Recap for March 2012

I've been doing a run-down of my month in posts at the end of every month, and no one's complained, so it continues. This is the last post of March, barring any reviews that populate from my Goodreads.

Book Reviews
Piratica by Tanith Lee (3/5 stars; YA adventure) — Spunky teenage girl sets off to become a lady pirate. More enjoyable for younger readers, doubtless.

I Am Half-Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley (5/5 stars; audio book; Flavia de Luce #4; mystery) — Flavia has a film crew descending on Buckshaw. Murder happens relatively late in the narrative, which speeds the pacing considerably, and Flavia is always delightful. This is a good example of a series that isn't stuck in a rut.

The Nerd Who Loved Me by Vicki Lewis Thompson (3/5 stars; Nerds in Love #2; romance) — Entertaining but predictable romance tale. Interesting twist in having a beta male love interest, but on the repetitive side. 

Just Like That by Margo Candela (4/5 stars; romance; novella length) — I got a copy for review, but would've bought it, anyway, if I knew how much I'd like it. Details left to the imagination in this short-but-sweet romance with a compelling protagonist.

The Wind-Up Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi (3/5 stars; audio book; dystopian science fiction) — Much-loved SF novel with intriguing premise winds up feeling emotionally disconnected and overly complicated to me.

Liar by Justine Larbalestier (4/5 stars; YA) — The ultimate unreliable narrator tells about the mystery surrounding a classmate's death.

Smokin' Seventeen by Janet Evanovich (3/5 stars; audio book; Stephanie Plum #17; humor mystery/romance/thriller thingy) — The next-to-most-recent of the Stephanie Plum books. Adds nothing new, though the ending is creative.

A Circle of Cats by Charles de Lint, illustrated by Charles Vess (5/5 stars; picture book) — Thoroughly delightful tale about a girl saved from a snakebite by being turned into a cat. Then she has to figure out how to turn back. Almost wish I had kids of my own to read this to.

Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury (5/5 stars; audio book; classic SF/fantasy) — A science fiction master at his peak tells of a man traveling back in time to let go of those he's lost to move forward emotionally. Read a radio play version.

A Moose and a Lobster Walk into a Bar by John McDonald (4/5 stars; humorous essays) — A Maine native relates tales and views from his home state. More entertaining if you've lived there.

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta (4/5 stars; YA) — A rough start turns around to become one of the most touching and emotionally honest books I've read in recent memory. This is how character development should look. 

Most Popular Posts in March

My interview with Seanan McGuire from February continued to garner lots of view. I'm unsurprised.

Turning Negatives into Positives became something of a theme in March, and that post contains links to all of my posts that fit the theme.

It would seem people like to read my departures from negativity, because people flocked to Good Stuff: Castle. Or maybe it's just Nathan Fillion's magnetism.

My progress post on my current project, where I hold myself accountable for failing to budget time to write this month, garnered quite a bit of interest. I'm proud to report that tonight I put my butt in the chair and tapped out the scene I'd been dreading.

And apparently people wanted to learn how to suspend disbelief (or they wanted to read about Hunger Games, to which I allude in the post).

See you in April! Have an excellent weekend!