March took an interesting turn in my reading journey. Apparently I was in the mood for nonfiction with a side of weird. Enjoy this very random reading list!

Total Books: 8
Audio: 5
Physical: 3
Mix: 0
DNF: 2

Genre: Memoir
Format: Audio (Read by Tom Bergeron)
Rating: 3.25/5

Summary: Anecdotes and reflecting on Dick Van Dyke’s 100 years.

It’s even admitted in the book, but this title is not correct at all. Instead of a self-help/advice route, this book contains random stories and reflections. The optimist part is also misleading, as he faces some heavy topics and is a bit pessimistic on modern day issues. I’m honestly glad it wasn’t all sunshine and platitudes, but the stories were scattered and, like most celebrity memoirs, it can often be a little tone-deaf to the everyday person. As a kid who grew up watching The Dick Van Dyke Show and Mary Poppins, this was a great collection of tales and an honest look at the joys and trials of living to 100.

Genre: Nonfiction (Science is cool!)
Format: Physical
Rating: 4/5

Summary: Short stories on fun studies.

This book is a compilation of “silly” scientific studies defending why curiosity is worth the time and money. Did you know pregnancy tests are available thanks to frogs!? Or that honeybee algorithms helped computer networking issues!? The bite-size fun facts and writer’s love of science is worth the read.

Genre: Nonfiction (History is cool!)
Format: Audio (Abridged – because the book is 900+ pages. Yowsa!)
Rating: 4/5

Summary: From the election of 1860 through the assassination, the author fan-girls over the 16th president.

Please do not quiz me. However, I enjoyed this calm narrator jogging my memory of this time period in history. The book covered the brilliant political maneuvering to steer the country through the Civil War and USING EMPATHY AND OTHER PEOPLES PERSPECTIVES TO MOVE THE COUNTRY FORWARD. Anyway, I was very impressed with the balance of historical details and storytelling. I really thought there would be more hockey and steamy dudes but….oh, wait….that’s a different rivals book?

Genre: Middle Grade Fiction
Format: Physical
Rating: 1.25/5

Summary: Kids are raised in The Refuge and are told they will die if they leave. One of them gets a heart transplant from a dog donor for some reason.

One of the biggest bait-and-switch books I have ever read (the cover and blurb do NOT AT ALL reflect the content in this book). I almost quit it, but it was on the shorter side and I *was* curious as to how it would turn out. However, I should have quit it (ouch!). I am almost speechless.

Genre: Mystery
Format: Audio
Rating: 3.25/5

Summary: A lawyer, a scientist, and a writer need to become detectives when they discover they have all been dating the same dude – and he has been murdered.

This is very much the same vibes of the Finlay Donovan series with a younger cast. Some crass phrases took me out of it – and it was all ridiculous – but it helped get me out of a slight reading slump!

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
Format: Physical
Rating: 5/5

Summary: Two boys overhear their teachers speaking in another language. Let the chaos commence.

My husband told me, “Hey, this is a weird book.” And it was! While it’s not for everyone, there were some great one-liners and the right weird for me. Unlike many books that frustrate me with a child’s POV obviously written by a grown up (see above), this one was incredibly believable. Or maybe I’m just weird too.

Genre: Mystery
Format: Audio
Rating: 1/5

Summary: Breaking away from her family’s expectations, a woman becomes a Rockette in the big city – and then needs to solve a bombing case?

The setting was great and it started with real Taylor Jenkins Reid vibes. Around 30%, things started going downhill and these dumb characters never recovered. I was actively angry and flirted with DNFing it – and I should have. Ouch. Just hurl me back into that reading slump why don’tcha…

Genre: Children’s Historical Fiction
Format: Audio
Rating: 3.5/5

Summary: A family lives through a year of peril on the prairie.

I have fond memories of the television series and thought I should revisit this book from my youth. *Insert all disclaimers of a book written in 1935 about the late 1800s (racism, cough, cough).* I was expecting the plot of the town, but that is later in the series – oops. This novel is a series of stories reminding me I would have died in five minutes traveling West. And, while it shows my age and stage of life, I would love the POV from Ma. SERIOUSLY. HAS ANYONE CHECKED ON MA.

The Quit List

21% It was another bait-and-switch! Don’t tell me this is an Ashley-Poston-like-time-loop-murder-mystery and then bore me with pages and pages and pages of angst. “Am I going to get back together with my ex??” Your awkward date is not important when there was a murder and a two-year time loop!?!!! NEXT!

17% It turns out I didn’t really care where she went. D’oh. NEXT!

I’m ready for a comfort-read-fun-filled-April!! Go team and happy reading!