Books Bring People Together

Wrapping Up March: A Bookstagram Meet Up & My 9 (Ranked) March Reads

Hi Friends!

I’m wrapping up my March reading which was, overall, a great reading month. I’ll share my ranked books with a few quick thoughts and star ratings below.

But first, I have to share about the fun lunch I had with one of my very good Bookstagram friends, Brett from @Bretts.Book.Stack on Instagram. Brett and I had never met in real life, but have chatted on Instagram for the past several years after connecting over the book The Power of the Dog by Don Winslow. It’s truly mind boggling to me how amazing it is to connect with people far and wide over books! The Bookstagram community on Instagram is an incredible place to find book recs, but it’s also such a great place to connect with and have conversations with other book lovers. It’s where I met my podcast co-host Tina (@tbretc) and it’s where I return to daily to chat with people I consider friends about books, life, our pets, Trader Joe’s products etc:) If you’re on Instagram (or Goodreads) definitely give Brett a follow, he reads widely and writes thoughtful reviews, plus he often shares pics of his cute dogs. And if you’re like me and have watched and loved the show Shrinking on Apple TV, fun fact- Brett is the casting director for it!! I continue to be so grateful for books and the people I’ve met because of them

Now onto my March reading. I had a few unexpected hits - and a surprising miss -in March. Overall, my reading month was great, I had two 5 star books, (one of these will most likely end up in my top 10) and a couple 4.5 stars. On the flip side, two highly anticipated reads didn’t quite live up to my expectations. And that leads me to something I noticed in my reading this month- I had the best luck with backlist books that I had no expectations of when I picked them up- although one buzzy book did work out for me. In April, I plan to take more chances with books that are backlist and/or aren’t being talked about everywhere.

WHAT I READ IN MARCH RANKED FROM LEAST TO MOST FAVORITE

If I Run by Terri Blackstock - Casey Cox’s DNA is all over the crime scene. There’s no use talking to police; they have failed her abysmally before. She has to flee before she’s arrested . . . or worse. Though the crime scene seems to tell the whole story, details of the murder aren’t adding up. Casey Cox doesn’t fit the profile of a killer…the question becomes, is she a psychopathic killer . . . or a selfless hero? - The writing and pace was good and I thought it was an above average read until the author’s clear agenda became obvious with a plot turn that made zero sense, and that agenda was made all the more clear by the author’s note at the end which completely turned me off. 2.5 ⭐️

Red Queen by Juan Gomez Jurado 🎧 - translated from the Spanish - a thriller that’s being compared to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (I can see this but this isn’t near as good as that book). Antonia Scott, gifted forensic investigator, teams up with Jon Gutierrez, a disgraced police officer, in a race to find a kidnapped woman who’s kidnapping may be linked to the recent murder of a teenage boy. - I had high hopes for this and while I enjoyed the audio narration and fast paced plot, the structure was chaotic and bogged down with too much backstory. 3 ⭐️ (full review is in episode 94 of Book Talk, etc)

Never Finished: Unshackle Your Mind and Win the War Within by David Goggins 🎧 - A memoir in which David shares about his abusive childhood and the philosophy, psychology, and strategies that have enabled him to help himself out of the darkness and strive to go beyond his limits. - This audiobook was compelling and while I don’t agree with some of what he has to say, I found his story fascinating and motivating. The audio has 3 extra hours of content so I highly recommend that format. 3.5 ⭐️ (full review in episode 94 of Book Talk, etc)

I Will Find You by Harlan Coben - An innocent father serving life for the murder of his own son receives evidence that his child may still be alive, and must break out of prison to find out the truth- This was one of my most anticipated reads for March! While I did binge it and found it to be classic Harlan Coben- full of action and plot thrills, there came a point where my suspension of disbelief became way too much. Also, I didn’t buy the resolution. 3.5 ⭐️ (review in ep 95 of Book Talk, etc)

For You and Only by Caroline Kepnes 🎧 - Book 4 in the Joe Goldberg series. These should be read in order and in my opinion these are best “read” on audio. Santino Fontana IS Joe Goldberg and in this book he’s going to Harvard to take part in a writing fellowship. Enough said because where Joe goes- trouble- and often dead bodies- follows. I would give the audio narration 5⭐️s but the overall story 4 ⭐️ as I thought it was way too long and became repetitive. I’ll be sharing all my thoughts on the Apr 4 episode of Book Talk, etc

The Best Kind of People by Zoe Whittall 🎧- George Woodbury, a much loved teacher , community hero, and beloved husband and father, is arrested for sexual misconduct at a prestigious prep school. His wife, Joan, goes between denial and rage as the community she loved turns on her. Their daughter, Sadie, a popular over-achieving high school senior, becomes a social pariah. Their son, Andrew, assists in his father’s defense. How do they defend someone they love while wrestling with the possibility of his guilt? I listened to this and thought the audio narration elevated the story. The opening scene was jarring and intense and pulled me right into the story. I was propelled through the story by the great writing, the drama and ramifications surrounding each of the family members, and the question of whether George did it or not. The last sentence left me stunned! (Review on episode 95 of BTE) 4.5 ⭐️

All That is Mine I Carry With Me by William Landay 🎧- A mother vanished. A father presumed guilty. There is no proof. There are no witnesses. For the children, there is only doubt . A riveting mystery told in a clever structure with surprises you won’t see coming. This was almost a 5 star read but I had an issue with one aspect of the ending. I’ll be sharing my thoughts on the Tues, Apr 4 of BTE

Before He Finds Her by Michael Kardos 🎧 - In a quiet New Jersey town on a Sunday evening in September 1991, Ramsey Miller, loving husband and father, threw a blowout block party, then murdered his beautiful wife and three-year old daughter. Or did he? This story pulled me in with the opening voice of Arthur, a journalist who had worked the Miller murder and who’s been haunted by the case over the years. I loved this book, it was both a compelling mystery and a bittersweet story. 5 ⭐️! I talk about this in episode 93 of BTE

Sycamore by Bryn Chancellor 🎧 - ⭐️My Favorite book of March!!⭐️ Out for a hike one scorching afternoon in Sycamore, Arizona, a newcomer to town stumbles across what appear to be human remains embedded in the wall of a dry desert ravine. As news of the discovery makes its way around town, Sycamore’s longtime residents fear the bones may belong to Jess Winters, the teenage girl who disappeared suddenly some eighteen years earlier. What happened leading up to Jess’s disappearance? Told in a past/present alternating timeline this literary mystery was filled with amazing writing and characters I haven’t been able to stop thinking about. I loved this story which had me in tears more than once and I’m predicting it’ll end up in my top 10 reads of the year! 5 ⭐️! (Full review is in episode 95 of BTE)