It was a Mad Month of books in a crazy, mad world. I started the month still without a computer, working at my job, looking forward to my oldest coming home from college, and dying to dig my toes into the sands of the Florida beach during Spring Break. And then the world went crazy.

I spent my Spring Break in my house instead of in beautiful, sunny Panama City, Florida and then I didn’t go back to work because here in Wisconsin we are safer at home. My oldest didn’t go back to school because he and my younger two are now doing school virtually. He is here for the duration; we don’t know if the younger two will physically go back to school or not. I have a high school senior that is watching all of his senior milestones slip away, so the mood at my house has been a little off to say the least.

It’s possible that being home instead of on the beach affected how I felt about some of the books I read this month. I have friends that LOVED The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd, so I really think that if I had read that on the white sand in the hot sun with a cool drink in my hand (which is exactly how I visualized reading it), I would have loved it too.

So here are the twelve books I read in March, my Mad Month of books. Links will take you to book summaries on Goodreads.

Dead Wake by Erik Larson (4 stars)

Another example of Erik Larson’s ability to take a historical event where you already know the outcome and turn it into a hold-your-breath tale that reads like a fiction book.

Even if you don’t consider yourself a WWI buff, this book is fascinating. Larson builds the anxiety into a sorrow-filled ending, stuffing your head with facts all the while.

This is definitely a well-woven story… Larson tells the story not only of the Lusitania’s crew, but also of the passengers and the Germans who sank her.

Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life…And Maybe the World by William H. McRaven (4 stars)

Much like one of my favorite books from last year, Wolfpack by Abby Wambach (read my post about it here), this book was based on a commencement speech. And just like I gifted Wolfpack to the young women graduating last year, I plan on gifting Make Your Bed to the young men this year.

Admiral William McRaven addressed the 2014 graduating class at The University of Texas. As a Longhorn himself, he based his speech around the University’s slogan “What starts here changes the world” and incorporated 10 important lessons from his time as a Navy SEAL.

Whether you have a graduating senior or just want a book to motivate you (and that senior who seems to have lost most of their senior experiences), this is a short, fabulous read to lift you up, help you focus, and get you moving.

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern (5 stars)

I realize that we are only three months into the year, but I may have found my favorite book of the year. Full transparency, I loved The Night Circus, and when I heard Erin Morgenstern had a new book I *almost* jumped with joy.

I will admit that there were a couple of times that this book seemed to…. drag. But I don’t care. Morgenstern’s imagination and her ability to craft a story about stories have given this book a permanent place in my heart.

The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory (3 stars)

Alright… so this is the third book in the series and I’m learning that Philippa Gregory is a master manipulator. After reading The Lady of the Rivers and The White Queen, I absolutely loved Elizabeth Woodville. Even if she was born from a scandalous marriage, how could you not love a woman who fiercely loved and fought for her husband and children? Margaret Beaufort can tell you how. WOW.

So, yes, Elizabeth was a schemer, but what a crafty, conniving, evil witch!

Philippa Gregory did not make me love Margaret Beaufort the way I love Elizabeth Woodville but I love how she can tell the same story from a different viewpoint and make you rethink everything you thought you knew!!!!

The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See (5 stars)

I have admitted more than once that I hated learning about history growing up. I memorized what I needed to in order to pass the current test and then quickly forgot it. I studied history when I was in the military, too, and more of that stuck, but I will sadly admit that I knew almost nothing of the history of the Japanese occupation of Korea or the beautiful history of the haenyeo, the women divers of the Korean island of Jeju, before I read Lisa See’s novel, The Island of Sea Women.

This is a novel that spans decades and generations and weaves a story of friendships and families. It is a window into a culture most of us will never be blessed to see first-hand.

I cried tears of anger, joy, frustration, and tenderness when I read it.

This is a book that will move your heart and soul.

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng (3 stars)

I was introduced to Celeste Ng in Everything I Never Told You, a book that spoke to me both as a mother and a daughter. I was excited to read Little Fires Everywhere, but it kept getting moved down on my TBR. Even when Reese Witherspoon picked it for her book club back in 2017, I still didn’t read it.

It wasn’t until my forced #Cornoncation2020 and Reese bringing Little Fires to the small screen that it vaulted to the top of my TBR. I wanted to read it before I watched it.

