Read With Keri: Books I Read in March
Another month, another book roundup.
I am shocked (shocked, I tell you!) that I was able to finish 5 books this month. It was a doozy of a month. (Did I just write ‘doozy’ in a blog post? Oh boy.)
You can read my monthly roundup of some things that happened in March, but TLDR: March was crazy, I’m back to work, I turned 30, and Vienna officially graduated from the 4th trimester (aka, she turned 3 months old).
And in the middle of all that, I somehow managed to squeeze in five books, which I consider a win. Those books were pretty good and worth my time, so spoiler alert: you may want to read some of these, too.
Without further ado, here are the books I read in March.
It Ends With Us — Colleen Hoover (3.5/5 stars)
This was my first Colleen Hoover book. Honestly, I was skeptical. I don’t typically like reading books that get lots of hype because they usually don’t live up to it, and I especially did not want to read Colleen Hoover. At ALL. But, this is becoming a movie and Blake Lively is cast as the main character, and I love Blake Lively. So, blame Blake Lively that I finally decided to give this a shot. Honestly, it wasn’t bad. It did keep me intrigued the whole time, but I’m not a huge fan of Colleen Hoover’s writing. Also, the fact that the main character writes in a journal dedicated to Ellen DeGeneres is very odd to me. Overall, it was okay. I gave it a 3.5/5 because the storyline was more interesting than expected and I was rooting for the main character. But, if you decide to read it, please keep the following trigger warnings in mind: language, domestic violence, abuse, and mentions of miscarriage and suicide.
Have I Told You This Already? — Lauren Graham (3/5 stars)
I love Lauren Graham and love when she narrates her books! Objectively, this isn’t the most riveting read by any means. I read it earlier this month and frankly, I can’t really remember much about it other than she nostalgically shares stories from her past in a light and funny way. Therefore, it’s “skippable,” but if you do decide to read it, I recommend the audiobook version solely because she narrates it.
Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir — Matthew Perry (4/5 stars)
I’m a huge fan of Friends. Chandler is my favorite character. I couldn’t wait to read this, and I’m glad I did. But WOW, I didn’t realize how much Matthew Perry has been through and how many inner battles he’s had to fight. It breaks my heart to hear his honest, raw, and sometimes surprising stories. He details his struggles with alcohol, drugs, smoking…you name it, he’s probably been addicted to it. It goes to show that you never know what someone’s going through, even the funniest guy in the room. The book could use another pass in editing (it’s repetitive at times) and there’s a lot of cursing, but it’s definitely a memoir to put on your TBR in my opinion (especially the audiobook because he narrates it).
Winter in Paradise — Elin Hilderbrand (3.5/5 stars)
This is the first book in Elin Hilderbrand’s Paradise trilogy. I quickly started Book 2 (What Happens in Paradise) because this one ended on a cliffhanger. It’s a light and easy read with an intriguing storyline (are the people we know best really who they say they are?) that takes place in the Virgin Islands. It’s equal parts love triangle, murder mystery, and classic Elin Hilderbrand beach read.
What Happens in Paradise — Elin Hilderbrand (4/5 stars)
This is Book 2 of the Paradise trilogy, and I finished it this month, as well (as of last night, woohoo!). Once again, it ended on a cliffhanger and I immediately grabbed Book 3 (Troubles in Paradise). If you’re wondering, I did score all three of these books at the thrift store for $5 total (!!), which is why I have them all within arm’s reach this month. Highly recommend book shopping at thrift stores because you’ll be surprised how many great ones people just get rid of. Anyways, this book is great and definitely was a warm-weather escape during these still-chill days of spring.