Sunday, March 1, 2020

Hello, March!


March... really?  February was a blur around here. I've come to the realization that this is simply a fact of life in southwest Florida - and I mean that in the best possible way. "Season" is here and activities abound. We had houseguests for nearly two weeks, spent time with several sets of old friends, enjoyed multiple gatherings with new friends, and attended fundraisers for local organizations. I've learned more about native birds, plants, and shells, participated in a couple of book club discussions, and walked the beach nearly every day. We're still in the midst of renovations on our new house... it's coming along slowly, but I'm happy with things so far.


You won't be surprised to see that February wasn't a great reading month... I finished only three books! This morning I decided to take a look back at my February reading over the past four or five years... since we have been "wintering" in Florida. There wasn't much to see. It seems I've averaged only three books in February since 2015 and have yet to read anything that ended up on my favorites list! It's been an average month after all...


Recent reading//

Ties by Domenico Starnone 

A few years ago, I listened to The Days of Abandonment  by Elena Ferrante (my thoughts).  While reading Ties, also a story of an unhappy marriage, the feeling of deja vu was overwhelming. This book is written by Ferrante's husband and beautifully translated by Jhumpa Lahiri. Did husband and wife write the same novel?

The writing, narrative voice, and structure are all striking in Ties. Book One is told by the wife, in letters to her estranged husband. This section is most reminiscent of The Days of Abandonment. Book Two is the husband's story and Book Three is from the point of view of their two adult children.

I appreciated this novel very much, especially Starnone's prose...yet it's hard to say it was an enjoyable read.




Red At the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson

The audio production of this much-anticipated novel, narrated by Jacqueline Woodson, Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Peter Francis James, Shayna Small, Bahni Turpin, is fabulous! However, my initial reaction to the novel itself was one of slight disappointment... especially after loving  Woodson's earlier book, Brown Girl Dreaming. My initial rating was 3.5 stars but, over the past few weeks, I've found my thoughts returning to the story. It's grown on me, so I'm raising my rating to 4 stars.



by Anne de Courcy

This book was already on my wish list but after reading Jane's review, I decided to move it up. Amazon obliged with a perfectly-timed kindle deal and my library came through with an audio edition via hoopla. As you know, I prefer a read/listen combination for nonfiction.

The Husband Hunters offers a fascinating look at high society in New York City and Newport during The Gilded Age, and the barriers it erected to exclude the nouveau riche. It also outlines financial woes plaguing members of the British aristocracy, and explains why many viewed marriage to a new American heiress as the perfect solution for all. But was it really?

This is exactly the background material I wanted prior to reading The Buccaneers  by Edith Wharton, which I plan to do later this year.



Current reading//

by Alison Weir, narrated by Rosalyn Landor

I don't read a lot of historical fiction, but am fascinated by the Tudors. Noted historian Alison Weir is in the process of writing a series of novels about the wives of Henry VIII and I've finally decided to jump on board. This is a long book (625 pages and 22+hours on audio) so I've made it a read/listen combination. I'm at 35% now... it's very good!


Up next//


Self-Portrait with Boy by Rachel Lyon 

This is the March selection of our library book club, so it's time to get started. I'm not familiar with this book, but the description sounds a little strange. It was published in 2018... have you read it?


Looking ahead//

More visitors, more renovation, a spring training game (Yankees vs Twins) or two, and time with books, the beach, and my bicycle. March should look a lot like February.


How was your month? What have you been reading?




The Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz.
It's Monday... What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date.

40 comments:

  1. I didn't read great books in February either. I felt the same way about Red at the Bone. Woodson is certainly talented, though, and gets to the reader for sure.

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    1. Kathy - I stuck with Red at the Bone because the audio was so good. Not sure it would have made much of an impact if I'd read it.

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  2. Hi JoAnn,
    So much fun to read your update. This is the high season for you, and, if you are to enjoy it to its fullest, keeping reading on a relative "back-burner" status is fitting indeed.
    I'm very interested in what you're reading, especially the Alison Weir bio of Katherine of Aragon. So glad you're enjoying it.
    Enjoy the social whirl!!

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    1. Judith - Life is definitely crazy here right now and I'm loving it! One daughter will be here near the of the month, and my brother and fiance will visit in a couple of weeks. I'm up to three banded tern sightings, which is also exciting.

