoil a huge aspect of Dinah's story that does not follow Genesis.

Foundations: 12 Biblical Truths to Shape a Family by Ruth Chou Simons and Troy Simons- 4 stars This devotional book is STUNNING. If you don't know who Ruth Chou Simons is and you aren't familiar with GraceLaced, then I suggest doing a quick instagram or Google search because it is absolutely beautiful and she is so talented and gifted. I meant to review this one before the end of the month, but I was working on projects for school and didn't get to it. 

Prince Neptune: Poetry and Prose by Cody R. Simpson- Not Rated I didn't add this to my read shelf on Goodreads because I only read 21 pages, but I couldn't get behind this collection. I am going to shelve it as no-thank-you and leave it at that.

When Less Becomes More: Making Space for Slow, Simple, and Good by Emily Ley- 2 stars I am unimpressed. It is very much targeted to a busy working mom who is obsessed with wine, social media, and probably follows God (but also probably only goes to church because it's the right thing to do). I didn't disagree with her points, but she didn't really discuss anything new. I'm also just over the hustling Christian women in our society at this point. It's money-centric and me-centric and there is no dying to self in these marketable and quick to read books. 

Overall Thoughts:

 I read 18 books in the month of March. I am happy with that number, but I didn't read a variety of stuff and I feel like because I stuck to a lot of the same genres (poetry and Christian nonfiction), it didn't invite me into any books to escape into. I have recently started some that I have been escaping into, so here is to better reading in April. Here are my 5-star reads:

1. Stop Calling Me Beautiful (reread)

2. Annihilation

3. Fervent

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Challenge Tracker:

*2020 52 Owned Books TBR:

5/5 A Lineage of Grace books
Binti: Home

2/52

 None this month:(

*Audiobook TBR: 

We Are All Good People Here
1/20

 None this month:(

*5-star Predictions Tracking Progress:

Stop Calling Me Beautiful: 5 stars (reread)

The Wives: 1.5 stars

2/20

*Series I Want to Read:
Binti: Home
Beneath the Sugar Sky
 2/10

None this month:(
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Currently Reading / Hoping to Finish in April:

Already Finished: The Most Important Women in the Bible

Netgalley ARCs: Wilder Girls, The Return, Sex, Purity, and the Longings of a Girl's Heart, The Hidden Girl and Other Stories, Colossians, For All Who Wander, DEV1AT3, Kingdom Come, God Sees Her, A Darker Shade of Magic, Selected Poems of Edith Wharton

Sent by Publisher: For All Who Wander, For All Who Wander Journey Guide, The Art of Friendship, The Journey to the Cross, The Insanity of Sacrifice, The Harp of Kings

E-book from Library: Authority, The Good Nurse

Audiobooks: Darling Rose Gold, Imaginary Friend, Fire Road, Children of Vice and Vengeance

Books I Bought/Gifted: The Most Important Women in the Bible, Hidden Bodies, The Beauty of the Cross, Twenty-Two, Needful Things,  The Celebration of Discipline, The Spiritual Gifts Handbook, The Purple Book, East of Eden, Moments of Grace, The Harp of Kings

On Hold: DEV1AT3, The Good Nurse, Kingdom Come, The Spiritual Gifts Handbook, The Purple Book, East of Eden, Moments of Grace 

ARCs to Catch Up On:
  

The Mind of God: Priority

Star of Persia: Priority
Nineteen: Priority

 Handle with Care: Priority

The June Boys: Priority
Upright Women Wanted: Priority

Like Flames in the Night: Priority

 Wicked as You Wish:To Read Soon

Cries from the Lost Island: To Read Soon

Hollow: Give a Shot

ARCs That Come Out in April:

The Beetle: Horror
Seven Endless Forests: YA Fantasy
Blindsight: Sci-fi
Vagabounds: Science Fiction
Conjure Women: Historical Fiction
Pretty Things: Mystery Thriller
Women in a Patriarchal World: Christian nonfiction
Mother of Floods: Apocalyptic Science Fiction
Somebody Told Me: Dark YA Contemporary
When Pain is Real and God Seems Silent: Christian Living
After She Wrote Him: Thriller
The Unsuitable: Weird Fiction
Uncommon Ground: Christian Living
The Book of Koli: Science Fiction
This Is God's Table: Christian Living
A Talent to Deceive: True Crime about the Lindbergh Baby
Something She's Not Telling Us: Thriller
The Women with Silver Wings: Nonfiction
The Burning: YA Contemporary
Saints and Scoundrels: Christian nonfiction
The Glass Magician: Fantasy
I Am Not Your Enemy: Christian Nonfiction
The List of Things That Will Not Change: Middle Grade Contemporary
If I Had Your Face: Multicultural Fiction
Sin Eater: Historical Fiction
 Private Investigations: True Crime

Audiobooks:

 

 Me last month: I'm trying to keep my audiobook hold small.

Me in March: puts everything on hold and ignores the books I have lists on

Honestly though, I am SUPER excited about most of these. Plus most of them are books I definitely would've gotten to at some point this year like My Dark Vanessa, The Sun Down Motel, and Eight Perfect Murders. I've been reading to read Mistborn forever and Uglies may be a better medium for me to finally finish this book (I started it in like eighth grade and never finished it). I also have heard a lot of good things about Such a Fun Age and I want to see for myself. Cilka's Journey is an ARC that I wanted to read last year, but didn't get to bc I took five literature classes while student teaching. I am hopeful:D

Books I Own:

 Binti: The Night Masquerade- final book in the Binti trilogy

You Are Not Alone- Literally Dead Book Club pick!

Elevation- SK novella

The Problem of Pain- Christian theology on pain and suffering from my dude Lewis
   Sex, Jesus, and the Conversations the Church Forgot- Christian living about sexuality
Parable of the Talents- sci-fi sequel to Parable of the SowerBonhoeffer Abridged- Nonfiction about famous Christian prophet, spy, and martyr

How was your reading month for March? What are your goals for the month? Let me know down below in the comments!