March: What I Read.
Last month, I listened to so many audio books that I decided to write a separate post about what I read. Otherwise, my March 2017 goals update would have been 2,000+ words long! I’m excited to share my reads with you today.
In March, I listened to:
- Keep Moving: And Other Tips About Old Age by Dick Van Dyke. Really interesting. He still knows how to tell a great story.
- Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules compiled by David Sedaris. Solid and unlike anything I normally read, which was a great change of pace.
- Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande. Hands down, the best book I’ve read in 2017 thus far. Gawande is a fantastic writer, and he does an excellent job blending personal narrative with medical expertise and psychology research.
- I Hate Everyone, Except You by Clinton Kelly. My first total dud read of 2017. Please don’t waste your time on this book. Kelly is a selfish, ungrateful man who doesn’t have one interesting, much less meaningful, story to share.
- Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert. Solid. I can see why this book is so popular. If you’re in a creative rut or feel like something is holding you back from your creative pursuits, give it a read.
- The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan. I got inspired to read The Omnivore’s Dilemma after Nick Offerman mentioned it several times in his books. It’s an extremely interesting read. I was worried it would be liberal propaganda, but Pollan offers a comprehensive, unbiased perspective. Unless you’ve researched the history of food processing and production in the United States extensively, I guarantee you’ll learn a lot from this book, and it will make you think.
- Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders. I listened to this book, purely because there has been so much hype about the audio book version. I love the concept of Lincoln in the Bardo. I don’t love the book. I think it might be better to read it. There were so many voiced characters, it was tough to keep track of what was happening. The book had its moments, but it didn’t come together as a whole for me.
- Different: Escaping the Competitive Herd by Youngme Moon. Moon is a professor and approaches this subject from a heavily research-based, academic perspective. It’s not bad, but it’s definitely different from the perspective you usually get from this type of book. She has a somewhat repetitive writing style, which drove me a bit crazy. The book is also a little outdated. But Moon knows her stuff, and it’s an interesting read.
- Barrel Fever: Stories and Essays by David Sedaris. I love David Sedaris. I think this may be my favorite collection of his that I’ve read yet.
Currently, I’m listening to Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand, aka everything you ever wanted to know about the history of horseracing. It seems fitting with the Kentucky Derby less than a month away.
For the record, I’ve gotten every audio book I’ve listened to thus far from the library. All but a few of these books are also available as ebooks. If you haven’t looked into your library’s digital content, I highly recommend it! So many libraries offer SO much free digital content, and it couldn’t be more convenient to access it.
I read:
- Hold Fast by Blue Balliett. Chasing Vermeer is still my favorite Blue Balliett book (and really, one of my all-time favorite books). But I’ve read all her books now, and every one of them is great.
Currently, I’m reading Waking the Spirit: A Musician’s Journey Healing Body, Mind, and Soul by Andrew Schulman, which is so interesting.
My running total for 2017: 23 books. You can read more about my 2017 goals and most recent progress with said goals right here.
I just updated my Favorite Reads Pinterest board with a few of my newest favorite picks from 2017!
[Disclaimer: All of the book links in this post are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!]
What have you been reading lately?
I’m always looking for new recommendations!
Additional reading post:
My 2016 Reading List + Tips for Reading More Books
March: What I Read. Read More »
