What I Read in March

     I've been busy editing and entertaining kids home on Spring Break this week so I don't have any WIP's to show today. Instead I thought I 'd share what I read last month. A couple novels and lots of graphic novels. I really want to finish the Fables series and get them off our library shelf. I read 7 last month and am down to the last 2. I should finish the series this month and can't wait to find out how it all ends.

      Here's what I read in March.

Dear Emma by Katie Heaney

      This isn't classified as Young Adult but I think it might cross into that genre a little bit. The main character, Harriet, is a college student who writes an advice column for the school paper. Of course some boy treats her wrong and and starts going out with a girl that Harriet works with. That girl writes into the Dear Emma column not knowing Harriet is Emma or that Harriet had dated her boyfriend before her. Chaos and angst follows but everything works out in the end. Harriet learns the lessons she needs to learn and is happy. It's an alright novel. Not exactly what I was expecting but was a quick read. Could've been better.

Luncheon of the Boating Party by Susan Vreeland

      This one was recommended to me by my mother. The novel is a fictional account of Renoir painting the artwork used for the title of the novel. I didn't really enjoy the first 100 pages but they were necessary to set up the rest of the book. I was constantly looking at the painting while I was reading the book. There are insets of the painting and others that are mentioned in the book which saved me from looking them up on the internet. Overall, it was an enjoyable read. Vreeland has written other novels with art as the inspiration that I might read.

A History of England from the Tudors to the Stuarts. Lecture Series with Professor Robert Bucholz

      I've mentioned before my love of history, especially the British monarchy around the time of Henry VIII. I don't know why this time appeals to me, but it does. When I saw this lecture series at the library I thought it would be fun to have on in the afternoons. There were 48 lectures, each 30 minutes long. I enjoyed most of them, and learned about some of the Kings and Queens that came after Henry that I didn't know much about before. Some of the background lectures were a bit boring but it was still interesting to learn what everyday life was like for citizens of England at that time. I enjoyed the series enough that I am currently watching one about European Art with my daughter and have one about Impressionist Art that we will watch after that. I've tried watching several lecture series the past couple years. This is the first one that I actually finished. One had a lecturer with such a monotone voice that I fell asleep every time I watched. Needless to say, I returned that one. This series I enjoyed and am looking for more history series to watch.

      Here are all the Fables I read last month. They have been dropping hints about how it might end but I know there will be several twists before the series is over. I'd definitely recommend this series for anyone interested in reading graphic novels but doesn't want to read about Superheroes.

Fables: Rose Red

Fables: Werewolves of the Heartland

Fables: Super Team

Fables: Inherit the Wind

Fables: Cubs in Toyland

Fables: Snow White

Fables: Camelot

       And my March bookmark. The Fables were all I read for the last 3 weeks of March. I'd finish one and get the next one off the shelf so I was reading them pretty quick. 

What have you been reading lately?