      The Tudor queen series is a bit of a departure for Alison Weir in that it's historical fiction. Not sure she'd written fiction prior to beginning this project. Katherine of Aragon is so interesting and it must be fun for Weir to take the extra liberties with dialog, etc. not permitted with nonfiction. If the other books are as long, this could be a long-term project. Hope all is well and trust you're enjoying the slightly longer days. Is your winter still as mild as my parent's in central NY? They're hoping spring arrives soon!

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  3. I've probably read more in February than in any particular month of the past three years, but then I've coming out of a long break and had to tell myself that this could be a make or break month in reading for me.

    How interesting that Ferrante's husband also has a book out and that husband and wife have similar styles.

    Hope March turns out to be everything you hope for it and that you also get to relax a bit.

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    1. Athira - Glad you had a good reading month... and happy you are back in the book blogging world. Hope March is just as good!

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  4. I think February this year has been a weak month for many of us. Hopefully, March will be stronger.

    I tried Self Portrait With Boy a couple years ago and DNF'd it, so will look forward to hearing your thoughts. I think Catherine at Gilmore Guide liked it.

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    1. Susie - Thanks for mentioning Catherine's review... just had to take a look at it. I started the book about a month ago and it didn't grab me, but will give it a more serious attempt now. Fingers crosed.

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  5. I like the sound of how you are settling in down there, "gulfside." Your books look tempting, and while I don't read a lot of historical fiction, I do like the sound of The True Queen.

    Enjoy March!

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    1. Laurel-Rain Snow - I've read several nonfiction books about the Tudors and am interested in them. It's bee interesting to see how such a well-known historian handles fiction.

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  6. Now I know why we have not heard much from you. All your activities sound fun though. And you got two 4 star books in.

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    1. Judy - There really is a different rhythm to the year here and I shouldn't have been surprised. My reading will certainly pick up again sometime this spring...

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  7. Red at the Bone was just so-so for me, and that's the lowest I've ever rated a Woodson book. I will always love her picture books best, I think.

    When you have so much company, it has to be hard to get much reading done. Nevertheless, I'd sacrifice some reading for good company.

    Texas is a hot spot for migratory birds, and we will be doing a great deal of volunteer work for our Texas Master Naturalist group over the next couple of months. I wonder if Florida has a similar group. I've learned so much about nature through this group. Our naturalist book club is discussing The Gulf today.

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    1. Deb - I don't think I've seen Woodson's picture books! Will take a look the next time I'm at the library.

      There are a few organizations here that offer various lectures, walks, and classes. I've been slowly checking them out. Hope you had a good discussion on The Gulf. That book has been on my radar.

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  8. Well, it sounds like you have a lot of fun stuff going on! I thought Husband Hunters was an interesting book, but strayed off topic a bit. I love the Tudor era, so I've been reading Alison Weir's new books, although they're not really telling me anything new about the wives.

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    1. Angela - The Husband Hunters did wander a bit, but for the most part I was interested in the side stories. I had the same though about Weir's novel... not learning anything new about Katherine, but I am entertained. How far into the series are you?

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  9. I’m not familiar with any of those books, your library club selection about the boy falling sounds interesting if not unusual. What a tough spot to be, make your career or not.

    I can’t believe it’s March either. It’s flown by! I’m finishing up a John Glenn memoir that I’m finding fascinating. Doug is recovering from surgery (very well) and I’m trying to get my crochet mojo back!

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    1. Tina - Glad to hear Doug is doing well. You've had a busy month, too! I started the book for book club and am enjoying the writing, but it doesn't seem to be going anywhere yet. We'll see.

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  10. It’s not a bad thing when you are enjoying life too much to find time to read :)

    Wishing you a great week, reading or not

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    1. Thanks, Shelleyrae. I'm sure I'll adjust to this new rhythm of life :)

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  11. February wasn’t a great reading month for me either. I hope you have a good March! This year is going fast.

    Aj @ Read All The Things!

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    1. AJ - Seems like a lot of us have had slow reading months. Hope March will be better for both of us!

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  12. I seem to have discovered audiobooks in February. I obsessively listened to 16 this month. Come see my week here. Happy readng!

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    1. Kathy - Hooray for audiobooks! I just love them. I mostly listen while walking, cleaning or cooking, and sometimes when I can't sleep at night. Used to listen a lot in the car, but that's changed since I'm not commuting anymore :)

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  13. I loved Brown Girl Dreaming and Red At The Bone is on my list. Self-Portrait with Boy sounds very good, I'm going to see if my library has it. One of my favorite things to do is go bike riding! We have a lot of biking trails near my house.

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    1. Vicki - We have a lot of bike trails, too, and that makes a world of difference for me. I hate riding on the side of the road! Be sure to listen to Red at the Bone when you get to it... I love how each character had a separate voice and Woodson read the third person sections herself.

