Every month I try to read at least one book from the following categories: nonfiction, devotional, and fiction. In 2019 I’m not participating in a formal reading challenge, but rather The Unread Shelf Project 2019, a challenge to read books that I already own. So I’ll be listing where each book came from this year instead of listing a particular challenge category. This is my March 2019 Reading List, my brief reviews and book recommendations for March 2019. Hopefully I’ll provide you with some inspiration for your future reading as well!  

Books Finished:

Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets by David Simon

Already owned Audible.

This is an Audible book that Mike had previously purchased. It came up in a Netflix show that we were watching, so I thought I’d give it a shot. I didn’t love it, but I think that it was just not my kind of book. First, it’s told from the perspective of homicide investigators, and I really struggled with some of the things that the cops were saying. I think this is because of the years that I spent as a public defender. But I also struggled with the depiction of the court system and sentences. The way this was described is so dramatically different from how things run in Nebraska. And openly berating public defenders is a problem for me. All that being said, it is fascinating to read about the experience of those who deal with murder day-in/day-out and in such a high volume.

The Sound of Gravel by Ruth Wariner

Borrowed from library using Libby app.

I heard about this book on the What Should I Read Next? podcast, as one of the guests mentioned it. The guest was Anna LeBaron, author of The Polygamist’s Daughter (which is on my TBR list), and Ruth Wariner is her cousin. This book was so interesting, as the author is describing her upbringing in Mexico, California, and Texas in a polygamist home. But it is so heartbreaking reading about the physical, sexual, and emotional abuse that these children experienced. This is  wonderful book, and I recommend it.

The Reckoning by John Grisham

Borrowed from library using Libby app.

The story of a man who murders a preacher in the small town in which he lives, the story of how he got to the place of murder, and the story of the effects it had on his loved ones. This was an interesting book. At the end, Grisham talks about a real-life murder that inspired him into writing this particular story. It’s fascinating. It’s also frustrating for me as a lawyer to read how the fictional jury made its decision to vote for the death penalty.

Twelve Women of the Bible by Lysa TerKeurst and others

Already owned Kindle e-book.

My bible study group honestly didn’t love this one. The book goes along with a video series. The first videos are free on YouTube, but as you go along, they’re only available on YouTube if you pay for them. This really bothered us, since there was no indication at the outset that we would need to buy the associated videos. Perhaps we still would have started the series, but it would have been nice to know before we started reading. Essentially each chapter of the book looks at a different woman of the bible and a different bible story. There is some opening information to read, a section to take notes while watching the video, then ending questions. It was okay, but not our favorite bible study that we’ve done.

A Mind of Her Own by Paula McLain

Audible Original book, so new but free.

This Audible Original takes a look at Marie Curie in her early years in school. It was well-written historical fiction, as McLain does so well. I really enjoyed it, and wished it could have been longer, as I was really drawn into the story and wanted to learn more about Curie.

Dark Descent by Kevin F. McMurray

Already owned Audible.

This is a book that my husband had downloaded and already listened to as part of his goal of reading pretty much all books about scuba diving. He recommended it to me. It is about the shipwreck of the Empress of Ireland, which was struck in fog and sunk very rapidly. There were immense casualties because of how quickly the ship sank. It sits at diveable (but fairly deep) depths, requiring extra skill, training, and equipment to dive. A few divers have died while diving the wreck because of the currents, the dark, and the way the shipwreck is situated on the bottom. This was an interesting look at the wreck event itself, and some of those who have dove the wreck over the years. 

Shut Up and Run: How to Get Up, Lace Up, and Sweat with Swagger by Robin Arzon

Purchased Kindle e-book this year.

I want to preface my comments about this book with the statement that I’m not a runner. I’d love to be, but my extremely flat feet make it quite painful and rather unlikely that I will become one. But Robin Arzon is a Peloton instructor, and one of my very favorites at that. I decided to pick up the book because I was curious what she’d say about athletics, her own history of moving from practicing law to fitness, and for some motivation to continue my own fitness journey. The book is well-written, has great photos, and was interesting. 

Courageously Uncomfortable: When the Real Woman You Want to Be Is on the Other Side of Fear by Lisa J. Goins

Already owned Kindle e-book.

Courageously Uncomfortable encourages women to stop living in fear, and to be courageous in living the life that God has set out for us. It’s not terribly long, and stays on that message. This was a good one.

Educated by Tara Westover

Borrowed from library using Libby app.

