Bookshelf- March 2019

Hey book buddies! Did you read anything amazing last month? I picked up some real page turners and a couple of them I ploughed straight through because they were just sooooo good!
Its a bit of a mixed bunch but here's what I read during March:

Call Me Evie - J.P. Pomare

OK, this book had me hooked from the first page. It's a debut novel and seriously this guy needs to write more. Its set in Australia and New Zealand and its a real page turner - I devoured this one quite quickly because I needed to know what was going on.
The story is divided into before and after "the event" and I had my theories as I was reading but nope...didn't pick the ending ;) I really, really enjoyed this one and I love how the author created a palpable tension throughout the book. Great read if you like thrillers!

On The Come Up - Angie Thomas

I read Angie's first book (The Hate U Give) last month and I was eager to read this one too. Angie was a child rapper and this book is all about "gaining fame" even if its not for the right reasons.  This is our son's world - he loves hip hop, music production, remixes and beats, lyric writing and freestyling. He's extremely talented both musically and lyrically, and as a mum I like to learn as much as I can about his passion so I can support him.

Angie's book is strong and delivers a powerful message - be your authentic self! She highlights how social media perpetuates a image from what we put out there, and how "playing a role" then becomes our reality. 

I really enjoyed this YA novel, but probably not as much as her first one. She does reference events from her first book which I loved, because it was important to this story as well.

Her Pretty Face - Robyn Harding

Oh this book I absolutely loved! It was fast paced and even though I could see the story coming together as I read, it didn't spoil it for me... I was totally engrossed. Its quite blunt in places (so not for the faint hearted or youngsters) and witty and relatable in others. I loved the characters, especially Frances and its a great reminder that all is not greener on the other side of the fence!
Robyn has a wonderful writing style that flows effortlessly between the now and the before. I wouldn't necessarily call this a thriller but she does build up some decent suspense. A great book and now I'm on the hunt for her other novel - The Party!

Truly, Madly, Guilty - Liane Moriarty

I found Lianne's books late last year, and this is the fourth one I've read (the others are in my bookcase patiently waiting). Truly, Madly, Guilty was a good story, not quite as good as the others. Lianne's books are very character driven and this story unfolds very, very slowly. Once things finally get going (about half way through) you're almost compelled to keep reading just to find out what happens.
It was an OK book.  I related to some of the characters and I wasn't expecting the final piece of the puzzle - or though I'm pretty sure the clues were there but by that stage I was just trying to get to the end. If you haven't read any of Lianne's books before I'd suggest reading The Husbands Secret, Nine Perfect Strangers or Big Little Lies instead :)

On The Same Page - Penelope Janu

Everyone loves a good romance novel every now and then, right? Well this book is a romance about a romance writer, her romance novels and her romantic publisher - big dose of love in this one I tell ya! It's set in Australia and it was an easy read and an OK book. The blurb on the back made it sound far more interesting than it was and I found it to be a little cheesy.
I don't mind the occasional predictable story line but after reading so many great books this month, this one left me a little disappointed. It is funny in places and it does briefly explore how a little attention and caring can make a huge difference in the lives of troubled teens but that was about all I got out of it.

Daisy Jones and The Six - Taylor Jenkins Reid

Oh man, this book was my favorite of the month! I was born in '67 to very young parents so my childhood was spent listening to The Doors, Fleetwood Mac, The Rolling Stones etc. I fell in love with Daisy Jones (and Billy) and I had to keep reminding myself that this book was fiction, it felt real -  so real in fact that my local Target has it in the biography section, which it is not!
Oh how I wanted to go on iTunes and download the Aurora album but of course it doesn't exist :(
If life didn't get in the way I would have read this book in one sitting - it was that good! Taylor creates wonderful complex characters and you can hear their individual voices as their story unfolds. Its written as a oral history of the band using interviews, emails etc. which is a clever concept for a book and a different approach at telling a story.
There was so much hype about this book and I can see why. I definitely recommend reading it, and keep an eye out for the TV series coming sometime soon. I'm excited to put faces to these characters and see how this book is interpreted.


So that's what I read last month. I've picked some great titles for April and I can't wait to start reading!
What was on your reading list during March? Let me know in the comments, I'd love to hear :)
Happy reading :)