March Recap – Reading, Life and Nonsense

Why hello there, readers. Or at least I assume you’re all readers – at very least you’re reading this now, aren’t you? ‘Tis that time again – a new month, a new post to let those who care know what I’ve been up to. For those who are just here for the reading challenge update – you can jump here for the mini-reviews, or just scroll to the bottom for the full State of the Challenge report, since apparently the fun HTML anchors don’t play nicely with the page break.

March was an interesting month around these parts – it’s now officially been a full year that I’ve been working from home, and I was immensely grateful for the “from home” bit of that when during two weeks of the month, I was assigned to a training class that was scheduled around the Eastern time zone participants’ needs. After the first week of the course, Daylight Saving Time went into effect, which usually doesn’t impact me at all (because Arizona don’t play DST, when you all change your clocks, we stubbornly stay put)… but it pushed the already early start time of my class an hour earlier for the second week, and that was just rough. Yes, that was 4:12 A.M. on my microwave readout there. I was up about an hour before I had to log into my computer, solely because I am not coherent enough to remember my computer password without coffee. If I’d had to commute on top of that, there would have been PROBLEMS.

The training class was a good one, though – we were learning skills and tips to assist the official training department during times when they have more training classes scheduled than official trainers.

Aside from the obnoxious schedule for two weeks of the month, there were a few bright spots. A few of the Wheel of Time centered YouTube channel hosts collaborated on a song parody contest – Wheel of Time Idol – at the beginning of the month. The Dusty Wheel hosted two livestreams where the fandom could vote for the winners, and there were some seriously amazing entries. Check out the full list here – including the playback of the live voting. Be warned for those who haven’t finished the series, some of the songs contain spoilers through the series end. This one was my favorite, but the overall winner made me laugh out loud multiple times.

Seeing the amazing song parodies inspired me to write my own, since the hosts plan on reprising the challenge next year. I had an enormous amount of fun writing it, and once I am able to get my office set up (the goal is by the end of the year) I’ll start working on recording my version for the challenge. I think it’s gonna be great. Once it’s done, I’ll link it here, of course, because I’m sure at least two of you will want to watch it. >.>

Other favorites of the month included Stash chai green tea, and the end of WandaVision, which brought me to tears.

In reading news, I finished a total of four books for the month of March.

I started reading Diana Gabaldon’s A Breath of Snow and Ashes at the end of February, mostly because our Linz had been reading it and – knowing that I’ve read the entire Outlander series before – kept making comments about the events of the book in our Skype chat. And of course it’s been six years since I read the books, and I’ve slept since then. And read a whole mess of other books, too, so I had very sketchy memories of this one. Linz used it for the challenge prompt #7, Read a book with the color white on the cover, and I figured I could do worse than follow her lead there. Don’t be surprised if this isn’t the only book we both read this year, because Gabaldon has finished her final draft of book 9 and in anticipation of that one, I figure I’ll want to reread books 7 and 8 while I’m at it.

This being the sixth in a series, I’m obviously invested in the characters and the story. I am not the biggest fan of historical fiction (I like it well enough, i just don’t gravitate to it often), but since these books are an interesting mix of historical fiction, romance, and some fantasy/sci-fi elements, they don’t quite fit the mold.

Gabaldon has clearly done a lot of research for these novels – there are references to actual historical events, and a lot of details about medical procedures and general ways a household would be run in the 1700s. This book contains two major events that have been on the horizon for a few books now, and the aura of foreboding is palpable. I thoroughly appreciated the foreshadowing and misdirections, the parallels and the way some things blindside you with sudden violence but in retrospect they make complete sense.

After that chunker of a volume, I wanted something a tad bit lighter and quicker to read. I’d read the first volume in Faith Hunter’s Jane Yellowrock series back in 2019, since the author was scheduled to be the Author Guest of Honor at JordanCon 2020 – which was unfortunately cancelled due to the pandemic. I had picked up the second and third books in the series, since I did have fun with the first entry, but didn’t get around to them because of the cancellation. Book 2, Blood Cross, worked nicely for challenge #11, Read a book with exactly two words in the title.

The main character of this urban fantasy/paranormal series is a skinwalker of Cherokee origin, with a bit of something extra (no spoilers, although we learn about it in the first novel) that makes her a powerful monster hunter. She’s taken a contract hunting rogue vampires on behalf of the Vampire Council of New Orleans, and some crazy shenanigans are afoot in the town that put her and her best friend (and her best friend’s children) in serious danger.

Hunter’s take on the supernatural and vampire lore is pretty interesting, and in Blood Cross we discover the origin of vampires – and I was fascinated, so I immediately moved on to the third in the series, Mercy Blade. While there were quite a few options for categories this would work for, I ended up using it for #16, Read a book that has a person on the cover.

In Hunter’s lore, vampires and witches are the only known supernatural creatures that have become known to the general public – but in the events of the third book, werecats and werewolves come to light. The lore surrounding were-creatures is also fascinating, and Jane and I are both wondering whether there are other skinwalkers out there who will come forward as a result.

