What are we reading in March?

Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus! Happy St. David's Day and welcome to March!

What is everyone reading? I'm reading Cardiff Castle and the Marquesses of Bute, by Matthew Williams.

I'm enjoying Hitting a Straight Lick with Crooked Stick. Don't you just love the title? It's a collection of Zora Neale Hurston' s short stories from the Harlem Renaissance.

I'm reading The Throne of Adulis at the moment. It's about a very obscure piece of history and very meticulous (some would say pedantic) for a popular science book, but hell if I don't love to learn completely useless factoids about the world.

I am reading In the Company of Jesus by Jon Sweeney, which is a biography of James Martin.

I'm flipping back and forth between Pilgrimage 4 and Winter's Heart.

I am finishing Gaudy Night by Dorothy Sayers, reading Girl on a Plane by Miriam Moss, and starting A War in Crimson Embers by Alex Marshall.

I'm starting the month with Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz and Gone to Dust by Matt Goldman.

i'm reading Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit, The Hunting Party, and The Bodies in the Library.

I completed James Martin, SJ: In the Company of Jesus by Jon Sweeney. This is a current biography of James Martin, SJ, who is a Roman Catholic priest. He has written many best seller books and has appeared on TV, in movies, and on YouTube. Although the first chapter describes his childhood, most of the book addresses his career as a priest and a writer. A few chapters seemed to bog down, but mostly this was a good read. 4 stars

Still working on Cardiff Castle, and today on the bus I dipped into The Book of Forgotten Authors, by Christopher Fowler.

I just started The Night Watchman, which appears to be a hefty one.

I am still reading Black Lamb and Grey Falcon by Rebecca West - and have a long way to go! I can only read about 50-75 pages at a time in this nonfiction book about 1937 Yugoslavia.

In audiobook form, I am listening to Blue Mars. I am finding this final book in the trilogy less interesting than the previous books - more politics and less science.

In ebook (Kindle), I have been leavening my reading with Golden Age mysteries. I finished The Stoneware Monkey by R. Austin Freeman (#26 in the Dr. Thorndyke series) and have just started The Carter of 'La Providence' by Georges Simenon (#2 in the Maigret series, also known as "The Crime at Lock 14").

I'm still reading Death on a Friday Afternoon: Meditations on the Last Words of Jesus from the Cross by Richard John Neuhaus.

I've just finished The Talented Mr Ripley by Patricia Highsmith. I think I'm going to try either The Sea, The Sea or In a Free State or even both of them! The rest will be the usual mix of fantasy, sci fi and crime.

I just finished His Unexpected Amish Twins (Unexpected Amish Blessings) by Rachel Good for NetGalley.

Still working on Deep South and The Five while also keeping a fiction going - just about to start The Minotaur Takes A Cigarette Break.

>16 JayneCM: I've just got Deep South out of the library - the library book I was reading (The Viking Isles) had been requested by someone else so I couldn't renew it (the cheek of it!). I'm not sure I'm going to finish it by the end of the month though, it's quite hefty!

In addition to The Night Watchman, my turn finally came for Girl Woman Other.

I finished The Greengage Summer by Rumer Godden, which has been on my TBR list forever! Triple header for RandomCAT, BingoDog, and AlphaKit.

Currently I am listening to an excellent audio, All That I Have by Castle Freeman Jr., reading a memoir about going into service with Aprons and Silver Spoons, and starting a ghost story with No One's Home by D.M. Pulley.

I have finished Blue Mars which I generously gave 2* - I'm glad I read this trilogy but Robinson's writing style is just not my cup of tea. Maigret on the other hand was a fun read - The Carter of 'La Providence' got 3.5*.

I am now reading Clayhanger by Arnold Bennett on my Kindle, The Golden Day by Ursula Dubosarsky in audiobook & The Blind Barber by John Dickson Carr...

I'm reading The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary. And for RandomCAT The Summer that Never Was by Peter Robinson. So far, both are very good.

Finally got some quality time in to bury myself in The Bastard Brigade, by Sam Kean, about the Allies' race to prevent the Nazis from developing the atomic bomb first. The book has a chapter about heavy water, so now I have to go watch the episode of Hogan's Heroes where the Heroes steal a shipment of heavy water.

>23 rabbitprincess: I think I'll take this as a BB for my husband and add it to the list I have for gifts for him.

I am reading Celestial Bodies by Omani writer,Jokha Alharthi , for the GeoCAT.

>24 dudes22: I've been reading it most of the weekend and finding it very interesting! It includes helpful line diagrams to explain what the reactors looked like and how nuclear fission works, for example.

I am reading The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie and Memories of a Lost Egypt.

>26 rabbitprincess: - Sounds like it will be right up his alley.

>28 dudes22: Excellent!

Moving from WW2 to ZZZ: finally picking up Why We Sleep, by Matthew Walker.

