March Reading List

X1. Caldecott - various

X2. Newbery - A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park
This was a quick read of a few hours for me, but I enjoyed it. There's something so wholesome about many of the Newbery Medal winners that I find quite appealing, and this book has that quality.

X3. Classic - Persuasion by Jane Austen
I couldn't believe I had never read this book before. I've been reading Austen since middle school, and believe I've re-read P&P somewhere in the 6-8 times range, as well as several read-throughs of S&S and Emma. I can't even begin to tell you how many times I've seen Austen movies, either. It's something of an addiction, and no, I can't very well explain it to you. You either get Austen, or you don't. So a new (to me, anyway) Austen book to read was quite a pleasure. I can understand why this is not as popular as the three above-mentioned titles, though it is still perfectly enjoyable. I found the main characters appealing and everything charming, of course; though the Eliots (father and sister) I found flat and trivial beyond belief. Though, to be fair, they were portrayed as completely self-absorbed, so they couldn't be all that interesting, could they?

X4. Adult Fiction - I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
I have to admit that I was disappointed with this book. I'd read a review recently that compared this book positively with Austen's work, and though I should know by now never to get my hopes up so much, I couldn't help myself. I wanted quite badly to like this book, but in the end, it just didn't strike me right. The characters were very odd, and they seemed to fall in (and out) of love with all the wrong people at the drop of a hat. Aside from that, and some bizarre motivations, it was a decent read. Although I'm always left a bit flat by such a bittersweet ending.

X5. Adult Non-Fiction - My Life as a Furry Red Monster by Kevin Clash
Yes, Elmo. I'm sure some would enjoy this book, but I didn't. I wanted to know more about Muppeteering, and less about how Elmo is the coolest. (Besides, Cookie Monster is way better than Elmo.)

X6. Young Adult - Pearls Before Swine collections by Stephan Pastis
I love PBS. Often irreverent, but just plain funny.

7. Fantasy - The Confessions of Max Tivoli by Andrew Sean Greer
Started last night, but too sleepy to continue. I'll try again in a day or two.

8. Folk/Fairy Tale/Mythology - Fairy Tales by Oscar Wilde
I've read some already. I enjoyed the couple I could find in comic form (illustrated by P. Craig Russell), though these were adapted. Very funny and slightly odd to read these stories. I've read several Wilde plays, and of course Dorian Gray, and these are (for the most part) remarkably dissimilar. Though with the same Wilde humor, naturally.

9. Poetry/Drama - The Member of the Wedding by Carson McCullers
Not started. Hopefully soon!

X10. Mystery/Historical Fiction - A Poisoned Season by Tasha Alexander
I can't help but like this book, a sequel to And Only to Deceive (which I loved). Romantic and sexy without being vulgar or crude, great mystery involving multiple characters and a variety of incidents, reference to great literature and a fascination with Greek antiquity, and above all, a heroine so outrageously rebellious against Victorian society as to be almost laughably implausible. I'm looking forward to the next book, which I believe is due out later this year.

X11. Choice - The Professor's Daughter by Guibert & Sfar
This was a recommendation from a library comic I read called Unshelved (check it out: library humor is totally funny to non-librarians! I swear!) They do a "Sunday Book Club" feature where they talk up a book (conveniently called a "book talk"). This one sounded really fascinating, but the interest was all in the possibility, I'm afraid. Short read - 20-30 minutes - but even so, not really worth it. Never lived up to the promising set-up (several-thousand-year-old Egyptian Pharaoh mummy comes to life in Victorian England and falls in love with an antiquarian's daughter).

X12. Choice - The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More Roald Dahl
I'm attempting to read through all of Dahl's books, and this is a collection of short stories. Well-written and (at times) funny, but nothing like as compelling as Charlie or Mr. Fox, et al. Not a bad read, overall. This was one of my "must finish" choices.