Happy Women’s History Month!  (Also, happy Tolkien month (yes, again), keep an eye out for Silmarillion posts every week!)  I’m so hyped about my TBR this month, especially because I have a lot of women authors to choose from, but I had some very specific goals in mind, and I’m pretty pleased with how this list is shaping up.  I’ve got three more than on my usual monthly TBR, and though I usually read a little more than eight books in a month anyway, I’m going to try to keep any outside-of-the-TBR books written by women, as well. I’m also participating in Margaret @ Weird Zeal‘s annual Readathon, which has a lot of fun challenges that I can’t wait to tackle!

a book by an author whose work you’ve loved before
a book about sisterhood and/or female friendship

At the start of the year, I bought myself some first week of new job books that turned into three separate orders because I do what I want, and I knew that I needed to grab Yes, No, Maybe So by Becky Albertalli & Aisha Saeed if only because I’ve been saying that I’m going to read all of Albertalli’s backlist books for ages now without actually taking any steps forward to do that.  I’m really excited about this one, though, because we’re kind of post political crisis in the US now, so this book won’t make me want to scream (hopefully), and it’s written by two women!  One of my hard & fast nopes is that if a book has women hating on women, I’m not into it.  I won’t read it, or I’ll DNF it, or I’ll one star the hell out of it.  I have no interest in women not supporting other women, so I’m hyped to have two badass women writing this book.

Speaking of women supporting women, HECK YES to When We Were Magic by Sarah Gailey!  I try not to buy multiple books by an author if I haven’t read them yet, and while I still have Magic for Liars sitting on my TBR shelf, there was no way I was passing up this feminist witchy badassery.  I mean, the cover alone has got me convinced, and, admittedly, I have no idea what this is actually about, but everything is leaning toward totally awesome best witch friends.

a book with a woman of color on the cover
a non-Western fantasy book

I fought with myself over whether or not I should save The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar for Pride this year, but I was supposed to read it last Pride, and I didn’t because I’m The Worst, and it’s been sitting in my TBR cart ever since, trying to make me feel guilty, so I’m going to try to make this my first read of the month.  Because what’s more women supporting women than women just literally loving the hell out of each other?  And I know this is rivals to lovers, buttttttt since I know, for a fact, that it ends on a good note with the MCs, I’m here for it.

Somehow, I only have one high fantasy book on this list, which is an actual tragedy, and I’m going to have to remedy it with some outside-the-TBR women author books, and so, that means I’m even more hyped about Forest of Souls by Lori M. Lee than I would normally be.  The only high fantasy in a sea of contemporary and urban fantasy?  Plus, it’s undoubtedly going to be badass, given that it’s non-Western, and thus more incredible just by default. (I said what I said.) Girl, I’m gonna read this smack in the middle of the month (lies, watch me read it first) and just relish in how amazing it is.

a book recommended to you
a book with purple on the cover

Another dual women author book!  There’s a lot going for The Ravens by Kass Morgan & Danielle Paige that brought me to it, and sim, it is the most obvious math ever: title featuring birds + ravens all over the cover + WITCHES.  Bring it on!  I’m also finishing up revisions for my witch book this month, and it’s my birthday, so this is basically the absolute perfect time to be reading this. And a little cheating with the prompt because, technically, no one recommended it to me, but Erin did chuck it at my head in the bookstore, so.

I had myself fully convinced that I’d read every Ruta Sepetys book there was, and then I see Out of the Easy on someone’s Insta the other day, and I was just HOLD THE PHONE.  I had no idea I’d missed one, and since Sepetys is now an auto-buy for me, this was purchased alongside Albertalli & Saeed’s book because YUP, I’m ready to be ruined.  Another case of not knowing what it’s about, too, (is this ever not the case?) but 100% ready to be a sobbing mess by the end, thank youuuuuu!

a book set in the future past
an #ownvoices book for an identity you don’t share

I’m cheating a little with this one because I don’t have any books in the future that I’m aware of? I honestly don’t generally read books set in anything but the past & present, which I’m only just now realizing. Anyway, cheating a bit by grabbing The Damned by Renée Ahdieh because it’s set in–oh, I don’t know, 1800s New Orleans? Is that totally off-base? Either way, I’ve been meaning to read this for ages, so I’m excited I finally am!

And rounding out this motley crew is Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson, which I got as a gift recently because ya girl is very loud about the kinds of books that she likes. Truthfully, I just send out a list of “I really want these” books and tell my family/friends to go wild. Also, Anderson is Puerto Rican, and I’m Portuguese, so while we might holla at each other, we don’t share the same background, so that’s counting toward my last challenge!

What is your most hyped book to read for next month?