lately with lila march 2025 | blossoms & books

Hello again, dear friends! I hope you are all well, and if not, then I hope brighter days head your way soon! This past month was a whirlwind of busyness for me, but somehow I still managed to get some time in for reading and posting here on this blog! So let’s check out what went down…

what i posted

what i’m currently reading

I began reading Fable for the End of the World by Ava Reid when it released at the beginning of the month, and I’ve been enjoying taking it slow with reading this book, in part to really understand the themes in it. After the YA dystopian craze of the early to mid 2010s (which, yes, I did partake in haha), I thought I might never read another YA dystopian for a faaaaaaar longer time. Turns out I was wrong on that count, and I’m so glad for it! Unlike many of the YA dystopians of the aforementioned era, Ava Reid doesn’t just use the aesthetics of dystopia as a backdrop for a generic novel. Instead, Reid uses dystopia as vehicle for the intense themes that drive the narrative forward—and she does so perfectly! The other noticeable thing about Fable for the End of the World is how rooted in our present reality it is—so much so that Reid’s “dystopia” starts to feel a little too close for comfort. In every way—from the plot to the characters to the world building to the writing itself—this novel feels intense yet impeccable.

I also started reading Our Infinite Fates by Laura Steven and quickly fell in love with it. Something about Steven’s writing is sooooo addictive, and I found myself being drawn back into reading this book time and time again. There’s an ease to reading it, yet that ease doesn’t diminish the strength of Steven’s writing or the consistency of the story. I adore our main character, Evelyn, and am so intrigued by her and Arden’s story. I also love that Our Infinite Fates involves elements of fantasy, contemporary fiction, historical fiction, and romance, with a hint of mystery sprinkled on top! As I mentioned before, it’s quite addictive!! I can’t wait to read more of Evelyn and Arden’s story and to find out just what exactly is going on and what will happen to the star-crossed lovers!

what i plan on reading

I am once again loosely participating in G’s Orilium Magical Readathon: Spring Equinox! For those unaware, the Orilium Magical Readathon is a series of fantasy roleplay based readathons run by G of Book Roast. It’s super fun and I’ve been participating since the start. As a refresher about my character…

Nawa is an elf who was orphaned as a baby and was found and raised by the Ilterian scholars of the Great Underworld Library in Darkmeadow. Nawa has spent her life cultivating the skills of a scholar, but now she wishes to put that knowledge to use. Deciding to explore the mystery of her origin, Nawa set off on The Novice Path, with the goal of attending Orilium Academy as the first step of her quest. Now having completed The Novice Path, Nawa is studying at Orilium Academy to be a Story Weaver, which she believes will give her useful skills on her quest to discover her origins. She is a member of the House of the Arcane, and her guild legacy is a Monocle of Vigilance. She also uses an orb as a conduit and has a Pocket Dimension as a gift.

Nawa is still working towards her certification as a Story Weaver, so this semester she needs to complete Inscription, Art of Illusion, Psionics & Divination, and Lore. Based on these requirements, my TBR is the following:

Inscription: The Hook: First Sentence Challenge (Try Three Pick One) → Fable for the End of the World by Ava Reid

I already started this book in March, but when I compared its first line to my other two option, I like its best, so I got lucky!

Art of Illusion: Distance Manipulation: A Book You Already Planned on Reading in April → Our Infinite Fates by Laura Steven

I’ve been wolfing down this book since I started reading it, so of course I plan on finishing it in April!

Psionics & Divination: Psychokinesis: A Book About Witches or The Occult → Heartless Hunter by Kristin Ciccarelli

I’ve loved Ciccarelli since I read The Last Namsara back when it was first released, and I’m so glad to see her getting hype nowadays. I’m super excited to get to this book by her!

