March Reads

 Fiction: 

• To Sir Phillip with Love by Julia Quinn 
• 3 Stars 
• This is my last Bridgerton book.  For real this time.  I now know what happens to all of my favorite characters from the show, so I'm finally content to let the series lie.  I mean it.  
• A Vow So Bold and Deadly (Cursebreakers #3) by Brigid Kemmerer 
• 4 Stars 
• I read the first two installments of this series last summer while quarantined and have been impatiently waiting to get my hands on this finale from the library.  I wasn't disappointed.  I read several very negative reviews, so my hopes weren't high going in, but I ended up liking the ending just fine.  
• The Cursebreakers Series is a fun YA series loosely based on "Beauty and the Beast".  It's definitely worth reading for tween and teen girls!  
• Veiled in Smoke by Jocelyn Green 
• 3 Stars 
• This is the first installment by Green in a historical series set in Chicago with this particular novel chronicling the Great Fire. 
• I enjoyed the story and the historical perspective, but the writing seemed clunky and the characters a bit over done.  If I can find the next in the series from the library i and don't have anything else I'm dying to read, it might be worth the time.  We'll see.  
• Lady Clementine by Marie Benedict 
• 4 Stars 
• Our book club pick for Women's History Month, this historical-fiction novel tells the story of Clementine (pronounced so it rhymes with Josephine) Churchill from the day of her wedding to Winston Churchill to VE Day.  While I learned a great deal about the Churchills, the story seemed to drag a bit toward the end and most ladies at our meeting couldn't bring themselves to like the heroine much.  I'd be interested in reading more about her for a different perspective!  
• The Forest of Vanishing Stars by Kristin Harmel 
• 5 Stars 
• I managed to nab an early-release copy of this book from Netgalley, so you can read my full review here, but I absolutely ADORED this book.  It's probably my favorite from the month.  
• All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr 
• 4 Stars 
• First let me say that I did enjoy this book.  However, I can't help but wonder why so many people love it as much as they do.  The story follows two characters through the trials of WWII both in Germany and France.  While I loved getting a German perspective and the writing was truly beautiful, the story undeniably dragged through the middle.  Maybe it's a personal flaw in my own tastes and unrealistic in WWII fiction, but I would've enjoyed a slightlier happy ending as well!  
• Number the Stars by Lois Lowry 
• 4 Stars 
• One unexpected silver lining of new school COVID procedures is that the Monster, now in 5th grade, had to purchase each novel he has read in his ELA class this year and bring it home when he's done!  I've loved getting to read what he reads and chat about it. 
• This short, middle grades novel chronicles the story of a young Danish girl whose best friend has to flee the Nazis.  I love WWII and I love historical fiction, so I loved getting to share both with one of my favorite people!  
• The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah 
• 4 Stars 
• While I wholeheartedly loved The Nightingale and Winter Garden, I needed a Kristin Hannah break after I tortured myself and sent my brain into an anxiety spiral with Firefly Lane.  
• I wasn't sure what to expect with The Four Winds when I heard some people complain about Hannah having an "agenda" in telling stories of the Dust Bowl and California immigration during the 1940s.  I can see where this complaint would spring from, but it didn't bother me, and I wouldn't go so far as to say Hannah was forcing any contemporary commentary or comparison.  It was fascinating and well written, but I just don't know that Hannah can beat some of her earlier work.  
• The Selection by Kierra Cass 
• 4 Stars 
• After some heavy, dark reading this month I really needed some "brain candy"; I needed something shallow, sweet, and purely enjoyable, and "The Selection" series fit the bill!  
• This YA series is essentially a post-apocalyptic version of The Bachelor.  Again, there's not much substance, but it was easy and fun.  As far as teen romances go, too, I'd argue this one is more realistic and healthy than others of the same genre.  
• The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner 
• 5 Stars 
• Set during the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake, this fun novel had love, mystery, and adventure.  

Nonfiction: 

• Composting for a New Generation by Michelle Balz 
• 4 Stars 
• The Hubby built me a beautiful garden for my birthday with an accompanying compost bin, so I obviously needed to read a book about composting!  
• I didn't need to understand the science of the decomposition process nor plans and instructions for nearly a dozen compost bins/devices, but the book had some very helpful calendars, lists, and charts to get me going.  
• The Mediterranean Diet for Beginners by John Chatham 
• 5 Stars 
• This is another Hubby-induced book pick.  His doctor instructed him to lower his cholesterol by adopting a "Mediterranean Diet," but didn't give much instruction beyond that.  Again, the library came to the rescue!  This book provided an excellent introduction to the diet, explanations as to why it works, charts for weekly and monthly meal planning, and a handful of great recipes.