Oh hey - it’s March! This year is truly rushing by but I’m extra excited to be entering March aka “new Hunger Games month”. Wait I’m getting ahead of myself…
February was an awesome month generally but kind of a weird reading month for me? I read a lot of books I really loved, including two from The Hunger Games series, another Kiley Reid book (so good) and a very spicy queer romance ARC from Meryl Wilsner (who also wrote Cleat Cute, a sapphic soccer romance I loved). But I have been a lot slower than I meant to be on my Hunger Games re-reads. I was aiming to be finished with the original trilogy in February but I still have Mockingjay to finish this month - and the first prequel - before I’m ready for the new book. Also, I started an audiobook on a whim because I have read another book by the author and… it might be my first DNF of the year which is wild??? I don’t even really dislike it, I’m just not feeling invested at all! I borrowed it from my library and the due date forced me to return it and I’ve got it on my hold list but… I can’t decide if I’ll even pick it back up. It’s just so… fine? Eep!
But anyways, back to March. I’ve got three Hunger Games books to read this month (expect videos with my thoughts up on YouTube), a book club book, an ARC, and… somehow more? It’s a lot of books to get through but I’m feelling optimistic because drumroll…
My lovely pal Bookie and I are hosting a spring read-a-thon to celebrate reading month and the coming of spring! We’re still working out details but you’ll be able to join and help us work towards a group reading pages goal over the weekend of March 20 - 23. Keep an eye on our socials and our Discord servers - there will be reading bingo, reading sprint streams, and more!
February 2025 Reads
- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins ⭐ 5 The Hunger Games #1, open buddy read
- Come & Get It by Kiley Reid ⭐ 4.5 library book
- Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins ⭐ 5 The Hunger Games #2, open buddy read
- My Best Friend’s Honeymoon by Meryl Wilsner ⭐ 4 ARC published 29 April 2025
- The No-Show by Beth O’Leary paused, DNF
February 2025 StoryGraph Numbers
📚 total: 3 books
📖 read: 1,253 pages
🎧 listened: 6.62 hours
March 2025 Hopeful Reads
- The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin February/March Cashew Town book club pick
- Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins The Hunger Games #3, open buddy read
- The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins The Hunger Games #0, open buddy read
- Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins The Hunger Games #0.5, open buddy read
- Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses by Robin Wall Kimmerer nonfiction, essays
- The Story of Astrophysics in Five Revolutions by Ersilia Vaudo nonfiction, ARC published April 2025
- Book Lovers by Emily Henry
Spring Into Readathon
Join Bookie and I for a readathon celebrating reading month and the arrival of spring on the weekend of March 20-23. We’ll have reading bingo, reading sprints on stream and in Discord, and a group reading pages (or minutes for the audiobook pals) goal to track together! Keep an eye out on our Insagram pages and Twitch channels for more information:
- Bookie’s Instagram - @thelindenbookie and Twitch - @thelindenbookie
- Bella’s Instagram - @bookswithnotbella and Twitch - @notbella
Bella is on BookTube
After uploading some introductory BookTube videos I’ve been working on a series where I share my (many) thoughts on the Hunger Games books as I re-read them in preparation for the upcoming prequel. It’s been super fun and as of writing this I’ve got videos up about book one, The Hunger Games and book two, Catching Fire.
The Hunger Games Buddy Read 2025 StoryGraph Challenge
This year, in honor of the new Hunger Games prequel book releasing in March, Sunrise On The Reaping by Suzanne Collins, I’m re-reading all of The Hunger Games series and you’re welcome to join me! I have buddy reads through StoryGraph set up for each book in the series and an accompanying StoryGraph challenge to track progress with the re-read. Join for shared discussion on the books, or just take a peek at my comments (and there will be… a lot).
Cashew Town Book Club
We’re back in 2025 with a new structure for book club! This year, book selections will be made every other month, so we’ll have two months to finish our books before discussions. Plus, discussion times will be set ahead of time so you can keep them on your calendar as you read. If you’d like to join Book Club stop by Bella’s stream for the Discord invite. You can keep up with book club selections and additional discussion forums through the StoryGraph book club.
Bella’s Book Recs
I’ve shared a few different lists of book recommendations (my list of books with queer representation and my list of books that are great for halloween) but I’ve realized I didn’t have just a general list of books that I recommend… so now I do! This is a list that will continue to evolve and grow as I come up with more recommendations so keep in mind it’s not exactly 100% done, but I hope you enjoy!
Great places to get books:
- Audiobooks: Libro.FM (use my referral code: lfm461686)
- Free books: use the Libby app to get audiobooks and ebooks for free with your library card
- Public domain books: use the Project Gutenberg website to view ebooks and digital copies of books in the public domain
- Digital ARC books for reviewers: NetGalley