March in Review

What I Learned

I learned that as much as I love my new eReader, I prefer the real thing. Despite having lots of good books on it, I sort of neglected it this month. I need to get back to using it in April simply because it was a gift and I hate that it is not getting used. There are a few fantasy books on it that I can read for the Once Upon a Time challenge, actually.

I also learned that despite fears, I am not really a book hoarder. On Wednesday I purged a LOT of books. One of my friends came and helped, so it made it way easier to just get rid of things. I got rid of a lot of books. I have enough credit at the second hand bookstore to last me quite some time... Years, even... Then, I put aside books for friends and family, and anything the second hand store wouldn't take is going in a sale for charity. Once I have everything arranged I will post pictures if anyone is interested. I still probably have too many books, but I have a lot less than I did. I am excited about my progress. I am hoping once I have some order I will read a bit less from the library, too, so we will see how that goes. I know that by going through everything I found a lot of books that I really want to read, so I need to get cracking!

In other news, Neil Peart has a new book out May 1 and I am excited. He is the drummer from Rush and also writes all of their lyrics. I haven't really read him since 2008, so I am looking forward to a new offering.

New to Me Authors

Jeff Lemire (Sweet Tooth)

Barry Deutsch (Hereville: How Mika Got Her Sword)

Steve Kluger (My Most Excellent Year)

Beth Revis (Across the Universe)

Terry Morre (The Complete Strangers in Paradise)

I didn't count the comic books.

Series Talk

As part of my book purge, I actually got rid of books in series. In some cases, I got rid of whole trilogies that were not calling to me. In other cases, I got rid of books I have read in series and don't feel a burning desire to finish. Some I may read from the library one day just to carry on, but others weren't interesting me and I have a lot of neglected series that I am really excited about. Now for the series progress for March:

Sweet Tooth Series: 1/2

Across the Universe Trilogy: 1/1 CAUGHT UP!

Mercedes Thompson Series: 6/6 CAUGHT UP!

One Piece Series: 4/54

Essex County Trilogy: 3/3 FINISHED!

Horatio Lyle Series: 2/4

The Worlds of Chrestomanci Series: 1/5

***Note: I also read a collected volume of Strangers in Paradise by Terry Moore. I liked it, but I haven't quite figured out how much more I have to read and if the library actually has them.

The Source

Library: 11

Borrowed from Friend: 14

eReader: 0

Personal: 4

What I Read

50. Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan (Completed March 4, 2011)
51. Supernatural: Beginning's End - Volume 1 by Andrew Dabb, Daniel Loflin, & Company (Completed March 5, 2011)
52. Supernatural: Beginning's End - Volume 2 by Andrew Dabb, Daniel Loflin, & Company (Completed March 5, 2011)
53. Supernatural: Beginning's End - Volume 3 by Andrew Dabb, Daniel Loflin, & Company (Completed March 5, 2011)
54. Supernatural: Beginning's End - Volume 4 by Andrew Dabb, Daniel Loflin, & Company (Completed March 5, 2011)
55. Supernatural: Beginning's End - Volume 5 by Andrew Dabb, Daniel Loflin, & Company (Completed March 5, 2011)
56. Supernatural: Beginning's End - Voume 6 by Andrew Dabb, Daniel Loflin, & Company (Completed March 5, 2011)
57. Rock 'n' Roll Comics: The Runaways by Spike Steffenhagen, Jay Allen Sanford, & Company (Completed March 5, 2011)
58. Dr. Horrible and Other Horrible Stories by Zack Whedon & Company (Completed March 5, 2011)
59. Zombies vs. Unicorns edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier (Completed March 6, 2011)
60. Sweet Tooth - Volume 1: Out of the Deep Woods by Jeff Lemire (Completed March 9, 2011)
61. Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword by Barry Deutsch (Completed March 9, 2011)
62. My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger (Completed March 11, 2011)
63. Across the Universe (Across the Universe, Book 1) by Beth Revis (Completed March 11, 2011)
64. River Marked by Patricia Briggs (Mercedes Thompson Series, Book 6 (Completed March 12, 2011)
65. Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan (Completed March 14, 2011)
66. Once Piece Volume 4 - The Black Cat Pirates by Eiichiro Oda (Completed March 15, 2011)
67. The Complete Strangers in Paradise Volume 1 by Terry Moore (Completed March 15, 2011)
68. True Blood Volume 1 by Alan Ball, David Tischman, Mariah Huehner, & David Messina (Completed March 20, 2011)
69. True Blood Volume 2 by Alan Ball, David Tischman, Mariah Huehner, & David Messina (Completed March 20, 2011)
70. True Blood Volume 3 by Alan Ball, David Tischman, Mariah Huehner, & David Messina (Completed March 20, 2011)
71. True Blood Volume 4 by Alan Ball, David Tischman, Mariah Huehner, & David Messina (Completed March 20, 2011)
72. True Blood Volume 5 by Alan Ball, David Tischman, Mariah Huehner, & David Messina (Completed March 20, 2011)
73. True Blood Volume 6 by Alan Ball, David Tischman, Mariah Huehner, & David Messina (Completed March 20, 2011)
74. Collected Essex County by Jeff Lemire (Completed March 21, 2011)
75. The Obsidian Dagger: Being the Further Extraordinary Adventures of Horatio Lyle by Catherine Webb (Book 2) (Completed March 23, 2011)
76. The Worlds of Chrestomanci: Charmed Life by Diana Wynne Jones (Book 1) (Completed March 28, 2011)
77. The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan (Completed March 29, 2011)
78. By the Time You Read This, I'll be Dead by Julie Anne Peters (Completed March 30, 2011)

