It’s time once again for Road Trip Wednesday, YA Highway‘s weekly traveling blog carnival. This week’s topic:
What was the best book you read in March?
For me, March was a great month for reading, as was February. The past couple of months I’ve had this wonderful streak of loving everything I read.
First up, Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard.
This is a sweet story about travel and finding yourself. I love a good contemporary YA romance, so I was pretty sure I would like this. What I wasn’t expecting was how much this would tug at my own globetrotting tendencies. It’s been a long time since I’ve traveled the way that Bria travels in the book. Ok, in fairness, I was never a serious backpacker, but I did some hostel-hopping in Europe back in the day. These days, I still travel, but it’s more like “hey, four day trip to Paris!” where we stay in a real hotel and stress about getting home (we only fly standby).* I would love to take off a few months and get lost in the jungle.
I definitely related to Bria, who stretches or manipulates the truth when speaking to the backpackers she meets. I was so intimidated by some of the travelers I met in hostels, especially the ubiquitous Australians eight months in to a year-long round-the-world trip. I was merely a study abroad student traveling on spring break – I don’t think I even needed to wash underwear in the sink more than once before returning home. I burned with jealousy of these kids who were traveling on a shoestring.
But Bria is also leaving behind a bad situation, and she uses this trip to reinvent herself. Actually, reinvent is what she thinks she’s doing, but I think she’s figuring out who she really was all along.
At any rate, this is a fantastic read guaranteed to stir wanderlust (or even wanderlove!) in anyone who reads it.
The other best book I read was Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta.
I had put off reading Finnikin, even though I had loved all of Melina Marchetta’s contemporary YA books, because I’m not that into fantasy as a rule. But it was available at a great price on Kindle because of the release of the sequel, Froi of the Exiles, so I decided to give it a shot.
Like many of her novels, Finnikin of the Rock unfolds slowly (amirite, Jellicoe Road lovers???), so I was lost for a bit in the beginning. About halfway through, the book grabbed me, and by the end I was completely and totally hooked. Finnikin is a wonderful male protagonist, burning with a desire to help his exiled countrymen but just so consumed with crippling self-doubt and guilt. His feelings of unworthiness (to lead his country, to love the girl traveling with him) resonated deeply with me.
Marchetta has created a brutal world in this book, so expect both bad guys and good guys to die. What has happened to the displaced people of Finnikin’s kingdom of Lumatere is horrific**, and joining them on their journey to regain their country feels like a privilege. I got swept up in the prophesies and curses surrounding Lumatere and the mystery of how (and if) they would be fulfilled.
I’m not even going to get into the fantastic love story between Finnikin and Evanjalin, because honestly, you should just read this book. But believe me when I say she’s a kick ass female character, and I haven’t rooted so hard for two people to get together in a long time.
So yeah, after finishing Finnikin, I downloaded Froi immediately, even though it’s a bazillion pages long and I have so many things to read and maybe I should be reading something a little lighter after Finnikin. I don’t care. I’ve got to read this book.
What were the best books you read in March?
*I am in no way complaining about jetsetting on standby. It’s hella cool, and I’m lucky to be able to do that.
**Trigger warning, though, as there is discussion of rape and its consequences.
I enjoyed LIKE MANDARIN (it was my “shout out” novel of the month one RTW last year), so I have WANDERLOVE on my TBR. Although I now approach Kirsten’s writing with trepidation–it has the tendency to make my own work look like warbling drivel in comparison! 🙂
I don’t read a lot of fantasy and I should probably read more than I have, so I’ll bear your recommendation of FINNIKIN OF THE ROCK in mind.
I’ve got LIKE MANDARIN waiting in the wings and can’t wait to read it.
I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on FINNIKIN if you decide to read it. I should have known Melina Marchetta wouldn’t let me down!
I’m reading WANDERLOVE right now, and you’re right–total itchy feet. I’ve only briefly traveled by backpack, but the [way too short] time I did was so much fun. I miss it, but I think I’m too old for it now. I like nice beds, lol. And bugs make me way more squeamish than they used to…
Nice beds are a must for us, too! I am just too ancient and cranky to do hostels anymore.
I really enjoyed WANDERLOVE too 😀 The romance, the travels even though I have to say while the setting was important it definitely wasn’t as important as finding oneself in the end for me 😀
I loved that aspect as well. 🙂
I read WANDERLOVE this month, too, and really enjoyed it. It sure made me to go off vagabonding.
Seems like a lot of the Highwayers read WANDERLOVE this month. Wonder why? 😉
The best book I read in March was “Call Me By Your Name” by André Aciman. While not YA by genre, the teen protagonist Elio’s anguish of self-doubt in the face of first love and self discovery is fully explored from the inside out. His arc of uncertainty, eventual reciprocation (albeit guarded and partial), and ultimate heartbreak that he acknowledges will be eternally a part of him despite better future lovers and more fulfilling relationships is all identifiable.
Also, I’m totally jealous of his bourgie life growing up in coastal Italy as the son of academics.
I’m so excited to read this book!
I just downloaded Wanderlove and I’m excited to read it. I’ve never heard of Finnikin and love fantasy, so thanks for this post.
Both great books. Melina Marchetta is one of my favorite authors, and I loved this book. I’m dying to read the sequel. I chose Wanderlove as my favorite, too. The setting in the book was awesome.
I keep reading good things about WANDERLOVE. It needs to go on my to be read list. By the way, you have a lovely blog here, and so i’m awarding you the Versatile Blogger Award :). Details are on my blog.
I’ve been putting off Finnikin for the same reasons you did; I love Melina, but don’t usually read fantasy. Now, I’ll have to add it to my pile! Thanks!
This is the second “vote” I’ve seen for Wanderlove, and I really like your review. I definitely need to add it to my TBR list!