All About Books discussion

What are your reading plans for March?

I have 5 to start me off
Anna Karenina by Tolstoy
The Martian by Andy Weir
Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandell
The heart is a lonely hunter by Carson McCullers
Sarah's key by Tatiana de Rosnay
Looks like another great month. :)

I'll try to squeeze all these into March... hopefully.
Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained
The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories
La ciudad y los perros (The Time of the Hero)
Ivanhoe
Metamorphoses
Anne's House of Dreams
Spice & Wolf, Vol. 11: Side Colors II

Tracey wrote: "I have 5 to start me off
Anna Karenina by Tolstoy
The Martian by Andy Weir
Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandell
The heart is a lonely hunter by Carson McCullers
Sarah's key by Tatiana de Rosna..."

You have some really good ones. I loved The Martian and Sarah's Key. Station Eleven was also very good.

I will start off by finishing A Little Life and Brooklyn for a challenge

Then I can start my March books:
My Name Is Lucy Barton
The Lake House for a buddy read
The Wright Brothers is a PIFM book
The Girl In The Ice for a challenge
Hide and Seek for another PIFM
Salt to the Sea
and
Animal Wise: The Thoughts and Emotions of Our Fellow Creatures


And whatever else comes up.

Lisa I have salt to the sea too might read it March too. :)

These are at the top of my priority list for the month:

1. A Prayer for Owen Meany
2. Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History (Read 3/18)
3. The Demon of Brownsville Road: A Pittsburgh Family's Battle with Evil in Their Home (Read 2/29)
4. Medicine Women: A Pictoral History of Women Healers (Read 3/8)
5. The Magic of Oz (Read 3/5)

The Darkest Touch
Harmful Intent
Vital Signs
Tangled Threads
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children

Read-a-long:
Treasure Island
The Dead Zone

New releases:
Dark Promises
Fire Touched

Time allowing:
Wicked Nights
The Coffin Dancer
Imitation in Death

Didn't realize March was going to be so busy in books...

Will be finishing Snow , because it seemed to be a winter read, however it really warmed up today - 60? degrees so I better hurry up.

Then the list includes:
Daughter of Fortune (TBR pick)
A Constellation of Vital Phenomena (RL book club)
Try Not to Breathe (GR win)

And hopefully if time: We Need to Talk About Kevin ( because I've been wanting to for awhile) Also listening to New Moon (while running/exercising) - forever!

I will be finishing A Clash of Kings, then I will go on to read:
The Harmony Silk Factory
Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes
The Little World of the Past
Mosquitoes
... and maybe something else, too, if I have the time.

I will start with these that I have already purchased:

Phineas Finn 4 stars read by Anthony Trollope
Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. 5 stars read by Ron Chernow
The Prince of Tides 2 stars read by Pat Conroy

I have so many I want to read. How can I pick?

See message 44 and 45 for other books read this month.

Colleen, The House of the Spirits (5 stars for me) should be read before Daughter of Fortune. If you still love these then continue with Portrait in Sepia. These are my favorite books by the author, leagues better than all the rest. Paula is excellent too, but completely different.

I'm going to start with A Prayer for Owen Meany, followed by The Loney, and then - I don't know...

Shirley, I was just looking through my wishlist, trying to pick. Hard, huh? But fun. I have so many I HAVE to read. All of them very soon.

I know, Chrissie, sometimes I feel a bit overwhelmed!

I don't feel overwhelmed, I just want to read everything at once! NOW, and that is not possible. I can only read one at a time! The thing is....... often what you think before you read a book is better than the book itself.

Non fiction books

The Civil Wars of Julia Ward Howe
Claiming Ground
Stories I Tell Myself: Growing Up with Hunter S. Thompson
Growing Pains: The Autobiography of Emily Carr

the plan for March is to finish: Don Quixote and Demons
and read:
Work Like Any Other: A Novel – Virginia Reeves
Anubis: A Desert Novel - Ibrahim al-Koni
A Prayer for Owen Meany – John Irving
Money - Zola
The Whole by Contemplation of a Single Bone: Poems – Nancy K. Pearson
Early Poems - Ezra Pound

Jenny wrote: "the plan for March is to finish: Don Quixote and Demons
and read:
Work Like Any Other: A Novel – Virginia Reeves
Anubis: A Desert Novel - Ibr..."

