Bookish Thoughts for March
I completed one of my 2022 reading goals in March! I read the entire Harry Potter series for the first time. I have so many friends who are super fans of this series. I finally decided to see what the hype was all about. As I read the books, I found that I liked each book better than the last – until I reached book five. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was my least favorite. I wanted to get Harry into trauma therapy to help with his anger. Professor Umbridge almost broke me! And the ending… no spoilers, but I finished the book thinking that life isn’t fair. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was my favorite and I enjoyed reaching the conclusion in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
I wasn’t banned from reading the Harry Potter books growing up (at least, not to my knowledge), but I wasn’t encouraged to read them. Our family was very mindful of witchcraft/wizardry. It wasn’t appreciated (unless it was The Chronicles of Narnia or The Lord of the Rings). As an adult, I wanted to read the Harry Potter series because I realized it was polarizing and I wanted to decide for myself. While witches, wizards, and magic might not be my preference for entertainment, I did enjoy the books. If my children wish to read them in the future, I would let them. I would probably wait until they are mature enough to read the whole series. It would bother me if I couldn’t read the next book in a series and I wouldn’t want to inflict that “what happens next” torture on anyone!
My next book goal for 2022 is to read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. After tackling the thick Harry Potter books, I will probably wait a month or two before diving into another lengthy series. I need some recovery time! I also finished The Time Quintet by Madeleine L’Engle this month. I hope to dive into her Polly O’Keefe series in April. I might be late to the game for some of these classics, but my curiosity has been peaked. Why are these favorites for so many? I’d like to find out!
Top Picks for March
Non-Fiction: Raising Critical Thinkers: A Parent’s Guide to Growing Wise Kids in the Digital Age by Julie Bogart. This book felt like a class on critical thinking. My biggest takeaway was if I want to raise critical thinkers, I have to be a critical thinker myself. It challenged my way of thinking and how I’m using my influence to shape my children. I’ve been recently processing how to find new books for my oldest since he is flying through our home library. Books can be a powerful influence and I’m actively weighing and researching options. Reading Raising Critical Thinkers came at an opportune time. This is a book that I will return to as a reference as my kids grow. There are activities throughout the book targeted for different age ranges starting at age 5 and going to 18.
Fiction: Lovely War by Julie Berry. This book is an interesting twist on WWI historical fiction. The tale of two love stories is told through the lens of the goddess Aphrodite. She invites a few other Greek gods to share their perspectives on the stories from time to time. While I am personally not a huge fan of Greek mythology, the tale that the gods spun won my heart. A good deal of historical fiction tends to fall during WWII, so I appreciated the WWI setting for variety. While the ugly truths of war can be hard to read, I cheered when love triumphed in dark places.
The Book List for March
1 Star = I did not like it. 2 stars = It was okay. 3 stars = I liked it. 4 stars = I really liked it. 5 stars = It was amazing.
Non-Fiction:
- The Path Between Us: An Enneagram Journey to Healthy Relationships by Suzanne Stabile – 3 stars
- Raising Critical Thinkers: A Parent’s Guide to Growing Wise Kids in the Digital Age by Julie Bogart – 4 stars
Fiction:
- The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin (Historical) – 4 stars
- My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She’s Sorry by Fredrik Backman (Family/Friendship) – 4 stars
- Lovely War by Julie Berry (Historical) – 4 stars
- Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys (Historical) – 3 stars
- The Lady’s Mine – Francine Rivers (Historical) – 3 stars
- Many Waters by Madeleine L’Engle (YA Sci-Fi) – 3 stars
- An Acceptable Time by Madeleine L’Engle (YA Sci-Fi) – 3 stars
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling (YA Fantasy) – 3 stars
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling (YA Fantasy) – 3 stars
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling (YA Fantasy) – 3 stars
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling (YA Fantasy) – 3 stars
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling (YA Fantasy) – 3 stars
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling (YA Fantasy) – 4 stars
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling (YA Fantasy) – 4 stars
- Sandover Beach Memories by Emma St. Clair (Christian Romance) – 3 stars
- Sandover Beach Week by Emma St. Clair (Christian Romance) – 3 stars
- Sandover Beach Melodies by Emma St. Clair (Christian Romance) – 3 stars
- Sandover Beach Christmas by Emma St. Clair (Christian Romance) – 3 stars
- Sandover Beach Forever by Emma St. Clair (Christian Romance) – 3 stars
- Secrets Whispered from the Sea by Emma St. Clair (Christian Romance) – 3 stars
Amy Scott's Thoughts 