Now that we've finished the first week of April, it's time to post a March reading wrap-up. Overall, I had a great reading month! After the last of our guest left early in the month, I have been at home more than usual as work continued on our house. And that translated into more reading time.
I ended up reading eight (!) books in March, which may be getting close to a personal record. Some were pretty short though. I started my Vietnam project, read a couple of works by Toni Morrison, and, thanks to MMD book club, I was introduced to Ada Calhoun and read a couple of her nonfiction titles, too.
Books Read in March
Recitatif by Toni Morrison, forward by Zadie Smith (short story) - 5 stars
We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange - 4 stars
The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai - 5 stars
House Love by Patric Richardson (nonfiction) - 3 stars
Also a Poet by Ada Calhoun (nonfiction, memoir) - 4.5 stars
Don't Overthink It by Anne Bogel (nonfiction) - 4 stars
The Quiet American by Graham Greene (fiction, classic) - 4 stars
Wedding Toasts I’ll Never Give by Ada Calhoun (nonfiction) - 4 stars
Favorite March Book
Looking ahead to April...
I'd like to continue reading about Vietnam, read the May selection for MMD, reread Huck Finn in preparation for Percival Everett's James, and maybe even snag a copy of Amor Towles' new book. (I wonder if I should reread Rules of Civility first...)
April Reading Possibilities
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
James by Percival Everett
Girls and their Horses by Eliza Jane Brazier
Ladies' Lunch: and Other Stories by Lore Segal
Lunch Poems by Frank O'Hara (audio)
Absolution by Alice McDermott
We'll see how it goes....
What was your favorite March book? What do you have planned for April?
Looks like it was a great reading month for you! And, yay for getting close to a personal record! Have a great rest of your weekend and a wonderful week.
ReplyDeleteCindy - It was nice to have that extra reading time!
DeleteI’m a non-counter, so I know what books I’ve read but don’t keep track of numbers. Your totals look significant.
ReplyDeletebest, mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Mae - It's amazing what you can do with a little extra reading time!
DeleteOh, The Moutains Sing is sooooo good! I am reading her novel Dust Child right now and it's also good.
ReplyDeleteHelen - I'm glad Dust Child is good, too! Hope to read it later this year.
DeleteI read almost as much as you in March! I have a feeling April will drop down considerably since we're traveling. I don't read nearly as often when we're on the road. It's too bad my husband doesn't enjoy audiobooks. :( I'm also going to read the new Towles book, so you'll have to let me know if I should reread Rules of Civility. I'd rather not since it hasn't been very long since I read it, but I don't know how much I'll remember, either. My mom read Absolution and thought it was good, so maybe I'll read that at the end of the month when we get back home. My favorite in March was The Plot. I'll have to look for The Mountains Sing since you and Helen both loved it.
ReplyDeleteLes - Funny how our reading rhythms change with the seasons and activities. Things usually slow down for me in May/June... hoping I can squeeze out another good reading month in April.
DeleteI read Rules of Civility when it first came out in 2011 and am not sure how much of the story I'll remember. Maybe I'll read the other stories in Table for Two and save Eve in Hollywood for later.
I've put off The Plot for too long, but will get to it before the sequel is released. The Mountains Sing was excellent!
You had a great reading month, JoAnn! I only read 10 this past month because four were novellas and one a manga. I have a copy of The Mountains Sing on my TBR. I am so glad to see you loved it. I hope you have a great April and week ahead!
ReplyDeleteWendy - I usually read one book per week, so March was different kind of month for me. It was nice for a change!
DeleteThanks to you :) Recitatif was also one of my favorite books of March! Also Sigrid Nunez's The Vulnerables. I'm tearing through Prophet Song right now, which is terrifying. I may have to read something light and cheery afterward, like a zombie novel.
ReplyDeleteAmy - So glad you enjoyed Recitatif, too... I'm still thinking about it! The Vulnerables is on my list, but I don't remember why I decided against putting Prophet Song on it. Might be because of the terrifying aspect... ;-)
DeleteProphet Song is really good, but dang, I just can't recommend it, it's so terrifying. Reading Barbara Pym now at the recommendation of a friends to offset the terror.
DeleteAmy - Okay, Prophet Song will get a pass. I'll bet Barbara Pym is the perfect antidote. I've read most of her books and the only one with a more melancholy tone is Quartet in Autumn. The rest have been delightful!
