March Wrap-Up: A Tiny Energy Boost

Another big energy drop this month!

I started feeling really down around Daylight Savings Time.

Talking to friends and family helped and I was able to finish a decent number of books.

I also went TikTok viral accidentally, so uh…that happened.

School is going well.

Not too many updates aside from that.

Let’s do some stats.

March Stats

In March, I completed 19 books and DNFed 3 books.

Of the books I read,

• 73% were fiction
• 18% were nonfiction
• 9% were graphic novels
• 73% were physical books
• 23% were audiobooks
• 4% were ebooks
• 27% were Young Adult
• 73% were Adult
• 73% were new books
• 27% were rereads

I snagged some additional stats this month courtesy of Storygraph!

In fact, starting next month, I might start using their genre breakdown instead of my own.

Since I already made my genre stats for the month, here’s that graph:

Average rating? I’ve got that!

A pie chart of the many moods of the books I read?? YEP.

Boy howdy, do I love graphs.

I’m excited to keep using these in the coming months!

Notable Books

I did something a bit different this month.

I made a playlist of songs that reminded me of the books I read this month.

I’ll talk about each song/book combo, then share the playlist at the end.

Track 1: Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur / “Animal Spirits” by Vulfpeck

Both the book and the song concern unlikely soulmates.

This line in “Animal Spirits” really sold it for me:

Now I know she reads astrology

And he can’t stand astrology

But he’s quick with an apology

When he wisecracks the zodiac

Elle is an astrologer and Darcy is an actuary.

IT FITS.

Track 2: Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut / “So It Goes…” by Taylor Swift

A friend talked me into reading Vonnegut’s three most famous novels for a Vonnegut tournament.

I got about a third of the way through Slaughterhouse Five.

The phrase “So it goes” appears on almost every page.

I laughed my lil head off when I remembered this Taylor track.

Track 3: Why Fish Don’t Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life by Lulu Miller / “God Made Man” by Young the Giant

I didn’t expect to be distraught over fish.

This book showed me how little I understand the universe.

A song that has long inspired that same feeling in me is Young the Giant’s “God Made Man.” I cry every time I listen to it.

I listened to Fish on audiobook and absolutely bawled at the end.

Please read it.

Track 4: The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix / “Night Crawling (feat. Billy Idol)” by Miley Cyrus

Golly, this book was not what I expected.

So many parts were unsettling and at the end I wasn’t sure how I felt about it.

Still, when thinking of songs that matched the gritty ’80s horror of it all, this Miley Cyrus track fit perfectly.

Just listen. It’s a perfect song.

Track 5: Burning Roses by S. L. Huang / “cellophane” by FKA twigs

Burning Roses scooped out my insides and left me raw inside.

I tried to think of an equally devastating song and “cellophane” was it.

Both the book and the track are so delicate and yet so powerful.

Track 6: Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers / “20 Something” by SZA

So far, Honey Girl captures the seeming aimlessness of the 20-something experience.

Thus, SZA’s “20 Something.”

Track 7: Pizza Girl by Jean Kyoung Frazier / “Where is My Mind?” by Pixies

This book had strong Sad in Los Angeles vibes, not unlike Fight Club.

So, obviously, I went with “Where is My Mind?”

Tell me it doesn’t fit.

Track 8: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell / “Touch the Sky” by Kanye West

In honor of the Emergency Dance Parties.

Track 9: Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut / “Ice Ice Baby” by Vanilla Ice

Now I’m just being silly.

Track 10: Tiny Nightmares: Very Short Stories of Horror edited by Lincoln Michel and Nadxieli Nieto / “I Got 5 On It – Tethered Mix from Us” by Michael Abels

A lot of these stories weren’t outright scary. Most of them employed creeping dread.

The “I Got 5 On It” remix from Us played on loop would make a perfect soundtrack to this reading experience.

Happy April! We made it!

Best of luck reading and hopefully getting vaccinated?? Washington opens vaccinations in two weeks.

I can’t wait.