March Wrap-Up! Hey guys! In March, I read a total of 6 books. To me it's been quite a successful reading month as I also continued on with a series that I started ages ago and kept putting off continuing. I'm also pretty happy with what I read as I read quite a few great books (some more okay ones as well) that I can't wait to talk about. Anyway, let's get into my (quite late) March wrap-up! Auggie & Me by R.J. Palacio Date Started - 28/2/2017 Date Finished - 4/3/2017 Synopsis: WONDER tells the story of Auggie Pullman: an ordinary boy with an extraordinary face, whose first year at school changed the lives and the perspectives of everyone around him. AUGGIE & ME is a new side to the WONDER story: three new chapters from three different characters - bully Julian, oldest friend Christopher and classmate Charlotte - giving an insight into how Auggie has touched their own lives. Thought-provoking, surprising, infuriating, heartbreaking and heartwarming, AUGGIE & ME is a must-read for the thousands of readers who loved WONDER. I read Wonder such a long time ago and absolutely loved it. I ended up loving it so much that as soon as I found out this existed, I just had to pick it up, however it ended up just sitting on my shelves for months until now when I got sick of it sat there unread. So, I finally ended up picking it up this month. I did enjoy it, just not as much as I enjoyed Wonder or hoped that I would this. I had previously read Julian's chapter as it was part of my copy of Wonder, but I decided to read it again anyways. It was okay, but I felt it was quite slow to get through to get into the other two. I think that was down to that I wasn't really in the mood to read something I'd already read. Anyway, I enjoyed the other two stories a bit more. Overall, it was good but just not as good as I hoped it'd be. If you loved Wonder then I'd recommend if you want to know a bit more about some of the other characters (Julian, Christopher, Charlotte) and how they think/met Auggie. Rate - 3/5 GR - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25324132-auggie-me?ac=1&from_search=true BD - https://www.bookdepository.com/Auggie---Me--Three-Wonder-Stories/9780552574778 Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare Date Started - 4/3/2017 Date Finished - 5/3/2017 Synopsis: In a time when Shadowhunters are barely winning the fight against the forces of darkness, one battle will change the course of history forever. Welcome to the Infernal Devices trilogy, a stunning and dangerous prequel to the New York Times bestselling Mortal Instruments series. The year is 1878. Tessa Gray descends into London’s dark supernatural underworld in search of her missing brother. She soon discovers that her only allies are the demon-slaying Shadowhunters—including Will and Jem, the mysterious boys she is attracted to. Soon they find themselves up against the Pandemonium Club, a secret organization of vampires, demons, warlocks, and humans. Equipped with a magical army of unstoppable clockwork creatures, the Club is out to rule the British Empire, and only Tessa and her allies can stop them... I know most people have already read this trilogy as well as the TMI series, but I'm currently reading them for the first time and I'm loving them. I've wanted to read them for the longest time and I'm glad I finally am and that I'm enjoying them. I'm think I may prefer TID to TMI, but I still have a lot more to read from this world so I guess I'll have to see if that continues. I love the humour and the characters and ugh, basically I can't wait to get further into this world. Rate - 5/5 GR - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7171637-clockwork-angel?ac=1&from_search=true BD - https://www.bookdepository.com/Clockwork-Angel--Clockwork-Angel-Bk--1/9781406330342 City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare Date Started - ? Date Finished - 9/3/2017 Synopsis: The Mortal War is over, and sixteen-year-old Clary Fray is back home in New York, excited about all the possibilities before her. She’s training to become a Shadowhunter and to use her unique power. Her mother is getting married to the love of her life. Downworlders and Shadowhunters are at peace at last. And—most importantly of all—she can finally call Jace her boyfriend. But nothing comes without a price. Someone is murdering Shadowhunters, provoking tensions between Downworlders and Shadowhunters that could lead to a second, bloody war. Clary’s best friend, Simon, can’t help her—his mother just found out that he’s a vampire, and now he’s homeless. When Jace begins to pull away from her without explaining why, Clary is forced to delve into the heart of a mystery whose solution reveals her worst nightmare: she herself has set in motion a terrible chain of events that could lead to her losing everything she loves. Even Jace. I decided I needed more of the Shadowhunter world after finishing Clockwork Angel, so I decided to jump straight into this. I did enjoy this but I wish I hadn't left such a large gap between reading City of Glass and City of Fallen Angels as I had a bit of trouble getting into CoFA and I think that's what took away a bit of my enjoyment and excitement. Once I got a bit further in, I was able to get into it a bit more and I'm looking forward to seeing what the rest of this series has in store. Rate - 4.5/5 GR - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6752378-city-of-fallen-angels?ac=1&from_search=true BD - https://www.bookdepository.com/The-Mortal-Instruments--City-of-Fallen-Angels/9781406330335 Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts 1&2 by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany & Jack Thorne Date Started - 12/3/2017 Date Finished - 12/3/2017 Synopsis: The Eighth Story. Nineteen Years Later. Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, a new play by Jack Thorne, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series and the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage. The play will receive its world premiere in London’s West End on July 30, 2016. It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children. While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places. I was nervous about starting this as I'd heard quite mixed things, but I decided to bite the bullet and give it a go. One definite thing is that this is a super quick read and I managed to get through it in a couple of hours. I did like it and I liked to see how the characters from the original Harry Potter books acted with each other once they'd grown up. However, there were certain parts of the plot that I didn't think really worked or liked. I'm not going to say what those parts are because I can't without spoiling people. I do know people that did like the parts I didn't so, I guess it just depends on how you wanted the story to continue. Overall, I did really enjoy HP&TCC despite the small things in the plot that I didn't like and it was great to see a new book/play script added to the series/world. Rate - 4/5 GR - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29069989-harry-potter-and-the-cursed-child-parts-1-2?ac=1&from_search=true BD - https://www.bookdepository.com/Harry-Potter-and-the-Cursed-Child---Parts-I---II/9780751565355 Gormless Gods and Hapless Heroes: Tim Baker and the Ancient Curse by Stella Tarakson Date Started - 15/3/2017 Date Finished - 16/3/2017 Synopsis: Life hasn’t been easy since Tim’s dad died – the kids at school call him Cinderella because he’s always stuck at home doing the housework while his mum’s at work. But when Hercules unexpectedly turns up in his living room, life starts to get a whole lot more interesting! Super-strong, but not so super-smart, when Hercules sets out to help him Tim is left picking up the pieces. How do you convince a hero that you don’t need his help? *I was sent a copy of this book in trade of an honest review via Netgalley* I do have a review written already that should be up soon if not already. If/when it's up, I'll try and remember to link it below. Overall, it was a funny, quick read. but there wasn't anything that stood out for me to make it amazing. I do think that people who read more middle grade/children books would definitely enjoy it a bit more. Rate - 3.5/5 GR - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34089821-tim-baker-and-the-ancient-curse?from_search=true BD - https://www.bookdepository.com/Tim-Baker-and-the-Ancient-Curse/9781782263456 The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton Date Started - ?/3/2017 Date Finished - 19/3/2017 Synopsis: Magical realism, lyrical prose, and the pain and passion of human love haunt this hypnotic generational saga. Foolish love appears to be the Roux family birthright, an ominous forecast for its most recent progeny, Ava Lavender. Ava—in all other ways a normal girl—is born with the wings of a bird. In a quest to understand her peculiar disposition and a growing desire to fit in with her peers, sixteen-year old Ava ventures into the wider world, ill-prepared for what she might discover and naïve to the twisted motives of others. Others like the pious Nathaniel Sorrows, who mistakes Ava for an angel and whose obsession with her grows until the night of the Summer Solstice celebration. That night, the skies open up, rain and feathers fill the air, and Ava’s quest and her family’s saga build to a devastating crescendo. This book had been on my TBR for the longest time and I don't really know why. I'd heard so many great things about it, so I finally decided to pick it up this month. I went into it hoping to love it, but ended being rather disappointed. I enjoyed it, but it didn't live up to what I'd heard from other people and overall it was just okay. There were aspects which I really loved though. The writing was beautiful and I think there was a lot of potential in the storyline, but I don't think it was for me. The synopsis sounded really intriguing to me but was a bit confused to why only about a 1/3 of the book is about Ava Lavender and her story. Though I do understand why some of the story about her mother etc was needed, but I felt either that part could've been shortened or that Ava's story could've been lengthened. I did really enjoy the last half of it because that was where the story finally started to get really interesting. Also, just a warning to anyone, but in this book there are mentions of scenes of sexual assault/rape, so if you are sensitive to these issues then please do keep that in mind if you're interested in reading this book. Overall, I did enjoy it and loved the writing, but was just hoping for more. Rate - 3/5 GR - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18166936-the-strange-and-beautiful-sorrows-of-ava-lavender?ac=1&from_search=true BD - https://www.bookdepository.com/The-Strange-and-Beautiful-Sorrows-of-Ava-Lavender/9781406357738 Anyway, those were all of the book I read in March. If you've read any of the books I've mentioned, let me know your thoughts below. Let me know what book you read in March also!
BYE!
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AuthorHello and welcome to Books With Beth! I'm Beth and on this blog I share a mix of all my bookish thoughts through reviews, book tours and hauls. Have fun! Categories
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