Bookish Thoughts for March
My bookish thoughts continue to center around adding books to our home library! I promise the monthly book hauls will come to a close soon, but… This month featured some fantastic book purchases! Let’s start with the “pretty” books I used to decorate our new fireplace mantel. I started out with Puffin in Bloom versions of Anne of Green Gables and a boxed set of Jane Austen books. I quickly realized those books were a little too girly for our very boy dominated house. This led to me adding Wordsworth Collector’s Editions of The Railway Children, The Wind in the Willows, and The Jungle Book. They perfectly balance with the Puffin in Bloom books both in color and content. I love how they look on the fireplace!
I was thrilled to receive my pre-ordered copy of Sunrise on the Reaping on it’s release day. As a Hunger Games fanatic, I’ve been waiting for what feels like forever for this book. It was bittersweet and oh-so-good! It definitely won it’s place as my top pick this month! Other home library additions include all of Melissa Ferguson’s books (I was given a gift to use alongside a free book reward on ThriftBooks.com). We added another used Audubon Field Guide (rocks and minerals) to our resource shelf. We love collecting these field guides. I was also invited to go thrift shopping with a friend. I got 6 books for $5, so I felt good about that! This month has been a good mix of pretty, new books and thrifty, used books!
(Minus the Audubon field guide…I forgot it! Oops! Just imagine a extra field guide by the National Parks guide.)
I’ve had books on the brain a lot this month! Aside from my own personal reading, I’ve been preparing for our upcoming homeschool year. Our school year is June-May, which means we are about to wrap up one year and begin a new one! I made my curriculum plan at the beginning of March (which is the earliest I’ve ever done that). Now I plan to spread out my purchases over the next few months, so we’re ready to start summer school in June. I love selecting my kiddos curriculum and it’s so fun to pour over the new school books once they arrive! I can’t wait!
Graham’s March Pick: The Mystery of the Missing Pop Idol (The Boxcar Children)
Top Picks for March
Fiction: Sunrise on the Reaping was a long awaited new release for me. I knew Haymitch’s story wouldn’t have a happy ending, but I greatly enjoyed revisiting recognizable characters and seeing a depth to Haymitch’s games that was previously unknown. This book did a great job of connecting The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes to the rest of of the Hunger Games series.
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:
- Lasting Ever: Faith, Music, Family, and Being Found by True Love by Rebecca St. James and Cubbie Fink – 4 stars
- A Million Little Miracles: Rediscover the God Who Is Bigger Than Big, Closer Than Close, and Gooder Than Good by Mark Batterson – 4 stars
- Everybody, Always for Kids by Bob Goff & Lindsey Goff Viducich – 4 stars
Fiction:
- Love Finds You in Lonesome Prairie, Montana by Tricia Goyer and Ocieanna Fleiss – 3 stars
- The Dating Charade by Melissa Ferguson – 4 stars
- Snowy Serendipity by Melissa Ferguson – 3 stars
- The Serendipity by Emma St. Clair – 3 stars
- The Cupid Chronicles by Courtney Walsh – 4 stars
- My Phony Valentine by Courtney Walsh – 4 stars
- My Lucky Charm by Courtney Walsh – 4 stars
- Petals and Plot Twists by Jenny Proctor – 3 stars
- Driving Maisie Crazy by Deborah M. Hathaway – 4 stars
- All Over the Map by Lanie Jacobs – 3 stars
- Secret or Shutout by Leah Brunner – 3 stars
- Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins – 4.5 stars
- The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey – 3 stars
- The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey – 3 stars
- The Last Star by Rick Yancey – 3 stars
Amy Scott's Thoughts 
That edition of Emma is one of my favorites of those I’ve seen!
I technically own all the Jane Austen books in that set as paperbacks, but the Puffin in Bloom editions were to pretty to pass up! Emma was a bit to pink to use in my living room, but it looks lovely on the bookshelf in my bedroom!
So understand!! I’ve thought about getting that Emma although I have a gorgeous purple omnibus of Austin’s work