March was a great month for books – I read a diverse selection which saw me pick up only my second five-star read of the year which was good as I feel like this year has been slightly weak for great reads for me so far.
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March saw me pick up my first Colleen Hoover, an author I’ve heard a lot of great things about. She appears to write brilliant stories that cover real-life problems in a way that show us the brutal and honest truths – not a fantasy disney ending. I also picked up It Ends Wth Us by Adam Kay, a great insight into the workings of the NHS and how, despite everyone thinking doctors are high-paid rockstars, he writes the honest truth of their long hours, no social life and often traumatic experiences in their every day lives.
Below I also picked up my first Val McDermid – referred to as the “Queen of Crime” and also Lucy Foley’s brand new book, The Paris Apartment. And to finish off, I picked up the second book in the Divergent series and also read a very thought-provoking book in The Outsider.
It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
My summary of It Ends With Us: “It Ends With Us tugs on all of your emotional strings. It’s a book that opens up a raw subject and isn’t afraid to be incredibly mature with the way it discusses it. It’s a book that will make many people cry and it will make others learn a heck of a lot about domestic abuse and the realities behind why it is so difficult for the abusee to leave the abuser.
Read It Ends With Us… but read it with caution. It’s brilliant. It’s raw. It’s fun and at the same time very not fun.”
This Is Going To Hurt by Adam Kay
My summary of This Is Going To Hurt: “I thought This is Going to Hurt was a fascinating look into the lives of Junior Doctors in the NHS. Working in the NHS, I know things aren’t perfect – in fact, I know they’re quite possibly at an all-time low right now after the pandemic. However, reading it from someone who works “on the frontline” does give a far more real insight into just how difficult it is for them.”
The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley
My summary of The Paris Apartment: “I was excited to read The Paris Apartment; I thoroughly enjoyed The Hunting Party and The Guest List and wanted to enjoy this but I quickly found myself coming towards the end of the book realising I was still waiting for something to happen. It’s a quick and easy read but it’s not one I’d suggest putting to the top of your thriller pile.”
1979 by Val McDermid
My summary of 1979: “1979 is my first Val McDermid novel and one that has made me a fan. With incredible writing, a clear effortless talent for writing a good story and character stories that make you care, McDermid is a new fave. 1979 is a fascinating read that is as educational as it is gripping and is a book I’d definitely recommend to any and all crime fans.“
Insurgent by Veronica Roth
My summary of Insurgent: “There’s a huge missed opportunity here with Insurgent. We’ve seen with a lot of other books that sequels can be everything the first book was but with the solid foundation you can build on the world and toy with the established characters, introducing new ones. Insurgent tries this and fails. No one new is particularly interesting, there are far too many bang average interactions and only the last third of the book had me interested in continuing with the third and final book.”
The Outsider by Albert Camus
My summary of The Outsider: “The Outsider could easily have received a higher rating as it was a book that very much made me think. It felt like one of these books you’d discuss for weeks in your English class. The characters are interesting, the plot moves at a break-neck pace to allow for more to happen in it’s minimal page count and it has you coming away with plenty of questions as to the author’s intentions. However, it just lacked any real excitement for me, which kept it from being a true five-star read.”
To summarise…
So there are the six books I read throughout March. There were some very interesting reads – contemporary, classics, hardship, non fiction and crime were all covered this month. Including only my second five-star read of the year, March was a month which I hope sets a better precedent for the coming months of 2022. I’m going to actively pick up books I know have had some great ratings and I also plan to pick up some more fantasy and sci-fi.
Let me know if you’ve read any of these books and which were your favourite. Or, let me know what books you read throughout March and which of those were your favourite.
