I'm drawn to Carolla's books. They're laugh out loud amusing. My favorite part of this one was when he was interviewing his 8 year-old son about why he didn't participate in crazy hair day at school. The kid said, "It's pointless! It doesn't move the needle!". THAT is my kind of kid. Just a few weeks ago we had Wacky Wednesday at school and I was a non-participant. Why? Because I was given all of 18 hours notice (first of all) and because it doesn't move the needle.
If you're looking for a funny book, I liked this one.
Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes by Denise Grover Swank A
Maybe this was just a southern mystery that was reminiscent of Sookie Stackhouse. Maybe a lot of it was annoyingly unbelievable. But I liked it. And I kept going because I enjoyed it a lot.
And then the rest of the series...
Twenty-Nine and Half Reasons A-
Still good. Not as good as the first one. But good.
Thirty and a Half Excuses A
Really good. Character development is happening and things are getting interesting.
Thirty-One and a Half Regrets A+ (This is where I started giving 5 stars on Goodreads...)
My favorite one yet. I like this narrator better actually. MUCH BETTER now that I think of it. And I really couldn't stop listening. It's like you know what's going to happen but you really want to see how the characters get there. For 97% of the book, I was TEAM MASON. For the last 30 minutes, I was TEAM JOE. It's such a predicament. Like, seriously...I can't decide.
Thirty-Two and a Half Complications A
Firmly holding onto my TEAM JOE status.
Picking Up the Pieces (Book 5.5, a Rose Gardner Novella) A+
Short and sweet and covers the time/distance between books 5 and 6. I didn't read the first novella (Falling to Pieces, after book 3) but this one really adds to the character development. It lets you see the different POVs, and I almost (for a second) felt bad for Violet.
Thirty-Three and a Half Shenanigans A
More plot development. Character storylines are getting more detailed.
Ripple of Secrets (Book 6.5, novella 3) A++
#TEAMJOE
Also, this is all about character development. I both like and hate that the author is creating empathy where there was none previously.
Thirty-Four and a Half Predicaments A-
This one was starting to lose me in the middle and then it picked up in the last hour and the ending was very interesting.
Thirty-Five and a Half Conspiracies A
How long until the next book comes out?
I would love to see this as a TV show. I was loving the end of this book and I CANNOT WAIT FOR THE NEXT. #teamjoe #teamjoe #teamjoe (hopefully)
(oddly, no picture of this book)
Should you read these books? Yes, if you like the southern mystery genre. It was like the best parts of the Sookie Stackhouse series without all the faerie stuff. HIGHLY recommend. It might be because I grew up in a small town, but I can understand the dynamics very well and it's believable. Also, I enjoy the way they focus on the mundane AND the bigger plot developments. Some of it is corny (Mason is kind of corny in general), but it all blends well together and, I think, makes for a generally compelling story.
------------------------------------------
That brings my book count for the year up to 20. Not a ton, but I told myself I wouldn't stress out over trying to read all the books. Or, in my case, listen to all the books.
Also, I don't really want to even talk about how much I've been spending on audiobooks. I will say that these Rose Gardner mysteries aren't available at either of my libraries and I don't have a lot of time to sit and read anyway. Let's file it under "entertainment". I don't go to the movies or anything. This is just my self-imposed entertainment budget for the month.
-------------------------------------------
Also, I tried Room. I couldn't do it. The narration done by a 5 year old who can't speak in proper English (yet seems to know a lot of big words like gnash??) pushed me over the edge. Maybe I'll still watch the movie if the opportunity arises. The book just wasn't for me. I tried the audioversion (download from the library) and read a few pages of the paper copy. Neither were impressive in my opinion.
And I'm re-reading The Wilder Life. I highly recommend it.
----------------------------------------------
What's the best book you read in March?
Linking up with Jana and Steph!
