March Wrap up and April TBR

Hey guys! I know that I’ve not visited or replied to many comments here. That’s because I was so stressed up last month; the only thing that kept me going was reading books. Before I jump into anything, I just wanted to tell y’all that I missed interacting with everyone here.
I took an unplanned break from all my online activities to give myself a break, and on top of this, I’m busy with my brother’s wedding in May. I don’t think I’ll be able to read much this month, so I thought of taking a reading break because I’ve been stuffing my mind with stories nonstop. Apart from reviewing ARCs, I hardly doubt that I’ll be able to get any reading done until May second-week. This month, I’ve decided to read only 3 books apart from the blogtours I’ll be participating in. This will give me time to plan more things and interact with everyone. I have so many books to review anyway, so I thought reading less would help me find my ground again.

I hope you’ve been taking care of yourselves. Please drink lots of water and keep yourself hydrated. This year is slipping through my fingers, and it’s only the fourth month of the year. I don’t know what will happen this month and the next, so I have given up worrying about what happens next for now. Enough of my rambling, and let’s move onto this wrap-up post.

Books Read in March

➼ The Bridge Kingdom ★★★.5 ❘ This book started off okay-ish, and then it became interesting and exciting. I loved how this story was mainly based on the bridge. I went into this thinking it would be a romance novel, but it wasn’t. It was more a political-fantasy novel where people try to conquer the land through this bridge. I have to sit down and write the review for it soon.

➼ Legendborn ★★★★★ ❘ I don’t have to say how much I love this book. This is one of my favorites this year, and I have no clue why I kept postponing reading it. I immensely enjoyed reading this book, and I’m glad I finished it last month. I really can’t wait to read the next book in this series.

➼ Daughter of Smoke and Bone ★★★★ ❘ The first half of this book was making me feel so dreamy and artsy with its setting. Then it became bizarre and sad. The sadness wouldn’t leave me even after finishing it. This book also gave a whole new meaning to tooth fairies.

➼ The Iron King ★★★ ❘ This book made me laugh in the beginning, and then it started to become dull. I just wanted to see how Meghan saves her younger brother, but it has a good ending, though. Someday I might pick the next book in this series.

➼ Ace of Spades ★★★★★ ❘ This book is FANTASTIC period. It started as a usual YA high school angst-filled story, and then everything started to go out of the characters’ hands. I have no words to say how much I loved this book, but I’d highly recommend everyone to read this book.

➼City of Bones ★★★★ ❘ Looking back, there’s nothing much that happens in this book. The novel is developed on a few important scenes, but it was too enjoyable to mind the length.

➼ City of Ashes ★★★★ ❘ Shadowhunters are exposed to some brutal lifestyle. They are warriors, and I understood why Jocelyn had to keep Clary away from this world. I found Valentine far more vicious in this book. At least his reputation isn’t unaccounted for.

➼ City of Glass ★★★★ ❘ This series could have ended with this book. Everyone is back at Idris, waiting for the clave to decide what to do with Valentine and his minions. Some parts reminded me of Voldermort, who was giving everyone to either choose to serve him or die. This ultimatum, along with many other aspects in this series, reminded me of Harry Potter, but this one is quite different from it in many ways.

➼ Clockwork Angel ★★★ ❘ Pinterest hyped me to read The Infernal Devices series. All those fanarts were getting to my head, and I was dying to read this series. If I had started The Shadowhunter Chronicles from this series, I’m not sure I’d have continued reading it because this one was a letdown for me. But I loved the poetry and all the quotes that appeared in this series, making me want to read more Classics and Poetry.

➼ Clockwork Prince ★★★ ❘ I liked Will in this book. Though Jem is the main focus in this book, I think Will stole his spotlight. After reading this book, I was contemplating about Death, Love, Friendship, and everything. Jem and Will’s connection is beyond blood. I had to give it a 3-stars because Mortmain and his evil forces were absent for the most part of this book.

➼ Clockwork Princess ★★★★ ❘ I had come to terms with all the drama in book 2, and then there’s a twist in this one. One part of me wanted Jem and Tessa to be happy, and the other part (team Wessa) wanted Will to be happy, for once. My issue with this series was that most of the twists felt anti-climatic to me. I loved reading about Charlotte, Henry, Gideon, Sophie, Gabriel, and Cecily. If not for these characters, I’d have rated the book 3 stars. This book does have a happy ending, but I felt sad in the end.

