Monthly Wrap-Up – March 2026
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This March, I set myself a very ambitious TBR. With hopes that I could read and get all the achievements in the Goodreads 2026 Winter Challenge, I set myself a long list of books on top of my reading obligations. It was always going to be a big push, so I’m not too disappointed I didn’t get through everything. I am the type of person who thrives on a target or deadline. I’m not disheartened I didn’t quite get there; I’ve gotten the closest I ever have. And, if at first you don’t succeed… try, try again!
Before I get ahead of myself, back to my March reading list and monthly wrap-up updates!
Books Read
Throne of Glass
I’ve set myself a challenge this year to read Sarah J. Maas Throne of Glass series. Unfortunately timing slipped a little and I ended up carrying the end of book 1 forward into March. As timing goes, I’ve extended book 2, Crown of Midnight, into April. So, if you have yet to join in my readalong you have time to catch up with Throne of Glass and read Crown of Midnight with me in the coming weeks.
Throne of Glass surprised me in the best of ways. For a romantasy book, the fantasy elements of the plot weighed in heavier than the romance. That suits me. As someone who isn’t really a romance reader, I could get comfortable with the romance sub-plot without it distracting from everything else going on in the wider world. The world-building and intrigue behind the main characters was on-point. My sister was right to recommend this series to me – it’s definitely fantasy first, and I’m excited to read on and discover more about this world and events that I expect to play out.
Wild Dark Shore
Wild Dark Shore was a fun read, if not quite the book I expected it would be. Set on an isolated island, an intriguing mystery unfolds when a woman washes up on the remote, barely inhabited island.
The descriptions in this book are beautiful and make for an easy experience visualising the setting. It’s desolate, dark in places and it was a refreshing change. I’ve enjoyed picking up a thriller with an interesting and bit different premise this month. The family left on this island are waiting for their last boat off. The seed bank based here for protection being emptied. The tides are rising dangerously, as Rowan knows all too well when she nearly loses her life in the waves.
The atmosphere in this books is spot on. Both reverence for the beauty and power of nature and sinister vibes shine through in the narrative. I had a library loan return deadline for this book, but I didn’t really need it. I stayed up late into the night finishing this one. Fabulous read. 10/10
1984
A book I started this month, but will get carried over due to competing priorities, is George Orwell’s 1984.
This is my third time reading the book. As anticipated, I’m enjoying revisiting this classic dystopian novel and reminding myself of the details. The reason I picked this up was so I could then go on to read Julia by Sandra Newman towards the Retellings prompt in the Goodreads 2026 Winter Challenge. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to this book in time to earn the award, but I will still carry this forward into April.
Aside from meeting the retellings award, I set myself a personal challenge to read both 1984 and Julia back-to-back. These books are on my fixed reads list for 2026. So, watch this space for a return to this dystopian world very soon…
As of this monthly wrap-up, I’m 127 pages or around third of the way through the book. Fingers crossed the remainder of the book flies by and I can get to Julia imminently.
An Arcane Inheritance
My first audiobook of March was An Arcane Inheritance. This book qualified for the Black Heritage achievement in the Goodreads 2026 Winter Challenge.
I had added this book to my TBR back in January anyway. Thanks to the challenge, this was pulled forward a little earlier than I would have likely read it. And you know what, I’m glad! It’s been a hot minute since I picked up a dark academia book. I loved returning to the genre and this cultural twist into the narrative. The magic was intriguing and like Wild Dark Shore, I loved the underpinning mystery to the storyline.
As a result of reading this, Kamiliah Cole and future books are on my radar. I can’t wait to try more of her books. If they live up to An Arcane Inheritance, I won’t be disappointed!
The Astral Library
The final audiobook to feature in this monthly wrap-up post is The Astral Library. Reading progress with The Astral Library has been pretty quick. It’s not an overlong read anyway, but the plot line is engaging and reminiscent of another of my favourite reads.
Reading a book about books, and featuring snapshots of well-known titles, makes for an entertaining change of angle. Dipping in and out of the margins of classics has been fun, but of course, it’s not over yet. As of this monthly wrap-up, I’ve got three hours of audio left. I’ve chipped away at this audiobook commuting and listening a little before bed. I can reasonably listen to an hour a day. So, I’m sure you can do the maths and come to the same conclusion that I’ll finish this one shortly!
Rose Red
One of my final reads to feature in this monthly wrap-up is Rose Red by Sarah Biggerstaff. Progress with 1984 stalled as I needed to prioritise reading Rose Red for a social media blog tour.
This fairytale retelling was a fun foray into fantasy… again. It’s my favourite genre for a reason, and I always love going back to it. More than that, though, this Snow White inspired tale has elements of witchcraft, romance and challenging family dynamics. Whilst in principal the description of this book sounds suitable for YA, I wouldn’t say it is. It has elements of gore and violence that may be too much for a younger audience.
My favourite aspect of this book, however, is that Rose doesn’t find magic instinctive and she has to learn. Often, the hard way. I’m going to share more on this book in the near future. For now, know it’s a solid read.
Storm of Mercia
Finally, in anticipation of a review due in just a couple of days, I started and made good progress with Storm of Mercia. On Sunday I made good headway into this ninth instalment of M.J. Porter’s Eagle of Mercia chronicles.
This historical fiction series is compulsively readable and I got back into this book very quickly. On Sunday, I read the first third of the book. Yesterday, another 10% just before bed. I’m hoping for a little more progress tonight before bed, though that may be a push taking into account when this monthly wrap-up post goes live.
I’m reviewing this book on Thursday, so I need to get my skates on. Needless to say, it’s my immediate priority…
Summary
Considering there were 11 books on my March TBR, I made a noble attempt and managed to progress with seven of these. I’ll take the unread books forward into April, so they aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.
Storm of Mercia is naturally going to be my priority, with 1984 returning to attention shortly after. In the coming days, I’ll release the rest of my monthly TBR for April. This month, the other books on my TBR aside from Crown of Midnight and my March carryovers were decided by a TBR jar. I’ve got an unusual mix, so there is something on the list for every reading mood! I hope you can check that out when it goes live later this week.
What was your favourite read of March? Have you read any of the books in today’s monthly wrap-up post?
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