What I Read in March 2020

In light of global events, working from home and not having anywhere to go for most of the month of March, I thought I would get more reading done. Unfortunately, I have spent a lot of time feeling anxious and going stir crazy in my house, not to mention lots of baking and eating. Two cancelled (nonrefundable) trips and a lot of stress later, I am thankful now more than ever for having an escape through books. Hopefully everyone is taking this time to read, stay indoors, healthy and safe.

• The Other Mrs. by Mary Kubica
  4/5 Stars: Extremely gripping just like Kubica's previous novel, (which I loved) The Good Girl. Plenty of twists and turns about a murder on a small, coastal, isolated town in Maine. A few parts of the plot dragged which is why this did not get five stars but it definitely held my attention. I have to admit when some thrillers are just not totally realistic and some things were farfetched but I still highly recommend this "popcorn read".
• Breathe In, Cash Out by Madeline Henry
  3/5 Stars: A cute and charming story about a financial analyst with aspirations of becoming a yoga instructor. Decided to read this book because, well, I can kind of relate. This is a book that is perfect for beach or pool reading. It got a little repetitive and I would not call it "laugh out loud funny" as the back cover described but I did enjoy reading this.
• The Two Lives of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver
  4/5 Stars: I absolutely adored One Day in December so naturally I chose this for my March Book of the Month pick. This book gave me all the romantic feels. Lydia Bird and her fiancé Freddie are together for more than decade when on the night of her birthday, Freddie dies in an unfortunate car accident. Heartbroken Lydia is given a second chance at life with Freddie due to an incredible phenomenon. We see how Lydia navigates both her old life and her ongoing life in this witty and beautiful book. 
• Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson
  3/5 Stars: Three stars because I finished it and because it was a book about books, but I did not thoroughly enjoy this 'Agatha Christie style' murder mystery. It is hard to talk about this book without ruining the plot so simply, it is about a bookseller caught in the middle of an FBI investigation revolving around a potential serial killer basing their murders on books. This might be for some but didn't do it for me.
• Writers & Lovers by Lily King
  4/5 Stars: My "add-on" pick from Book of the Month for March and I am really glad I chose it. Totally relatable and light novel about a writer trying to juggle her creative life and getting serious about adulting. I love novels about figuring out who you are and what you want to be without being ridiculously rich or attending a whirlwind of fabulous outings with fabulous friends. This was a wonderful read and will pick up more from this author.
• In Five Years by Rebecca Serle
  4/5 Stars: I really wanted to give five stars here but as per my thoughts above, there was a lot of luxury and perfection in these characters so that was a turn off but, I loved the overall story, the writing and the premise of this book. An emotional read about friendships, relationships and of course I love that it is set in New York City.