Well, I'm not really sure where to start when wrapping up this month, to be honest! I think we can all agree that March was a rollercoaster in every sense of the word. I'll start off with a quick note that I am, as of now, healthy and fully isolation myself and staying home at this time. I hope you are all staying as healthy as can be right now, also! I already used to do my work from home and my Masters program is also an online one, so I'm already equipped for the stay-at-home deal, haha, but I know it's a huge adjustment for so many, so I hope you are all handling it well (and if you still have to work because you're essential, I hope you're staying safe! :) )
The big downsides for me personally are that my income has slowed considerably and I'm currently separated physically from my husband because of the temporary long distance situation. We've been temporarily long distance for a little while now with me traveling back and forth between Northern and Southern California and living about 50/50 in two places. I had to fly down to SoCal, where my mom lives (and where I grew up) about mid-March because I had jury duty, and it was around that time that everything started to really get crazy in the US and I decided that I was no longer comfortable flying. My husband and I both have cars, but neither are exactly cut out for a 7+ hour drive and I'm not sure how I feel about rental cars, so for the past few weeks and the foreseeable future I am staying home with my mom. Things could definitely be worse and I often feel a bit guilty for being upset over something this minimal in the grand scheme of things, but it's still difficult to be away from my partner right. At the end of the day, though, I'm just thankful that we are all safe and have a place to live and I know it's so much worse for so many people, so I try to keep that in perspective every day.
In regards to reading, it's been a bit of a struggle to stay focused, but I'm working on trying to relax my own personal expectations and just be satisfied with any reading that I manage to get done. I've started and stopped more books this past month than I have in a long time, haha, which shows me just how scattered I am lately, but I managed to get through a good number of books in the end. Some standouts were Mexican Gothic (what a weird but amazing story!), The Adventurer's Son (unbelievable compelling and heartbreaking and thrilling), and The Sin in the Steel (if you like pirates and adventures and sarcastic characters, you'll love it!). I also decided to go ahead and include Livy's History of Rome that I've been reading for a class because, well, it's a book and I did read it, so it counts! Anyway, I'm hoping I can feel more solid about books in April, though I'm so sad that the libraries are closed (though of course I understand why)! Anyone else really feeling the loss of their local library?
Anyway: How was your reading month? Did you read any great books? Have you read any of the books I read? Let me know, I'd love to chat about any and all the books!
# books read: 14
Source: Publisher (Little, Brown) | Format: Physical ARC
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia ★★★★★
Source: NetGalley | Format: eARC
Come Tumbling Down by Seanan McGuire ★★★★★
Source: Library | Format: Hardcover
The Adventurer's Son by Roman Dial ★★★★★
Source: Library| Format: Hardcover
The Age of Witches by Louisa Morgan ★★★★
Source: Publisher (Orbit) | Format: Hardcover
The Sin in the Steal by Ryan Van Loan ★★★★
Source: Publisher | Format: Physical ARC
Trouble the Saints by Alaya Dawn Johnson ★★★
Source: Publisher | Format: Physical ARC
The Silvered Serpents by Roshani Chokshi ★★★
Source: NetGalley| Format: eARC
The Book of Koli by M.R. Carey ★★★★
Source: Publisher (Orbit) | Format: Paperback
Blackwood by Michael Farris Smith ★★★★
Source: Publisher (Little, Brown) | Format: Physical ARCSource: Publisher | Format: Physical ARC
Trouble the Saints by Alaya Dawn Johnson ★★★
Source: Publisher | Format: Physical ARC
The Silvered Serpents by Roshani Chokshi ★★★
Source: NetGalley| Format: eARC
The Book of Koli by M.R. Carey ★★★★
Source: Publisher (Orbit) | Format: Paperback
Blackwood by Michael Farris Smith ★★★★
A Time of Courage by John Gwynne ★★★★★
Source: Publisher (Orbit) | Format: Paperback
Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray ★★★★★ (re-read)
Source: Library | Format: Hardcover
The Rise of Rome: Books 1-5 by Livy
Source: Owned | Format: Paperback
The Mother Code by Carole Stivers ★★★
Source: Publisher | Format: Physical ARC
Source: Publisher (Orbit) | Format: Paperback
Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray ★★★★★ (re-read)
Source: Library | Format: Hardcover
The Rise of Rome: Books 1-5 by Livy
Source: Owned | Format: Paperback
The Mother Code by Carole Stivers ★★★
Source: Publisher | Format: Physical ARC
The Deep by Alma Katsu ★★★
Hearts of Oak by Eddie Robson ★★★★★
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune ★★★★★
Brightstorm by Vashti Hardy ★★★★★
The Woman in the Mirror by Rebecca James ★★★
The Gobblin' Society by James P. Blaylock ★★★★★
Providence by Max Barry ★★★
Legacy of Ash by Matthew Ward ★★★★
Along the Razor's Edge by Rob J. Hayes ★★★★
A Time of Courage by John Gwynne ★★★★★
(other than reviews)
Top Five/Ten Tuesday:
Single Word Titles
Authors A-Z Week 1: A-E
Authors A-Z Week 2: F-O
Authors A-Z Week 3: P-Z
Can't-Wait Wednesday:
Looking Glass by Christina Henry & The Empire of Dreams by Rae Carson
The Book of Koli by M.R. Carey & Don't Call the Wolf by Aleksandra Ross
Repo Virtual by Corey J. White & Race the Sands by Sarah Beth Durst
Eden by Tim Lebbon, The Ancestor by Danielle Trussoni, & Empire of the Sky by Alexander Rose
Single Word Titles
Authors A-Z Week 1: A-E
Authors A-Z Week 2: F-O
Authors A-Z Week 3: P-Z
Can't-Wait Wednesday:
Looking Glass by Christina Henry & The Empire of Dreams by Rae Carson
The Book of Koli by M.R. Carey & Don't Call the Wolf by Aleksandra Ross
Repo Virtual by Corey J. White & Race the Sands by Sarah Beth Durst
Eden by Tim Lebbon, The Ancestor by Danielle Trussoni, & Empire of the Sky by Alexander Rose
I'm glad you're with your mom right now, but definitely don't feel guilty about being upset over the physical separation from your husband! We all need comfort right now and it would be so hard to be away from my own husband. I was so glad when he started working from home, because I wouldn't be alone and I knew he would be safe.
ReplyDeleteI miss my library, too! I can still get tons of ebooks and audiobooks, but I miss browsing the shelves!
Wow, first of all, I'm sorry you're not with your husband right now! But at least you're with your mom. I feel bad because I haven't seen my parents in a while and now it won't happen any time soon. My work laid me off but then asked me to come back part time, so I am going into the office, but there are only three of us and we literally have our own corners that we stay in and we yell at each other across the room if we need to talk. I guess it's ok? But I'd still rather stay home. I can't believe all the books you've read! Mexican Gothic, The Age of Witches, Sin in the Steel and Wonderland are all books I'm dying to start. Hope April is just as good!
ReplyDeleteOh gosh! I'm sorry to hear that you're in a tough spot right now. Totally don't feel guilty! I recently listened to a podcast episode from Brene Brown's Unlocking Us that really hit the nail on the head talking about the COVID situation and how we're all feeling. If you have time and enjoy podcasts, you should check it out! The two really helpful ones for me were the one on grief and the one on anxiety.
ReplyDelete