MJV Bookish Thoughts: March And April 2023 Reading Wrap-Up

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Welcome back to My Jamaican Vignettes, friends. I took an unexpected and unplanned break from blogging but I’m back with a March and April 2023 reading wrap-up post.

These are the books that I read in the last two months. It was a slower reading period for me but I enjoyed most of what I read. Here’s my March and April 2023 reading wrap-up.

March 2023 Reading Wrap-Up

In March 2023, I read three books. I enjoyed two of them and even read a five-star book but one was such a disappointment.

The Build Up by Tati Richardson

I adored Ari and Porter. This was a fantastic debut contemporary romance novel. I loved that the couple were seasoned professionals in their 40s.

Content warnings for death of a parent, grief, fatphobia and alcoholism.

I’d read more from Richardson and I’ll be checking out her podcast.

I got this book via NetGalley so thanks to the publishers for sharing this with me. I rated this four-stars.

A Small Place by Jamaica Kincaid

This was my five-star read for March and I just checked Goodreads to refresh myself on my review and I didn’t write one. This is powerful commentary on life in Antigua and colonialism and post-colonial fallings. It was so good and I could feel Kincaid’s range.

Don’t You Dare by Jessica Hamilton

I gave Don’t You Dare a 2.5 stars. I didn’t like a single character in this book. The ending wasn’t satisfying at all. The storyline was predictable. The characters awful and immature so I didn’t care what happened to them. The premise was interesting but I couldn’t get behind the execution of this thriller.

April 2023 Reading Wrap-Up

I read five books in April 2023. One was a romance novel by a new to me author, two were new cozy mystery series and one was book two in a contemporary women’s fiction novel that I read book one back in 2019 or 2018.

The Time Of Your Life by Sandra Kitt

Beck and Eden grew on me after a rough start to this contemporary romance novel. This was a low drama romance but as a reader I felt like I saw two people get to know each other and fall in love. Content warnings for the death of a parent and grief. This was also book two in a series.

I got this book via NetGalley so thanks to publishers. I rated this four-stars.

Murder In Merrywell by Jane Bettany

I have no idea why this book doesn’t have a cover on Goodreads. This is book one in a new English countryside cozy mystery series. And I really liked it.

I rated this four-stars. Great start to a new series. I liked Violet. It’s a fantastic whodunnit and the reader gets enough details to solve the case along with Violet.

Thanks to NetGalley and HQ for giving me an early copy.

Baker Street Mysteries Books One And Two by Valerie Burns

These two books were so much fun. I rated book one 3.5 stars and book two 3.75 stars. So of course, I rounded up to four-stars on Goodreads. I owned book one and got it while it was sale some months ago and it on my tbr list but when I saw book two on NetGalley and decided to request it and read both books.

Maddy grew as a person and baker and business owner and friend so much in these books. Plus there are recipes. And there’s an ongoing mystery that spans across books. I’ll definitely pick up book three.

Black Girls Must Be Magic by Jayne Allen

This book two in a now completed trilogy. I am currently reading my e-ARC from Edelweiss. Tabby got on my nerves so many times throughout this book but I am still rooting for her.

May Reading Plans

As I mentioned above I’m currently reading Black Girls Must Have It All by Jayne Allen. I’m so close to completing that. And then I’ll read Lucy by Jamaica Kincaid. And honestly if I complete those two books in May I’ll be happy.

I hope to get back to posting regularly in June with a TBR list at the May, then a reading wrap-up for May at the start of June.

Next, I’ll try to do a mid-year reading check-in post.

Until next time, happy reading!