Format: Audio (read by the author). Length: 3 hours (+not in the blurb) an unrelated 1 hour story about a dog. I guess they could be related because both contain dog poop references, otherwise they are two separate stories. Rating: 4.25
Thoughts: this didn't get high ratings online but I enjoyed it... I'm not sure if my enjoyment was higher (trying not to use the word elevated!) because I listened to it and it was read by the author who knew where to emphasize all the right words or I'm weird. Maybe it was just a case of right book at the right time...
I've read Thinner by the author (disguised as Richard Bachman) but it was a looooong time ago (and might have been my first Stephen King book.) While both stories are about a character losing weight they are not the same story. Scott Carey (I'm guessing that is how it's spelled) deals with rapidly losing weight, the lesbians down the street, and other life events.
It kind of got me in the mood to read more everything-but-the-kitchen-sink Stephen King books. I've only read fifteen or sixteen, and he's written eighty so I have a lot to choose from...
Format: physical book Age: middle grade Length: 224 pages Rating: 3.75 (considering taking it down to 3.5 as I'm already forgetting the plot)
Thoughts: a fun little story about three kids who meet this professor and learn about the land of the Whangdoodles and try to visit. It was OK, nothing super thrilling or anything.
Format: physical (read-aloud) length: 176 pages rating: 3.5
thoughts: I also read Where the Sidewalk Ends this month so I'm just going to lump the two books together. I am more familiar with Where the Sidewalk Ends because I still own my childhood copy... Some fun poems, some that were just weird, some were a mouthful to read outloud. I think Where the Sidewalk Ends was a little more enjoyable, slightly.
format: physical (reread) length: 352 pages rating: 4 stars
thoughts: I first read this book when I was in high school, I think I received it as a Christmas present. I have kind of grown out of reading fantasy (wars, blech!) but I have been craving it for some reason and didn't want to reread Lord of the Rings... so I picked this up. I think I was just not in the right mood, and world events going on affected my reading. Also, the mole dialect annoyed me. I kept my previous four star rating because I think I was just grumpy while reading this. I won't swear off fantasy but I apparently have to be in the exact right mood to read it... and I was not in that mood in March.
format: physical (library book) non-fiction length: 144 pages rating: 4 stars
thoughts: a handy little reference book. I recently killed my aloe plant (the one I bought right before the pandemic started, I loved that plant) so I need help before I become a serial plant murderer. Apparently, according to this book, the error of my ways was watering it in the winter. 🤷♀️
format: physical age: middle grade pages: 291 rating: 4.25
Thoughts: this was a fun little book about a bunch of kids who win a chance to visit a new library before it officially opens, and they have to figure out a way to "escape" and win a prize. Puzzles, lots of author jokes and easter eggs, and a fun journey. I liked it. I'm not sure I'll read the rest of the series right away, but it's possible.
format: physical age: middle grade length: 304 pages rating: 4.5
thoughts: I really enjoyed this one. It's about a Chinese immigrant family that lives and works in a hotel and the issues they face with guests, neighbors, people at school etc and especially the hotel owner I thought it was really well written and I guess it is now a trilogy so I'll have to eventually read the rest.
Winnie-ther-Pooh. 160ish pages. Read-aloud. Five stars, I mean who doesn't like Winnie-the-Pooh?
The silly old bear gets into all kinds of adventures. My kid loved the maps on our copy of the book, and is still talking about Eeyore's mopey place.
did-not-finish:
Pony by RJ Palacio (everyone else loves it...) I was bored to death and it sent me into a book slump. I probably will not pick this one up again. The people who are raving about it are adults, I don't know about middle graders, it was pretty slow for a middle grade book...
The Queen's Gambit by Walter Tevis (audio book). I watched most of the show (the husband was watching it, I didn't see the first episode) and I was slightly interested, even if it's about chess. So I grabbed the audio book because it's supposed to be excellent and it was available.
There was a scene in the first chapter of this book that I could not listen to. I have asked around and it's apparently the only such scene, they left it out of the show, and it has nothing to do with the plot... so if it's so unimportant, than why was it in the book in the first place?
I read pretty much anything (except if it involves eyes and sharp objects) but that particular scene just turned me off of the entire book and I didn't finish the chapter. Maybe because it was a male author writing about an 8-year-old girl. Gross.
March statistics:
books read: 9
fiction: 8 non-fiction: 1
middle grade: 7 adult: 2 YA: 0
owned:7 borrowed:2
physical: 8 audio:1 ebook: 0
pages read: 1954, hours listened: 4.5
dnf: 2
And that was my reading March. Not the worst month, not the best either. Meh March. Let's go awesome April!
