Is it acceptable to do a monthly wrap-up when you’re halfway in to the next month? I’m just gonna say yes and roll with it. The past 6 weeks have been hectic – I went on my first ever Hen Party (which will go down in history as the BEST Hen Do ever!), had a promotion in work (which has been crazy busy), I’ve been working on a couple of unexpected freelance gigs, and I’ve been doing a decent amount of reading (but hardly any review-writing). I struggled to find the time to blog, and didn’t want to publish weak content. So I waited until Easter, and here I am!

The Books

I’m still being a conscious book-shopper and tracking not only the books I buy online, but also the ones I’m picking up in-store (see my annual Book Buying post for more info!). This month I purchased:

• Homo Deus: For the first time ever, more people die from eating too much than from eating too little; more people die from old age than from infectious diseases; and more people commit suicide than are killed by soldiers, terrorists and criminals put together. This follow-up to Sapiens looks fab!
• The Mandibles: The year is 2029, and nothing is as it should be. In a coordinated move by the rest of the world’s governments, the dollar loses all its value.
• Hidden Figures: After watching and LOVING the movie last month, I decided to pick up a copy of the book in the hopes it would go in to even more detail on the lives of these influential women.
• The Escape Artist: I collect Chmaberlain’s novels, and this was part of a 2 for £7 deal along with Hidden Figures. Enough said.
• Holding: I read The Life and Loves of a He Devil last month, and really enjoyed Norton’s writing style, so decided to give his novel a go. I got my hands on a signed copy, which sweetened the deal!
• O’s Little Guides: I got three of these essay collections in a set from The Book People, including the Little Book of Happiness, the Little Book of Love & Friendship, and the Little Guide to Finding Your True Purpose.
• Small Great Things: I also collect Picoult books and was super happy to get my hands on this gorgeous edition at such a great price!
• Elizabeth Noble collection: A few years ago I read Things I Want My Daughters to Know. From memory, I really enjoyed it, but my copy was water damaged. I spotted it as part of a collection on The Book People and snapped it up, as the rest of the titles look promising.

I was a super lucky blogger and also got sent some great books to review from Publishers:

• The Hate U Give: I had heard nothing but AMAZING things about this Own Voices contemporary YA novel based loosely on true events and the #BlackLivesMatter movement. I read it as soon as it arrived – review to follow very soon!
• This Love: I won this through Goodreads First Reads. It looks like a contemporary romance with a bit of grit!
• Crimson and Bone: Having read, and LOVED, Fiorato’s last novel The Double Life of Mistress Kit Kavanagh, I can’t wait to get stuck in to this one!
• The Dark Days Pact: I read and reviewed The Dark Days Club last year, and though it took a little while to get in to, I ultimately really enjoyed it. Looking forward to seeing where this story goes!
• I’m Still Here: Translated from French, this is a modern-day Sleeping Beauty story that sounds super interesting!

Movies and TV Shows

The People V OJ Simpson

While I was vaguely aware of this story, I didn’t know much about it in any detail. I’d heard amazing reports about this TV show in terms of its attention to detail, and it did not disappoint.

OJ Made in America

After binge-watching the TV show, I went back and watched the full documentary. Not only did the show do the real story justice, but it had some really insightful interviews.

Grace and Frankie

I don’t know what it is about this show that I find so addicting. It’s not laugh-out-loud funny, but it is humorous and well-written. I find myself getting through a whole season without even realising it.

13 Reasons Why

I have mixed feelings about this, I think I’ll do a full post about it. I haven’t read the book, so can’t comment on it, but I found the TV Show… challenging, important, and problematic.

Wrappin’ It Up!

• Laura @ Boats Against the Current was on fire this month! She talks about how blogging improves your writing, shares tips on how to make the time to read, discusses why it’s OK to be an introvert, and asks why do we love anti-heroes?
• Ceilidh @ Bibliodaze reviews the movie Hidden Figures (spoiler alert – it was fab!), implores USA Today to keep their Bestseller List, and discusses what to do with an MA in English Literature.
• Trish @ Between My Lines talks about how being a mood reader affects her blog.
• Cathy @ 746 Books shares 100 books by female Irish authors and wrote a tongue-in-cheek post about Northern Irish slang in honour of St. Patrick’s Day.
• Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction decides everything she’s ever told you about Book Blogging is wrong (or is it?), and asks is there such a thing as a “quick” blog post?
• Amber @ The Mile Long Bookshelf shares an exclusive preview of the Forbidden Forest.
• Alicia @ A Kernel of Nonsense shares her plans for Spring Cleaning (the Bookworm edition).
• Cait @ Paper Fury talks Book Blog
• ging Expectations V Reality and shares 10 TBR problems we all face.
• Holly @ Nut Free Nerd faces the reality of people IRL reading her blog!
• Dani @ Dani Reviews Things hosts a guest post discussing Bad Ass Women.
• Jamie @ The Perpetual Page Turner talks about change and how she deals with it.

In Case You Missed It:

In March, I reviewed Rockadoon Shore (1.5/5), Hello, Goodbye, and Everything In Between (3/5), and The Life and Loves of a He Devil  (4/5).

I also interviewed the author of Through the Barricades, Denise Deegan, and shared a ton of recommended reads for International Women’s Day.

Cathy @ 746 Books hosted Reading Ireland Month, and I contributed a Guest Post called The Rise of Irish Young Adult Fiction.

My most popular post in March was eBooks V Paper Books – The Facts, and my most popular review in March was The Life and Loves of a He Devil.  

How is your 2017 going so far? Can you believe we’re almost halfway through the year already?

Let me know your thoughts in the comments!