Books I Read In March & April 2026: Reviews And Photos
by Dannica RamirezBuzzFeedBuzzFeed StaffI'm a Southern California-based writer on the Lifestyle team who likes to try and rank viral foods and read and recommend awesome books.
Hello BuzzFeeders, book lovers, and other curious, bookish folks alike! I'm Dannica, and my goal is to read 82 books in 2026.
Dannica Ramirez
Not going to lie, this was my reading goal last year, but I didn't make it. Like, I was waaaaay far off (22 books) because, well, I was busy, which is why I'm trying again this year — and am even more determined to reach it.
To achieve such a feat, I figured it'd be way more fun to not do it alone. So, every month, I'll be sharing every book I read, why I loved (or hated) it, and letting you influence what ends up on my TBR list. This way, I'll be able to hold myself accountable, possibly (likely) overshare all my thoughts and emotions, and take on some of your recommendations.
Here's where I'm at so far (and if you wanna catch up, take a look at February's edition):
Dannica Ramirez
Welcome to Book Buzz!
Dannica Ramirez
Here's the vibe check: In short, my March books made me laugh, cry, scream, and everything in between. I was reminded of the beauty of humanity (not even being dramatic), surprised at how IMMERSED I was by a Hermione and Draco Malfoy fanfic (I know, I know), was feeling incredibly sad because I'd finished the last book in a trilogy, was a bit disappointed by a certain C.S. Lewis book, was on edge because I was trying to find out the identity of a serial killer, and finally, I became emotionally attached to a spider-looking alien named Rocky. Amaze amaze amaze!
Dannica Ramirez
(I read one book on Kindle!)
That said, rather than being polite and making a standard list like a normal person, I'm going to recap the books I read through something a little more fun, chaotic, and honest: superlatives. Let's start!
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👭 Anxious People by Fredrik Backman:
Dannica Ramirez / Via amazon.com
What it's about:
When a group of people is taken hostage by a failed bank robber while at an open house for an apartment on New Year's Eve, things don't unfold as one would typically imagine a hostage situation would. For starters, the bank robber had abandoned the robbery after realizing the bank they were trying to rob was cashless, stumbled into the apartment without realizing there was an open house, and took the hostages by accident.
And the hostages? Well, they seem to have other priorities on their minds. Each of them carries their own quiet burdens, secrets, hopes, and fears, and as they spend more time together, the absurdity of the situation blurs the line between captor and captive. As the hostages and the failed bank robber spend more time together, they realize that human connection might just be what carries us all through life's toughest moments — and that no one is ever truly alone.
Dannica Ramirez
Ugh, I honestly can't explain this book in a way that would properly express how much I loved it. It was funny, witty, honest, fun, sad, devastating, and everything else that a person could possibly feel. The plot itself was so unique, and it really felt like I knew all the characters, which is something the author does SO well. I like how the plot wasn't linear, and I loved all the interview scenes. I like how some characters are connected to each other in some way, and I just loved how everything unfolded! I laughed out loud throughout the book and literally cried during the last 100 pages because, at its core, the book captures how, even though being human and living life can be messy, you don't have to find a way to clean everything up on your own (was that corny or a bar?).
Overall, I loved this book SO much, and I definitely recommend reading it if you're looking for some #hopecore in these trying times.
Dannica Ramirez
⛓️💥 Manacled by SenLinYu:
Dannica Ramirez / Via amazon.com
What it's about:
There's a whole lot to unpack here, but basically, in this alternate universe, the Harry Potter timeline is the same until Harry's fifth year, when Dumbledore dies at the hand of Draco Malfoy — before he's able to tell Harry about the horcruxes. Without that knowledge, the war takes a devastating turn, Voldemort wins, and the wizarding world falls under the control of the Death Eaters.
Years later, Hermione Granger is one of the last surviving members of the Order of the Phoenix and finds herself imprisoned by Umbridge (who, to no one's surprise, works for the Dark Lord). However, she finds that she doesn't remember anything about the war. In an effort to gain secrets about the Order, Voldemort places Hermione in the High Reeve's care, who is powerful at Legilimency. When she finds out that the High Reeve is Draco Malfoy, fragments of her past slowly begin resurfacing, revealing what really happened during the war: the sacrifices, the bloodshed, and the dark secrets.
Note: This fanfic is heavily inspired by The Handmaid's Tale. In this AU, Voldemort has cr