The Stray Reader

17 books read this month. I think that’s a personal best! So this is how much I can read when I’m unemployed. Huh. And… maybe because of these four reasons too:

• First, my book reviews for my Facebook group are due soon. Naturally, I had to finish those two books on time.
• Second, I finally resumed reading Throne of Glass after the whole Fairyloot debacle. Check out my very long post about that here. Thanks to that, I finally see why this series has such a huge and passionate fan base. Honestly, I feel like I’m one of them now. I loved it so much!
• Third, I’m continuing my Bridgerton reread as I wait for the next season of the series from Netflix. Seriously though, they need to drop those episodes in one go and not have a one month gap!
• Lastly, I was quite in the mood for horror as the Facebook group I’m in has been quite active due to a project promoting indie authors from the genre.

I hope you had a wonderful March!

#1: An Offer From a Gentleman

⭐4.5 : My second read of this book and it’s more charming than I remember! Benedict’s story remains to be my favorite Bridgerton book and one of my top Cinderella retellings of all time. The push and pull, Benedict’s pursuit of Sophie, the increased involvement of the Bridgerton family, and Sophie’s strong principles make this such a wonderful read. (Check the full review of my first read here!)

#2: Romancing Mister Bridgerton

⭐4 : I rated this 3 stars when I first read it last year but now that Polin (Penelope & Colin) is about to hit the big screens next month, my excitement is seeing everything in a new light. Colin’s support of Penelope’s writing and vice versa is a depth of romance that I loved reading. (Check the full review of my first read here!)

#3: To Sir Phillip, with Love

⭐2 : A rare moment where a big screen adaptation of a character is better than the books. Eloise’s character took a nosedive by practically pursuing a man out of loneliness and Sir Phillip’s treatment of his children was not redeemed properly. However, I did love seeing the Bridgerton brothers in their best protective and endearing forms. (Check the full review of my first read here!)

#4: The Rot of Karma

⭐3 : Unfortunately, while I still love Matt Shaw’s writing, I found this story quite lacking even for a short story. True, the characters were well-written and had a good foundation to move the plot along. But I found myself looking for more plot and horror intensity. (Check out my full review here!)

#5: Sick Bastards

⭐4.5 : I think I’m gonna throw up now. Or read the sequel to throw up even more? What is sanity? The book promised to shock, disgust, and offend… and it DELIVERED! (Check out my full review here!)

#6: Sicker Bastards

⭐4 : This sick sequel follows the family of four into a dystopian nightmare of cannibalism, incest, gore, and so much more. The descent into madness continues. I seriously thought that only one scenario could make this worse and I was wrong. What actually happened is so much worse!!!

#7: Sickest Bastards

⭐4 : A fitting and satisfying conclusion to all the madness in the previous two books. Again, I keep guessing about the worst case scenario and I kept being proven that my mind is too tame. What an intense journey this series has been!

#8: Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute

⭐3.5 : The conversations and narration style is too Gen Z for my taste. Sorry. I do love that the characters feel modern so that certain cliches were avoided but the emotions felt lacking in depth. The banters didn’t feel clever nor fun.

#9: More Light: Collected Masonic Writings (2017-2021)

⭐3 : I very much liked that most of the articles are relatable in its philosophical musings because these are discussions on how freemason philosophies are applied in the real world like in politics, religion, and even the effectivity or compliance of communal worship during the time of COVID. (Check out my full review here!)

#10: Europea Halls

⭐2 : A slasher novel reminiscent of the movie ‘Scream’ and the book ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’ that leaves a lot of room for depth.

There’s a lot of potential for this series. Individually, the elements are theoretically a banger on its own – the diverse characters, the interesting setting, the twists, the self-awareness trope that it knows it’s a slasher piece of literature, etc. However, the way they’re meshed together needs a lot of work. (Check out my full review here!)

#11: The Picture of Dorian Gray

⭐2 : My classic read of the month. While I appreciate the lessons, as a book it wasn’t that entertaining for me. The characters don’t have much development, the intricate plots were not explored, and most of Dorian’s musings are unrelatable topics that don’t contribute to the plot.

#12: In the Lives of Puppets

⭐4 : A cozy read that revived my child-like wonders and emotions. TJ Klune knows how to create a playful, magical atmosphere and inject playful conversations then hits you with a tear-jerker at the right time. I will chase these types of comfort books more now.

#13: Queen of Shadows

⭐4.5 : The first few chapters were difficult to go through because I hated Chaol and Celaena arguing but as the plot develops I realized that the character directions were necessary and gave them more depth. Both the plot and the characters are getting more and more interesting!

#14: Empire of Storms

⭐5 : Okay, I freaking love this series. Aelin is the smartest and the most deserving of any FMC fantasy hype I have ever read. The addition and return of interesting characters, the unpredictability of the plot, the stakes that keep getting higher, and the intensity of everything going on are making me live for this series.

#15: Tower of Dawn

⭐4.5 : I don’t care what anybody says, this book is NOT BORING! Elide and Lorcan’s journey is the best of any enemies-to-lovers arc in this series. Chaol’s redemption and his path intertwining Yrene’s were two things I didn’t know I needed.

#16: Kingdom of Ash

⭐5 : An epic conclusion that made me tense, happy, and then cry a lot. I can’t move on from this series. The way this started all so predictable then unleashed a bunch of complicated plot and beloved characters to ultimately come to this is a masterpiece. I’m a huge fan.

#17: Dead Inside

⭐3 : I don’t freaking know how to rate this thing because it’s written well but it feels like forbidden literature. WTF WAS THAT?!!!! I had to skip a lot because I couldn’t stomach the unfolding events involving babies but I couldn’t stop because I kept thinking ‘there has to be a point, right?!!!’ I need a day, no a year, off of whatever this is. 😭