March Reading Wrap-Up

Hey, everyone! As sort of a fun idea, Kristin and I have decided to use the final blog of each month to share what we’re reading and why. This way you can hear about the cool books we’re finding and then you can go enjoy them yourselves. Be sure to tell us if you see any of your favorite reads, something on the never-ending To-Be-Read list, or if you know of a comparable title we might enjoy. Thanks again for reading! Write on.

Kamryn:

Okay, so to preface my March Reading Wrap-Up (because nothing could ever be written short with me haha), one of the things I’ve been doing lately with my reading is to go back and re-read the books I really loved when I first started doing a lot of reading, and then eventually writing. Doing this has led to me rediscovering a lot of books and characters I really love, but maybe haven’t read in several years- most specifically, books like Cornelia Funke’s Inkheart series or a full-scale review of the Riordan-verse (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Heroes of Olympus, Trials of Apollo, Kane Chronicles, Magnus Chase).

One series I really wanted to read again since I’d originally finished it around when I first started high school was James Patterson’s Maximum Ride series (YA). Max and her wise-cracking Flock of genetically-altered bird kids filled out one of the first big series I remember being really into and I wanted to see what it felt like to go back to the story and characters years later.

I started reading the eight book series in early/mid February, so the final four books dominated my reading for March. I probably could have read more, but it’s March Madness month so basketball might’ve killed that plan.

All in all, I find it really nice to be able to go back to a story you grew up with and just fall in love with it all over again as a reader. Another thing now, as a writer, I’ve learned how to read not just to appreciate the story, but to see the technique underneath that helps move all the cogs to tell it successfully.

As I’ve gone back through all these series that really launched me as a reader, I can see that a lot of them have common elements that appeal specifically to me. Take the Riordan-verse or Maximum Ride, for example, both are stories built by writers known for suspense. They are fast-paced, high-stakes, but both series contain a very fun and, truthfully, goofy-type of humor (a.k.a. my favorite kind). Looking at series I enjoyed beyond these two that I found later, I realized a lot of the stories I like work on that same method: full of action, but not afraid that joking around will ruin the suspense.

It’s interesting to look at the books that made me love storytelling now from a writer’s perspective because suddenly the common threads and tropes you enjoy are a little easier to see. Pay attention to how the author uses elements or technical aspects to aid in the telling of the story. To me, learning to notice how the words are used on a page in storytelling automatically helps improve yourself as a writer because you are picking up on how to write things successfully.

Since this is our very first Reading Wrap-Up blog and everything I read in March was part of the Maximum Ride series, I’ll list some of the other books I read prior to starting the blog that I also enjoyed: the Renegades trilogy by Marissa Meyer (YA), Beyond the Wand by Tom Felton (Non-Fiction), and I’m No Philosopher, But I Got Thoughts by Kristin Chenoweth (Non-Fiction).

Kristin:

So Kamryn and I read vastly different things, so you’ll probably notice that our reading lists are basically nothing alike. I promise, there are times we enjoy the same books and authors, but for the most part, we have very different interests when it comes to our reading choices. Also, I’m a mom to an almost three-year old toddler, so sometimes my list is not as long as I would like it to be. But sleep is important. That being said, here’s my Reading Wrap-up:

• Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody (Non-Fiction). I LOVED this book. If you know me, you know I love structure and plotting and dissecting stories so this was everything. It’s already been highlighted, tabbed, and annotated to pieces. If you’re looking for a helpful guide you can use during any part of the writing process that gives you checkpoints, not overly-specific rules, this will be your writing best friend. I’ve already reached for it several times for plotting-specific purposes.

• The Stolen Heir by Holly Black (YA, Fantasy). This book goes along with her Folk of Air series that I loved dearly. Fun fact, I read both the Wicked King and Queen of Nothing in the same night. Yep. It was not smart, but I was invested. So naturally I had to pick up this book. Kamryn hasn’t yet read this so I’ll keep this as vague as possible. Holly Black has an incredible way of developing her characters in such a unique manner and of course, has great worldbuilding that isn’t too complicated but still distinct and interesting. If you loved FoA, this is a must-read with an ending sure to surprise you, in true Holly Black form.

• Sasaki to Miyano vol 8 by Shō Harusono (Manga, 13-18 age range). Yes, manga counts as reading. This series is near and dear to my heart. After finishing the Anime I had to pick up the manga to see what happened next. It’s a BL love story (boy’s love) that features healthy romance, coming of age, exploring feelings, and self-acceptance and this volume did not disappoint. I’m avoiding spoilers but these two are walking green flags and poke fun at a lot of common tropes you see in manga. If you want to audibly swoon, this is for you.

• Seaside Stranger vol 1 by Kanna Kii (Manga, 17+ age range). Yes, another manga. Don’t be a hater. Now, I went about this series in an odd order. I started with the movie first that hooked me into the series then read volumes 2-5. My local bookstore did not have the first volume until recently so when I saw it, I had to buy it. This is another BL, but is definitely targeted for an adult audience (this series taught me why certain manga are plastic-wrapped in the store, funny story).

Seaside Stranger is a slice-of-life romance between Mio and Shun. Mio is lost and alone, recently orphaned from the loss of his mother. Shun is a writer who cut ties with his family after they found out he was gay. The two open up and reconnect after three years but love is never that easy. I adore the way this story showcases two imperfect people accepting and loving each other for who they are. The manga also answers a few things that the anime skipped over (I loved the movie too, I’m just saying). There’s something really refreshing about their dynamic and I am super excited for volume 6. There’s a good mix of humor, romance, life struggles we all relate to.

This month’s reads didn’t feature a lot of my usual fantasy, but I’m starting Keeper of the Night which I am very excited about and have several more TBR, I just have to see how much free time I will have to actually read next month. We’d love to know what you’re reading or if you’ve read something off of our list. Let us know! We also are huge book nerds and are down for any suggestions. See you back for our April Reading Wrap-up!