Best Books Recaps

The Best Books I Read in March 2023

Posted on by AmandaKay
Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash

Happy April, book friends! I feel like March went by in a flash of birthday festivities and a blur of chronic pain flare ups. But the sun is shining, the weather is getting warmer, and I’m looking forward to sitting on our new porch swing with a book very, very soon. 

But first, let’s take a look at the month in reading. In March, I hit an audiobook slump and therefore read a bit less. In total, I finished four books this month. Still, the books I read have been good ones overall, and I’m excited to share a few five star reads! 

(Full disclosure: This post uses Bookshop.org affiliate links. Books marked with an asterisk were received as complimentary review copies).

Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey 

Format Read: Hardcover

Why I Read It: The cover and the title drew me in, then I saw how many rave reviews it was getting. 

This was one of my most highly anticipated reads, and it did not disappoint. Our main character is going through a divorce and she’s doing, um, really good actually. By which I mean not very well at all, actually. 

I love the dark humor and raw honesty in Really Good, Actually, and I couldn’t have asked for a better companion during the multi-day power outage that started our month. 

I can hardly believe this one is a debut because it feels quite polished and smart. Definitely a candidate for favorite read of the year. 

Weyward by Emilia Hart 

Format Read: Hardcover (BOTM Edition)

Why I Read It: Honestly, I hadn’t heard of it until I saw it was available as a Book of the Month add on in March, which also happens to be the month I get to pick a free add on for my birthday. It sounded interesting, so I went for it. 

THIS BOOK. I cannot say enough about how much I loved Weyward. It is a powerful story about women (re)claiming their power in a world that doesn’t want them to, across three generations in the same family. There are certainly some difficult moments to read, but the writing was just so beautiful and compelling. It’s a light touch on the magical front, but it works well. 

For a bit more on my thoughts, check out this mini-review post.

Honorable Mentions

That’s it for this month in books! 

In addition to reading and enjoying the warmer weather, I’ve spent a good bit of time catching up on podcasts and watching more TV than usual thanks to realizing that several seasons of Cutthroat Kitchen are available on Hulu. Thankfully, this hasn’t made much of a dent in my reading life, and I’m already excited for what’s in store for April’s reads! 

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The Best Books I Read in February 2023

Posted on by AmandaKay
Photo by Matias North on Unsplash

Despite being the shortest month of the year, February has proved an incredibly productive reading month! I have read NINE books, which may be a new record at least since I started tracking. 

I’ve read a lot of okay books this month, ones I enjoyed but didn’t love. That always makes it a bit tricky to come up with these best books lists, because so many of them are fine but there aren’t many true standouts. Sometimes, I think this has more to do with my general mood and the winter vibes than with the books themselves. But, so it goes. 

I also read so quickly that I’m ahead on book reviews and have several in the queue, waiting for when I have space in my posting schedule for them. It’s a weird feeling to be ahead on reviews for once, but it makes sense given that I no longer work full time or have a commute. 

Anyway, here are the books I liked best this month, as well as a quick recap of all the rest!

(Full disclosure: This post uses Bookshop.org affiliate links. Book received as advanced review copies are marked with an asterisk).

True Biz by Sara Novic

Format Read: Hardcover 

Why I Read it: I heard about this book on a podcast ages ago and have been eager to read it ever since.

True Biz follows the stories of several members of an Ohio school for the Deaf. I really enjoyed learning about all of the different characters and their experiences within the Deaf community, and there was a bit of a mystery pulling the story along as well. I thought this one ended a bit abruptly and would’ve liked to see a little more in the way of a conclusion, but I really enjoyed it overall. 

The Opposite of Butterfly Hunting by Evanna Lynch

Format Read: Audiobook (LibroFM, narrated by the author)

Why I Read it: Evanna’s portrayal of Luna Lovegood is… kind of everything? I’ve always been curious about her story, so naturally I grabbed at the chance to hear it in her own words. 

The Opposite of Butterfly Hunting is such a powerful and raw memoir. Lynch doesn’t pull punches, at all. I found this really eye opening and fascinating, and highly recommend the audio as narrated by Lynch herself. I wrote a mini review earlier this month, which you can check out here.

The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley

Format Read: Audiobook (Libby)

Why I Read it: I loved Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting by the same author, so I just had to check out this previous novel.

The Authenticy Project is such a fun read! It follows different characters as they encounter Julian’s notebook, which contains his “true” story and the call for whoever finds the book to write their own. I loved seeing these different characters come together and for their own community, and there’s some fun surprises in the plot of this one as well. 

HausMagick: Transform Your Home With Witchcraft by Erica Feldmann

Format Read: Hardcover

Why I Read It: I fell in love with the store HausWitch when I visited Salem and would love advice on how to capture those same cozy witchy vibes for my own home. 

HausMagick is just stunning to look at. Beautiful, glossy pages and full color photos abound. I’ve read a lot of intro to witchery books at this point, so some of what’s covered was familiar to me, but I did enjoy the homespace focus of this book and definitely learned a few things. It also just feels good to hold this book and flip through it. I know I’ll be going back to it whenever I need a little inspiration for the house. 

Honorable Mentions

And there you have it, my month in books! I am pretty happy wtih my reading month and can only imagine that next month will bring more great books, as I have so many ARCs I’m excited to dig into. 

How was your reading month? I’d love to hear what you’ve been reading and what your favorites were!