March 2023 Wrap Up

Life Update

March was a really busy month for me, which is why I didn’t end up posting as much as I would have liked. I went on a trip to Orlando with my school band over Spring Break. We went to Universal Studios and Disney World. I also went to the Lake of the Ozarks for a few days. Also tennis season started this month. It’s been a lot of fun and the weather’s even been decent so far, which is shocking considering I live in Iowa. I also watched Louis Tomlinson’s documentary, All of Those Voices, with my friend, Grace. It was so good and I totally recommend it.

Posted This Month:

• February 2023 Wrap Up
• How to Read More

Music

I didn’t have a ton of time to listen to music this month other than my friend and I listening to it during class (which we probably do more than we should lol). Here are my top 10 songs from this month according to Receiptify:

• That’s The Way Love Goes – Louis Tomlinson I listened to a lot of Louis Tomlinson this month since I went to see his documentary.
• Goodnight Saigon – Billy Joel I got Billy Joel’s Greatest Hits on vinyl for my birthday this month and it’s one of my favorite things ever.
• Saturdays – Louis Tomlinson
• Midnight Memories – One Direction
• Movin Out’ (Anthony’s Song) – Billy Joel
• Love You Goodbye – One Direction I just checked and this is my most listened to song of all time, so it’s really not surprising that it’s on here lol.
• Right Now – One Direction
• She Looks So Perfect – 5 Seconds of Summer
• Headline – Louis Tomlinson This is my favorite Louis Tomlinson song. It’s everything and I’m so mad it’s only on the deluxe album smh.
• Kiwi – Harry Styles

Books Read

I only had the chance to read 1 physical book this month, but I listened to a lot of audiobooks. They’re so convenient! I also found some I really liked so I’ll stop talking now so you can start reading about their awesomeness.

I got this book for my birthday because I found out that the main character was a teen blogger too which I thought was really cool. I read it while on the bus on the way to Orlando and ended up really liking it. 100 Days of Sunlight follows Tessa, the aforementioned teen blogger, who loses her eyesight temporarily after a car accident. She’s angry and upset and no one knows how to console her until Weston shows up at her door to be her typist. Weston lost his legs in an accident and knows what Tessa is going through. Weston is definitely one of my favorite book characters of all time. He loves The Princess Bride like me and he’s a total dork. (The dude uses finger guns like every other page lol.) What’s not to love? Towards the end of the book, both of the main characters actions felt kind of out of character, but overall I really liked the book.

Kiss Now, Lie Later is about a forbidden romance between Maeve and Weston. They live in rival towns. Maeve’s father is the football coach of the high school in one town and her twin brother is the quarterback. Weston is the quarterback of the rival town’s high school. Personally, I found the town rivalry really unrealistic. It seemed like the most important thing to everyone in the book was this rivalry. Maybe if I lived in a small town I would get it, but I really didn’t find it believable. In reality, I feel like it wouldn’t be a big deal if Maeve and Weston dated. I think the backstory of how they met was really cute though and their relationship was fun to read about.

I’ve heard about this book a lot and was really excited to read it. It did not disappoint. It’s about a popular boy band, The Ark, which should have clued me in that I’d like it. (I swear I’ll read anything that involves a boy band lol.) The fandom means everything to Angel. However, the band isn’t as perfect as they seem on magazine covers. Their front man, Jimmy, is struggling with the imperfect reality of the band. Right off the bat, the portrayal of anxiety was so realistic in this book, which I really appreciated. I found Angel kind of annoying though. It wasn’t that she was a fan girl. I actually thought the conversations about fan culture were really cool. However, she had very little self-awareness and was just totally clueless of how her actions affected others. Overall, I really liked it though. This was the first book I’ve read by Alice Oseman and I definitely want to read more!

I Hunt Killers is a psychological thriller about Jazz Dent, son of a notorious and now imprisoned serial killer. Raised from a young age to be a murderer himself, Jazz decides to help the police track down another serial killer that has arrived in town. I thought the concept of this book was so interesting and the plot was so good. I didn’t figure out who the killer was until the very end. The main characters felt like real people which was cool. I really liked Jazz’s girlfriend and his friend, Howie. Some scenes were overly gory for my taste, but overall, this book was really cool. Jazz’s internal conflict was really interesting to read about. I’ve already started the sequel, Game, and I really like it so far too.

I started this book not knowing much about it. I figured it would be a cute romance, but it ended up being so much more. The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School deals with topics of race, sexuality, and religion in a way that’s thought provoking and compelling. Yamilet struggles with being one of the only Mexican kids at her new Catholic school. The last thing she needs is for them to know that she’s also gay. Especially when word could get back to her mother. However, things get more complicated when she meets Bo, the only openly queer girl at the school. This book was really good. There’s not much to say other than that. I liked that it criticized how religion can be used as an excuse for hatred while also pointing out that not everyone who is religious shares these views. I really loved Yamilet and Bo’s relationship. They were so cute! Also their friend group was really developed and realistic which I loved.

Looking Ahead to April

Prom is in April which I’m excited for. I already have my dress and I look really cute in it. I’m not bragging. It’s simply the truth. Also Easter’s in April which is fun. Tennis matches will get started next month too. I’m shooting for upper J.V. this year. (That’s right. I’m kind of a prodigy.)

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Make sure to tell me about how your month went down below. What was your favorite book you read in March? Also if you have any post ideas you’d like to see from me, please let me know! As always, I hope this post finds you well and you’re having a great day!