Monthly Review! March

This month I got PLENTY of reading done and boy did I have some good ones this month! I actually read two really fantastic non-fiction books this month and finished up one of my new favorite YA trilogies. With that being said, onto the books!

The top three best books I read last month were Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman by Lindy West, Blankets by Craig Thompson, and On The Come Up by Angie Thomas. I know that I have already covered Shrill and Blankets in my last post (check it out here!) but I will just reiterate my reviews here (feel free to skip this if you’ve already read my previous post, I will not be offended!).

I really loved Shrill even though it was one of those books that made me angry/sad/frustrated. Not from the content of the book, but from the things that women have to go through online (and in real life) just to be accepted in a space that they love (in this case, comedy). I loved the way that Lindy West wrote about all of the horrible things that she has gone through. Yes she described them, and yes they were horrible but that does not mean that her book was sad or without hope. That was the thing that I really enjoyed about it; the balance.

Blankets was another really fantastic book that I read last month by Craig Thompson. I really identified with Craig (the MC) in this book. He is a young Christian that is questioning his faith and other aspects of the church as well. I feel like a lot of younger/teenage Christians go through something similar and either come out a stronger Christian or have a crisis of faith. I feel like it’s a natural thing to go through; to explore your faith and whatever text (such as the Bible) that your religion uses in their teachings. I think there is a difference in believing in something because you want to and CHOOSE to yourself and just blindly following a religion because your family (in this case) follows that religion. I felt that the book really explored his feelings and confusion as a young man going through something like that. While I didn’t agree with everything, I think that the book is a fantastic look at faith and how someone relates to it.

The last book that I really loved last month was On The Come Up By Angie Thomas. This book takes place after Angie Thomas’ last book, The Hate U Give. But this book can be read as a standalone book, no problem. Some of the events from the first book are mentioned but you can easily figure out what is going on without reading THUG. Just in case you haven’t heard the hype surrounding this book, here is the description from Goodreads: “Sixteen-year-old Bri wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. Or at least make it out of her neighborhood one day. As the daughter of an underground rap legend who died before he hit big, Bri’s got big shoes to fill. But now that her mom has unexpectedly lost her job, food banks and shutoff notices are as much a part of Bri’s life as beats and rhymes. With bills piling up and homelessness staring her family down, Bri no longer just wants to make it—she has to make it.”

This book deals with a lot of hard things. I have never had anyone in my family (especially my mom) be addicted to drugs. I’ve never dealt with a lot of things in this book but I have dealt with a few of them. What I related to most was being poor while trying to grow up and deal with school and friends and plenty of other things. The older I get the more that I realize just how hard my parents worked to keep a roof over our heads (now there weren’t always lights but at least there was a place to live). Reading about everything that Bri and her family went through took me right back to that place and it just, ripped me apart (in a good way!). Angie Thomas is such a good writer that just one sentence can evoke so many memories and emotions. I cannot recommend this book enough. I would give it 8,000 stars out of 10.

What books did you love in March? I would love to hear all about them in the comments below! I’m always looking for new book recommendations. Come say hi on Twitter too!