Tuesday, April 3, 2018

March 2018 Chapter

Welcome to the Read.Write.Repeat. monthly wrap-up.  Every month, I give a quick overview of what books I read, the progress made on my reading goals, a few book-related links, and general blog news.  

March News 


Last month I was so effusive about the changing weather. And then, March tricked me. We had a week or two of glorious spring weather at the end of February and then came more snow and several more weeks of cold. I'm writing this on the 29th and yesterday was the first day I felt warm again and threw open the windows. My hope was misplaced, apparently, but I think spring is here for good this time. Our lilac bush out front is so close to blooming. Last year it only bloomed for a few days and I'm terrified I'm going to miss it while we are at my parents' for Easter. Of course, by the time you're reading this, we'll be back home and I'll hopefully be enjoyed the scent of lilac every time I open the front door.


Despite the weather, March was a better month than February. Still terribly busy, but in a normal way. I didn't get much reading in - again. 2018 is not turning out to be a super prolific reading year for me. At this point, I'm hoping summer can turn that around.

I am making good progress on my TBR challenge (as you can see below). I'm doing so much better about not adding books to the list unless I really think I'll read them. I'm also being brutally honest with myself about the books I'm taking off. I have no doubt I've taken some great books off the list, but I'm trying to be realistic about what I really will be interested in. I think if the 100 Best Novels challenge taught me anything, it taught me not to waste time on books I'm not enjoying or learning from.

Books Reviewed

  1. Emma in the Night - Wendy Walker
  2. An Altar in the World - Barbara Brown Taylor
  3. L'Appart - David Lebovitz
  4. Out of the Silent Planet - C. S. Lewis
  5. Salt to the Sea - Ruta Sepetys
  6. Sister Citizen - Melissa V. Harris-Perry
  7. Artemis - Andy Weir
  8. The Thousandth Floor - Katherine McGee

Books Read

  1. Salt to the Sea - Ruta Sepetys
  2. Sister Citizen - Melissa V. Harris-Perry
  3. Artemis - Andy Weir
  4. The Thousandth Floor - Katherine McGee
  5. Rich People Problems - Kevin Kwan
Pages Read: 1,922

Favorite Book Read: Sister Citizen was fabulous and enlightening. Definitely go read my review.

2018 Goals 

One of my goals this year is to read 3 specific books each month:
  • 1 Faith-Centered or Philosophical Book 
    Not sure how I missed this one this month.
  • 1 Political of Issue-Driven Book
    Sister Citizen - Melissa V. Harris-Perry
  • 1 Book Written by a Minority AuthorSister Citizen - Melissa V. Harris-Perry
    Rich People Problems - Kevin Kwan
I also am trying to work my way through my TBR list. My goal is to get from 350 books on the list to 200. That means lowering that number by 13 in some form or fashion every month. Here's how that went this month:
  • Books Read: 5
  • Books Removed: 20
  • Books Added: 7
  • Total Count for the Month: -18
  • Books Remaining on TBR: 299

Elsewhere Online...

My sweet friend Clara passed along this article and suggested I use it as my next reading challenge. 22 Ambassadors Recommend the One Book to Read Before Visiting Their Country Love this! Plus, the last book on the list is one of my favorites.

The maker of this infographic on The Weird Side of Famous Writers reached out to me to share it. I found it really interesting, so I'm sharing it with you as well.

~     ~     ~

April will be one final push of work and crazy schedules before the glory that is summer. I'm really hoping to find another job this summer, so on top of everything else, I'm sending out lots of applications. Here's hoping that in the April wrap-up I can report a productive month in many senses. 

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