I’ve looked forward to reading this for quite some time. I didn’t really have a good sense of what it was about before I started reading, other than that it was a memoir and those I know who’d read it before recommended it. Westover grew up in a home with mental illness mixed with religious extremism, an unhealthy fear of the government, and physical and emotional abuse. She was not educated as a child, and lived a very dysfunctional life. But in her teens, she decided that she wants to attend college and is accepted into BYU. Once at BYU she struggled with reconciling the life that her family lead with that of the outside world, and figuring out where she belonged. There are so many moments in the book where my heart just ached for her, and where (especially because of my work in child welfare law) I was appalled at the lack of help and intervention. This is a book that made me think a lot. It was painful to read, but oh so powerful. I think it’s a must read for everyone.

From a Paris Balcony by Ella Carey

Already owned Kindle e-book.

I didn’t really love this book, quite honestly. I didn’t dislike it, but it just wasn’t as much of a page-turner as I’d expected. It is a dual timeline novel following two relatives as the modern-day woman tries to find out what really happened to her ancestor. They are both dealing with their lives turning out different than they’d expected.

Palace of Treason by Jason Matthews

Borrowed from library.

The Kremlin’s Candidate by Jason Matthews

Borrowed from library.

Books two and three in the Red Sparrow trilogy did not disappoint. I felt like they were perhaps a little longer than they needed to be in particular spots, but because it’s a story about spies, it was still exciting to read. I’m hesitant to say too much more, because I don’t want to give away plot points. But suffice it to say that when I finished it, I sat and thought about the ending for quite a while. It maybe wasn’t how I wanted the book to end, but it’s the ending that the series needed.

Shattered by Kevin Hearne

Purchased using Audible credit.

Two Tales of the Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne

Purchased on Audible this year.

Carniepunk: The Demon Barker of Wheat Street by Kevin Hearne

Purchased on Audible this year.

Grimoire of the Lamb by Kevin Hearne 

Purchased on Audible this year.

I spent A LOT of time in the car this month, and was able to listen to quite a few audio books. The Iron Druid Chronicles are wonderful to listen to, and make the time pass very quickly. Shattered is book number seven in the series. The others are short stories and novellas that take place at various points throughout the series (on Audible it lists where they fall, so that you know whether to keep reading the main saga before these). I’m sad I’m getting close to the end, but excited to see what happens in the next book!

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

Borrowed from library using Libby app.

I borrowed this from Libby on e-book after a friend read it and really enjoyed it. I didn’t love it. The story (which is historical fiction based on the book of Hosea from the Bible) felt sort of long and repetitive. There was quite a lot of angst and emotional back-and-forth could have been cut out of the book, while still staying with the main story, in my opinion. It wasn’t bad, just not going to be considered one of my favorites.

The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker 

Borrowed from library using Libby app.

This book was wonderful! I read The Dreamers by the same author last month, and really liked it, so when this popped up as an option on Libby, I snapped it up. Set in the modern age, it follows the story of a pre-teen trying to navigate teenage life, while the world starts slowing down, birds/animals/plants begin to die, and those living have to come to terms with a whole new world that is very different from the one that they had lived in before. The lens through which the story is told is powerful. I really loved it!

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

Borrowed from library using Libby app.

I listened to this on audio while driving this month. It is the story of HeLa, an immortal strain of cancer cells removed from Henrietta Lacks, that has led to a cure for polio, and all sorts of medical and scientific advancements. But even more than the cells themselves, the book is the story of Henrietta herself, and her family, and what impact her early death and these cells had on them. It’s well written and interesting.

Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy: Four Women Undercover in the Civil War by Karen Abbott

Borrowed from library using Libby app.

This book (which I also listened to on audio) includes the stories of four separate women who acted as spies during the Civil War. Two were from the Union, while two were from the Confederacy. One hid her gender so that she could act as a soldier. Their stories are told so well that you root for the women to succeed, even when you don’t want their cause to win. Well written. 

Books in Progress:

Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky (Borrowed from library using Libby app.)

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield (Already owned physical book.)

Lazarus Awakening: Finding Your Place in the Heart of God by Joanna Weaver (Purchased Kindle e-book this year.) My bible study is working through this book.

The Brothers: The Road to an American Tragedy by Masha Gessen (Already owned Audible.)

Traveling with Pomegranates: A Mother and Daughter Journey to the Sacred Places of Greece, Turkey, and France by Sue Monk Kidd and Ann Kidd Taylor (Purchased physical book this year.)

Books Abandoned:

The Mars Room by Rachel Kishner (Borrowed from library using Libby app)

Portuguese Irregular Verbs by Alexander McCall Smith (Already owned physical book.)

The Finer Points of Sausage Dogs by Alexander McCall Smith (Already owned physical book.)