➼ Mercurial ★★★ ❘ I reviewed this book earlier this week. Read the review here.

➼ The Spanish Love Deception ★★★★ ❘ This book was amazeballs! I love reading slow-burn romances, and this one was chef’s kiss. It gave me huge Ella Miase/Mariana Zapata/Sally Thorne vibes, so if you love reading those authors’ books, then you shouldn’t hesitate to read this one.

➼ Dear Ava ★★★ ❘ This book was hyped last year, and I wanted to see how this was different from the other high school New Adult romances out there. I was impressed with how the characters sounded mature for their age. The first half of this book wasn’t that promising, but the second half picked up with the plot, and the romance wasn’t that corny and was genuinely good.

➼ City of Fallen Angels ★★★ ❘ One of my favorite things about Cassandra Clare’s books is her ability to make the reader get comfortable with the writing and characters. This series has multiple POV’s. It wasn’t hard to keep track of things. I tuned out Jace and Clary’s quarrels, I mean, what’s with these two! Apart from them, Simon, Alec, and Magnus were keeping the story going. As I said, this series could have ended with the City of Glass, but nope they had to make it more angsty.

DNF

This book was too slow, and even after 50 pages, nothing much was happening. So, I’ve put this off of my reading self and might read it when I feel like it.

Favourite Book(s) of the Month

I read 15 books in March, which is the most I’ve read ever since I started blogging. I enjoyed every single book I read last month, and it’s been a tough competition to choose one favorite for March.

April TBR

I know that I told y’all that I’m on a reading break, yet I still want to read a few books this month. I’m going to hold myself from binge-reading and any last-minute reading plans.

➼ Kate in Waiting by Becky Albertalli | Contrary to popular belief, best friends Kate Garfield and Anderson Walker are not codependent. Carpooling to and from theater rehearsals? Environmentally sound and efficient. Consulting each other on every single life decision? Basic good judgment. Pining for the same guys from afar? Shared crushes are more fun anyway.

But when Kate and Andy’s latest long-distance crush shows up at their school, everything goes off script. Matt Olsson is talented and sweet, and Kate likes him. She really likes him. The only problem? So does Anderson.

Turns out, communal crushes aren’t so fun when real feelings are involved. This one might even bring the curtains down on Kate and Anderson’s friendship.

➼ The Ones We’re Meant to Find by Joan He | One of the most twisty, surprising, engaging page-turner YAs you’ll read this year—We Were Liars meets Black Mirror, with a dash of Studio Ghibli.

Cee awoke on an abandoned island three years ago. With no idea of how she was marooned, she only has a rickety house, an old android, and a single memory: she has a sister, and Cee needs to find her.

STEM prodigy Kasey wants escape from the science and home she once trusted. The eco-city—Earth’s last unpolluted place—is meant to be sanctuary for those commited to planetary protection, but it’s populated by people willing to do anything for refuge, even lie. Now, she’ll have to decide if she’s ready to use science to help humanity, even though it failed the people who mattered most.

➼The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia | From the New York Times bestselling author of Mexican Gothic comes a sweeping romance with a dash of magic.

They are the Beautiful Ones, Loisail’s most notable socialites, and this spring is Nina’s chance to join their ranks, courtesy of her well-connected cousin and his calculating wife. But the Grand Season has just begun, and already Nina’s debut has gone disastrously awry. She has always struggled to control her telekinesis—neighbors call her the Witch of Oldhouse—and the haphazard manifestations of her powers make her the subject of malicious gossip.

When entertainer Hector Auvray arrives to town, Nina is dazzled. A telekinetic like her, he has traveled the world performing his talents for admiring audiences. He sees Nina not as a witch, but ripe with potential to master her power under his tutelage. With Hector’s help, Nina’s talent blossoms, as does her love for him.

But great romances are for fairytales, and Hector is hiding a truth from Nina—and himself—that threatens to end their courtship before it truly begins. The Beautiful Ones is a charming tale of love and betrayal, and the struggle between conformity and passion, set in a world where scandal is a razor-sharp weapon.

