March Wrap-Up: Back to School

Hello!

I just got back from another month of house sitting! I listened to a lot of audiobooks, cooked some nice meals, ordered a bunch of cookies, and watched every single episode of American Nailed It.

It was a good time.

I also started my practicum course and learned more about developmental editing.

Friends. It sounds perfect for me.

Coming up with ways to strengthen drafts that DON’T rely on grammar rules is all I want to do.

Anyway, the class is going well so far.

I thought more about moving and it’s FREAKING ME OUT. I love my friends so much and the thought of leaving them makes me sad.

At the same time, Seattle is just SO LOUD. It takes me at least an hour to get anywhere! I haven’t had a bedroom in six years! I hate it here!

As for books, I read most of Neil Gaiman’s bibliography and some gay stuff. Let’s check out some stats.

March Reading Stats

In March, I completed 15 books.

Of the books I read,

• 80% were fiction
• 7% were non-fiction
• 13% were graphic novels

• 27% were physical books
• 60% were audiobooks
• 13% were e-books

• 13% were Young Adult
• 87% were Adult

• 73% were new books
• 27% were rereads

I’m back to reading mostly fantasy.

Look at that slice.

For moods, I read a lot of adventurous, mysterious, and funny books.

I also read some “dark” books and that is largely Neil Gaiman’s fault.

My average rating for the month was 3.87. Lower than last month but still fairly positive!

As I mentioned, this was the month for audiobooks.

I listened to a full-cast version of American Gods and WOW. GAME CHANGER.

I wish all audiobooks had full casts.

Notable Books

I went on a Neil Gaiman binge for…reasons.

I’m not actually sure how it happened, but I read five of his adult novels last month.

I like Neil Gaiman now, I guess.

My favorite book of his was American Gods.

The book got me properly obsessed with the Starz show, which was CANCELLED after three seasons.

I am PRAYING for a fourth season. Please.

Also, I am unfortunately in love with Pablo Schreiber as Mad Sweeney.

Send help.

I also loved Good Omens, which kicked off a hyperfixation with the TV series starring David Tennant and Michael Sheen.

It is the gayest thing I have ever seen.

These men are gay. It cannot be denied.

There was a quote toward the end of the book that triggered a crying jag and inspired a new tattoo idea:

And there was never an apple, in Adam’s opinion, that wasn’t worth the trouble you got into for eating it.

I loved this book.

Some of the jokes DO NOT HOLD UP. The storytelling, however, is solid.

I reread the Weetzie Bat books not knowing how I would feel.

Parts of the first book are ROUGH, specifically the parts that play up the Magic Native American trope. I could not stop cringing.

Once I got to Witch Baby’s book, I remembered why I used to love this series so much.

There’s so much love in these books.

Missing Angel Juan hit me in a way it hadn’t before. Sometimes people need to leave in order to grow.

Baby Be-Bop is still my favorite.

It’s an entire book about how to carry on after painful things happen.

YOU GOTTA HOPE FOR A BETTER FUTURE.

I fully cried.

Delilah Green Doesn’t Care was alright. I was a little thrown off by the adult characters repeatedly using the word “screwing.”

There is EXPLICIT SEX in this book. Why are we using euphemisms??

I finally read All the Feels, the companion novel to Spoiler Alert, and it destroyed me.

TWO leads with low self-esteem?

TWO characters who do too much and feel like they’re not doing enough?

TWO overprotective love interests??

This book was tailor-made for me.

The resolution and character development were TOP-TIER.

The epilogue made me SCREAM.

I read All Systems Red and I will not be reading the rest of the series.

I found out far too late that at least a fifth of the book’s page count was a preview of the sequel.

The plot just…ended. I was invested in the relationships, then the book abandoned them. I wasn’t a fan.

I’ve already talked a lot about Neil Gaiman and I’m GOING TO KEEP DOING IT.

I thought The Ocean at the End of the Lane started off VERY slowly.

I wasn’t sure what the plot was at first. I got thriller vibes from the synopsis and this book is…not that.

I haven’t read Coraline, but this book struck me as the adult Coraline.

Eventually, I got into it. I spent an evening huddled next to my phone listening to Neil Gaiman read the audiobook.

The ending destroyed me. I was not okay.

I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this book, so that tells me something.

That was March!

I’m back in Seattle and I am already not sleeping well. Love it.

As for me moving…I don’t know, man.

At least I know more about my career.

Catch you next month.