I blew through Mary Balogh's Only Enchanting in a day, and I'm now about to start Grey Mask by Patricia Wentworth.

Today I finished The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie. That completes my BingoDog card for the "1920" square and also for the MysteryKit Golden Age selection for March and AlphaKit for Letter C. I am usually pretty good at spotting the murderer, but this one threw me for a loop. I did not guess the perps or how it was done. Excellent! 5 stars

I haven't made too much of a dent in my planned reads for the month. By no means am I complaining, but several books that I had on hold for month became available within days of each other: The Night Watchman, Girl Woman, Other, The Sun Down Motel, Ask Again Yes, and The Good Liar, and Lost Children Archive.

It's a nice problem to have and I am enjoying The Night Watchman, even if I am having a bit of time keeping the characters straight.

Oh, and I changed my username from (jonesli) just in case I'm confusing anyone :)

>32 lsh63: Thanks for letting us know about the changed username!

Next up for me is The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden.

It may seem strange considering the world situation right now, but I am enjoying my zombie apocalypse novel, The First Days by Rhiannon Frater. It's great escape reading. I have also started a historical novel, The Fourth Queen by Debbie Taylor.

I just finished Inspector Ghote's Good Crusade which was just okay. Too much detail and rather slow moving for me. I am currently reading The Innkeeper's Bride for NetGalley.

Making more headway on Watership Down in audio format. Only about 9 h to go! I didn't think it was THAT long... but anyway, I am thoroughly enjoying Peter Capaldi's audio performance and he is helping me manage my anxiety about everything that's going on.

Also finished a book in my Pool for the year: Strike North, by W. Howard Baker. Finally another book in my nautical category.

I'm reading Last Train to Istanbul which was slow to get started but picking up now that the characters have been introduced. Also trying to read The Heart is a Lonely Hunter which so far is a bit of a struggle for me.

I've started Letters from an Astrophysicist by Neil deGrasse Tyson today. It's good to read a rational voice in face of all the lunacy out there.

Finished Pilgrimage 4 yesterday morning - woohoo! So I can finally say I completed the entire work of Pilgrimage, all 2110 pages...

Continuing with Winter's Heart, the ninth book in the Wheel of Time series, and have started The Presidencies of William Henry Harrison and John Tyler.

FINALLY finished Four Queens, by Nancy Goldstone. I liked it well enough but definitely preferred Daughters of the Winter Queen.

I'm continuing my journey through history with Le roi de fer, by Maurice Druon.

>39 LisaMorr: I too read something from Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series - the prequel New Spring. I read the main series a few years ago and seem to recall that around book 9-10 the books went down a bit in quality but then the last few bounced back. I think Jordan was ill at that time.

I finished two five star reads over the weekend; Girl Woman Other, and The Night Watchman. Now I'm reading The Sun Down Motel.

I just finished The Innkeeper's Bride for NetGalley. I am now on to Frida in America which is about Frida Kahlo. Should be interesting.

Just finished Love in a Cold Climate by Nancy Mitford which was excellent.

Finishing up Miss Chopsticks by Xinran and then hopefully getting back to Last Train to Istanbul and Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit.

>41 leslie.98: Did you like New Spring? Robert Jordan passed away before finishing the series, but he had taken great notes and Brandon Sanderson was able to finish the series. I'm looking forward to finally finishing it this year!

I did - it was interesting to find out how Moiraine and Lan met. Moiraine as a newly promoted Aes Sedai reminded me a lot of Nynaeve (without the braid pulling!).

I forgot to say that I am still plugging away at my paperback copy of Rebecca West's Black Lamb and Grey Falcon, which I had put aside for a bit. And on the lighter side, I am enjoying the Golden Age mystery The Canary Murder Case by S.S. Van Dine.

>47 leslie.98: That's good to hear (and no braid-pulling!). I guess my plan is to read that one last.

I finished Winter's Heart yesterday, #9 in the Wheel of Time series. I'm continuing with The Presidencies of William Henry Harrison and John Tyler and will start The Thief of Always.

I have decided to take advantage of Audible's offer of some free audiobooks to stream during this time of school closings (stories.audible.com) and have started listening to Nadia May narrate Jane Austen's Persuasion. I have also started reading the short stories in Italo Calvino's Italian Folktales.

I am reading the third in Anthony Powell's Dance to the Music of Time, The Acceptance World.

Currently I am reading The Night She Won Miss America by Michael Callahan and about to start Spring Flowers, Spring Frost by Ismail Kadare for the March RandomCat.

Finished Le Roi de fer, which ended up being an interesting challenge. So now I am rewarding myself for that achievement by picking up something light: The Day She Saved the Doctor, a collection of stories featuring, among others, Susan Calman.

I'm currently reading Long walk to freedom, the autobiography of Nelson Mandela, The hidden girl, the second short story collection by Ken Liu and Zoe's tale, book four in the Old man's war series by John Scalzi.