➼ The Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne (The Bloodsworn Saga #1) | Set in a brand-new, Norse-inspired world, and packed with myth, magic and bloody vengeance, The Shadow of the Gods begins an epic new fantasy saga from bestselling author John Gwynne.
After the gods warred and drove themselves to extinction, the cataclysm of their fall shattered the land of Vigrið.
Now a new world is rising, where power-hungry jarls feud and monsters stalk the woods and mountains. A world where kip the bones of the dead gods still hold great power for those brave – or desperate – enough to seek them out.
Now, as whispers of war echo across the mountains and fjords, fate follows in the footsteps of three people: a huntress on a dangerous quest, a noblewoman who has rejected privilege in pursuit of battle fame, and a thrall who seeks vengeance among the famed mercenaries known as the Bloodsworn.
All three will shape the fate of the world as it once more falls under the shadow of the gods . . . 

➼ Relic by Bronwyn Eley (The Relic Trilogy #1) | As the personal servant of the powerful Lord Rennard, the Shadow’s life is all but forfeit. Rennard possesses one of five rare and dangerous Relics – a jewel that protects his bloodline, but slowly poisons everyone else in its proximity. When the current Shadow succumbs to its magic, nineteen-year-old blacksmith Kaylan is summoned to take his place. It’s an appointment that will kill her. As the time Kaylan has left ebbs away, hope begins to fade… That is, until she discovers a plot to destroy all five bloodlines in possession of the Relics. A rebel force plans to put an end to Rennard’s rule and Kaylan suddenly finds herself embroiled in a cause that might just be worth fighting for. But no cause is without its costs… As her life hangs in the balance and rebellion bears down on Edriast, Kaylan must decide where her loyalties lie – and how she’ll leave her mark on the world.Relic is the absorbing first novel in The Relic Trilogy, a thrillingly dark YA fantasy series from Talem Press.

➼ To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo | Dark and romantic YA fantasy for fans of Sarah J Maas – about the siren with a taste for royal blood and the prince who has sworn to destroy her.

Princess Lira is siren royalty and the most lethal of them all. With the hearts of seventeen princes in her collection, she is revered across the sea. Until a twist of fate forces her to kill one of her own. To punish her daughter, the Sea Queen transforms Lira into the one thing they loathe most – a human. Robbed of her song, Lira has until the winter solstice to deliver Prince Elian’s heart to the Sea Queen or remain a human forever. The ocean is the only place Prince Elian calls home, even though he is heir to the most powerful kingdom in the world. Hunting sirens is more than an unsavoury hobby – it’s his calling. When he rescues a drowning woman in the ocean, she’s more than what she appears. She promises to help him find the key to destroying all of sirenkind for good. But can he trust her? And just how many deals will Elian have to barter to eliminate mankind’s greatest enemy?

➼ Ranger’s Oath by Blake Arthur Peel (Arc of Radiance/Fall of Radiance #1) | The barrier between worlds is broken. Only he knows the truth…Magic has protected Tarsynium for a thousand years, shielding its people from being ravaged by bloodthirsty demons. When a young ranger’s apprentice named Owyn Lund discovers that the Arc of Radiance has been breached, he tries to warn anybody who will listen. But legends aren’t supposed to be real. When a village is mysteriously destroyed, rangers, mages, and rebels all point the finger, blaming each other for the demons’ brutality. However, Zara Dennel, a mage’s ward, has heard Owyn’s tale—and she’s inclined to believe him. Together, they must prove that friendship is greater than intolerance, unity is more important than division, and that even the most powerful magic can sometimes not be enough. Failure means the end of all things. A second—and lasting—Doom.

Experience the beginning of a thrilling Epic Fantasy series suitable for all ages. It’s perfect for fans of Sabaa Tahir, Sarah J. Maas, and Brandon Sanderson.

Posts I liked in March

Since I wan’t that active here, I have very few post that I liked reading this month.

➼10 Ways to Format Book Reviews for Your Blog @The Wordy Habitat

➼The Importance of Literature & Benefits of Reading Books @ What’s Hot

Favourite 🎵 of the Month

• Where Do We Go From Here? by Ruelle
• Carry You by Ruelle and Fleurie
• Cry For Love, Bambi by Baekhyun
• Empty Cup by IU
• Buscando Amor by Selena Gomez

I want this month to be terrific to you as well as me. I want to stay motivated and try different things this month, but it’ll have to wait until May, I guess. Hope everyone has a productive month ahead too. Let me know what you guys are planning to read this month in the comments.