A gift card to Barnes & Noble was burning a hole in my pocket, so I picked up a few books for my TBR list this month. And the library never disappoints.
TBR Novels for March
The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan – Who wouldn’t want to read a book about a bookshop? I’ve seen this book from time to time and finally decided to take a chance on it. And I’m so enjoying it! A librarian in London loses her job when the library closes. At the mid-point, where I’ve already read to (you may have seen this book in my food review photos – it’s very photogenic), she’s moved to Scotland and opened a bookshop in a van. The main character is very relatable and appealing, and I’m rooting for her to succeed. Not much else negative has happened just yet – not counting the job loss that initiates the book – and I’m fine with that. There’s plenty of drama just in reading her adventures navigating her new life. I don’t think every fiction story needs world-ending danger or toxically dysfunctional drama to be good. (Mini rant over.)
Transcription by Kate Atkinson – Two of my top 10 books are by Kate Atkinson and so when I saw this was out, I had to get it. (It’s probably been out a while since I found it in the Bargain display.) The main character works in “an obscure department of M15” in WWII at the beginning of the book. Then later she works at the BBC and stuff from her past comes up. That’s all I know from the description, but if you ever find Life After Life grab it and read it immediately. So well done, so thought provoking. Ditto for Behind the Scenes at the Museum. You will not see the twist. Not at all.
TBR Nonfiction for March
The Other Side of Sadness: What the New Science of Bereavement Tells Us about Life After Loss by George A. Bonanno – I did start this holdover from the last two months. Extended my library hold a few times, I think. It’s been more uplifting than one would think with the topic. On the other hand, it’s showing us how normal sadness is and how resilient we are. So perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised. It’s taking me so long to read it because I’ve been hesitant to include it in my eating out photos and so haven’t brought it with me as I search for plant-based dining options in Orlando.
Among Friends: A Memoir by Mary Lou Sanelli – I bought another memoir by Mary Lou Sanelli a few months ago that was about writing. I liked the way it was put together and her voice. So I looked for what else she had and bought other memoirs she’d written. The tagline for this one says, “A memoir of one woman’s expectations, disappointments, regrets & discoveries while searching for friends-for-life.”
The Sibling Effect: What the Bonds Among Brothers and Sisters Reveals About Us by Jeffrey Kluger – This one has been photographed, too, in my food shots. This is a book I started a year ago. When I read it, it’s interesting. But for some reason I’m having trouble staying with it. I keep telling myself I should finish it for the blog, since it is related to birth order. I don’t like leaving a book unfinished unless I really dislike it. There might finally be something really compelling that I miss.
Change Your Questions Change Your Life by Marilee Adams – Okay, this was an impulse purchase and on sale. But I want to find out what “Ben the ‘Answer Man’ … recognizes as the costs of being a Judger.” The book says it will help the reader replace “negative judgmental thinking with useful questions that encourage curiosity.” I’ve been doing a lot of work around judgmental thinking, mostly about myself. So this short book looked interesting.
Solitude: In Pursuit of a Singular Life in a Crowded World by Michael Harris – Almost finished with this one, which went in a different direction than I was expecting. The beginning was about finding quiet and disconnecting in the modern world, but then it’s gotten into artificial intelligence and Google maps and crowd-sourced writing, which are probably just as impactful as the author says they are but a little less interesting. Still, I don’t hate it, so I’ll finish it.
On audiobook for the commute
I found a lovely long DVD set of Philippa Gregory’s Three Sisters, Three Queens which is read in a lovely English accent. And since there are Scottish, Spanish, and French characters, those accents are also in the audiobook. The three titular queens are Henry VIII’s older sister who married the King of Scotland, his younger sister who married the King of France, and his first wife. Gregory’s books are my favorite historical fiction and really show how poorly women at all levels of society were treated in medieval times. Even queens.
Have you read any of these? What did you think? What’s on your March list?