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  14. I have to say I was so excited to see this post in my Bloglovin' feed today! I've missed you, but I know what it's like to live where you get a lot of visitors. Our "season" doesn't begin for another month or so, but we're heading out on the road for two months, so we'll miss some of the visitors during spring break. I'm glad we'll be driving/camping in our RV, as I'm not sure I would feel good about getting in an airplane right now. I'm a bit of a germaphobe and this virus has got me spooked!

    I had a decent month of reading in February as far as quantity, but only two of the books really knocked my socks off. I loved The Snow Child and was surprised that I enjoyed Things You Save in a Fire. My first impression was that it would be too fluffy, but I really liked it.

    I haven't been on my bike since last fall, but I got it tuned up for our trip and hope to do a lot of riding while we're away. We'll be in California, Nevada, Utah and maybe Idaho, depending on how we make our way back home.

    Enjoy your spring visitors and all the fun activities of your new community!

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    1. Les - February really got away from me, but it was such a good month! Our oldest daughter was here early in the month, then my sister and BIL were here for her winter break. Several college pals seems to have landed in the area and lots of friends from NY have been here on vacation... it's hard to turn down an invitation to meet up for lunch or drinks!

      Glad to know you loved The Snow Child. I picked it up as a kindle daily deal over a year ago and still haven't read it. Looking forward to rereading Animal Dreams next month for the library book club... and who knows what else might strike my fancy.

      Renovations are moving along slowly. We're finalizing tile selections now, then on to paint colors. I might need to consult a decorator for that!

      Hope you have a wonderful RV trip - glad I'm not hopping on a plane any time soon, too! The renovation has prevented us from making any real travel plans this year, but we will spend some time back in NY (and probably CT, too) at least in August and September. I'll live vicariously through your adventures on instagram!

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    2. I sure do miss your blog posts, JoAnn! I hope you are all well. We had to cancel our roadtrip, for obvious reasons. Hope your NY family is ok!! xoxo

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  15. My reading was off a bit in February as well. I love how busy you are in retirement. I think the beautiful weather vs. tons on snow helps LOL

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    1. Diane - We joke now about how we ever had time to work, lol! This gorgeous weather sure makes it hard to stay inside curled up with a book, but I suspect there will be more time for that when it's too hot to do anything outside this summer. Hope we both have a better reading month in March.

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  16. I can see where winter would be so busy for you .... with all the visitors coming from the cold North. Most of Feb. was milder here (Jan. colder) but still occasional sprinklings of snow. I just finished reading Forty Autumns -- which you steered me towards -- and it really blew me away so thank you! I will be getting my thoughts together for a review for next week. Say hi to the sun for me. Ha.

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    1. Susan - I'm so glad you got a chance to read Forty Autumns... already looking forward to your review. My brother and SIL are next one the visitor schedule, followed by another daughter at the end of the month. Our "season" isn't over just yet!

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  17. The Husband Hunters looks great. There was a show on the Smithsonian channel all about the American millionaire's daughter going to find a titled husband and it was fascinating. I'll have to look for that book. I'm curious about the Katherine of Aragon book as well. Have a great week and a happy March!

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    1. Katherine - I'll look for that show on Smithsonian... sounds interesting! Hope March is off to a good start for you :)

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  18. Happy March! Wasn't Husband Hunters great? Thanks for the link to my review :) - I really enjoyed The Buccaneers, hope you do as well.

    Katherine of Aragon is my favorite Tudor queen--really a fascinating story. I also enjoyed the Starz mini-series The Spanish Princess about young Katherine. Really puts her life in perspective.

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  19. I've hardly read at all this year! I though Husband Hunters was really interesting too. I learned a lot.

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  20. February and now March have been a blur of sickness around here. I think we need that Florida sunshine!

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  21. JoAnn, February really flew by for me, too! Although sadly no sunshine or beach walks for us - It was another stormy month here in the UK. I also sadly only read two books during the month, however they were both great reads so I shouldn't complain too much.

    I am also excited to see you have started reading Alison Weir's Six Tudor Queens series, as I have loved the two instalments on Katherine and Anne, that I have read so far. Hoping to read the Jane Seymour book soon.

    Happy reading in March! :-)

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  22. I read Red at the Bone at Christmas time and really enjoyed it. I had just finished Girl, Woman, Other and really enjoyed the contrast between a UK and US based-story. But I haven't read any of Woodson's other books, so had nothing else to compare it to.

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