DeleteThe cover of The Mountains Sing is beautiful. Enjoy your reading time!
ReplyDeleteErin - Isn't it? I even enjoyed seeing it whenever I looked over at the coffee table.
DeleteThat's a good number of books you read in March! I also have some short ones read but I was looking back at my planner and saw one month I read only two books. Well...one was Kate Morton's Homecoming with 560 pages.
ReplyDeleteI'd like in on that Vietnam project :-) Getting Absolution soon, according to my library hold list.
Tina - I only read two books in January... but one of them was Coming Home! I probably won't get to Absolution until later in the month, have to read James and a book club book first. Would love to have you reading some of these Vietnam books, too! Quite a few on my list right now.
DeleteFrom what I understand, Amor Towles new book is a collection of short stories--I'm wondering what the tie to Rules of Civility is, which I haven't read, though I've read Gentleman of Moscow and Lincoln Highway.
ReplyDeleteI would like to read up on the Vietnam War, but I seem to have gotten myself enmeshed in the Civil War right now, with no end in sight.
I just got an audio of We Are the Brennans, which should be a fun change of pace.
Enjoy April and happy reading.
JaneGS - Yes, Towles new book is a collection of short stories plus a novella called Eve in Hollywood. Eve is a main characters in Rules of Civility and it picks up her story where the novel ends. I remember speculating about what might have happened to her, but at this point the story itself has become pretty hazy. I read it back in 2011 and loved it, so rereading shouldn't be a chore.
DeleteMy Vietnam list keeps getting longer as I've added more fiction, plus nonfiction too.
Hope you enjoy We Are the Brennans. It'll be a nice change of pace from the Civil War!
The Mountains Sing is on my list, and of course, the new Amor Towles. I don't usually read short stories, but he is too good to miss.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite book in March was The Light Pirate.
Jenclair - The Light Pirate has been on and off my tbr list more times than I can count. I really *want* to read it, but we are still recovering from Hurricane Ian's devastation in 2022 and am not sure I'm up to it yet. Hope you enjoy The Mountains Sing when you get to it. I'm looking forward to Amor Towles' lateste, too!
DeleteLooks like you had a really nice reading month in March, and you seem to have some interesting prospects lined up for April. I've really become curious about "James" but haven't looked for it yet. Seems like everywhere I turn, someone is talking about it. Now, I've probably waited so long that the library wait is going to be a really long one, so I'll look forward to hearing what you think of it.
ReplyDeleteSam - I just reread Huck Finn (which was kind of a slog) and already feel like that effort is being rewarded. About 40% into James now and finding it brilliant, subversive, and immensely readable. I haven't read Percival Everett before, but added The Trees to my list today.
DeleteEight books! That's fantastic. I look forward to hearing more about James. I have it here from the library, but I won't have time to read it before I have to get it back to the library.
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to remember who just wrote a book about a group of nurses (I think) working in Vietnam during the war there. There might even be two books.
Deb - You might be referring to The Women by Kristin Hannah. That's on my list, but I don't know how long it will take me to get to it. James is excellent! So glad I gave Huck Finn a quick reread first.
DeleteI love spending time with people but I'm not sure there's a more peaceful feeling than having the house to yourself after having guests for awhile! Looks like a great reading month! Happy April!
ReplyDeleteKatherine - I couldn't agree more... and April is off to a good start.
DeleteYou had a great March with your reading. I have been on a similar track getting ready for the novel James. My sister really liked it. But I needed a bit of a break from the story after Huck Finn. But I will get back there later. Have a nice April.
ReplyDeleteSusan - I finished James last night and am still trying to catch my breath. Wow, I thought it was brilliant!
DeleteHey JoAnn, interesting list of April possibilities. I see you're reading Percival Everett, I supposed you've read Erasure? Have you seen its movie adaptation, 'American Fiction'? It's good. Just thought you might be interested. For April, actually this week, I'm doing The 1937 Club where we read and review books published in 1937. My choice: Out of Africa by Karen Blixen. You know me, I'm particularly fond of books to screen adaptations. So, this is a good one to read and write about. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Arti, Good to hear from you! Prior to reading James, I had never read Percival Everett. I'm familiar with both Erasure and American, but have yet to read or watch either. Now I'm eager to read it and The Trees, too. Out of Africa is a perfect choice in 1937 Club for you. Hope you enjoy them both!
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