February was a short month, yet I managed to read quite a bit. Much of that was thanks to my romance-themed TBR stack, since those tend to be pretty quick reads.
I did read a few non-romance books though; as usual my list this month ended up being a mix of genres. Here’s my March reading round-up.
fiction
East of Eden by John Steinbeck. This is a classic I’ve been meaning to tackle for a long time, and I’m so glad I finally did. While there were a few times where this epic family saga felt dated, it mostly stands up to the test of time, and I was surprised to find myself completely absorbed in the pages. If you want a classic dysfunctional family drama, you can’t go wrong here. My rating: 4/5 stars.
The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang. Ready to switch gears? This was my favorite romance of the month, and wow was it a steamy one! While the steaminess made it fun, I loved it because of the characters–you know I love a book with a quirky, smart female lead, and The Kiss Quotient delivered. Of course I adored Stella, but Michael–the male escort she hires to help improve her, um, dating skills–was also such a richly developed character. This was un-put-down-able. My rating: 4/5 stars.
Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. In this enemies-to-lovers romance, Alex, the First Son of the United States has a grudge against Prince Henry of England. Yet when a PR campaign to improve the countries’ relationship forces them together, they realize they have more in common than they thought. I loved this one for the relationship and heartwarming conclusion, but also the politics and the way McQuiston imagined both the perks and drawbacks of their lives in the spotlight. My rating: 4/5 stars.
Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren. The only other Christina Lauren I’ve read was In a Holidaze, which I liked okay, but this one made me realize why so many people love this writing team. Hazel considers herself “undatable” for Josh, but happily plays the role of his best friend. She tries to cure his recent heartbreak by setting up a number of double dates for them to go on. Of course everyone else can see that the sparks are flying between Josh and Hazel–not them and their dates. This one also checked the smart, quirky female protagonist box, and I adored Hazel and her antics. My rating: 3.5/5 stars.
The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams. This book had such a great concept: a professional baseball player joins a romance book club with a bunch of other guys to try and save his marriage. I loved the book club and what they had to say about romance, and also the idea of a romance that’s focused on a marriage rather than new love. However, the characters themselves fell a little flat for me. It was still a fun read though! My rating: 3/5 stars.
A Princess in Theory by Alyssa Cole. I’ve been wanting to pick up a romance by Alyssa Cole for a while now, so when I saw this on a Kindle deal I grabbed it. It takes the idea of the random email from someone claiming to be royalty, and turns it into a true story. Sometimes I can get past the frustration of people keeping secrets from each other, but for some reason I struggled to get over how Prince Thabiso and Naledi had so many communication issues. It still kept me turning the pages, it just wasn’t my favorite. My rating: 3/5 stars.
nonfiction
I Think You’re Wrong (But I’m Listening) by Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers. I’ve listened to Sarah and Beth’s podcast, Pantsuit Politics, for years, and I love their smart and thoughtful approach to politics. Their book is all about rethinking the way we have political conversations, which have become so fraught and anxiety-inducing. While they encourage nuance, this book isn’t about how to compromise and doesn’t give platitudes about meeting in the middle. Instead, it helps us see the current state of political discussion and encourages us to find other ways to engage in conversation. This was an excellent read. My rating: 4.5/5 stars.
The Beauty in Breaking by Michele Harper. I mentioned this book in my recent round-up of nonfiction books I loved by Black authors. As I mentioned, I was surprised at how riveted I was by this memoir from an ER physician; I didn’t want to stop listening to it. She is a fantastic storyteller, and since this was written pre-pandemic, I can only hope that she tells the story of her experience as a doctor during COVID one day as well. I will read that for sure. My rating: 4/5 stars.
The Book of Delights by Ross Gay. In this book of essays, Gay spends a year reflecting on all the things that delight him. While the premise makes it sound like this would be a lighthearted book about gratitude, his essays were much more than that. Sure, he tells stories that are about life’s often overlooked pleasures, like a surprising interaction with a stranger, but he also includes stories unique to his experience as a Black man in America, where delight is harder to come by. I found this book to be uplifting, honest, and at times, hilarious. My rating: 4/5 stars.
Becoming Us by Beth and Jeff McCord. I included this in my enneagram book round-up, but hadn’t quite finished it when I shared the post. Becoming Us is about how the enneagram can play a role in strengthening a marriage. Mixing information with anecdotes, this is very readable and doesn’t get too in the weeds, so it’s not overwhelming for someone still fairly new to the concept of the enneagram. I got a lot from the last section, which delves into each type and their strengths and needs, as well ideas for better understanding that type as their partner or spouse.
That’s my March reading round-up! Have you read anything good recently?
Linking with Show Us Your Books.
