Books, books, books! March Recap, NYR Update 3/12

Spring has sprung. Holy hot dog, it's April! Second quarter is upon us with its rain-and-shine and tax deadlines and TULIPS! Well, unless the snow from last Thursday killed them. :) Nah!

The New Year's Resolutions are going strong, although my healthy eating took a dive during the Seattle vacation. I'm back on track starting Monday with a new round of TurboFire and an attempt at going vegetarian. We'll see what happens!

So, here are my March books:

3/5/11 - Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Was I motivated to read this book by Robert Pattinson's sun-kissed face in the movie previews? Not entirely (motivated to see the movie in April? ummm, YES!). This is a lovely story with an unnerving villain and a twist that caught me by surprise. Written in flashbacks from the ninety-three year old Jacob's perspective as he ponders the meaning of his life in a nursing home, I'd recommend it to anyone who's ever wondered about the behind-the-scenes of the circus. The picture is very obviously not mine.

3/6/11 - The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson
I would read a bit, put the book down, then wander back to it. Does the lovely Lennie end up with Joe? I sure hoped so, but needed to find out, so I read it in a day. Yes, a day! And I'm not a fast reader. This one's a heartbreaker, so be warned, but it's also a story of self-discovery and family ties with poetry flitting about the pages. Lots (and lots and lots) of descriptions and similes, but it's not distracting. A quick, good read with another good boy that I may have a crush on (but nothing, nothing like Peeta; remember this post?).

3/24/11 - The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
Well, I was certainly 'into' the book. Meaning, the creepy creeps lived in me every time I picked up the bent paperback. Seriously. The killer is an everyday kind of guy who I probably walk past at my job, on the street, in the gracery store *cold chill.* But the ending just wasn't what I expected. A good book, yes, but not one I would seek out again. I suppose that made the story feel more real (and, did I mention, creepy? Yeah).

Does rereading and revising my WIP count? hehe

Plans for April:

Well, I still have The Room by Emma Donoghue and The Hating Game by Talli Roland on my Kindle. A friend at work recommended (and loaned) Real Vampires Have Curves by Gerry Bartlett, but I'm struggling to stay interested at only page fifty. So, those are the three I'll focus on. Any others can be bonus.

On the writing side, I will (WILL) finalize-for-now my WIP. It's time for some feedback, so Katharine and her Crits for Water campaign will see me soon. Such a fantastic idea and a great cause! As always, if you haven't popped over there, go. Now. I'll wait...........okay. Oh, you need more time? ..............good.

I also have a new idea banging around my head that needs written down, so I'll try Ali Cross's NiNoWriMo another month (Feb. and Mar. weren't exactly successful, but you know, constant vigilence! Or something like that).
What will you be reading in April? How about your garden? Is your green thumb poised and ready? :)

Thanks for checkin' out the Cheetah!

-Marie