March Wrap-Up

I had high hopes for my reading plans in March, but when I got sick halfway through the month, those plans started to slip. Whenever I get sick, especially if it involves a headache, I find it hard to focus on reading. My initial goal was to read twenty books this month, but I ended up finishing eleven, which I’m a bit disappointed in.

The Re-Read-a-Thon was this month, but unfortunately, it fell during the week when I was laid up in bed. I’m disappointed that I wasn’t able to participate, but I’ll definitely be doing so next year!

If you haven’t already noticed, I redesigned the look of the blog this month, and I’m really loving it. I’m a huge fan of foxes, so I’m thrilled to have found a happy one to use for the header and logo.

My goal for April is to get back on track with my Goodreads reading goal of 225 books this year. My April reading plans and TBR will be in the next post.

What I Read in March

• The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O’Neill – This is a graphic novel that came in one of my Owlcrate boxes, and it’s one of the most adorable things I’ve ever read.
• Doctor Strange: The Fate of Dreams by Devin Grayson – I was excited when I came across this novelization of Doctor Strange, and it was an interesting and fun read.
• Beowulf translated by Burton Raffel – For some reason, I had never read this classic Norse story in school. I saw this translation at my local thrift store for $1, and decided to read it before reading The Boneless Mercies, which I’d heard was a Beowulf retelling. I love it, it’s super metal, and now I really want to read the J.R.R. Tolkien translation. 
• The Boneless Mercies by April Genevieve Tucholke – I found that this book is less a Beowulf retelling and more a book about a group of kick-ass women who go on an adventure. While the novel isn’t perfect, I really enjoyed reading it.
• 48 Hours by William R. Forstchen – Post-apocalyptic fiction is my favorite genre, so I was thrilled to receive a review copy of this novel. While I didn’t enjoy it as much as I had Forstchen’s previous novel, One Second After, it was still an interesting book.
• Fence Volume 1 by C.S. Pascat – Everyone has been raving about this comic book series, so I wanted to give it a shot. I was really disappointed in it for a variety of reasons, and won’t be continuing on with the series.
• Words of Radiance (The Stormlight Archive #2) by Brandon Sanderson – This novel was even better than the first book in the series, which blew my mind. Brandon Sanderson is definitely becoming my favorite author. His world building is unbelievably realistic, and I love everything about this series. A review of this book will be coming soon.
• Not My Bag by Sina Grace – This graphic novel was alright. From the cover art and the synopsis, I have expected something completely different. However, since it deals with working in retail, something I did for over a decade, I was still able to relate to the story.
• Dark Energy by Robert Morgan – I don’t read a lot of poetry, which is something I’d like to change. I grabbed this collection at my library without knowing anything about it. The collection reminded me of my time living in the Appalachian mountains and I enjoyed many of the poems, but I probably wouldn’t re-read this collection. A review of this book will be coming soon.
• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling – When I received a bonus at work, I decided to spend a bit of it on a new, full collection of the hardback Harry Potter books. I started reading these books when I was eleven, and now that I’m 32, they’re still some of my favorite fantasy books. A review will be coming soon.
• X-23, Vol. 1: Family Album by Mariko Tamaki – X-23 is one of my favorite Marvel characters, and the new series written by Tamaki is wonderful. Volume 1 involves the kidnapping of X-23’s little sister Gabby, and it’s an action-packed story. A review of this book will be coming soon.

Books I DNF-ed in March

Neither of these books are bad, I just wasn’t in the mood for them when I picked them up. I’ll probably give them another chance in the future.

• Normal by Warren Ellis
• Planetes, Volume 1 by Makoto Yukimura

Blog Editorials

Along with not finishing all the books I wanted to get to this month, I also didn’t post much while I was sick. Here’s what I did post, however, aside from book reviews, which are linked above.

• The 2019 Man Booker International Longlist – The longlist for this award has some amazing works of translated literature on it.
• The J.K. Rowling Controversy, Explained – There’s always some kind of drama in the book community.
• When Love of Literature Becomes Book Buying Obsession – This was a very personal article to write, but also an important topic for me to write about.

I hope you guys had a great month! It makes my heart swell with joy as my blog continues to grow. I love being a part of the book community and talking with you guys, whether it’s in the comments or on my Twitter or Facebook pages.

If you’re a member of the book community, what post or review are you most excited about on your own blog? Leave it linked down below.