March 2021: Recap + On My Shelves
I got on a major reading kick in March, finished 32 books (insanity, I know), and let blogging fall by the wayside. But I did do some things besides reading, and I'm excited to chat about them today after my time away from this space.
1. Visiting a Wildlife Preserve – We decided to go on a family adventure in early March to a wildlife preserve about an hour away that someone had recommended to me. It was a beautiful day, and our boys had so much fun looking at the zebras, camels, tigers, bears, horses, and more. That's one item off our 2021 family bucket list!
2. Outdoor Adventures – As the days got prettier, we spent more and more time outside. From neighborhood walks to exploring some playgrounds, I loved taking my boys places. We didn't do much last spring (due to COVID and the baby being a newborn), so it's been nice to get out a little more and have fun locally.
3. Sister Socializing – A new month means new books, so naturally my sister and I had a few bookstore dates. I was excited to buy some of my most-anticipated 2021 releases and some new-to-me finds that could be a bust (but here's to hoping they're not). Caroline is terrible for my TBR but hanging out is so good for my heart.
4. Nerd Time at the Library – After a week that felt way too long and kind of exhausting, I told Nick that I just wanted to sit down with a cup of coffee, my book, journal, and planner. But it's hard to have quiet time – alone – at home. So, I packed up some of my stuff and went to our local library. It was just what I needed!
Read 32 Books | Favorites:
Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry
Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason
The Rose Code by Kate Quinn
Life's Too Short by Abby Jimenez
Honorable Mentions:
Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano
My Inner Sky by Mari Andrew
By the Book by Amanda Sellet
These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson
We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker
“Grief runs through the whole of life and leaves nothing untouched.
A voice on the car radio, a knife in the kitchen drawer, each carries a thought of the dead.”
Austen Years by Rachel Cohen
“You are not among the good that has happened to me. You are the best of all that I have known.
You are what I searched for when I left that house and wandered this earth, boy and man.
You are the part of myself I never thought to find because I did not even dare to dream you existed.
You are all that I want and more than I deserve, and I will go to my grave thanking a god
in whom I do not believe for bringing me you.”
An Unexpected Peril by Deanna Raybourn
“Maybe that’s how it always is, I thought—we all just go along,
catching glimpses of one another, thinking we know everything.”
The Scent Keeper by Erica Bauermeister
“You mustn’t wish for another life. You mustn’t want to be somebody else.
What you must do is this: 'Rejoice evermore.
Pray without ceasing.
In everything give thanks.'
I am not all the way capable of so much, but those are the right instructions.”
Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry
“Reverence is the practice of remembering your place in the world: small, and with very little control.
It sounds defeatist, but I think it's actually the key to living with a sense of wonder and appreciation.
Nothing was ever promised to us, including the miracle of life itself.”
My Inner Sky by Mari Andrew
“You grow to love something when you give your attention to it.”
My Inner Sky by Mari Andrew
“To find out what a story's really about, ” the Librarian said,
“you don't ask the writer. You ask the reader.”
Snow & Rose by Emily Winfield Martin
“Memories are always bent retrospectively to fit individual narratives.”
The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel
“Memories were beastly little creatures, after all—they rose with the faintest whiff of nourishment.”
These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
“But sometimes my mouth starts saying words without checking with my brain first.”
Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson
“Happiness is not a zero-sum game. It's the only case in which the resources are limitless,
and in which the rich can get richer at no expense to anyone else.”
Small Admissions by Amy Poeppel
“Everything is redeemable, Martha. Even decisions that end up with you
unconscious and bleeding in a pedestrian underpass, like me. Although ideally,
you want to figure out the reason why you keep burning your own house down.”
Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason
“ Everything is broken and messed up and completely fine.
That is what life is. It’s only the ratios that change. Usually on their own.
As soon as you think that’s it, it’s going to be like this forever, they change again.”
Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason
“There is always a road back. If we have the courage to look for it, and take it.
I'm sorry. I was wrong. I don't know. I need help. These are the signposts. The cardinal directions.”
The Great Reckoning by Louise Penny
I didn't meet my blogging goal in March, but I'm totally okay with that fact. I got on a reading binge and finished 32 books, so the time away from my computer was good for me. I'd put my boys to bed each night and then sit down with a book, often reading it all in one sitting. It was so fun! I still managed to write six posts, too. I shared my February 2021 recap and March 2021 goals, two staples every month. My So Obsessed With: Mini Edition #11 featured seven things I've been loving lately. And inspired by something I'd written for my birthday, I shared 45 Facts About Me as a Reader. I posted My Spring 2021 TBR and am pleased to say that I've already read a lot of books off this stack! And finally, I posted my sister's favorite recent reads for Tales & Tiger Lily: February 2021. The main post that I'm missing? My own Quick Lit mini reviews! I've got a lot to catch up on this month...
Favorite Song #1: "If You Want Love" by NF
This randomly ended up on my radar and led to me listening to a lot of NF in March.
I don't even know, y'all. But I have no regrets! I love the lyrics to this one.
Favorite Song #2: "Love You Like That" by Dagny
I saw someone recommend this song on Instagram, and I liked it immediately.
It's perfect for turning up the music and driving with my windows down.
Book of the Month: One to Watch by Katy Stayman-London and The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner
Bookstore: Accidentally Engaged by Farrah Heron, Meet Me in Paradise by Libby Hubscher, The Rose Code by Kate Quinn, Float Plan by Trish Doller, Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson, My Inner Sky by Mari Andrew, Chain of Iron by Cassandra Clare, An Unexpected Peril by Deanna Raybourn, and We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker
Book Outlet: Girl Gone Viral and The Right Swipe by Alisha Rai, Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin, Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory, Feels Like Falling by Kristy Woodson Harvey, and Marriage on Madison Avenue and Passion on Park Avenue by Lauren Layne
Used Bookstore: Small Admissions by Amy Poeppel (not pictured)
Gifted: The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary (from Kelly) and Life's Too Short by Abby Jimenez (from my sister)
Audible: An Unexpected Peril by Deanna Raybourn, A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson, Betty by Tiffany McDaniel, and The Rose Code by Kate Quinn
NetGalley: People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
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