The Looooong and the Short of It: March 2024 Wrap-Up Post and Looking Forward to April

March was longer and there was spring break, but as always it was busy. The weather went up and down with some springy days and some more winter-like days. Work was better with the sub for my library clerk, but also with the things going on and my library being used as almost a detention center every day, I had a lot of days where I was in tears either at work or when I got home. My stepdad started a new cancer treatment. Which seems to be going well. My reading was down. I had a few really long books it seemed, and then also with my audiobooks after two really good ones, had trouble getting into a new one and went through a few before I found one to actually settle in and listen to. So my reading was down again! I had two official DNFs and only got 12 books read. Less than last month!

• # of pages read: 3244 – for 12 books
• Amount of time spent listening to audiobooks – Since I only count what I finished in my personal calculations, my time spent was 17 hours and 13 minutes for 2 audiobooks, although as I said, I had a lot of starting and stopping audiobooks, so there was more time read. And I also had the stress keeping me from concentrating on listening which meant I’d switch to music in the car on those days.

I’m really enjoying StoryGraph for my stats still too! Here they are for March:

March Reviews

Of the 12 specific titles listed last month, I got 11 read and most reviewed, and one DNF.

• [2 Mar] The No-Girlfriend Rule by Christen Randall ★★★★½
• [5 Mar] Promchanted by Morgan Matson ★★★★½
• [7 Mar] If You Hate Me by Helena Hunting ★★★★½
• [12 Mar] Happily Never After by Lynn Painter ★★★★½
• [13 Mar] That Thing You Brew by Kerry Evelyn ★★★½
• [15 Mar] White Trash Zombie Apocalypse by Diana Rowland ★★★★½
• [16 Mar] In the Orbit of You by Ashley Schumacher ★★★★½
• [18 Mar] Tour Wars by Carla Luna ★★★★½
• [27 Mar] Hearts Still Beating by Brooke Archer ★★★★
• [29 Mar] Once Persuaded, Twice Shy by Melodie Edwards DNF
• [29 Mar] The Breakup Vacation by Anna Gracia DNF
• [30 Mar] Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree ★★★★½
• [30 Mar] The Nerd and the Neighbor by Lainey Davis ★★★½
• [30 Mar] House of War and Bone by Leia Stone ★★★★½

Challenge Wrap-Up

My goal is 24 for the year using the prompts that are listed, and I only got one done. I did actually do a different topic from the choices on StoryGraph for that one freebie ebook I had too.

1. Prompt: On your TBR 5+ years – Five Minutes Late by Rich Amooi
2. Prompt: Anthology or omnibus edition – The Natural History Novellas by Erin Mallon
3. Prompt: We all scream – horror – The Dead List by Jennifer L. Armentrout
4. Prompt: Walk through history – Something Wilder by Christina Lauren
5. Prompt: Writing about writing – The Nerd and the Neighbor by Lainey Davis

I was behind with no posts last month, but this month I caught up and did two!

• [6 Mar] Discussion Post: Just Can’t Get Enough or Do You Also Want All the Special Editions and Book Boxes?
• [22 Mar] Discussion Post: Give It Away, Give It Away, Give It Away Now, or Do you still host giveaways on your blog or enter on other blogs?

My goal was one book a month. I actually got two done the first month. And then I got a third this month.

1. Hooked by Lynn Stevens
2. Five Minutes Late by Rich Amooi
3. The Nerd and the Neighbor by Lainey Davis

My Goodreads and StoryGraph Goals of 150 books are on track with 42 books read so far, putting me ahead of schedule. I’m also still trying to keep my Netgalley percentage above 80%, but I grabbed a bunch on my own as well as getting some from publishers/authors, and now I’m down to 78%!

What to Expect in April

Well, hopefully I don’t have all the family illness issues I had last year in April. And I’m looking forward to the school librarian conference where I got a ton of reading done two years ago. Of course, this year I’m on a committee and have more things I have to attend or work at the registration center, etc. Not thrilled I’ll have to attend both breakfasts on Monday and Tuesday. I usually skip those so I can sleep in, lol.

Here is my proposed TBR for April:

1. The Fallback by Eleanor Goymer – an e-galley the publisher sent me, I hope to read and post the review by the 4th
2. The Kiss Countdown by Etta Easton – another e-galley from the publisher, should be posting my review hopefully on the 6th if I get to it.
3. Nine Month Contract by Amy Daws – another e-galley, this time from the author’s review team. Should be posting review on its pub day, the 10th
4. Kiss Me If You Can by Cheryl Terra – I think I’m getting the e-galley of this for a blog tour on the 12th
5. To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods by Molly X. Chang – I got an ARC from this from the publisher unsolicited, if I get into it, I’ll read and post the review on the 15th
6. Stage Smart by Aly Stiles – this is an e-galley for the next SmartyPants Romance releases. Should be reading and posting a review either on the 16th or the 23rd?
7. The Upper Crush by Evie Alexander – an e-galley from the author, should read and the review will be posted on the 20th for a blog tour
8. Nun Too Soon by Lissa Sharpe – another SmartyPants Romance e-galley, review will be either the 18th or the 25th
9. How the White Trash Zombie Got Her Groove Back by Diana Rowland – the next book in the WTZ readalong. I will listen to the audiobook once again and that review will be posted on the 19th
10. Finally Fitz by Marisa Kanter – an ARC from the publisher, plan to read and post review on the 22nd
11. Beastly Beauty by Jennifer Donnelly – another ARC from the publisher, should read and post review on the 23rd most likely. Depends on the e-galley review for Stage Smart.
12. Passing Notes by Nora Everly – another SmartyPants Romance e-galley, should be reading and posting review on either the 24th or in May?
13. The Love Algorithm by Camilla Isley – e-galley for a blog tour review on the 26th
14. Happy Medium by Sarah Adler – another e-galley, hope to read and review on the 27th
15. The Pucker Next Door by Sara Ney – an author review team e-galley I should be reading and posting my review on the 29th
16. Band Together by Piper Sheldon – another SmartyPants Romance, should be reading for a review in May
17. Any other audiobooks I listen to, including the one I started at the end of this month, Co-Wrecker by Meghan Quinn. Plus I added a bunch of my past Netgalley books I need to review to get off my shelf to the library’s Libby app. Any books from my Backlist challenge I get to, hopefully two of them since my goal is 24 for the year!

Final Thoughts

How was your March? Mine was crazy at school, but at least I got to have another trip to my mom’s cabin in Branson for some relaxing during spring break. The weather was up and down all month. For April I’m looking forward to the Missouri Association of School Librarian’s annual conference the second weekend, and hopefully getting more spring weather! I seem to have a ton of books planned to be read in April too. What are you looking forward to in April?