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I didn’t have a great reading month volume-wise, but I did super enjoy at least one of the books I read in March, so I am quite satisfied.

I also have been curating my bookshelves this year. In January, I spent quite a lot of time carefully combing through my Goodreads want-to-read (also known as ‘to be read’ or TBR) shelves, checking one by one if the book still actually did spark joy (thank you, Marie Kondo), and removing them from the list if not. I slashed my TBR from over 350 books to under 150.

Next, it was time to tackle my ‘owned and yet to read’ shelves which was toppling in at over 700. After purging my want-to-read shelves in January, in February I started thinking about how to better manage my physical to-read pile, which at this time takes over three bookcases in my personal library (all my read books go into another room). I really do want to start reading more of my owned books. It’s something I’ve been struggling with for a long time, because audiobooks and ebooks are just easier for me to read right now. I still love buying books, and when I look at my shelves and all those amazing books I’m yet to read, I’m generally happy at the possibilities, not overwhelmed.

Until I hit 700.

Over March I started thinking that I owned a handful of books I wasn’t actually interested in reading anymore. Whether I got them from a big haul for cheap, or a bargain bin, or I accidentally bought a sequel and the first book was no longer available. I also had a lot of free ebooks that had mysteriously disappeared from my Kindle. So I spent an afternoon going through my owned books and removing the ones I no longer wanted to read (or had gone from my Kindle – I’m not quite sure how this happened to be honest). I removed a total of 12 physical books and well over 50 ebooks I had downloaded as freebies. I had just over 700 books that I owned and had not yet read, and by the time I finished, I had under 650.

You can read more in depth about my thoughts regarding this purge here.

I took the physical books around to some local Street Libraries (Little Free Libraries), and at the last one I actually found a book I had left on my TBR, so I picked it up! I figured it was like a reward: I purged 12 books, so I got one I really wanted in return! And I didn’t have to spend anything.

Street Library ‘Borrow’ (I’m keeping it!)

The Queens of Innis Lear by Tessa Gratton

The erratic decisions of a prophecy-obsessed king have drained Innis Lear of its wild magic, leaving behind a trail of barren crops and despondent subjects. Enemy nations circle the once-bountiful isle, sensing its growing vulnerability, hungry to control the ideal port for all trade routes.

The kings three daughters battle-hungry Gaela, master manipulator Reagan, and restrained, starblessed Elia know the realms only chance of resurrection is to crown a new sovereign, proving a strong hand can resurrect magic and defend itself. But their father will not choose an heir until the longest night of the year, when prophecies align and a poison ritual can be enacted.

Refusing to leave their future in the hands of blind faith, the daughters of Innis Lear prepare for war but regardless of who wins the crown, the shores of Innis will weep the blood of a house divided.

This was the book I took from a free Street Library as a ‘reward’ for purging my physical to-read shelves. I’ve wanted to read it for a while because I love warrior women, and I think I’ve read a short story by Gratton and quite enjoyed it. The copy itself is a bit battered (I have issues with second hand books sometimes), but hey, it was free, and it’s definitely legible.

Monthly Wrap Up

Book Stuff

Number of books read: 2
- From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L Armentrout
- The Fake Mate by Lana Ferguson (no review, but I did post my thoughts on Goodreads!)
- (note that I read Kingdom of the Wicked in February but only posted a review in March.)
Finished a series: No
Started a series: Blood and Ash by Jennifer L Armintrout
New to me authors: Jennifer L Armintrout and Lana Ferguson.
Favourite book: The Fake Mate by Lana Ferguson.