Bookish Thoughts for March
My pace of life changed in March and my reading life reflects that. While I was still able to read quite a bit, my total books read is lower than previous months. It doesn’t matter to me how many books I read as much as it does what books I read. Were they good books? Did I learn something? Did I support a favorite author or add to my home library? The answer to those questions was a resounding yes. And so, it was a good reading month, indeed.
I started the month with Royal Gone Rogue by Emma St. Clair. The release of this book had been delayed for months and I was thrilled to finally read it. I was nervous the wait would heighten my anticipation and then it would let me down – but it did not! It had Prince & Me, Return to Me, and Cinderella vibes. All of which I loved! The side characters were fantastic and it left me anxious for the next installment in the series. If I had a choice for runner up on top fiction pick, this book would be it.
I read All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr after having so many friends read it. I’ll often select a book just to see what the hype is about. I liked it, but true to most wartime historical fiction I read, it wasn’t quite the ending I hoped for. Modern Parens, Vintage Values was a wonderful parenting resource. I love these authors out of Daystar Counseling Ministries. They give parents such practical tools with heart and wisdom behind them. My mom let me borrow her copy of Beth Moore’s memoir, All My Knotted-Up Life, and I dove into it quickly. This is my third memoir this year and I’m finding this genre so fascinating. People are so layered and their life experiences so much deeper than the surface we often see. Even though I knew pieces of Beth’s story, it was so much more than I expected.
Jeremy offered to take the boys to Powell’s Books so they could select their April books in-person instead of online. Our family has come to love the Powell’s Books at Cedar Hills Crossing. It’s not the iconic downtown location, but we enjoy the store layout and selection. We comb the store and always come away with treasures. For me, it was God Has a Name by John Mark Comer. For Owen, a Boxcar Children book and the first book in The Hardy Boys series. Graham, an Animal Crossing guidebook and a collection of Frog and Toad stories. Jeremy found a Hidden Pictures book to use at church for the kids who arrive early. ThriftBooks also surprised me with a free book so I selected Loveology by John Mark Comer and Eat More Dessert by Jenny Keller (two books, so I could get free shipping… the slippery slope… one free books leads to buying another).
I sat down this week and made a list of new releases coming out between April and September. I have 8 books that I’m looking forward to and only July is missing a new release. I’m sure many happy reading days are ahead and I’m positive I’ll find something to look forward to reading in July. I’ve got time to stumble on a good a read!
Top Picks for March
Non-Fiction: Undistracted: Capture Your Purpose. Rediscover Your Joy. by Bob Goff. The title of the book sums it up well. Undistracted is about living your life on purpose, finding joy and meaning in everyday. Bob Goff has a very signature style of writing. There is no one quite like him on this earth. While Bob and I might quite different personalities, he never fails to inspire me and make me laugh out loud. His real life examples make me marvel at the life he leads. Bob Goff is one of my go-to author. If he writes it, I will read it.
Fiction: The Librarian Spy by Madeline Martin. This is the second WWII book I’ve read by this author. The other was The Last Bookshop in London. While I enjoyed the first book, this second one moved me in a deeper way. The story focuses on two brave women. One an American librarian in Lisbon and the other operates a Resistance printing press in Lyon. Their stories overlap over the course of the book. I found myself thinking of both women long after I finished the book. The American librarian was particularly interesting to me because of her role in cataloging important information was new to me. Learning something new is a sign of a good book.
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:
- Modern Parents, Vintage Values, Revised and Updated: Instilling Character in Today’s Kids by Sissy Goff and Melissa Trevathan – 4 stars
- Undistracted: Capture Your Purpose. Rediscover Your Joy. by Bob Goff – 4 stars
- All My Knotted-Up Life: A Memoir by Beth Moore – 4 stars
Fiction:
- Royal Gone Rogue by Emma St. Clair – 4 stars
- Cruise(shipped) by Savannah Scott – 3 stars
- The Librarian Spy by Madeline Martin – 4 stars
- All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr – 4 stars
- Betting on the Boy Next Door by Melanie Jacobson – 3 stars
- Second Time Around by Melody Carlson – 3 stars
- The Winter Princess by Keira Dominguez – 3 stars
- Love at First Note by Jenny Proctor – 3 stars
Novellas:
- That Time I Kissed My Brother’s Best Friend by Julie Christianson – 3 stars
- A Little in Love with You by Jenny Proctor – 3 stars
Amy Scott's Thoughts 