March was a satisfying reading month, mostly thanks to Nathaniel Philbrick, Rebecca Romney, and Jane Austen. All covers are linked to Goodreads.
Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow, by Jessica Day George
★★★★
Genre: YA Fantasy/Retelling
Release Year: 2008
I think I preferred this to East, the other "East of the Sun, West of the Moon" retelling I've read. I really liked how Jessica Day George followed the original tale so closely–with a few improvements, particularly Hans Peter/Tova, the white reindeer incident, and Rollo the wolf (I can't say too much, because spoilers). I do wish that the relationship between the lass and her isbjørn had been fleshed out a bit more to make their love for each other (and the lass's determination to get him back) a bit more believable, but I also liked the gentle fun that Jessica Day George poked at fairytales when the east wind says, "Mortal creatures are so strange. Here is another one looking for a human male she barely knows." That was probably my favorite line in the book. That said, I did wish that the lass's relationship with the isbjørn at the ice palace could have been a bit more like Beauty's relationship with the Beast in Robin McKinley's Beauty.
The Princess Companion, by Melanie Cellier
★★★.25
Genre: YA Fantasy/Retelling
Release Year: 2016
I wrote a full review of this book here.
In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex, by Nathaniel Philbrick
★★★★
Genre: Nonfiction/History
Release Year: 2000
I really appreciated how well-researched this was. Not only did Nathaniel Philbrick tell the story of the Essex, he also recounted a brief history of Nantucket (which was fascinating) and the history of whaling as well as sharing details on starvation, dehydration, and other instances of whaling accidents, castaways, and cannibalism at sea. I also appreciated how he brought the characters, especially George Pollard, Owen Chase, and Thomas Nickerson, to life.
Side note: this book made me want to write a horror novel about whaling ... from the whales' perspective. Like, they keep finding the stripped and headless carcasses of their brethren floating in the ocean and they have to uncover who's responsible for these grisly murders and why.
Friends with Boys, by Faith Erin Hicks
★★★.75
Genre: Graphic Novel
Release Year: 2012
This was sweet! I wanted more, though. Is there a sequel?? I want to know if Maggie's mom ever came back. And what happened with the sea captain's wife. And if there were lasting repercussions from their little museum adventure.
The Elsewhere Express, by Samantha Sotto Yambao
★★★
Genre: Fantasy
Release Year: 2026
I found this to be a very similar reading experience to Water Moon, which I read last year around this time. Once again, Samantha Sotto Yambao created an incredible, immersive world that was a delight to explore ... and populated it with two-dimensional characters. Even her main characters, Raya and Q, were built on the same formula: a tragic backstory (dead brother and dead father, respectively), an emotion (guilt and anger–not that Q ever really seemed angry, even when he was threatening to destroy the train; we were just told that he was angry), a skill (songwriting and painting), and a changeable physical attribute (Raya's lavender hair and Q's mismatched shoes). Because the characters were so flat, I struggled to connect with their story and it took me a bit longer to get through this book than it otherwise would have. I love Samantha Sotto Yambao's worldbuilding and writing, which is why I keep coming back to her books, but her characters (and dialogue, to be honest) need some work.
Persuasion, by Jane Austen
★★★.75
Genre: Classic
Release Year: 1818
I was fourteen the first time I read Persuasion, and it wasn't one of my favorite Austen novels. Now, nearly ten years later, I decided to reread it to see if I liked it any better. I did not. I don't dislike it by any means, but I just can't connect with Anne for some reason. My favorite characters were Admiral and Mrs. Croft, and I really liked Charles Musgrove too ("I merely smirked and bowed and said the word 'happy'"; and him gallantly taking Anne home, but passing her off to Captain Wentworth at the first opportunity so he can still make his appointment). Definitely worth the reread, but it did lack something for me.
Jane Austen's Bookshelf: A Rare Book Collector's Quest to Find the Women Writers Who Shaped a Legend, by Rebecca Romney
★★★★★
Genre: Nonfiction
Release Year: 2025
I usually factor the time it took me to read a book into my rating of it (faster=better), but this is one where my pace didn't reflect on my enjoyment at all. I actually teared up at the last lines of the last chapter. I love Rebecca Romney's writing, and I love how each chapter built on the previous chapters. I feel like Romney could be a Jane Austen character herself.
Lodestar, by Shannon Messenger
★★★★
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
Release Year: 2016
Every book in this series so far has been consistently good! I love all the characters (and I'm very sad and a tad angry about the one who died at the end of this book) and I'm excited to see what they get up to in book six!
Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen
★★★★★
Genre: Classic
Release Year: 1813
This has definitely moved into my top five favorite books.
Scrappy Little Nobody, by Anna Kendrick
★★★
Genre: Memoir
Release Year: 2016
The first part, where she talks about her childhood, had me laughing out loud at frequent intervals. However, she got a bit too crude for my liking after that, although I still chuckled at much of her kookiness. This was an overall fun read, but left me feeling a little sad.
Reading Goals/Challenges
Goodreads Challenge: 30 / 75
Paper TBR: 5 / 12
Nonfiction: 8 / 12
National Month Challenge: 3 / 12
Cover Lovers Reading Challenge: 14 / 50
New Release Challenge: 2 / 12
Rereads: 4 / 5
Pride and Prejudice is my favorite of the Austen books. I'm still interested in looking for the book about Austen's bookshelf.
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