The al-Koni one looks fascinating Jenny - I wonder if I can get hold of a copy of that.

And I quite liked Pound's early poetry! Enjoy!

My plans:

finish up from last month:

The Selected Poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke
As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
The Elfstones of Shannara by Terry Brooks

Group Reads:

A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
The Awakening by Kate Chopin (re-read)
A Boy's Own Story by Edmund White
Bloodchild and Other Stories by Octavia E. Butler
The Martian by Andy Weir (maybe)

Seasonal Play:

Dancing at Lughnasa by Brian Friel

possibly something else too; we'll see how it goes

My plans:

Finish up The Elfstones of Shannara.

For various group & buddy reads:
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
Rogue Male by Geoffrey Household
Don Quixote by Cervantes
Castle Rackrent by Maria Edgeworth
Black Plumes by Margery Allingham
The Talisman Ring by Georgette Heyer {reread so only if I have time}

for personal challenges/goals:
And Quiet Flows the Don by Mikhail Sholokhov
Last Seen Wearing by Hillary Waugh
Lark Rise by Flora Thompson (and perhaps the rest of the trilogy as well)
Poems by Rainer Maria Rilke
Mort by Terry Pratchett

If time and interest allows:
The Selected Poetry of Jaroslav Seifert
Purge by Sofi Oksanen
The Cider House Rules (audiobook)

Jenny wrote: "the plan for March is to finish: Don Quixote and Demons"

Two demanding books, above all Demons! Loved both of them.

Leslie wrote: "My plans:

Finish up The Elfstones of Shannara.

For various group & buddy reads:
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
Rogue Male by Geoffrey Household
[..."

And Quiet Flows the Don is wonderful!
Be careful because the complete edition should have more than 1000 pages, I have seen that you linked to an edition who has only 500 pages. It would be a pity if you read only half of the book.

@Greg, let me know if you get hold of a copy! I am looking forward to that one a lot

@Leslie, I am reading Don Quixote at the moment and liking it lot! Also I personally loved Purge, so I hope you'll be enjoying it too if you get to it. And last but not least: I'd love to hear your thoughts on the books by Jaroslav Seifert and by Mikhail Sholokhov, both of them really jumped out to me from your list.

@dely, yes, quite demanding, but thoroughly enjoying both

dely wrote: "And Quiet Flows the Don is wonderful!
Be careful because the complete edition should have more than 1000 pages, I have seen that you linked to an edition who has only 500 pages. It would be a pity if you read only half of the book. ..."

The link is for the edition I have, a paperback that used to belong to my dad. It does say on the cover "Complete and Unabridged" so hopefully it is the whole book. Glancing through it, the print is pretty small... Fingers crossed!

Presently sure of three books. Two fresh reads and one a re-read.

Fresh Reads:
1. By Night In Chile
2. The Noise of Time

Re-Read:
1. The Power and the Glory

Present plan is:

Crime and Punishment
Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman

Alice have you read Robert K. Massie before? He is a really good author. I am sure you will enjoy Catherine the Great and Crime and Punishment! Fun that you have both of them in front of you.

Leslie wrote: "The link is for the edition I have, a paperback that used to belong to my dad. It does say on the cover "Complete and Unabridged" so hopefully it is the whole book. Glancing through it, the print is pretty small... Fingers crossed! "

Finger crossed for you!
Well, if it is only the first part and you like it, you can decide to buy also the second part. If you don't like it, you can give up.

Dhanaraj wrote: "Presently sure of three books. Two fresh reads and one a re-read.

Fresh Reads:
1. By Night In Chile
2. The Noise of Time

Re-Read:
1. [book:The Power and the Glory|6..."

Dhanaraj, I really enjoyed the first two that you listed (well you already know how much I liked Barnes). Hope you'll enjoy them as well.

