Bonus TBR Picks For March

Since I've finished (or DNF'd) all of my March books, and it's only the 22nd, I've chosen four bonus TBR prompts, and they are as follows:

1. Retelling / Reimagining - Alice by Christina Henry. "A dark and deeply disturbing revisit of Alice's Adventures In Wonderland"

2. Title begins with M - Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Because my name begins with M!

3. Middle shelf - The Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom. This was a kind of free pick from the middle shelf of my bookcase.

4. City Setting - The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner. Actually a bit tricky to choose, as I don't know where all the books are set, but I remembered that this is set in London.

A Taste Of Darkness by Various Authors

Started: 12.3.26

DNF: 22.3.26

Paperback

TBR Prompt: Short Stories

I read the first one, didn't enjoy it, and then didn't want to pick this book up again. To be honest, the reason that I have this book in the first place, is because last year, I was looking for some more grown up / young adult books that might be suitable for my son. He's read all the Wimpy Kid books (amongst others), but also some Goosebumps, which got me thinking about the Point Horror books that I used to read when I was young. And since I like the horror genre, I thought it'd be cool if I could start him off on it too! (My dad introduced me to James Herbert and Stephen King). So I found this and added it to my Amazon Wish List so that I didn't forget about it, and then ended up sharing my list with my other half so that he could buy me some books for Christmas. I didn't really have time to 'curate' it first, otherwise this book wouldn't have made the priority list.

I don't think I'm interested in reading any more, but I think I'll put it on my son's bookshelf in case he ever wants to give it a try.

I have to admit too, that I think it's suffered from being the last book from my TBR choices. There are a few days left in the month, so I could take my time reading it, but instead I'm going to pick out one or two bonus prompts for the rest of March, since I've had a couple of DNFs.

Carl's Doomsday Scenario by Matt Dinniman

Started: 14.3.26

DNF: 22.3.26

Kindle Unlimited (/Audiobook)

TBR Prompt: Continue a series

When I read Dungeon Crawler Carl I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it, although I think I said that I wasn't in a hurry to start book 2. When I pulled out the TBR prompt to 'continue a series' I had a couple of options to choose from, but I'd been hearing so many good things about this, that I decided to give it a go. I really wanted to like it, but I think the gaming aspect of it is just a bit too much for me. I coped with the novelty of it in book one, but this time I found my eyes glazing over a bit with all the AI stuff about classes and points and skills and quests etc. I did try listening to the audiobook for a bit, but I think I'm in  a minority as someone who doesn't really enjoy the narrator's voice. 

I think that if you're not heavily into the LitRPG genre, or into gaming (I'm not), then reading the first book is probably enough to give you a taste of what it's all about, but continuing with the series is probably unnecessary. When I read all the positive reviews for the whole series so far, I do get a touch of FOMO and feel like I should push through, but I just don't think I can face another 7 books of basically the same thing (ie fighting the enemies to progress to the next level). So this is, quite reluctantly, a DNF.

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

Started: 14.3.26

Finished: 20.3.26

Paperback

Book Club Read

It seemed to take me a while to get through this book. I didn't really know what to make of Eleanor. She seemed a bit socially awkward, a bit repressed, 'buttoned-up', a germophobe. But at the same time she seemed confident, or at least unaware of the social cues and etiquette so that she would speak and do things without a worry or awareness of what other people would think of her. It made me wonder, does she not care that she's being rude, or does she not know? Early on in the book she goes for a bikini wax which, for me, jarred with the kind of person that I thought she was. So then I thought I'd got her wrong, and spent a lot of time trying to figure her out. 

Aside from that, there was a lovely blossoming friendship with a man called Raymond, who should definitely be on the top of the 'book boyfriend' list, and a slow coming to terms with horrific events from her past. 

Overall I'd say that I enjoyed this book, though it was a bit of a slog at first, and really only picked up towards the final third.

The Frozen Silence by Dr James Pennington

Started: 13.3.26

Finished: 15.3.26

Kindle Unlimited

TBR Prompt: Non-fiction

A short but fascinating look into the Franklin expedition and the 170 year hunt to find the ships, and discover what happened to the 129 souls of HMS Erebus and HMS Terror. The epilogue (in the KU copy that I read) is dated August 2026, which I presume should be 2025, but the book does bring us right up to date with the current, ongoing scientific research. The story of the Franklin expedition is one of impressive endurance, resilience and courage, ultimately brought down by pride, hubris and systemic failure. 

Tender Is The Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

Started: 14.3.26

DNF: 14.3.26

Paperback

TBR Prompt: Red book

I only made it to page 34 I'm afraid. I knew what the book was about, so it's not as if that was a shock, and it's not that I felt particularly squeamish reading those first few pages. But it's a pretty horrific subject matter and I just didn't think I needed that in my life! It's ok to say "this is not for me!" I did skip through the rest of the book so I got the gist of the main parts and the ending, and that didn't change my mind.

A Short Stay In Hell by Steven L. Peck

Started: 12.3.26

Finished: 13.3.36

Paperback

TBR Prompt: Five words in the title

This is a short (104 pages) novella about a man who finds himself in a version of Hell which is a library of unfathomable size. He can only escape if he finds a book of the story of his life, but the library contains every book that has ever been written, and that ever could be written, so it becomes clear that this is an impossible task. The novella certainly raises a lot of philosophical and existential questions, but the answers are probably too far beyond the reach of my little brain though.

Blood On Her Tongue by Johanna Van Veen

Started: 6.3.26

Finished: 12.3.26

Paperback

TBR Prompt: 4 word title

I can't actually remember the last time a book made me feel a little bit sick, but this one succeeded! Obsession, hunger, madness and a LOT of body horror! Coincidentally, I was reading this at the same time as reading Weyward, and although two different stories, they both featured wronged women fighting against the misogyny of the time. There was female rage and revenge (in both books), and I can't say I was sorry about it!

Weyward by Emilia Hart

Started: 7.3.26

Finished: 12.3.26

Kindle Unlimited

TBR Prompt: Pink book

Oh, I loved this! Told from the POV of 3 different Weyward women, I was rooting for them all the way through to rise up against the fear and injustice that was levelled at them.

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

Started: 2.3.26

DNF: 7.3.26

Kindle Unlimited

TBR Prompt: First in a series

Aww, I really wanted to like this, but I just wasn't feeling it. Viv, an Orc, wants to give up the fighting life and open a coffee shop, in a town where nobody knows what coffee is. The first dozen or so chapters are about her converting an old livery into said cafe, and then selling the coffee once her gnomish-made coffee machine arrives. She acquires an assistant, and then a baker to make some baked goods and... it was all very twee and cute and cosy and just... not for me. It felt like a DIY / makeover show in book form to begin with, and then a guide to how to run a business. I didn't dislike it, but I just didn't love it either.