I’ve been a voracious reader all of my life. But I hadn’t paid much attention to tracking what I read until I started working in a library. Surprising that library people want to keep their books organized, isn’t it? *smirk* In March, all of the books that I read were on my TBR (to be read) list, and all but one I got from the Goodreads voting “best of” lists.
Starting from the most recently finished, here is my month in review.
- A Bad Day for Sunshine by Darynda Jones
This definitely falls into the “Beach Read” category for me. Sadly I didn’t read it on a beach, so it was a little hard to get through in the middle. The plot moved along at a decent pace, not very unpredictable happened, but that’s perfect for when your attention is split on the ocean. Despite the themes of kidnap and other… bad things, this still had a very, pardon the pun, sunshine-y feel to it.
2. Your Brain on Love by Stan Tatkin
I would recommend this to anyone in or looking to be in a relationship. Humans are complicated, but when we can understand the reasons behind the why of how people are behaving, and find a constructive way to communicate, life is much better. I expected this to have a lot of hard science, but it was definitely written to be read by anyone.
3. This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar
This was my favorite read of the month. It is easy to see how this has won a handful of awards. An imaginative world and plot based on the idea of time travel agents working against each other to rewrite history to mold the world to that which their “side” desires. Written through secret notes, the plot is highly character-driven and leaves you curious to know what happens next all the way to the very end. The imagery of the different worlds was so beautifully crafted. The scene with the tea is still a vivid picture in my imagination now. You really don’t need to be a sci-fi nerd to enjoy this one.
4. A Children’s Bible by Lydia Millet
It is easy to see how this has won a handful of awards. An imaginative world and plot based on the idea of time travel agents working against each other to rewrite history to mold the world to that which their “side” desires. Written through secret notes, the plot is highly character-driven and leaves you curious to know what happens next all the way to the very end.
5. A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik
If you like Harry Potter, you might try… This has a MASSIVE amount of world building (which I’m hoping pays off in the second book). While the plot was a bit weighed down by it in parts, for the most part it was presented in a way that benefited the plot. There is a bit of controversy over a passage, for which the author apologized and has re-written. A magical school set apart from the “real world” for the training of young wizards, but the school is trying to kill the students.
A good month. I would recommend all of these to someone. I love to read broadly so that I can be in a position to recommend books to people across many interests. Do you find that you tend to read the same authors and genres, or do you like to branch out?
-Amanda
MoveMint Yoga 