I've given up on The Christmas Egg, a 1950's mystery by Mary Kelly. It's about a jewel robbery, and I just don't care. Still going with The Acceptance World.

I finished The Amish Teacher's Dilemma and I am now reading The Fifth Avenue Story Society which I am enjoying quite a lot.

Continuing light reads, but switching genre. Now starting Gun Before Butter, by Nicolas Freeling.

I've temporarily put aside The Presidencies of William Henry Harrison and John Tyler as it wasn't really a biography and have picked up John Tyler, a short bio in the American Presidents series. Also continuing with The Thief of Always, which I'm warming up to a little bit more.

I'm currently reading a couple of nonfiction books. Hard to believe it's been 30 years since The Gardner Heist. Also getting into The Miracle and Tragedy of the Dionne Quintuplets which is allegedly for teens, but is quite readable.

I've been reading but not updating! The last few books were Detection Unlimited by Georgette Heyer (good as always, but not one of her best mysteries), The Midwife's Apprentice by Karen Cushman (very good), and Check Me Out by Becca Wilhite (meh). Now I've begun Talking as Fast as I Can by Lauren Graham, which is fun so far. I'm a big Gilmore Girls fan, so I'm definitely the target audience!

I finished The Thief of Always - it was pretty good. I'm continuing with the biography of John Tyler and have started The White Plague by Frank Herbert.

Can't seem to settle on any one book right now so I am reading The Kitchen House, Phantom Limb, and Run to Gitche Gumee plus listening to Written in my Own Heart's Blood.

I finished A Year at Brandywine Cottage which I thoroughly enjoyed, even if just for the beautiful pictures. The book takes the reader through a year of gardening at the cottage, along with simple and delicious recipes. My husband was looking over my shoulder admiring the photos and taking notes on the recipes (he is the household chef) and Bright Dreams: the Brilliant Ideas of Nicola Tesla, which is a picture book about Tesla. Touchstones not showing up.

I've been reading A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams for a somewhat lighter read these days. And I'm also reading Wintering by Kate Moses.

I just finished Why You Should Read Children's Books by Katherine Rundell, which was a BB for me from another thread. I found it somewhat disappointing, just not what I expected. It seemed more academic than I was looking for, I guess. I also did not like the political remarks that were included. There is enough of that from other sources.

I am starting another Bingo card for BingoDog.

Just finished Wives and Daughters, by Elizabeth Gaskell. I've been reading on Serial Reader and just read 14 installments in a row because I had to know what happened! And then it turned out that Gaskell died before being able to finish the book! Noooooo!!!

I finished John Tyler today - good short biography of a not-very-good president. Continuing with The White Plague and starting The Garden of the Finzi-Continis.

Completed The Fifth Avenue Story Society by Rachel Hauck. Five people, five lives that are about to cross in unexpected and surprising ways; this makes up the main thread of the story. Lexa, Jett, Ed, Coral, and Chuck receive invitations to meet for a "story society." As they get to know each other, enjoying conversation and food each week, the society becomes more important for each of them. Untold secrets and underlying truths are revealed in the weekly meetings, leading up to the final crashing conclusion. This story has enough twists and turns for any reader, maintaining interest until the final page is reached. The epilogue wraps it all up in a happy ending, but not until the characters experience a roller-coaster ride of experiences and emotions.

This was a book that I could not put down and kept me reading into the night time hours. The Christian message is overt and churchy, but not preachy or judgmental. Each reader is left to find the underlying message in the story along with the characters. Highly recommended and clean read.

I don't want to hijack this thread, but I just posted about free digitized books available from the National Emergency Library here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/318152 I was able to borrow The Great Influenza with no wait list, so I hope to start that today. (Had to dust off the old Nook - it's charging now.)

I am reading Light Shines on Promise Lodge for NetGalley.

Hoping to finish Watership Down today -- just a couple more hours left on the audio!

I've just discovered that over on Twitter, one of my favourite authors Robert Macfarlane is running a virtual book club read of Nan Shepherd's The Living Mountain. I've been meaning to get that for ages, so bought it today and will start reading it later.

Finished The White Plague yesterday and started The Garden of the Finzi-Continis today.

I just finished Light Shines on Promise Lodge and I have started The Sunday Potluck Club which looks like a predictable ending. It seemed a little slow to start but I am hanging in there.

I've finished Dream Angus by Alexander McCall Smith which will probably be my last book this month.

I'm getting a jump-start on my first April read, The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton.

Burying myself in historical fiction: Ships in the Bay!, by D.K. Broster, which doesn't have nearly as much ships as I thought it would, but which is enjoyable nonetheless. It's set during the same period as Poldark, specifically books 4 and 5 (Warleggan and The Black Moon), so if you like that period and Wales, you might want to read this too.

Just started If On A Winter's Night A Traveller - if the first chapter is anything to go by, I am going to love it!

>78 JayneCM: I thought that was wonderful - enjoy!