I almost didn’t get this written up today as it turned out to be a day of house projects! But we are at the end of another month, and the start of one of my favourite months for reading because we officially restart r/Fantasy Bingo! I had a fantastic reading month this March, so let’s dive in.

Reading Wrap

Somehow, I managed to read 15 books in March! I have never read that much in a month before. Most of my reading for the first half of the month was dictated entirely by my mood, and then when The Climate Fiction Prize shortlist was announced, I focused on adding those books into my reads. In March I also read three books that will very likely make it onto my ‘best of the year’ list, and I finished up the 2024 edition of bingo.

• Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett was the first book I finished for the month, and the book that gave me the full board for r/Fantasy Book Bingo. It was a lot of fun and a series I plan to continue. (Full review here.)
• Footprints in the Woods by John Lister Kaye – a lovely little book all about the UK’s mustelids. (Full review here.)
• Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. This was an incredible audio listen, so much fun and a big recommend from me. (Full review here.)
• The Witch who Trades with Death by C.M. Alongi, an advance copy from Angry Robot Books. A great standalone ya fantasy. (Full review here.)
• The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer. A Beautiful addition to the lessons from Braiding Sweetgrass.
• Gorse by Sam K. Horton. A dark, mysterious story rich in Cornish folklore. Incredible. (Full review here).
• Murder at Gulls Nest by Jess Kidd, an arc from Faber Books. A sometimes fun, sometimes serious murder mystery set in the 50’s with an ex-nun as the star. (Full review here.)
• The Great Auk by Tim Birkhead, gifted by Bloomsbury. A very interesting, and sometimes tough read about the extinct great auk. (Full review here.)
• I Love You S’more by Auriane Desombre, arc provided for a TBR & Beyond Tour. A ya sapphic romance set at a summer camp. My review is out on 8th April.
• The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré. A powerful story about a 14 year old Nigerian girl who is sold as a slave to a rich white woman.
• Where Shadows Bloom by Catherine Bakewell, arc from Harper 360 ya. A fairytale-esq sapphic romance with a lot of mystery set in a French-inspired palace. (Full review here.)
• And So I Roar by Abi Daré. Nominated for The Climate Fiction Prize and sequel to The Girl With the Louding Voice, it is just as powerful and thought-provoking, following Adunni again as she is fighting to receive the education she dreams of.
• Briefly Very Beautiful by Roz Dineen. Nominated for The Climate Fiction Prize, it follows a mother and her three children through the climate apocalypse. Thought-provoking and scarily close to a future we may not need to imagine.
• Dissolution by Nicholas Binge. Mind-bending and so compelling, we follow Maggie into her husband’s memories in order to try and stop reality from consuming itself.
• Orbital by Samantha Harvey.

In March I also think I started to find my stride a little more with this blog. I am really enjoying writing for it now, and I wanted to thank you for reading and commenting on my posts!

Life Wrap

March started with a glorious walk across the moors with a friend and her pups. The weather was perfect – bright, clear and chilly!
The middle of the month was spent mostly doing house jobs. Lots more diy (please don’t ask about the shower situation right now), and I also spent a ton of time in the garden. I planted up the woodland border, planted a lot of veggie seeds, watched the rhubarb grow and also spent some time getting to know what is living in the pond.
The month finished with a trip to The Eden Project on another beautiful sunny day. Overall, a fab month!

You tell me, what was your best book of march?