Lore: The Song of Ages: Musical Term in the Title → Song of Silver, Flame Like Night by Amelie Wen Zhao

I own the audiobook of this title, but I’m embarrassed to admit that I don’t remember what it’s about other than it’s an East Asian inspired YA fantasy. I’m trusting my past self to have purchased a good book…

what i’m currently watching

I was so surprised that I didn’t realize The Wheel of Time Season 3 had started releasing episodes weekly at the beginning of March, so of course once I realized I immediately started watching. So far I’ve watched only the first episode—so no spoilers!—but it’s so much fun to be back in the world of The Wheel of Time! Things left off on an interesting at the end of Season 2, and I’m excited to see where Season 3 goes!!

what i listened to

what i bookmarked

for readers

• Emma shared her thoughts as a political science nerd on The Hunger Games and War Theory (Video)
• 24hryabookblog went over the classification of YA books and why fantasy is often mislabeled
• Erin talked Kindle/Amazon boycotts, indie authors, and purchasing power politics
• Katie gave her thoughts on being a slow reader
• Jo highlighted feminist books to read for Women’s History Month (and the rest of the year) (Video)
• Jocelyn shared five books about female artists and musicians
• Rivalie gabbed about nine books that shaped her early twenties
• Krysta discussed whether authors should stop setting their realistic Middle Grade books in the past
• Alli matched books and pop princesses (Video)
• Delaney expressed their thoughts on books featuring women in STEM
• Sophie explored popular vs. award winning books
• Jean showed off books featuring faeries for every kind of reader (Video)
• Sela recommended books to read for the Year of the Snake
• Lou highlighted books featuring badass female characters
• April dissected fanfiction and how it’s changing the publishing landscape
• Maxx listed ten reasons to get a library card
• Katerina shared her favorite dystopian books (Video)
• Veronica gabbed about ten things she loves about Witch Hat Atelier
• Catherine talked about romance literature controversies
• Rosina tested out books her mom picked out for her to read
• Peyton let Vogue pick her reads (Video)
• Clo had her boyfriend guess the plot of some of her favorite books
• Literary Gluttony suggested drinks to have while reading
• Rae discussed J.K. Rowling and why we shouldn’t still be reading problematic authors (Video)

for fun

• “The Aesthetic Beauty of Math” by Karen Olsson for The Paris Review
• Nakari Speardane explained why fantasy maps should be weirder (Video)
• Jess talked the curse of immortality in fiction (Video)

what i did in march 2025

March was honestly pretty chill, and not too much was going on for me. I continued with my Choir and Cultural Geography courses, both of which I’m acing and having a great time with.

Outside of school I did get together with one of my friends and we cooked a The Hobbit inspired “second breakfast” (a.k.a. breakfast for dinner—featuring potatoes, of course!) together, which was super fun and which ended up being delicious! As a matter of fact, if y’all are interested, here’s the recipe—the blog/Instagram page I discovered it on has all sorts of recipes inspired by fantasy novels and mythology, which is so cool!

My mom and I also raided our local Joann Fabrics at the start of the month, and I was able to get some fabric scraps (which I plan to use to quilt a patchwork tote bag), several skeins of yarn (which I plan on using to crochet squares for an autumnal themed scarf or a blanket), and a crochet hook. I must admit that it was at that point that I found a new thing to hyperfocus on for the month: cozy arts and crafts! I spent the rest of the month learning new crochet techniques and journaling, which was a really nice way to spend my time and get offline. I think I’ve found some new permanent hobbies in crochet and journaling, which, ya know, love that for me, lol!

The cherry blossoms in the DMV also started blossoming, which is lovely, especially as we have a weeping cherry in our yard! I didn’t attend any of the events in the city for the Cherry Blossom Festival, as it gets hella crowded and hectic each year, but it was nice to have a little peaceful slice of the beauty at home.

what i’m hoping for in april 2025

This April is set to be a busy one, school-wise. I’ll be prepping a research project on African American folktales and their connection to African folktales and mythology for my Cultural Geography course, which I’m anticipating taking up a good chunk of my time. On top of that, I’ll be rehearsing in my Choir class for not one but two upcoming concerts which take place at the end of April and beginning of May. That said, I’m still hoping I can fit some fun into my schedule! I’m planning on at least meeting up with one or two of my friends, if nothing else.

spill the beans, friends!

How was your March? Did you read anything memorable? Do you have anything you’re looking forward to this April? What’s on your April TBR?

Learn more the author of this post:

Lila @ Hardcover Haven

Lila is a 30 year old anthropology student and lover of literature who's been book blogging for an eternity. Her hobbies include reading, singing, writing, arts and crafts, and snuggling her two cats, Snoopy and Clementine.