As you all know, April is almost over, and I'm obviously just posting my March Overview now. Unfortunately, right at the end of March, my world fell to piece when I learned that my dad was critically ill in the hospital. A week later, we had to make the horrible decision to let him pass from this world, leaving his devastated family behind. There isn't much I can say, or really want to say about the subject anymore than that, except that those events made me feel like for about 2-3 weeks time, the rest of the world was going on without me. It took me almost 2 weeks to be able to pick up a book to read, or listen to an audiobook, because I could not focus my mind. It was a very difficult time to navigate through, and for the rest of my life I'll be navigating it.
So, with that being said, my March Overview is finally here for you all, just in time for the end of April! I will try my best to get my April overview up before I leave for my honeymoon to HAWAII on May 1! Otherwise, it won't be arriving until at least mid May, and I don't want to be so off track again. It's hard to erase all the reading and audiobook listening I've been doing these last few weeks, and remember how I felt about my reading in March. But typing this overview before writing this intro blurb helped a bit. I was reminded that it was a really hit or miss month. I read some books I really liked, and one or two that may find themselves on my top books of 2019 list, and some books I couldn't even bring myself to finish. Unfortunately, I'm learning that the audiobook narrators really have a lot to do with it, so sometimes I have to put more energy into my listening than I'd like to, to make sure I don't tune out, and get the full experience out of the book even though I'm not reading it. If it weren't for my guidebooks in March, I wouldn't have had so many high ratings! March had a couple good books as I said, but most of them were 2 or 3 stars unfortunately =/ Hopefully when I go back and review April, I'll have had a little bit better luck.
1) The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Released 12/18/2007
Read from: Mar 1-3, 2019
Format: Overdrive audiobook
Rating: DNF
I can't fairly supply a rating for this one because I really don't feel like I paid much attention to it
while I was listening. I stopped listening about halfway through. I was not really interested in what the book series is about at all, but decided to give it a chance anyway because it is popular and was made into a movie. But between the accent of the narrator (which I'm learning really affects how much I can pay attention an audiobook) an the lack of excitement and events happening, I just couldn't handle it anymore and had to stop. I'll watch the movie and see if it makes me want to revisit the series. Probably in print form that time around.
2) The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson BurnettReleased 1911
Read from: 11/3/18- 3/3/19
Format: ebook on Kindle borrow from the library
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Check our my Goodreads review here.
3) The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook: Kauai Revealed by Andrew Doughty
Released 1/1/2017
Read from: 2/27/19- 3/5/19
Format: Print
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Continued vacation prep reading from an awesome string of guidebooks written for Hawaii.
You really don't need to have any prior knowledge about Hawaii to understand what he's talking about in this book. He'll give you history and cultural information as well as information valuable to people who are new to traveling there so it's perfect.
4) Dreamland by Sarah DessenReleased 5/11/04
Read from: 3/3/2019- 3/7/19
Format: Scribd audiobook
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
My first time reading this book was shortly after it came out, while I was in high school. Couldn't really remember that much about it and I know Sarah Dessen is a very popular YA author, so I wanted to give it another try from a new perspective. Check out of my Goodreads review here.
5) Maui Revealed: The Ultimate Guidebook by Anthony DoerrReleased 2/15/2018
Read from: 3/5/19- 3/10/19
Format: Print
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
See my review for the Kauai guidebook above :)
6) The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender
Released 6/1/2010
Read from: 3/7/19- 3/11/19
Format: Overdrive audiobook
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
This book is about a girl with a strange ability to taste feelings. She can "taste" how someone was feeling when they made the food she is eating. Whether it's something homemade, store-bought, prepacked, preserved, whatever. Such an interesting idea! However, this book fell flat for me. Check out my Goodreads review here.
7) Insight Guides HawaiiReleased 9/1/2014
Read from: 1/27/19- 3/12/19
Format: Print
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Yes, I've been reading this book forever! I read it in sections, relating to the areas I'm going to next
week first, and then I finished up the rest of the book after I had read everything from the other books. I love Insight Guides. Fortunately, they're available for other areas of the world as well. Insight Guides has an extensive history and cultural section in the front, which is ideal for people who really like to know about the place they're visiting before the go. Like me. It also has gorgeous pictures and color in abundance, which is important to me in a guidebook, as well as great maps of the areas covered that show you where the attractions are as well. You'll also find your usual suggestions of where to stay and where to eat, as well as your general tourist travel information.
8) Before She Knew HimReleased 3/5/2019
Read from: 3/13/19- 3/16/19
Format: Print (BOTM)
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Definitely recommend this thriller! I thought the twists were very unexpected. Check out my mini Goodreads review here.
9) The Lovely Bones by Alice SeboldReleased 9/1/2006
Read from: 3/11/19- 3/18/19
Format: Overdrive audiobook
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Pretty sure everyone in this country knows that this was a very popular book that became a movie. Nearly 15yrs since it's release, I finally gave it a try. And I didn't love it. Check out my Goodreads review here.
10) Out East: Memoir of a Montauk SummerReleases 5/14/2019
Read from: 3/18/19- 3/23/18
Format: Print (Goodreads First Reads)
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
I loved this book so much that it got it's own blog post!. Check it out here.
11) That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo
Released 8/4/2009
Read from: 3/19/19- 3/23/19
Format: Overdrive Audiobook
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
I listened to this audiobook at the same time as reading Out East. It was a pretty good combination, because they both take place in some of my most favorite summer destinations. However, this book just was kind of eh. Check out my Goodreads review here.
12) Winter in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand
Released 10/9/2018
Read from: 3/16/19- 3/24/19
Format: Print (BOTM)
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this book, and if it weren't for the slow begining, I think I would've given it a 4.5 or 5 star rating. It is the first book in a new trilogy that takes place in St. John, which is much different than the Nantucket setting of all of Hilderbrand's other books. I'm excited for the next book, but sad I have to wait until the fall! Check out my Goodreads review here.
13) Sharp Objects by Gillian FlynnReleased 9/26/2006
Read from: 3/23/19- 4/1/19
Format: Scribd audiobook
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
Ugh. I expected this book to be a little twisted. But that wasn't even my problem with it. I thought I would like it better because I really enjoyed the movie version of "Gone Girl" but I guess that means nothing. Maybe I wouldn't like the book. This book really made me not want to try anymore Gillian Flynn books, since this one is such a popular book. Check out my Goodreads review here.
What I'm Reading Now
1) The Reckoning by John Grisham
Started Reading: April 21, 2019
I have no idea what I really think of this book right now. It is divided into three parts and it is a long book. Over 400 pages. The first part of the book is about what the synopsis discusses. October 1946, Clanton, Mississippi's well loved WWII war hero and farmer Pete Banning murders his friend, the popular Methodist minister of the local church. And he won't tell anyone why. We wait to find out if the court will find him guilty and sentence him to the electric chair. The second part thoroughly describes Pete's time as a Japanese war prisoner in the Phillipene's. It's extremely detailed and not for the faint of heart. I had some trouble reading it. I am more than halfway through this section and have pretty much forgotten that everything in the first part of the book took place. Curious to see how it's all tied together in Part 3.
2) Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach
Started Listening: April 27, 2019
Format: Overdrive audiobook
This book was recommended to me a few years ago by an old boss. I had taken it out of the library but never got around to reading it. Now that it's on the Overdrive app I'm finally doing it. To be honest, I have no idea what the synopsis says, but isn't the title intriguing enough? So far I am interested. I think anyone with interest in science would also be interested so far. It is sort of a strange subject for me to be listening to so soon after losing my Dad, but I'm trying not to think of my father as a dead body....lol.
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