I’m trying something new! I’ve been quite busy, and haven’t had a lot of time to write full reviews for most of the books I’ve been reading lately. However, I still wanted to chronicle what I’ve been reading, so I thought I’d list them here, with a quick summary and a brief review. I might do this more often, with longer reviews for the books I have the most feelings about.

With that said, here’s all the books I finished reading in March 2026:

The Language of Liars by S. L. Huang

This sci-fi novella is set in outer space, where beings live on various planets and rely on high-speed travel to function as a society. We follow protagonist Ro, who has been raised to spy on the Star Eaters, who are the only ones who can mine the element needed to power spaceships. So Ro body-snatches one of the Star Eaters, he thinks his cause is noble. But what he discovers will change everything.

This is easily one of the most trippy, cerebral stories I’ve read in some time. Huang is masterful with their words, crafting a fascinating world in such a small amount of pages. The themes are so thought-provoking, and the plot is intriguing. And as the final act arrives, and the rug is pulled out from under you, you realize just how much of a brilliant work this book is. It’s one of those novellas that has you by the throat for most of it, then punches you in the gut at the end for good measure. It’s devastating, bizarre, and excellent.

An Accident of Dragons by Cheri Radke

In an island kingdom, a chosen lord is bonded with the dragon called Summer. The current lord is an unlikely one named Teddy, who doesn’t have much of a backbone or mind for politics. But when his five-year-old daughter Zinnia is captured and taken away on a ship, Teddy sets out to save her, even though he’s definitely in over his head.

This is a very cute cozy fantasy, with a kind of goofy main character but a decent amount of adventure and drama. I wanted a bit more out of the worldbuilding, but I still had fun. I mean, there are seafaring shenanigans and dragons, so of course I was able to enjoy the story! It’s not going to stand out as remarkable in the grand scheme of things, but a nice and easy romp.

Love Galaxy by Sierra Branham

Set in a far-future galactic empire, Temmi is desperate to get off her backwater planet finds an unexpected opportunity when she’s roped into participating in a reality tv dating show, this year featuring the two royal siblings. She’s a fish out of water in this setting, but determined to earn enough money to get her family into a better situation. Things are complicated, though, when Temmi starts having feelings for the princess (when she’s ostensibly here to date the prince), and other contestants start dying mysteriously.

This is like if The Bachelor were crossed with The Hunger Games, but set in space. And if it were queer. In other words, compulsively readable. I’ve written a full review for this book, which you can read here!

A Lady for All Seasons by TJ Alexander

In Regency England, Verbena Montrose knows she must marry to escape poverty, but without a dowry, that seems impossible. That is, until she reconnects with an old friend, Etienne, who is desperate to escape scandal after rumors start to swirl about his love affairs with other men. Verbena decides they should marry for both their sakes… but then she meets Flora, a mysterious poet whom Verbena can’t help but feel drawn to. But Flora has a secret of her own, and its revelation turns Verbena’s world on its head, opening her up to how happiness can be found outside of societal conventions, if only one is brave enough.

This is a very sweet love story, with witty characters and a good depiction of a genderfluid character (well, it’s a good depiction as far as I know; I’ll defer to genderfluid/non-conforming people’s opinions). I do think that the pacing was a little too fast most of the time, though. Characters seemed to fall in love, or at least in like, so quickly, without much foundation to the relationships. And some of the hijinks were a bit much. However, this is also such a defiantly joyful book, allowing its queer characters to not only survive, but to flourish and have fun, and for that, I love it.

Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett

In 1920s Montreal, Agnes is struggling to keep her cat shelter afloat after local magicians caused damage to the building. She moves to a new location, only to discover that her landlord is the most powerful and feared magician of all time. But he’s surprisingly good company, and they start to grow closer. However, forces from his past are circling, and soon threaten to destroy everything Agnes has been striving for.

In terms of cozy romantasy, I’ve read worse, but I’ve also read better. I think the hardest element for me was the pacing; the speed at which things started out compared to the suddenly breakneck third act (with immensely high stakes, for that matter) didn’t really work for me. I also wanted more explanation of the magic system, because I think there could have been more depth to it. And the romance was fine, but nothing spectacular. The best parts were the cats and their silly names!

I’ll Have What He’s Having by Adib Khorram

Farzan has had no luck in love, especially lately, in addition to taking over his parents’ restaurant. Then he meets David, an aspiring master sommelier currently working at a wine bar. They hit it off immediately and hook up, then agree to just keep it casual, while helping each other with studying for the sommelier test and with understanding how to run a restaurant. However, their friendship grows complicated as feelings grow deeper, but neither man is sure how they can make a relationship last.

I haven’t read anything by this author before and I’m kicking myself, because this book is so cute! A little too reliant on certain tropes that I don’t love (misunderstanding, friends with benefits, the third act breakup), but these are tempered by delightful characters who actually have pretty decent communication skills, not to mention some lovely character development. The Kansas City setting is vibrant, and the romance is very sweet.

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion volumes 3-6 by Beth Brower

It’s 1883, and Emma M. Lion has just moved back to St. Crispian’s, a neighborhood of London that houses a swath of unconventional characters. Emma is determined to live life on her own terms, despite her overbearing aunt and bothersome cousin, and in her new home, she makes connections with friends new and old. We watch the events of her life through her journal entries, and see her growth and change as time passes.

Clearly I’m in a historical fiction mood, but only if it’s cheerful. And this series is so amazing! I’m frankly a little obsessed with it right now, though I’m waiting (in agony) for the eighth volume audiobook to arrive in my Libby account. I’m planning to write a full review on all eight volumes soon, but for now I’ll just say that this is an absolutely charming and witty series, and I might scream if we don’t hear word of a release date for volume nine soon, because what am I going to do with myself in the meantime?!

So, as you can see, I had a great reading month! A lot more historical fiction than usual, but still the typical sci-fi/fantasy fare that I always gravitate towards. And now that we’re already a third of the way through April, I’ve finished a couple other books, and am in the midst of reading three more. Hopefully I can get through the rest of my month’s TBR in the next couple weeks!