MARCH READING LIST REVIEW

Here is my recap of the books I read in March! If any of these books catch your interest please consider purchasing them through your local & independent bookstores, now more than ever they need our support. If you want to see past book lists you can find those here: February | January

I’m going to dub this the “Month of Unfinished Business” as two of the books I read were started a year ago but put down-- not because they weren’t great books but because I have a habit of doing that. I’m SO GLAD that I read them. It felt good to finish what I’d started.

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah: This story was both beautiful & heartbreaking. It takes place in Alaska during the 70s, historical fiction, sometimes a page-turner, 400+ page beast of a read but so worth it. I started reading it last year while we were on our Alaskan cruise but ended up not having the leisurely time I was anticipating (there was just so much to see & enjoy around us!) & when we returned I jumped into another book. I’m so glad I picked this one up again & finished it!

My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh: This book was definitely not what I was expecting but it was still a very interesting read. I found the story oddly comforting & bizarre to read amidst the current COVID-19 pandemic but I have an appreciation for it that I can’t quite name.

Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life by Nir Eyal: While this book didn’t go to the depths I was hoping for I still pulled some great tips from it. This was my audiobook for the month & it was an easy listen.

All We Ever Wanted by Emily Giffin: I’ve been a longtime fan of anything by Emily Giffin— if you haven’t read Something Borrowed followed by Something Blue those are two of my favorites. This was another book I started but then lent it out on our Alaskan cruise & hadn’t picked it back up after it was returned. Emily has a way of making her characters very relatable, even if your situation is starkly different. This made for a fast & enjoyable read while approaching topics of racism, sexism, socio-economic status & privilege. I liked the multiple narrative perspectives.

Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne: I’m not technically done with this one, but with one chapter to go I feel confident that my review won’t change—I love this book!! Some of the philosophies I didn’t completely agree with (namely the author’s position on books in the home) but I found everything else he addressed to be meaningful & critical amidst the hurried lives of children. As a parent, I found a lot of comfort in his simplified approach & I would rank this among my most favorite parenting books. This book offers amazing insight that applies to the full spectrum of childhood—from babies to teens, I anticipate referencing this read many more times in the future.