Chrissie wrote: "Alice have you read Robert K. Massie before? He is a really good author. I am sure you will enjoy Catherine the Great and Crime and Punishment! Fun that you have both of them in fron..."

It will be my first one by Massie. I've also added his Peter the Great: His Life and World, because I've heard people compare Kangxi Emperor to him. And Catherine the Great's reign ran parallel to Qianlong Emperor's (Kangxi's grandson). Good to know that you liked Massie!

After reading War and Peace, I'm getting more interested in Russian history :)

I have a number, and at least one of these is an audiobook.

Logic: The Right Use of Reason in the Inquiry After Truth
Twelve Bar Blues
A Sound Among the Trees
Eurydice
Fallen Land
The Red and the Black
An Unsuitable Job for a Woman
The Dream Giver: Following Your God-Given Destiny
Matters of Faith
Blackberry Winter
To Kill a Mockingbird

Jenny Wrote: Dhanaraj, I really enjoyed the first two that you listed (well you already know how much I liked Barnes). Hope you'll enjoy them as well."

Yes, I knew how much you like Barnes and especially his latest work. I too am a fan of Barnes. It is Bolano who is new to me. It will be his first for me. But happy to know that you like him as well.

Alice wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "Alice have you read Robert K. Massie before? He is a really good author. I am sure you will enjoy Catherine the Great and Crime and Punishment! Fun that you have bot..."

My favorite by Massie is Nicholas and Alexandra. I would grab his one on Peter the Great if it were available. I adore everything Russian.

Karin, To Kill a Mockingbird is a must read. I wonder what you will think of The Red and the Black.

I didn't make a Feb to read list as I've been picking things up on the spur of the moment. For March, I'll continue with the three I'm currently reading and go from there -

Ulysses
The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History 3 stars
Carol

Chrissie wrote: "Colleen, The House of the Spirits (5 stars for me) should be read before Daughter of Fortune. If you still love these then continue with Portrait in Sepia. These are my fav..."

Oh no Chrissie! I hate when that happens. The House of Spirits is also on my TBR. I hope it still goes well. This will be my first Isabel Allende, and I'm sure not my last.

Colleen, it is not essential to read them in order, but it is nice if you can. The House of the Spirits is my favorite by far.

Chrissie wrote: "Karin, To Kill a Mockingbird is a must read. I wonder what you will think of The Red and the Black."

Karin & Chrissie, I loved The Red and the Black. Here's My Review if you're interested.

Alice, I have read The Red and the Black and did not like it. I was trying to be diplomatic.

Reading three books right now,

almost finished with Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan

halfway through My Name Is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout

and started Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari yesterday evening.

planning a re-read of The Secret History by Donna Tartt with my Instagram buddies starting this weekend.

Chrissie wrote: "Colleen, it is not essential to read them in order, but it is nice if you can. The House of the Spirits is my favorite by far."

Good to know. Thanks!

My March TBR contains Glass Sword, Cruel Crown, A Thousand Nights, and All the Bright Places

I have to add more books to read since the others are completed:

The Jungle read 3 stars
A Room of One's Own read 1 star
America's First Daughter read 2 stars
Fair and Tender Ladies read 4 stars

See message 11 and 45 for other books read this month.

And this:

Sir Harry Hotspur of Humblethwaite read 2 stars
The Hollow Ground read 1 star
Tobacco Road read 2 stars

See messages 11 and 44 for other books read this month.

Blargh, my first book took me 15 days to read. I won't be reading everything on my list this month!

Myst, chin up. Just go on. It is not how many books you read that matters, but the enjoyment they give. Was that 15 day one a failure?

Myst wrote: "Blargh, my first book took me 15 days to read. I won't be reading everything on my list this month!"

I know what you mean, I've been reading Mosquitoes for 7 days and haven't finished it yet. That's a lot for me, for a book of about 350 pages. But I do agree with Chrissie, the important thing is not how many books you read, but the enjoyment you get from them. For me, taking this long to read a book means a failure, as it wouldn't take me so much if I liked it. So I feel for you if it's the same in your case.

I want to read a bunch of books on my to read shelf, and also finish up on some series that I have started and not yet completed.