March was a very good reading month for me! I read five books total which was a lot more than I intended to read! I started the month by reading two cozy reads, then two thriller/paranormal books, and ended the month by finally reading The Artist’s Way which is one of those books that every creative should read, so of course I had to read it! Did it live up to the hype? Keep reading to find out!
Make sure to follow me on Goodreads to be updated on what I’m reading and on StoryGraph if you’re curious about my book statistics.
My star reading scale
★★★★★/5 – Loved it! Would reread and recommend it to others.
★★★★/5 – Kept me entertained. I would reread.
★★★/5 – Didn’t love or hate but would recommend to others.
★★/5 – Did not enjoy it and probably skimmed through most of it.
★/5 – I hated it and regret wasting my time with this book.
DNF – Did not finish. This will probably be rare because I like to finish every book I start.
DISCLAIMER: Links included in this post might be affiliate links. If you make a purchase with the links I provide, I may receive a small commission at no additional charge to you.
We’ll Prescribe You a Cat by Syou Ishida ★★★/5
Tucked away in an old building at the end of a narrow alley in Kyoto, the Kokoro Clinic for the Soul can only be found by people who are struggling in their lives and genuinely need help. The mysterious clinic offers a unique treatment to those who find their way there: it prescribes cats as medication. Patients are often puzzled by this unconventional prescription, but when they “take” their cat for the recommended duration, they witness profound transformations in their lives, guided by the playful, empathetic, occasionally challenging yet endearing cats.
I asked on Threads for a feel-good book and someone recommended We’ll Prescribe You a Cat. This is one of those cozy Japanese books similar to Before the Coffee Gets Cold series, where you follow a person’s story and it quickly gets resolved in a few pages. In We’ll Prescribe You a Cat, the characters get prescribed a cat, and said cat changes their life in some way. It was alright. As much I enjoy reading books like these, I feel like this market is getting slightly oversaturated with this type of genre.
You can purchase We’ll Prescribe You a Cat here
The Rainfall Market by You Yeong-Gwang ★★★/5
On the outskirts of Rainbow Town, there is an old, abandoned house. They say that if you send a letter detailing your misfortunes there, you could receive a ticket. If you bring this ticket to the house on the first day of the rainy season, you’ll be granted entrance into the mysterious Rainfall Market—where you can choose to completely change your life.
I’ve seen many people reading The Rainfall Market which is what made me pick up this book. Thankfully, it was available on Libby so I was able to read it right away! This book felt like it was written for a younger audienc, which I don’t mind reading, a book is a book after all. The main character came off as young and naive, and I felt that hurt this story, if that makes sense. I also felt like it dragged towards the last third of the book, and honestly, the story wasn’t memorable to me. However, if you’re looking for a feel-good read with little to no drama, then I would recommend The Rainfall Market because it was cute with not too much baggage.
You can purchase The Rainfall Market here
Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman ★★★★/5
To eight-year-old Bela, her family is her world. There’s Mommy, Daddo, and Grandma Ruth. But there is also Other Mommy, a malevolent entity who asks her every day: “Can I go inside your heart?”
When horrifying incidents around the house signal that Other Mommy is growing tired of asking Bela the question over and over, Bela understands that unless she says yes, her family will soon pay.
I listened to the audiobook of Incidents Around the House, and OMG! I highly recommend the audiobook! It’s narrated by a little girl which adds to the creepy factor. I thought Incidents Around the House was going to be a 5-star read, however, the ending was confusing which ruined it for me. There were also too many loose ends and plot holes that were left undone that I wished had been resolved. I did enjoy the creepy reading experience (I listened to this right before bed!) and if you’re looking for an eerie book then I would suggest Incidents Around the House but just be prepared to be confused at the end.
You can purchase Incidents Around the House here
Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison ★★★★/5
Rory Morris isn’t thrilled to be moving back to her hometown, even if it is temporary. There are bad memories there. But her twin sister, Scarlett, is pregnant, estranged from the baby’s father, and needs support, so Rory returns to the place she thought she’d put in her rearview. After a night out at a bar where she runs into Ian, an old almost-flame, she hits a large animal with her car. And when she gets out to investigate, she’s attacked.
After reading Rachel Harrison’s vampire book earlier this year, I thought I should read her werewolf book, Such Sharp Teeth. I mentioned before but I really enjoy Rachel Harrison’s book. They’re thrillers but for a girl who doesn’t want to get scared. However, like with every one of Harrison’s books, I just don’t like her main characters. I don’t know if she intentionally does this or not. Let me know if you’ve read some of her books and agree or not. In Such Sharp Teeth, the main character is a twin but she is meant to be smart and geeky yet cool and pretty but also overly successful, it just felt like she was too many things which rubbed me the wrong way. I like for my characters to have some flaws. But aside from that, I didn’t have any other issues with the story. There was a bit of romance (which you know I hate) but it didn’t really bother me because it wasn’t the main plot.
You can purchase Such Sharp Teeth here
The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity by Julia Cameron ★★★/5
A revolutionary program for personal renewal, The Artist’s Way will help get you back on track, rediscover your passions, and take the steps you need to change your life
When I finished reading The Artist’s Way I believe I rated it a 4-star but after sitting with it for a few days, I decided to lower it down to a 3-star. The Artist’s Way was released in the 90’s so maybe at the time it was revolutionary for creatives but I thought it wasn’t anything special. There were parts of the book that really stuck out to me, and I definitely highlighted and underlined multiple things. However, I felt like the author would repeat certain subjects far too often like she didn’t have anything more to say on said topic so she rambled on too much. Also, throughout the book, there are several quotes by other artists or creatives. I get they’re supposed to inspire you, and I like a good quote and all but it seemed a bit excessive and slightly pretentious. I also don’t like a workbook-style book (at least not to read) but I did a few of the techniques she mentioned and they were fun. The journal prompts especially gave me something to chew on afterward.
You can purchase The Artist’s Way here
Have you read any of these books? What did you read in March?
Leave a Reply