Monday, April 1, 2019

The Read-at-Home Mom Report: March 2019

I read an insane number of books in March. My original plan was to make it a slower reading month than February, but then a variety of things made it busier than usual. 

For one thing, between review copies and a few local book sales, we added a lot of picture books to our collection this month, and I read a lot of them with the kids as soon as they came into the house. I also participated in two picture book challenges on Instagram, one focused on the rainbow, and one where the goal was to read five picture books per day for a week. Though we read a lot of books we'd previously read (which I didn't count on Goodreads), we also read some books we owned but had never read before. So nearly half the books I read this month were picture books.

The other major factor contributing to the huge number of books I read is that it was also #MiddleGradeMarch on Instagram. I originally set out to read just five books, but once I saw what other people were reading, I got inspired to read more and doubled that number. Additionally, I did some Lenten reading and finished two books for book club, and then finished out the month with a two-day read-a-thon (#8intwo). When I counted it all up, I had read 27 novels and nonfiction books. 

I really hope to have a much slower reading month in April, even if it is nice to be a bit ahead of the game on some of my goals. But here is my list of March reads, which I'll be linking up for It's Monday! What Are You Reading? with The Book Date and Unleashing Readers/Teach Mentor Texts and for the March 2019 Monthly Wrap-Up Round-Up Link-Up at Feed Your Fiction Addiction. 

Books Read 



Lily Lo and the Wonton Maker
by Frances Lee Hall
Format: Paperback
Genre: Realistic fiction (middle grade)
Source: Ann Jacobus
Review: On Instagram (⭐⭐⭐⭐)


Life of Fred: Apples
by Stanley F. Schmidt
Format: Hardcover
Genre: Math textbook
Source: Inter-library loan
Review: On Goodreads (⭐⭐⭐⭐)


Corned Beef and Casualties
by Lynn Cahoon
Format: Audiobook, read by Susan Boyce
Genre: Cozy mystery  (novella)
Source: Public library (Hoopla app)
Review: On Goodreads (⭐⭐)


The Porcupine Year
by Louise Erdrich
Format: Hardcover
Genre: Historical fiction (middle grade)
Source: Personal collection
Review: On the blog (⭐⭐⭐)


A Girl from Yamhill
by Beverly Cleary
Format: Hardcover
Genre: Memoir (middle grade)
Source: Personal collection
Review: On the blog (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)


The Night Watchmen
by Helen Cresswell
Format: Hardcover
Genre: Fantasy (middle grade)
Source: Personal collection
Review: On the blog (⭐⭐⭐)


From Potter's Field
by Patricia Cornwell
Format: Paperback/audiobook, read by C.J. Critt 
Genre: Mystery/thriller
Source: Personal collection
Review: On Goodreads (⭐⭐⭐⭐)

Field Notes on Love 
by Jennifer E. Smith
Format: Digital ARC
Genre: Romance (YA)
Source: NetGalley
Review: On Goodreads (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)

Restaurant Weeks Are Murder 
by Libby Klein
Format: Digital ARC
Genre: Cozy mystery
Source: NetGalley
Review: On Goodreads (⭐⭐⭐⭐)

Miss Hickory
by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey
Format: Hardcover
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Personal collection
Review: On the blog (⭐⭐⭐⭐)

The Gentle Traditionalist
by Roger Buck
Format: Hardcover
Genre: Religious/Catholic
Source: Personal collection
Review: On Goodreads (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)


Hello, Universe
by Erin Entrada Kelly
Format: Ebook
Genre: Realistic fiction
Source: Public library (Libby app)
Review: On the blog (⭐⭐)


Cause of Death
by Patricia Cornwell
Format: Audiobook, read by C.J. Critt
Genre: Mystery/thriller
Source: Public library (Libby app)
Review: On Goodreads (⭐⭐)


Sweeping Up the Heart
by Kevin Henkes
Format: Digital ARC
Genre: Realistic fiction
Source: Edelweiss+
Review: On the blog (⭐⭐⭐⭐) 


The Canterbury Tales of Geoffrey Chaucer: Special Edition for Young Readers
Selected and Adapted by A. Kent Hieatt and Constance Hieatt
Illustrated by Gustaf Tenggren
Format: Hardcover
Genre: Classic
Source: Home library
Review: On Instagram (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)


Humanae Vitae
by Pope Paul VI
Format: Ebook
Genre: Religious/Catholic
Source: Formed.org
Review: On Goodreads (⭐⭐⭐)


