March Wrap Up (a month of whims)

~reading

How many books that I planned did I read?

Well, I didn’t actually have a TBR post or much of a plan for March. After a fairly slow and dismal February (both for reading and for weather and for stress) I didn’t bother to plan anything for March because I had no idea how it would go. 😅

The Plan:

The rough plan was:

• When The Apricots Bloom (a new release I’ve been waiting on and finally got from the library)
• The Office of Historical Corrections (a BOTM short story collection I’ve been “in progress” with for months)
• The Gilded Ones (a gift that I wanted to have time to read without having to hurry it)

The Result:

The fact that I finished Eldest by Christopher Paolini in a month, let alone also finished several other books, is a fact that would have astonished younger me. When I first tried to read it, I made it probably halfway through before I had to return it to the library. And then took a while to bother going back to read it fully. xD

Speaking of not finishing books, I DNFd two more this month. Blanca & Roja by Anna-Marie McLemore was just a little to abstract and lyrical for my current mindset, though it’s one I can see returning too another time when I’m more ready for it. Frankly in Love by David Yoon on the other hand… after just reading his other book, Super Fake Love Song, I just kept thinking that the characters felt exactly the same. Even the plot felt really similar. The writing style was spot-on consistent, which is generally a good trait, but left me feeling kind of bored. Considering I didn’t love the characters in Super Fake Love Song anyway, and getting more of that wasn’t going to do it for me. I’m probably done with his books to be honest, because I get the feeling that having read one, I’ve read them all.

Also I’m going to own it now: I’ve had some unpopular opinions this month, particularly with The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna. Look, I expected to love it too, but in the end I was solidly lukewarm on it. And on The Office of Historical Corrections by Danielle Evans, which I *FINALLY* finished.

I mean, really, I have been pretty lukewarm on almost everything I read this year! Thankfully y’all came out with some clutch recommendations that I’ve been starting on already — and loving! 😀 I also padded this month with some comics and graphic novels that were a safe bet that I would enjoy. And I figured if I ended up not that into it, it was probably only an hour or two of time invested into finishing it. 😅

~life

I FINALLY BOUGHT THE HOUSE. Yes, I had already moved in, and yes, I’ve been fixing it up for almost a year now, but it’s ACTUALLY mine, legally, and with the paperwork and all that. So thank goodness that’s over with! Not the paperwork – there’s still plenty – but the stress of finishing that big portion of this process. 🍾🍾🍾

As always, that’s been my life. I fix the house. I pay for other people to fix the house. I buy things to help fix the house. xD

Although this month I did get some more time to game, though still not nearly as much as I’d like. One of my main games has had events almost nonstop for a month and a half and I haven’t been able to participate in ANY of them. CURSE HOW BUSY AND YET NOT I’VE BEEN!!!! I’m forcing some time in this month to play. In my other main game, we’re nearly to the end boss of the final raid! He’s sooo close to being down. We’ve got this. One more week and he’s DEAD. 💀

I’m still taking pictures of squirrels. I’m still generally enjoying my job. I’m still coasting along otherwise, in a pandemic’d life of always being at home.

I’m prioritizing fixing the pool in anticipation of another summer not going anywhere….

~blog

You may have noticed that blog postings have grown, er, somewhat erratic in the past few months.

Remember that year+ where I posted every day, including while overseas on vacations? And now I’m home literally all the time and I can’t manage a post every day? Yeah….

Well, mental health needs take us all in different ways, right? Happily, I’m coming back into having time, energy, and motivation to be writing here again. Yay! I missed it, even if no one else did. 😅 Daily posting is a plan / goal to return to in April and onward after an awkward few months. Thanks for sticking around, y’all. 🤗

Here are some of my favorite posts I worked on this month, in case you missed them!

• Where have all the good books gone?
• Why I’m reading Eragon… yet again!
• How did the 2020 pandemic affect the amount people read?

And here are some of my favorite posts by other bloggers!

• 7 Lessons in Personal Finance by Kevin Hall @ The Sensible Merchant (honestly I love a lot of his posts since I’m big on finances and budgeting, but here’s a bookish one to ease y’all into it 🤣)
• To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf by Brianna @ Pages Unbound (an author I hated until I read this book)
• Happy Holi guys! by Riddhi @ Whispering Words (in which I learn the story of Holi and not just the modern celebration of Holi 😀)