One thing I’ve noticed from the first three books in the series is something of a pattern. Much like a Nora Roberts romance that will normally have at least two obligatory sex scenes, in these novels it appears that Jane will nearly die at least twice and survive only by shapeshifting or by vampire blood, which has healing properties.

I can’t complain too much, though Even though I never seriously doubted that Jane would make it through, the stakes felt sufficiently high, and that’s pretty good writing. I’ve added the next few books to my wish list on Paperback Swap, so I’ll definitely be continuing with the series eventually.

The last book I finished for the month was one by a favorite author of mine – I always have such a good time reading Jim Butcher, his Dresden Files series is extremely fun (albeit heartbreaking at times). The Aeronaut’s Windlass is the first in his newest series, The Cinder Spires. It also has the word “wind” in the title, technically, so I chose it for challenge prompt #51, Read a book with the word “wind” in the title.

This book definitely has some of the feel of the Dresden Files series, if not quite as sarcasm-heavy without Harry Dresden as the point of view character. I felt like the world was a little difficult to visualize, but the steampunk vibe was super cool, and the battle scenes were engaging. And… talking cats, which – come on, if you know me at all, you know I’m all in. As a bonus, the talking cats are almost as snarky as Dresden, and definitely came across with the kind of attitude that any cat slave would recognize immediately.

I totally can’t wait for the next in this series.

So that was my month of March. Come talk to me in the comments! What’s the best book you read this past month? Have you read the Wheel of Time series, and if so, did you check out those parody songs? Do you have a go-to favorite tea? Did anyone else cry buckets in the last episode of WandaVision?

2021 Reading Challenge

Level 1: Book of the Month Club
1. Read a book obtained from Kindle Unlimited, Audible, Amazon First Reads, Paperback Swap, or the Library
2. Read a book under 400 pages
3. Reread a book that makes you happy – Crazy For You – Jennifer Crusie
4. Read a stand alone novel (not in a series)
5. Read a book that starts with the letter D
6. Read a book that was recommended to you
7. Read a book with the color white on the cover – A Breath of Snow and Ashes (reread) – Diana Gabaldon
8. Read a book where the main character is a High School or College Student
9. Read a book by an author named Michael/Mike/Michelle or variant – Age of Myth – Michael J. Sullivan
10. Read a book that’s been turned into a TV series or Movie
11. Read a book with exactly two words in the title – Blood Cross – Faith Hunter
12. Free Space- Pick any book!

Level 2: Casual Reader Club
13. A book from https://www.whatshouldireadnext.com/
14. Read a Murder Mystery
15. Read the first book in a series you’ve wanted to start
16. Read a book that has a person on the cover – Mercy Blade – Faith Hunter
17. Read a book where the main character’s occupation is chef or baker
18. Read a book by an author born in the 20th Century (1901-2000)
19. Read a book with a form of royalty in the title (Queen, King, Prince, Princess, etc)
20. Read a book you meant to read on last year’s challenge – Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell – Susanna Clarke
21. Read a book by Barbara Cartland
22. Read a book that takes place in Spring
23. Read a book with the word Human/Person/People in the title
24. Free Space- Pick any book!

Level 3: Dedicated Reader Club
25. Read a book by a Self Published Author – Peace and Turmoil – Elliot Brooks
26. Read a book for under $5
27. Read a book from : https://time.com/collection/100-best-fantasy-books/
28. Read a book published in the 2010’s
29. Read a book from your favorite genre
30. Read a book that has had at least three different covers
31. Read a book that takes place in Europe
32. Read a book by an author with the same first name as one of your grandparents
33. Read a book where the main character is a magic user
34. Read a book with a time of day in the title (Morning, Noon, Evening, Dusk, Dawn, etc) – Dawnshard – Brandon Sanderson
35. Read a book by an author of a different ethnicity than you
36. Free Space- Pick any book!

Level 4: Speed Reader Club
37. Read the next book in a series you’ve started
38. Read a book with an orange cover
39. Read a book over 600 pages
40. Read a book that uses the “Chosen One” trope
41. Read a book where the main character is elderly – A Severed Wasp – Madeleine L’Engle
42. Read a book with the letter V in the title or author’s name
43. Read a Science Fiction
44. Read a book that starts with the letter P
45. Read a book with a bird on the cover
46. Read a book (Fiction or Nonfiction) about a lady on this list: https://www.historyextra.com/100-women/100-women-results/
47. Read a book with a main character with a different ethnicity than you
48. Free Space- Pick any book!

Level 5: Overachiever Club
49. Read a book with an interesting cover font
50. Read a book about orphans
51. Read a book with the word “wind” in the title – The Aeronaut’s Windlass – Jim Butcher
52. Read a book by John Irving
53. Read a book that was published when you were eleven
54. Read a book that takes place in the 1960s
55. Read a book (fiction or Nonfiction) about a topic that’s always interested you, but you haven’t read about it yet
56. Read a Nonfiction book that teaches you a new skill
57. Read a book without a picture on the cover
58. Read a book (Fiction or Nonfiction) involving Mental Illness – Rhythm of War – Brandon Sanderson
59. Read a book that has had unfavorable reviews, but you’re still curious about
60. Free Space- Pick any book!