March (Trope-ical Readathon) Wrap Up!

I have had so much fun this month participating in the trope-ical readathon hosted by jenjenreviews and I’ve even hosted my first Twitter reading sprints!

Last year when I participated in this readathon, it was the summer holidays so with working full-time during this one, I wasn’t sure how I would do but I must say I’m really pleased with my progress!

I have most certainly deviated from my original TBR! I ended up incorporating some of my blog tour reads as well as more physical books and audiobooks as I’ve been struggling to read digitally recently.

Here is a reminder of the prompts and I’ll show you which ones I completed!

A book with multiple authors – The Good Immigrant edited by Nikesh Shukla

What a fantastic and diverse representation of life in Britain today! As it is part of my 21 books for 2021, I will be writing a review about this collection of essays very soon!

War setting – The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri

This book about Syrian refugees broke my heart into a million pieces but also offered so much humanity. You can read my review here.

One Word Title – Olive by Emma Gannon

I listened to this lovely book about motherhood and finding direction in life. I also had a copy from Netgalley so I must write a review for it, too!

Coming of age – Too Much and Never Enough by Mary L. Trump

Donald Trump’s back story was really interesting to read. I find psychology and how our experiences shape our personality to be fascinating!

Dystopia – 1984 by George Orwell

This book is on my 21 ebooks for 2021 list. The concept is a classic and it really made me think. Review to come.

Blast from the past – Then She Vanishes by Claire Douglas

I really enjoyed listening to this thriller about Jess, a journalist who goes back to her home town to investigate why her childhood best friend shot dead 2 people and then turned the gun on herself. A great, twisty thriller.

Audiobook – The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V E Schwab

The writing in this book is absolutely gorgeous and I loved the premise of Addie, a girl who made a pact with the gods who come out after dark, which means she will be forgotten by everyone she meets. It took me a while to get into reading the ebook, but as soon as I switched to the audiobook, I was hooked!

eBook – Murder At The Mela by Leela Soma

I read this diverse crime novel set in Glasgow for a blog tour. You can find my review here.

Buddy read – The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

This was the book chosen for my book club this month on the topic of “bookish” themes. Opinions on it were mixed but I really enjoyed it! In The Midnight Library, Nora attempts suicide. She ends up in a limbo state in a library where she is able to see what her life would have been like if she had made different choices. This book is a homage to accepting our lives as they are because they belong to us and no one else.

Previous DNF – American Psycho by Brett Easton Ellis

American Psycho is a classic which I bought a couple years ago but couldn’t get on with. Patrick Bateman works on Wall Street and is obsessed with his material wealth. He is also a psychopath with a murderous streak. The book definitely packs a literary punch and, normally, I have quite a strong stomach for books but this really upset my equilibrium. As a literary work, it was excellent. Enjoyable? I’m not so sure it’s a book you would read for fun but it’s a book that will stay with me for a long time.

New Kid In Town – All The Little Things by Sarah Lawton

In this novel, Rachel and Vivian move to a small town after an incident with Vivian at school. This book made me fall in love with psychological thrillers again. Review is coming here on 1st April!

Multiple POV – Manipulated Lives by H. A. Leuschel

Another blog tour read which was a collection of short stories about manipulation, hence fulfilling the multiple POVs prompt! Check out my review.

Retelling – The White Tiger by Arvind Adiga

The White Tiger has been turned into a Netflix series and featured on my 21 books for 2021 list. I really enjoyed it and all my thoughts are in this review.

Bookish Theme – Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Another classic dystopia novel and I could definitely draw parallels between it and 1984. My opinions are in my review.

Historical Figure – Regeneration by Pat Barker

I read Regeneration about 10 years ago for my AS Level English Literature and loved it. Regeneration is about soldiers recovering from shell shock in WWI in a convalescent hospital in Scotland, featuring characters such as Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen. It’s a very moving novel and I think it casts a strong light on toxic masculinity which, despite the book being set a century ago, is still prevalent in society today.

Team Book – The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Another re-read for me, but again it has been over a decade. The Kite Runner is a 21st Century classic. I adored rediscovering the stories of Hassan and Amir, their friendship as children, the betrayal, and Amir’s subsequent departure and return to Afghanistan. It’s a haunting novel.

Extra book – When They Find Her by Lia Middleton

Naomi’s young daughter has come to stay with her overnight for the first in the 3 years since she separated from her husband. Unfortunately, there is a terrible accident and Naomi lies about it to the police. She can’t take back the lie. But she can’t remember what happened that night. I read this book in a day as it absolutely gripped me. Review for the blog tour is coming soon!

So, I did ALL the general prompts, ALL my teams prompts and my team book, plus another book! I’m so so happy with how I did this month and it has been so much fun participating.

If you participated in this readathon, please do share your wrap up with me!