Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

Happy March!

Use this thread to discuss your plans and your triumphs for March reading!

February was a tough month for me to get any reading done. I'm hoping March will be better, and it's already off to a better start.

Last night I finished The Poet X. I should have loved this book, but something didn't quite click for me. It was OK, but I know some people really love it.

However, I dug through my piles of library books and picked up Lavender House and I'm already hooked!

I'm essentially on schedule for the reading challenge.

For March, I hope to finish reading the following:

-Shadow Show: All-New Stories in Celebration of Ray Bradbury by Sam Weller
-The Book of Cold Cases by by Simone St. James
-A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham (Audio)
-The Rise and Fall of Adam and Eve: The Story That Created Us by Stephen Greenblatt (NF)

I will begin to read in March:

-The Lioness by Chris Bohjalian
-Passions of the Soul by Rowan Williams (NF)
-The Female Man by Joanna Russ
-The God of the Woods by Liz Moore (Audio)

I have no specific plans for March, but I am currently reading The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson. I had a goal of reading 12 "chonkers" this year, so this is the first. The next book is also really large, so I guess that'll be book 2. My son got them for me for Christmas. I'm really enjoying it.

March is off with a bang. Finally finished a series that took all of February to finish 14 of a 16 book series. Just finished my second book of March. A Love Like the Sun had me crying at the end and earned a tag to be re read at some point.

Goal for the month is 17 books to stay on pace for my goal for the year of 200 and completing the quarterly challenges.

Last month I said:
Joanna wrote: "I also have 5 other library books out right now and 3 other active holds. But once I get through those, challenge reading all the way! And hopefully some of those being books I already own. The library is just so distracting!"

Yeah, oops. Now up to 16 library books out and 4 holds! And only some of them are challenge fills. So my goal for that month is to get that number significantly down.

Book club reads this month are Sociopath: A Memoir and Dataclysm: Who We Are.

Did finish the Canada Reads books, so I'm ready for the debates later this month.

March is always a pretty slow month for me -- spring means a lot of outdoor ranch chores and riding time. I read, but nothing like what I do in the colder months of late fall & winter.

I have a list of 12 books, and if I work at it, I'll probably get 8, maybe 10, of them read. But probably closer to 6-8 if I'm being honest.

Something Like Home – Andrea Beatriz Arango – 4****
This is a moving novel in verse written for middle-school-age children, dealing with foster care. As the novel opens, Laura is en route to her aunt’s apartment, accompanied by a social worker from DSS. My heart broke for Laura. But she is a resilient child, clearly intelligent but confused by her situation. When she finds a neglected and abandoned puppy, however, she begins to open up to the court-appointed guardian and to her aunt and insists that they listen to her point of view when formulating a plan for her care. Brava, Laura!
LINK to my full review

Joanna G wrote: "Yeah, oops. Now up to 16 library books out and 4 holds! And only some of them are challenge fills. So my goal for that month is to get that number significantly down..."
Went to the library today to pick up two holds, somehow talked myself into three other books as well! So now have 20 out, 3 holds. The struggle continues.

I know that struggle well lol

Now that I'm finished all the Tournament of Books books, I have a bit more freedom in what I'm choosing to read. With tax season on (I work for a CPA firm), I'm going light and easy this month.

Book club pick: Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books
ARC: Swept Away
ARC: Show Don't Tell
BOTM: Our Infinite Fates

Others:
Jackpot Summer
All in Her Head: The Truth and Lies Early Medicine Taught Us About Women's Bodies and Why It Matters Today
Wild Dark Shore
The Teller of Small Fortunes
We'll Prescribe You a Cat

The Housemaid – Freida McFadden – 4****
Wow. Millie Calloway is homeless when she arrives at the pristine, large suburban home with a gated entrance. She desperately needs the job as a live-in maid. But, Nina is completely unstable. She’s ranting and raving one minute, sweet as pie the next. Her daughter Cecelia is a spoiled brat. Her husband, Andrew, is loving and long-suffering. There were several twists and turns in this tale of intrigue. Who really is the unstable person here? This was gripping and I read it in one day.
LINK to my full review

Hello Beautiful – Ann Napolitano – 3.5***
A contemporary family saga spanning decades. Gosh, but Napolitano can craft some beautiful sentences! While there were times when I thought the plot seemed somewhat contrived, I felt drawn into the relationships of the Padovano family. I liked the way Napolitano reimagined Little Women , though I could have done without the constant reminders in the book about the classic novel.
LINK to my full review

The Expectant Detectives – Kat Ailes – 2.5**
A debut mystery featuring a group of VERY pregnant women who bond during prenatal class. Okay, there’s a reasonably cute premise here, but I thought Ailes was trying too hard. I never connected with any of the characters, and really didn’t care about their personal dramas, or, frankly, all that much about the murder. I didn’t even really warm up to Helen (the dog), despite her tendency to run off and return with an important clue.
LINK to my full review

I won a GR ARC giveaway - The Fate of the Day: The War for America, Fort Ticonderoga to Charleston, 1777-1780 so I’m working on this one, which is a monster of a book. I’m also reading War and Peace and Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, & the Prison of Belief by Lawrence Wright.

