Wednesday, April 1, 2015

March 2015 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 the 100 Best Novels goal, a few book-related links, and general blog news.  

March News 

Oh my gosh do I ever love spring in North Carolina. I am sitting outside under a blossoming tree soaking up 70+ degree weather as I right this. I can easily say this has been the best winter of my life weather-wise and I am excited about experiencing summer here. Yes, we know it will be hot, but we like the heat! Just like some of you insane people like the snow...

I have my last official day with my Marketing job tomorrow. This journey has gone on so much longer than expected and, while we were grateful for the money, I am beyond thrilled to be wrapping it up. I would have rather been done months and months ago, but I felt too guilty leaving my boss in the lurch. Anyway, I am glad to be finally finished and moving on to other things.

April will be my final push to finish my thesis and my masters program. I cannot believe how quickly it went. I told Kevin I was going to miss school. He called me a weirdo and told me to start researching doctoral programs. Done.

As clearly evidenced by my increased reading rates, my part time schedule has allowed me to dive full force into the world of literature and I am loving it. I am currently investigating book clubs in Greensboro to join and I also bought and entire box of books at a library sale here in our town. The place was like a dream...room after room after room of books - all around a dollar! I really love that my new life here has allowed me to seek out things like this and look for ways to connect with people who have similar interests.

Ok, on to actual blog stuff.  This month, Movie Monday covered The Maze Runner (including an awesome High School Music 2 reference) and A Room With a Viewand I read ten books this month. It's hard to believe that just three years ago my goal was to read 52 books for the entire year. I've blown that goal out of the water every year since. Here's to many more months and years of the same! 


Books Reviewed

  1. Daughter - Jane Shemilt
  2. Half the Sky - Nicholas D. Kristof & Sheryl WuDunn
  3. Go Tell It on the MountainJames Baldwin
  4. Bon AppĂ©tempt - Amelia Morris
  5. The Sound of Music Story - Tom Santopietro
  6. Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins
  7. Mademoiselle Chanel - C. W. Gortner
  8. These Broken Stars - Amie Kaufman & Megan Spooner

Books Read

  1. The Golem and the Jinni - Helene Wecker
  2. To Kill A Mockingbird - Harper Lee
  3. Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins
  4. The Help - Kathryn Stockett
  5. Station Eleven - Emily St. John Mandel
  6. Parade's End - Ford Madox Ford
  7. Mademoiselle Chanel - C. W. Gortner
  8. American Wife - Curtis Sittenfeld 
  9. Olive Kitteridge - Elizabeth Strout
  10. Mennonite in a Little Black Dress - Rhoda Janzen
Pages Read: 4,292

Favorite Book Read: Well, To Kill A Mockingbird is my favorite book of all time and has been for many years, so it hardly seems fair to count it. I also really love The Help, although I was rereading that one as well. So, in the category of favorite book I read for the first time, I must say Station Eleven. This book has been quietly conquering The New York Times bestseller list since it was released in fall. I strongly recommend it! Complete review coming soon!

100 Best Novels Progress

  • Finished Parade's End which really should count for more than one. Gosh, that thing took me forever. I need to get back to the read-short-books-first strategy
  • 38% complete

2015 TBR Pile Challenge Progress

Finishing The Golem and the Jinni places me one third through the challenge. I am slowly working through Blindness, a book I have realized works best for me in small doses, and have temporarily tabled The Elegance of the Hedgehog. I am hoping to surge through the rest of this challenge this summer.


Articles

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Thanks for reading. Happy Easter! I encourage you to take some time this weekend to reflect on the Easter story. If you are a Christian, remember to both express your gratitude for this transformative moment in history and celebrate its power to transform lives! Christ is risen! 

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