What I Read in March

13 books?!

Dear Reader,

I’ve surprised myself with the number of books I’ve read this month! One of the reasons is that there were a few new releases I read as soon as I could, but I’ve also started dabbling more in the ARC world with NetGalley, and that’s added a whole new layer to my TBR.

The Best Listen:

DAISY DARKER!

I cannot stress this enough; you need to read this book if you love thrillers. The listen was phenomenal, and scared me quite a few times. I haven’t read many of Alice’s books (just started another last night!) but she has been dubbed the ‘Queen of Twists’ and I totally can see why.

If You’re Going to Pick Just One:

I think, of all the books I’ve read, I would encourage you to pick up Make Believe: Poems for Hoping Again. I don’t know about you, but the sunnier days are restoring my faith in just about everything, but the world is still an uncertain place and will be for who knows how long.

In her debut, Victoria absolutely floored me. And that’s not something that happens often with poetry specifically, I think because it is so personal.

Make Believe is a reclamation of wonder and an invitation to return to childlike joy, wielding nostalgia and memory as lenses to imagine a fuller life. These poems pave a path of reconnection to our bodies, our past, our desires, and our wonder—beckoning readers to discover a world worth holding on to.

I’d Skip It (I Guess):

Leather & Lark is the second book in The Ruinous Love Trilogy and I had to drag myself through it, confirming that I won’t be finishing off the trilogy but I don’t feel a lick of FOMO.

Bonus Mention:

HELLO????? Have you read Sunrise on the Reaping?! I am a Hunger Games gal, and I tore through this book, and also sobbed through it. I’ve always loved Haymitch and learning more about him was both tragic but so fun. I will never get over this world that Suzanne Collins has built!

And now…February’s book club pick, The God of the Woods!

Some places never let go of their ghosts.

Liz Moore’s The God of the Woods is an immersive mystery that pulls you deep into the tangled woods of the Adirondacks, where a missing girl, a fractured family, and decades of secrets lurk beneath the surface. And it will hook you from the very first page! My sister, who is not quite as much of a reader as I am (and she will say that!) devoured this book in two days.

At the heart of the novel is Camp Emerson, an elite summer retreat where kids of privilege go to escape—and was very reminiscent of a camp that I went to growing up (in terms of the setting/map, not the kids of privilege part LOL).

The story has multiple timelines and POVs, and while I loved this I am curious if it would be a little too much as an audio book! It starts with August 1975 as a camp counselor discovers Barbara Van Laar has gone missing. BUT Barbara isn’t just any thirteen-year-old: she’s the daughter of the family that owns the summer camp and this isn’t the first time a Van Laar child has disappeared. Barbara’s older brother similarly vanished fourteen years ago, never to be found!

Moore’s writing is rich, atmospheric, and quietly unnerving, capturing both the idyllic beauty of summer in the woods and the simmering tension beneath the surface of wealth and power. This isn’t just a missing persons case—it’s a story about family legacies, obsession, and the things we inherit whether we want to or not.

If you love literary mysteries with layered characters, a setting that feels like a character itself, and an eerie, slow-burn tension that builds with every page, The God of the Woods is a must-read. And if you’ve read it, I’d LOVE to hear your thoughts!

And for April? A book I’ve thought of reading countless times has made it to the top of the pile.

Until next chapter,

PS - if you reply to this email (or any) I can email you back! Just in case you want to chat :)

📚 What I’m reading: Only two books on the go right now, but I’ll be starting April’s pick shortly! The Book Club for Troublesome Women is an ARC and I really had no idea I’d be loving it so much!

📆 What’s up next for me: I’ll be heading to two upcoming workshops hosted by The Neighbourhood Market!

🔖 Charm's Workshop: Bookmark Making

📕 Decorated Book Edges Workshop (with Meet Cute!)