March was not a very big reading month, but I did find quite a few new books. Some that I had been on the lookout for for quite a while.
What I Read
- In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson. This is the second Erik Larson book I've read now. I really like his style of writing nonfiction that reads almost like fiction. He meticulously researches his books and provides a lot of details you wouldn't get in a history book. This time, he focuses on the Dodd Family. William E. Dodd, the father, was appointed U.S. Diplomat to Germany in 1933, between World War I and World War II, shortly after Hitler became Chancellor to Germany. He takes his wife and two children, who are both in their twenties, with him. Dodd faces opposition from other U.S. Diplomats due to his no frills lifestyle and directness. His daughter carries on several affairs with everyone from Nazis to Soviets to other countries' diplomatic officials, which was quite scandalous and his wife just wishes they could be back home. It was not an uplifting or happy read, but did help fill in some of the extensive gaps in my knowledge of history during this time. It was very interesting and I can only imagine how frightening it must have been to reside in Germany during this time. Granted, diplomats were given special treatment due to their status, but just to witness this time period would have been frightening.
- Murder in Three Acts by Agatha Christie. This is a Hercule Poirot mystery and went places Christie's novels do not traditional go, which was refreshing. I like the character of Egg and Poirot is always fun, the story was unique, but it wasn't even close to being one of my favorites of hers. But, there's really no such thing as a bad Agatha Christie mystery.
- Be Wise by Warren Weirsbe is a commentary on the book of 1 Corinthians. I love his commentaries, because they provide a lot of information, but they do it in a way that is still easy to read and comprehend. They're like a nice refreshing salad- variety and everything you need, without anything you don't.
What I Acquired
- Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott had been on my wishlist for quite a while. I think it's clear by now that I'm a big fan of hers. I found this on Bookmooch.
- Still Mine by Amy Stuart also came from Bookmooch. I read a review from Book of Secrets. It sounded good, so on a whim, I looked for it, and actually found someone from Canada who had it up for swap.
- Book Lust to Go by Nancy Pearl was found on the clearance shelf at Goodwill. I love the Book Lust books. They're just lists of books sorted by topics, sometimes with a line or two about why she's recommending them. This one is sorted by place.
- Literary Converts by Joseph Pearce was sent to me by a friend. We often talk about writer friendships and how they seem to encourage and influence each other. This book focuses on the faiths of a lot of the authors we seem to mention regularly.
- Life's Companion: Journal Writing as a Spiritual Practice, Soul Shift: The Measure of a Life Transformed, and Women Who Run with the Wolves were all discovered at the little thrift store here in town. The last one is the only one I had heard of before but for fifty cents each, I figured it was worth the gamble.
- And finally, at the library book sale in a nearby town I got: Never Knowing by Chevy Stevens, The House at Riverton by Kate Morton, 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami, The End of Food by Paul Roberts, The Redeemer by Jo Nesbo, and Tales of the Great Lakes.
2016 Totals:
Read 10
Acquired 20
Guess I better get reading!
Bird by Bird on my shelf and the Life's Companion (journal writing) is good also. Women Who Run...a must read for all women. Nancy Pearl...love her books
ReplyDeleteThanks for the insight Judy! I had never even heard of Life's Companion so it's cool that you found it to be good. And agreed... love Nancy Pearl!
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