March TBR

For the past two months I have managed to read all the books on my TBR and more. So again this month I have kept my TBR relatively short, hoping that I will be able to get extra books read aswell. This month I have chosen six books rather than the usual five because some of the books are short, and I have a weeks holiday this month and I am hoping to get quite a bit of reading done.

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The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King. To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences. In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. But as civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.

I have started reading The Cruel Prince and what I have read so far, I am really enjoying it. I have seen some people really praise this book, so I hope that my expectations aren’t too high for this to be left disappointed. 

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Gangster School by Kate Wiseman

Blaggards is not a school like any other: Here the offspring of the most notorious criminal families are being trained in theft, counterfeiting, and dizziness to one day follow in their parents’ footsteps. But the newcomers Milly and Charlie are different. You do not want to be angry. So they do everything they can to prevent the criminal activity at school – just how can you at the same time make everyone believe that you want to be the most ingenious gangster of all time? And it gets even worse when the sinister super-chick Pecunia Badpenny strikes off for a big punch. Because Milly and Charlie are the only ones who can prevent that …

I was offered the opportunity to read and review Gangster School and after reading the description it sounds like its going to be a fun read. I don’t read many middle grade books, but this one looks like it going to be really funny and something completely different from what I normally read. 

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Shadowsong by J. Jae-Jones

Six months after the end of Wintersong, Liesl is working toward furthering both her brother s and her own musical careers. Although she is determined to look forward and not behind, life in the world above is not as easy as Liesl had hoped. Her younger brother Josef is cold, distant, and withdrawn, while Liesl can’t forget the austere young man she left beneath the earth, and the music he inspired in her. When troubling signs arise that the barrier between worlds is crumbling, Liesl must return to the Underground to unravel the mystery of life, death, and the Goblin King who he was, who he is, and who he will be. What will it take to break the old laws once and for all? What is the true meaning of sacrifice when the fate of the world or the ones Liesl loves is in her hands?

I really enjoyed Wintersong so when I got the chance to review Shadowsong, I couldn’t say no. I remember really liking how Wintersong was written, so I can’t wait to read this book to read more of the wonderful writing. 

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White Rabbit, Red Wolf by Tom Pollock

Seventeen-year-old Peter Blankman is a maths prodigy. He also suffers from severe panic attacks. Afraid of everything, he finds solace in the orderly and logical world of mathematics and in the love of his family: his scientist mum and his tough twin sister Bel, as well as Ingrid, his only friend. However, when his mother is found stabbed before an award ceremony and his sister is nowhere to be found, Pete is dragged into a world of espionage and violence where state and family secrets intertwine. Armed only with his extraordinary analytical skills, Peter may just discover that his biggest weakness is his greatest strength.

I have been seeing White Rabbit, Red Wolf all over the book community recently, and I jumped at the chance to review this title. The description for this book screams everything that I love in a good book, I just hope it doesn’t disappoint. 

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Scythe by Neal Shusterman

In a world where disease, war and crime have been eliminated, the only way to die is to be randomly killed (“gleaned”) by professional scythes. Citra and Rowan are teenagers who have been selected to be scythes’ apprentices, and despite wanting nothing to do with the vocation, they must learn the art of killing and understand the necessity of what they do. Only one of them will be chosen as a scythe’s apprentice and as Citra and Rowan come up against a terrifyingly corrupt Scythedom, it becomes clear that the winning apprentice’s first task will be to glean the loser.

Everyone I know has been raving about Scythe, and when I got an email from the publisher about reviewing this book, I have never replied back so quickly. Scythe sounds like a very interesting read, and hopefully if I enjoy it, I will drive straight into the sequel. 

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A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

When historian Diana Bishop opens an alchemical manuscript in the Bodleian Library, it’s an unwelcome intrusion of magic into her carefully ordered life. Though Diana is a witch of impeccable lineage, the violent death of her parents while she was still a child convinced her that human fear is more potent than any witchcraft. Now Diana has unwittingly exposed herself to a world she’s kept at bay for years; one of powerful witches, creative, destructive daemons and long-lived vampires. Sensing the significance of Diana’s discovery, the creatures gather in Oxford, among them the enigmatic Matthew Clairmont, a vampire genticist. Diana is inexplicably drawn to Matthew and, in a shadowy world of half-truths and old enmities, ties herself to him without fully understanding the ancient line they are crossing. As they begin to unlock the secrets of the manuscript and their feelings for each other deepen, so the fragile balance of peace unravels…

After seeing the TV series trailer for A Discovery of Witches, I was very intrigued and wanted to know more. My plan is to read this book before the series starts on TV and compare them both. Also I love Oxford, and will read anything set there. 

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Have you read any of the books on this months TBR?

What do you plan on reading this month?

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