Favourite Read of the Month:

River Marked by Patricia Briggs

Honourable Mentions:

My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger

Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan

Charmed Life by Diana Wynne Jones

By the Time Your Read This, I Will be Dead by Julie Anne Peters

(uh, Across the Universe and The Lover's Dictionary, too, but I am trying to keep it to five, so sshh!)

Books Added to the TBR pile

Troublesome Young Men by Lynne Olson
Singled Out by Virginia Nicholson
Bluestockings by Jane Robinson
Terribly Twisted Tales edited by Martin Greenberg
The Museum Called Canada by Charlotte Gray

River Marked by Patricia Briggs
The Unwritten Volume 3: Dead Man's Knock by Mike Carey

The Killing Way by Tony Hays (and two sequels)
The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong
Wise Mans Fear by Patrick Rothfuss
The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen
An Embarrassment of Riches by Chelsea Quinn Yarbo
River Marked by Patricia Briggs (Yes, I received two copies in the end. Gave one to a friend...)
Empire of Runes by Arthur Slade

So, this is terribly large, BUT I easily got rid of about 200 or more books this month, so even though I didn't read as much as I brought in.... I did a HUGE purge of my books, so I don't feel guilty. I also received books this week, but I won't post about them until tomorrow, so they will count for April. Also, I do really need to stop buying books, but most of these were gift card purchases that I preordered or review copies...

Thoughts on April

My goal for April? Read a J.D. Robb book... I sort of stalled because I need Seduction in Death and I know I have owned it before because it was actually the first book I read in the series. I borrowed it from my mother, though, so all I can think is I gave it back and she got rid of it... I even searched through her books for it, so I asked the bookstore to watch for a copy and call me when it arrives.

Get cracking on buddy reads. I am in the midst of Sisters Red and The Shadow Hunt for buddy reads tied in with the Once Upon a Time challenge. I also think there is going to be a three-way review of a Diana Wynne Jones book this month. Then, I am supposed to read the new Sarah Addison Allen with Marg, so I assume that will be in April, too. Oops! I forgot to read How the Irish Saved Civilization!! I lost track of March... And, I still haven't finished The Three Musketeers. That's not because I don't like it, it is because I haven't been using my eReader... Oh, I also am finishing up Dreams Underfoot by Charles de Lint, which is a buddy read and then starting The Best of Charles de Lint, which is another buddy read.

Otherwise, I would just like to work on my Once Upon a Time reading pool. If I can read a bunch of the books on there, I will feel very accomplished. I also need to get some reviews accomplished because I am getting far behind!