What I Read In March 2019 | Book Recommendations

After You (Me Before You Trilogy #2) by JoJo Moyes
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3.5 out of 5 stars

Like the rest of the world, I adored the first book in this series.  I only recently learned that it had become a trilogy, and so I picked up the second book curious about where things would go.  The first story wrapped things up nice and tight, so did we really need to know what happens next?  While I absolutely adore the character of Louisa Clarke and wanting to know what she did next with her life kept me interested in the story, I can say that this is a sequel that wasn’t entirely needed.    It was a fast-paced story and I enjoyed reading it, though many of the plot elements felt forced and unnecessary.

If you loved the first book as much as I did, I don’t want to totally warn you away from this one as it’s still fun to read, though it doesn’t have the emotional impact as the original and feels

 

 

 

A Wrinkle in Time (A Wrinkle in Time Quintet Book 1) by Madeleine L’Engle
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5 out of 5 stars

I don’t know how I missed this  book growing up, but man, what a delightful discovery!  I’ve started peppering in some middle grade books to grow a collection of stories I think my kids will enjoy when they are old enough, and this one just got added to the list.  It was such a magical escape diving into the world of the quirky Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which.  And can I please just move to the planet Ixchel and have Aunt Beast take care of me?  She’s one of my favorite characters ever.

And I don’t need to say this, but stay far away from the most recent Disney film adaptation of this book.  Yeah, I know it stars Reese Witherspoon, but trust me.  It’s an absolute embarrassing mess.  Read the book!

 

 

 

A Wind in the Door (A Wrinkle in Time Quintet Book 2) by Madeleine L’Engle
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4 out of 5 stars

I wasted no time diving into the second book in this series and I enjoyed this one too.  The plot goes to even crazier places than the first book and I thought it was incredibly fun.  There’s dragons, cherubims, and microscopic creatures living on the most unlikely of planets.  I’ll definitely keep on with the rest of this series, it’s just wonderful.

 

 

 

 

 

From Away by Phoef Sutton
Find it on Amazon
4.5 out of 5 stars

I was in the mood for a good classic ghost story, and this one fit the bill.  A brother and sister return to their family’s island vacation home and get entangled with the locals as some spirits who are not at rest make themselves known.  I love scary stories but I despise gore and violence.  Give me an old-fashioned haunt story, though, and I’m down.  This ended up being a surprisingly complex story and a fast read that I enjoyed.

 

 

 

 

 

The Maze Runner by James Dashner
Find it on Amazon
5 out of 5 stars

All right, this is it right here, the best book I read this month and the best book I have read in a long time.  My advice is to start reading it without knowing much, if anything, about the plot.     I wasn’t able to put it down.  The story starts when a teenage boy finds himself locked inside of an ascending elevator, unable to remember who he is or how he got there.  When it slams to a stop, the doors open to the outside and a group of strangers is peering down at him.  And that’s all I’m gonna tell you.

Oh, and stay far away from the movie.  What a horrible dumpster fire.  I’m embarrassed such a fun book was so terribly massacred.