Searching for and Maintaining Peace
by Fr. Jacques Phillipe
Format: Paperback
Genre: Religious/Catholic
Source: Inter-library loan
Review: On Goodreads (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)



The Crossover
by Kwame Alexander
Format: Audiobook, read by Corey Allen
Genre: Realistic fiction/novel in verse (middle grade)
Source: Public library (Libby app)
Review: On the blog (⭐⭐⭐⭐)


Three Children and Shakespeare
by Anne Terry White
Format: Hardcover
Genre: Realistic fiction
Source: Inter-library loan
Review: On the blog (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)


Murder Once Removed
by S.C. Perkins
Format: Digital ARC
Genre: Cozy mystery
Source: Netgalley
Review: On Goodreads (⭐⭐⭐⭐)


Hard Times
by Charles Dickens
Format: Paperback
Genre: Classics
Source: Used book sale
Review: On Goodreads (⭐⭐⭐)



Park's Quest
by Katherine Paterson
Format: Hardcover
Genre: Historical fiction
Source: Personal collection
Review: On the blog (⭐⭐⭐)


A Beautiful Mystery
by Louise Penny
Format: Paperback
Genre: Mystery
Source: Personal collection
Review: On Goodreads (⭐⭐⭐⭐)


Noah Green: Junior Zookeeper and the Garage Sale Pet
by Carolyn Leiloglou
Format: Paperback
Genre: Realistic fiction
Source: Carolyin Leiloglou
Review: On Goodreads (⭐⭐⭐)


In This House of Brede
by Rumer Godden
Format: Ebook
Genre: Literary fiction
Source: Personal Kindle collection
Review: On Goodreads (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)


Murder Lo Mein
by Vivien Chien
Format: Digital ARC
Genre: Cozy mystery
Source: NetGalley
Review: On Goodreads (⭐⭐⭐)


Murder with Peacocks
by Donna Andrews
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Cozy mystery
Source: Public library (Hoopla app)
Review: On Goodreads (⭐⭐⭐⭐)


Picture Books (with links to Goodreads reviews):

Blog Posts Published


Challenge Progress

  • Alphabet Soup: 0 read in March, 18 of 26 read total 
  • Alphabet Soup Author Edition: 3 read in March, 18 of 26 read total
  • #CathLit: 4 read in March, 8 of 19 read total
  • Cloak and Dagger: 8 read in March, 23 of 55 read total
  • Craving for Cozies: 5 read in March, 15 of 51 read total
  • Library Love: 4 read in March, 19 of 60 read total
  • Mount TBR: 8 read in March, 23 of 36 read total
  • RMFAO Audiobooks: 4 read in March, 18 of 25 read total
  • Goodreads Goal: 52 read in March, 119 of 400 read total 

10 comments:

  1. Wow, that was an intense reading month, but fortunately there seems to have been a number of 4 and 5 star books, so at least you found a few winners this month!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great variety of books. Come see my week here. Happy reading!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Holy Carumba! What a profound list!
    Although Louise Erdrich is on my list, I still haven't read anything by her.

    ReplyDelete
  4. We have the Life of Fred series up through 8th grade and I liked that it was so matter-of-fact and putting math into logical, real-life scenarios. It seems like this is lacking the mainstream math programs (and is probably why kids forget it so easily or don't know when/where to apply which math concept outside of math class). YES on double-speed audio (your link to another post). I do this all the time and have no problem keeping up--glad I'm not alone. I'm so glad you liked The Crossover -- I remember enjoying it a great deal. I really appreciated your review of Searching for and Maintaining Peace and I'm adding this to my list. Also hope to hunt down Dudley Pippin! My goodness, I love all your challenges. I hope to try a new one each year because it looks like fun! Have a great reading week, Katie!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I loved Kevin Henkes other novel, so I need to get this new one. He always impresses me!

    Happy reading this week :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. I have Murder Lo Mein on hand to read soon. Your other cozies look good too. My weekly updates

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love how diverse your list of books is here - too bad you didn't enjoy Hello, Universe all that well. I am a huge fan of Rumer Godden. :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. I might have to check out some of those cozies. Check out my March wrap up at Girl Who Reads

    ReplyDelete
  9. Some of these cozies sound really interesting! I hope you have a wonderful April!

    Tina @ As Told By Tina

    ReplyDelete
  10. Awesome mix of genres to read for March! I read everything Kwame Alexander writes and buy every book in hardcover to treasure. I love novels in verse.

    ReplyDelete