Rocky Mountain Heat – Lori Wilde – 2**
Originally published as All of Me , this is book four in the Wedding Veil Wishes series. This is a typical enemies-to-friends-to-lovers plot with a little “magic” thrown in. It's a bit of a slow burn, but they do eventually have fantastic sex, after which they break up. But the magic of the wedding veil (and of the sweat lodge) will not be denied. It’s a pretty fast read, despite being very predictable.
LINK to my full review

My library hold for Patriot: A Memoir by Alexei Navalny just came in so everything else is on hold! I’m reading this one first. I’m still devastated by his death a year ago and want to understand why he went back to Russia. I’m fascinated with his story!

Tom Lake – Ann Patchett – 5*****
This character-driven story set during the COVID pandemic is the kind of literary fiction that I love. I was completely captured by this tale about love - the reckless abandon of youth, the quiet strength of long-term relationships, the fierce protection of a parent for a child. I loved the relationships between the Nelson family members. Their solid foundation of love and respect gives them the grace to open their hearts to others, which is so beautifully shown in the ending.
LINK to my full review

Tiny Tales – Alexander McCall Smith – 3***
Subtitle: Stories of Romance, Ambition, Kindness and Happiness. This is a lovely collection of short stories and cartoons on a wide range of subjects, set in a variety of locations. I like Smith’s writing and the way he ponders philosophical questions. He doesn’t seem to take himself, or life, all that seriously, choosing to find joy and happiness in everyday life. Like all such collections, this is probably best enjoyed as one of those volumes you pick up now and again, to read one or two stories, rather than reading the entire book as one would a novel.
LINK to my full review

Lord Dashwood Missed Out – Tessa Dare – 2.5**
A typical regency romance with a devilishly handsome gentleman (who isn’t much of a gentleman), and a prim lady of impeccable reputation, forced to endure a potentially compromising situation, and then embracing the compromise wholeheartedly. Bodices heave, knees go weak, their passion overcomes any hesitancy. A fun, fast read.
LINK to my full review

Candide – Voltaire – 4****
This is perhaps Voltaire’s best-known work. The novella follows the callow Candide as he travels the world searching for his true love, Cunégonde, accompanied by his faithful servant / companion Cacambo. Voltaire managed to skewer virtually all “important” institutions of the day in this satirical fable. Among his adventures across the globe, Candide comes across Jesuits, the Inquisition, cannibals, El Dorado, pirates, an old woman, healers, merchants, etc. He frequently relies on the teachings of Pangloss to see him through, maintaining optimism in the face of adversity.
LINK to my full review

The Stonekeeper – Kazu Kibuishi – 3***
Book one in the Amulet graphic novel series for middle-school readers. There are strange creatures, secret passages, robots tasked with protecting the family, and evil forces obviously out to get them. The illustrations are very good. Not too dark for these old eyes to see clearly what is happening. This is a good thing as the speech bubbles are few and far between.
LINK to my full review

Friend of My Springtime – Willa Cather – 3***
This is a lovely little story, but not particularly memorable. A mature woman writes about the residents of their “terrace,” particularly the Professor and Jack-a-Boy, a child who moves with his parents into the complex that has few children. It's rather sweet but predictable. Not her best effort.
LINK to my full review

Esperanza Rising – Pam Muñoz Ryan – 5 stars and a ♥
A middle-school novel that explores the experiences of Mexican migrants working the fields of California at the beginning of the Great Depression. What I really love about this story is that Esperanza is a realistic 13-year-old. Esperanza does finally realize that it is up to her to change her attitude; she must learn to let go of the past and to embrace that she is rich in the love of family and friends. The author note at the end is well-worth reading for the history lesson it imparts.
LINK to my updated review

The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society – C M Waggoner – 1*
Waggoner seemed to throw every idea she had at the wall, hoping something would stick. It sounded like it might be a fun, slightly different, kind of cozy, however, the result was dreadful. The plot was thin, the character development completely lacking. I finished only because it fit a specific challenge.
LINK to my full review

I can't locate the Best Books for March 2025 thread.

Vicki wrote: "I can't locate the Best Books for March 2025 thread."

We probably don't have one yet, I'll get one added. Thanks for the reminder!
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Done! https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...