March 2026 Wrap-Up
Happy April!
It’s officially spring but it’s still snowing. It’s the perfect weather to get some reading done, though. I also officially turned 30 and celebrated with a huge birthday book haul 😂 I hosted a party for the first time in my life and it was so much fun! We played “Pin the Back Pain on the Skeleton” and Kahoot. In terms of reading, I managed to finish 6 books. I’m still listening to the same audiobooks as last month, so we’ll see if I finish them in April.
Editing Update: I did one manuscript evaluation and 2 proofreads in March! I am also officially fully booked until June. I’m so excited to also be participating in the Writing Battle competition as an industry judge again at the end of April 😄 I would definitely recommend checking out this writing competition because it’s so much fun! The story prompts are super creative. Anyhoo, if you ever have any editing questions or have a manuscript that’s in need of an editor, check out my Editing Services page and contact me with your synopsis 😊
My Library
I’m reading one book from my personal library at the moment, but I also got some books from my birthday book haul that I’m excited to read. We’ll see if I get to any of those in April 😅
Netgalley eARCs
Thimble: A New Fairytale by Hannah Birss
Review:
This was such a cute story and a very easy read. It reminds me of Aesop’s Fables with how the story focuses on the animals and has them all help each other out and learn lessons along the way. The language is very basic so it would make a good chapter book for a young child. The pacing was very relaxed for the entire story until the ending where it ended quite quickly, in my opinion. Overall it’s a great story with many good lessons to learn.
4/5⭐
The Cloud Kingdom by Máire Zepf
Review:
This is such a wonderful children’s book. The illustrations are beautiful and matched the plot perfectly. This book has such an interesting format where it’s a story in a story and so on. Basically story-ception. The way the stories flowed together and came full circle at the end was so clever. The stories were all so imaginative and I enjoyed every one. I’d definitely recommend this book as it would make a great bedtime book.
5/5⭐
How Lucky Am I by Christian Watson
Review:
I was initially drawn to this book because of the cover, but it turned out to be a great read! It’s filled with beautiful illustrations and quotes. It’s very inspirational! There are sections that start with a page of text explaining a concept, and then there are illustrated pages of Mr. Skelly saying inspirational quotes. The messages in this book provide a lot of material to reflect on about life, death, and enjoying the present moment. It’s a great book to pick up when you’re feeling a little down and hopeless.
4/5⭐
Sleepover Sneak Attack by Kiara Valdez
Review:
This was such a throwback! I never got the chance to watch much of the Powerpuff Girls when I was a kid, so I was so excited to read this book! I thought it was going to be a comic because it was in the comic section of Netgalley, but it’s more like a young reader’s chapter book with a ton of illustrations. The story was fun and had a good theme. I also like how the author included a glossary and guided questions so kids could learn some reading comprehension. I’d definitely recommend this to young readers!
4.5/5⭐
Ghoul by Kasey Iris
Review:
TW: Death by self-unaliving
I’m half Filipino, so I love seeing books with Filipino rep! I was so excited to read this one, and although the plot could’ve been a little more straightforward and strong, I really enjoyed this graphic novel. I love how there was Tagalog directly in the panels with the English translation beside it. There was even a glossary at the end. I think it may have been better to have the translations only in the glossary because the panels were quite cluttered with text. The busyness of the panels made them hard to follow sometimes, and there was also a lot going on in the plot. The story was still quite emotional, and I found myself tearing up while reading the bit where the father and son is at the funeral. I really love the art style as well! Overall, I would still recommend this!
3.5/5⭐
Flip Flip Slowly by Mame Ohtako
Review:
I blew through this manga. I read the description for this and was sold on the librarian bit. This was such a soft story and the subtle way the MMCs fell in love was so sweet. Nothing really happens until the end because it was such a slow burn. I screamed at the ocean scene, though, because it was so perfect. One thing I didn’t realize was the age gap that existed between the two MMCs, but they complemented each other so perfectly that it worked well. I also wasn’t expecting that scene after the end of the main manga because everything was such a slow burn before that point 😅 I was rooting for them all the way, though! There was also another heartwarming scene at the end that was the perfect way to end the story. I’d definitely recommend this standalone manga.
5/5⭐
Other (e)ARCs
I have quite a few eARCs and ARCs that I’ve started but have yet to finish. I’ve been blowing through my manga and graphic novels from Netgalley, though, so I’ll probably take a break from those in April and focus on the novels.
Audiobooks
I’m currently listening to Pucking Around and Storm Over Camelot, and will probably finish one of these by the first half of April. I’m loving both of these stories so far!
What was your favorite read in March? Let me know what it was in the comments 😄
Happy reading!
