Watched & Read, March

Hello friends! It's a new month (already!!) so that means it's time to share all the shows, movies, and books I consumed last month.

*Where to listen: I use the Libby App all the time which is free to everyone who has a library card. I also pay for Spotify and if you do you get 15 hours of an audiobook per month, so basically two shorter books or a book and a half.

*Where to read: I thrift a lot of my books, use the library a ton, download checked out Libby books to my kindle, and occasionally treat myself to a crisp new book from a book store as well.

*Where to watch: most everything I watch can be found on Hulu, Disney+, Prime, MAX, or Netflix.

*Side note: I got my kindle second hand from my dad who had an extra (thanks dad!) and have never actually bought a kindle book from Amazon and instead hook up my @libby.app account and only read borrowed books on it. Give it a try if you’re looking to limit or no longer purchase from Amazon. It takes a little finagling, but just give it a quick google/YouTube search and step by step instructions will pop up on how to do this!

*If you purchase your books online the owner of Book Alley sadly lost his home in the Eaton fire, but his bookshop remains standing. A small way to support him while the community rebuilds is to purchase your books from his book store which is still standing in Pasadena. You can find the inventory at https://www.bookalley.com/.

March Faves

Watched:

• Rewatching The Good Wife: Feel-good lawyer series that you can tune into or have on in the background, just needed something light this month.

• White Lotus: I’m on the White Lotus bus and while it’s not my fave season out of them all, I’ve still enjoyed watching it as it’s released and watching all the tiktok predictions roll in as the episodes come out.

• Miss Potter, 2006: A fave rewatch every spring! It’s so sweet and is such a cute movie to feel like you’re stepping into a new season with fresh inspiration.

• The Penguin Lessons: I saw this in theaters with my mom! It's based on a true story about an English teacher who goes to work at a private school in Argentina during the 1970's. While sharing a very touching story about an unexpected friendship, the film also brings to light very real matters that went on in Argentinas history that are repeating themselves in today's world within the US (the wild part is, they made and completed the film prior to any of these repeated events). I would recommend the watch if you're able to get to the movies!

Read:

• The Three Lives of Cate Kay, by Kate Fagan: This book had me anxiety ridden in the “I need to know what happens next right NOOOW” kind of way. When I started this novel I thought, “Okay, I like it, it’s good” but it did take me a minute to get to the “I need to know what happens right now” feeling, which is expected, you obviously need to build a story to get to that point. In this book you’ll follow three different personas the main character has created for herself throughout her life, as well as hearing POV’s of those personas from supporting players. Throughout the story you will be vividly transported into different cities, scenarios, and seasons of life. You’ll likely drop your jaw a few times and maybe even let out a “whaaaaaaaaat!” on occasion. You’ll be transported to the world of Cate Kay, her childhood friendships, new and old romances, journey with fame (or lack there of), and follow the consequences of one action that ultimately changed her entire life.

• Broken Country, by Clare Leslie Hall: If you haven’t already read it, please add this wonderful, heartbreaking, page-turning novel to your TBR. With that said, it did take me a minute to get sucked in, but after the set up I became invested in the mystery and I couldn’t put it down. By the last few pages my jaw was dropping every few paragraphs, tears shed, paused many times to reflect and take it in, and my heart was aching. What might start out as a seemingly simple romance story turns into complex series of events that ultimately unwinds back to one major moment. You’ll be guessing who did it, who is it, and why up until the end.

• The Let Them Theory, by Mel Robbins: This was a mixed read for me. the first couple chapters I was highlighting multiple things that really stuck out to me and although it wasn't necessarily revolutionary information, the way it was delivered just made it all make sense to me. That said, about half way through I started to disconnect from the topics it was applying the theory to and found it more like a chore to read than something that was helping me. If you're in the market for this kind of book I think it's still worth it if you treat it like "I'll take what I need from this" versus "every chapter will apply to me."

• Be Ready When The Luck Happens, by Ina Garten: I waited months for this audiobook and I hate to yuck on other peoples yums, but I just did not fall in love with it. It was a nice story, but I didn't find myself overly captivated and only made it about half was through. When my loan was returned before I could renew it I honestly wasn't upset, but who knows, maybe I'll go back to it another day, but it just wasn't what I was craving at this moment in time.

• Love & Gelato, by Jenna Evans Welch: A very sweet quick read that transports you through the streets of Italy while taking you on a mini mystery. Really sweet read if you're looking for something that's not too heavy.

• The Cliffs, by J. Courtney Sullivan: an incredibly thought provoking mystery of sorts that will take you through various periods of time and characters that are one way or another tied together through a house set on the cliffs of Maine. While told through a captivating story, Sullivan also brings forward very real and important topics and pieces of history which I thought enhanced the read even more. This is a beautiful and intriguing mystery that should definitely be added to your TBR! 

• The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, by V. E. Schwab: I listened to this one on Libby and it was a long one, but so so good! The first part of the book felt very similar to the movie Age of Adaline (even down to the name), and I was worried it was going to be a copycat, but once you're introduced to other characters you realize it's a very different story. Alongside delivering a really intriguing plot, I loved how the author explored concepts of basic human desires, the importance of time (and lack of it), and the blessings and curses of normal realities.

That’s it for now! Stay tuned for next months shares and drop me a message/comment if you have any reccies for my TBR!

Until next time xx, Rose