I wish I could say that it was worth the wait, that I connected with these characters the way I did with those in Everything… but I didn’t. I loved the story. I do think you should read it. But as a mother (especially the of a preemie), I cannot understand Elena Richardson at all, which made it hard to really like this book.

I think it’s just a case of right book, wrong reader.

The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates (3 stars)

There was so much about this book that I loved. Coates is a gifted non-fiction writer and his talent for research is evident throughout the book. The writing in The Water Dancer is almost poetic- there are parts of this book that sing. The characters become real and the brutality of life as a slave is tangible.

But the story is slow, and no amount of poetic writing makes it move faster.

It was hard for me to marry magical realism with slavery- no matter how much I loved the words describing the magic. I want to recommend this book just so you experience the words and yet…

The Kingmaker’s Daughter by Philippa Gregory (4 stars)

Mad respect for Philippa Gregory. How could I have ever loved that conniving, wicked Elizabeth Woodville? The Kingmaker’s Daughter is the story of Anne Neville, and her sister Isabel, the daughters of Richard Neville, the Earl of Warwick. He used them as pawns in his political games and groomed them to be powerful players in England’s constantly changing royal landscape.

The story mainly focuses on Anne, the younger of the two, and the events that carry her to finally achieve her father’s ultimate goal- Queen of England.

Even though it’s history, and even though you know that, yes, she does become Queen, Gregory tells the tale so that you hold your breath and cross your fingers and can’t help but double check the history books to make sure you’re remembering things right. Such a good book!

The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd (3 stars)

This is a book I picked up at my local library’s book sale some time ago. I picked it up because I LOVED The Secret Life of Bees and The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd. I had high hopes that I was going to love this book equally as much.

There is nothing wrong with this book, per se, but this book seemed like chick lit whereas the other two are books that moved me and I have gushed about them when I’ve seen strangers reading them (yes, that happened when I saw a stranger reading Wings, and yes the child that was with me was mortified).

If I had actually been on the beach like I had planned instead of freezing to death in Wisconsin during #Coronacation2020, I probably would have enjoyed this much more. Kidd is a fabulous writer and her descriptions of the South Carolina island had me craving the beach and the sun, but I didn’t connect with the story or the characters.

One of Us is Next by Karen McManus (4 stars)

This is a fabulous sequel. I gave this and the original, One of Us is Lying, four stars only because they are typical YA books and I figured out whodunnit fairly early on.

That said, I love YA books, and I loved the plot of both books, whodunnit be damned. One of Us is Next picks up where One of Us is Lying left off and contains most of the same characters, with some new faces to keep it interesting.

McManus creates believable characters, even if not all of them are likable. She does a great job weaving their stories together and creating a tale that makes you laugh, makes you hold your breath, and leaves you with a satisfying ending and a smile.

The President is Missing by Bill Clinton and James Patterson (4 stars)

If you like action-packed thrillers and are looking for something fun to read, this is the book for you.

I was skeptical at first because I’m not a fan of most of the Patterson/co-author collaborations I’ve read, but I will admit I was wrong in this case. While I do think that James Patterson could have pulled this book off by himself, Bill Clinton lends a breadth of knowledge and experience that gives the book enough credibility to make it scary.

Add this to your TBR-later pile if you are struggling with what is going on in the world right now. Without giving anything away, it was difficult to read a book that continuously used the word “virus” during my forced #Coronacation2020 because of a worldwide pandemic. Other than that, I highly recommend this as a fast-paced, fun book to kick back and read.

The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton (3 stars)

If you read and enjoyed Kate Atkinson’s Life After Life, but felt that it was just a bit toooooo long, you will understand how I feel about this book.

I LOVED the story idea of this book; imaginative, original, and completely engaging.

“Tonight Evelyn Hardcastle will be killed…again”

This is a mystery and a love story with a side of redemption all with a crazy plot twist at the end and I loved it. But it was long. And repetitive.

At only 432 pages, it isn’t actually that long, but it seemed that way at times. In the end, it was worth it! Oh, and if you are confused throughout most of the book, you’re doing it right!

How was your Mad Month of books?

Did you have a Mad Month of books or were you scrambling to figure out what “virtual schooling” meant? Did you get to take a quick beach getaway before life went crazy or were you stuck at home like me? Let me know if you’ve read any of these books or if there are any earned a place on your TBR!!!

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