Book Sabbatical: March

This month it was hard for me to stay focused. I had most success in my audiobooks, but also am finishing some non-library books that will be revealed in the April blog. I enjoyed the dash of non-fiction this month which is unusual for me, but makes me feel in touch with real life. I hope to continue stretching my smarty pants muscles and learning more about writing well. My plan for April is to continue digging into books on my shelf and to re-read a couple favorites. Find me on Instagram @hannah_marie._author or Facebook @HannahMarie.author!

3) The Fall of Arthur, by J.R.R. Tolkien

Did you re-read any passages? This was more of a skim because the incomplete poem was only a couple chapters long. The rest of this book was written by his son, Christopher, based on research that he found among his father's journals and other manuscripts.

Would you want to read another book by this author? Of course! There are still several backstories that I have yet to study in detail. It would be great to get through the Simarillion, honestly, but I re-read The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit often.

Did reading the book impact your mood? This brought to mind that I need to re-read poetry more often!

What surprised you most about the book? I didn't realize that this book even existed. I was browsing the library for another book and stumbled across it.

How did your opinion of the book change as you read it? It reminds me that things that I think about an author might change based on what the author might have thought is "not good enough."

What tips did you find for writing? The above answer touches on this, but it is a reminder that our writing changes throughout our life and something that we might think others percieve as trash might essentially be a treasure.

Scale of 1-5: 3

2) The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, by V.E. Schwab

Did you re-read any passages? Not in this one. It was an audiobook.

Would you want to read another book by this author? Yes. I’ve never read anything else by this author but this book has made a splash!

Did reading the book impact your mood? It drew me into the story by switching characters and a slow reveal.

What surprised you most about the book? This was very similar to a cross between The Book Thief (Zusak), The Time-Traveler’s Wife (Niffenegger) and Girl with the Louding Voice (Daré). It threw in elements of the characters that was unexpected.

How did your opinion of the book change as you read it? This was not a straightforward story, and the characters developed in a mostly authentic way. The storyline was more complicated than I thought originally.

What tips did you find for writing? Always keep the reader guessing on at least one element, and change the hidden key as the story unfolds. While the reader uncovers, they will learn more about the story world.

Scale of 1-5: 4 (but I did add this to my favorites, as a memo to re-read!)

1) Humans, by Brandon Stanton

Did you re-read any passages? There were certain stories that I reread, particularly if it had a surprising ending or referred to the photo within the interview.

Would you want to read another book by this author? Yes! I’ve read some of the blog and Instagram, but have never read his previous books.

Did reading the book impact your mood? This was personal because it covered countries all around the world; it was precious because everyone can find themselves in these pages.

What surprised you most about the book? It was a lot longer than I thought, and I didn’t expect to be drawn into the stories as much as I was.

How did your opinion of the book change as you read it? LOVED it from the beginning! It’s been on my TBR list a long time.

What tips did you find for writing? Find personal stories, even if it is uncomfortable to talk about sometimes. Those lessons are the most impactful.

Scale of 1-5: 5. I even bought some for gifts! This is perfect for those who "aren't readers" because each story is only a page or two long, and each synopsis includes at least one photo.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

All the Light We Cannot See | A. Doerr (historical fiction)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Boys | R. Howard (memoir)

Dead Wake | E. Larson (non-fiction narrative)

Cyrano de Bergac | E. Rostand (play)

Symbols: A Universal Language | J. Piercy (non-fiction)

Crying in H Mart | M. Zauner (memoir)