New Read: Root

After a glorious bank holiday weekend last week the rain has now returned to the UK. Finding myself inside again I was happy to lose myself in the exotic world of Root by Tara Maya the fourth instalment of The Unfinished Song series. This is a darker fantasy series I started reading last year but until January I seemed to have forgotten all about it. Earlier this year I polished off the second and third instalments and I was ever so lucky to get my hands on more instalments straight away. I am very glad this is a series I have rekindled my interest in.

Root is the fourth instalment of The Unfinished Song if you’re interested in reading this series I recommend you read my thoughts on previous instalments first as this post may contain spoilers.

Root continues to follow the exciting, dangerous, and unpredictable life of the young girl Dindi. After surviving a gruelling test Dindi has had her life spared and is now allowed to dance with her clan’s Tavaedi group even though she doesn’t possess magic. This is small consolation as Dindi is required to return to her home with her clan folk after losing the man she loves. There is one thing Dindi clings onto and that is the secret that in fact she does have magic. Other’s can’t view this magic because long ago a curse was placed upon her bloodline which Dindi must discover how to break if she ever hopes to reach her dreams. However there is someone  who can sense her magic. He is a dark, mysterious, and dangerous man who is to bring death and war down upon Dindi and her clan folk in the pursuit of her.

Dindi’s teacher, friend, and love interest Kavio was sadly missing from this instalment leaving Dindi to narrate the majority of Root. Kavio was mentioned but his story line was never viewed. I really hope we will return to him in later instalments because I thought the relationship between the two protagonists was really good. It was however quite refreshing to focus in on Dindi as she progresses in maturity and strength. Maya also included the voices of Kemla and Tamio two ambitious Tavaedi dancers who have a bit of sexual tension going on, the faerie born White Lady who is on the run, and the dangerous man in black who is hunting both the White Lady and Dindi herself. I really liked the addition of these narrators because I thought they brought different dimensions to the story.

I love the setting of The Unfinished Song. Unlike a lot of fantasy this series is not set in a medieval setting instead Maya based her writing on a Polynesian myth and choose a stone age style setting for it all. I think the concept of faeries, magic, warriors, clans, hut villages, tradition, canoes and stone monuments all works perfectly together. Other than a few typos I thought Maya’s style, language, and story flowed really well and I didn’t notice the use of any too modern sounding language to break me out from my magical revelry.

Root was a thoroughly enjoyable dark fantasy adventure which I couldn’t put down. I recommend The Unfinished Song series to those interested in darker fantasy. There is violent and sexual content in this series so not recommended for younger readers. I have the next instalments Wing and Blood waiting for me on my kindle. I can’t wait to read them.

I received a free copy of Root from the author in return for my honest opinion.

Are you reading The Unfinished Song series? Are you a fan of dark fantasy?

I’m counting Root as Fantasy for Once Upon a Time VII hosted by Carl V @ Stainless Steal Droppings.

New Books: April and May

The Lion’s World by Rowan Williams
This was a gift from some close friends who know my love of The Chronicles of Narnia by C S Lewis. I was so excited about it that I pretty much started reading it straight away!

A Lifetime Burning by Linda Gillard
After reading and enjoying The Glass Guardian my fourth Linda Gillard read. Linda kindly offered to send me a copy of one her novel’s I hadn’t read. I opted for A Lifetime Burning and I can hardly wait to read it!

Sister Mercedes and the Temple of Doom by Brian C Petti
I received a free copy of Sister Mercedes and the Temple of Doom from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

A Body in the Backyard by Elizabeth Spann Craig

Stories from the Golden Age by L Ron Hubbard
Hurricane
The Iron Duke
Under the Black Ensign

The Silver Locket by Margaret James

I spotted this interesting mixture of fiction offered for free on Amazon. I was particularly excited to spot A Body in the Backyard as I downloaded another instalment from this series last month.

A Very Brief History series by Mark Black
The Berlin Wall
The Cuban Missile Crisis
Ronald Reagan

Fifty Shades of Lady Catherine Grey by T S Wiseman
(The Sex Scandals That Shook the Tudor Court)

Historical Non-Fiction by Charles River Editors
Cicero
King Arthur
King Solomon
Martin Luther and John Calvin
Ramesses II

I spotted these interesting non-fictions offered for free on Amazon. One of my continuing aims in 2013 is to read more non-fiction especially on history so these looked like they could be great reads for me.

This is another large haul for my kindle with a few for my bookshelf too. I would normally have felt unnerved about bringing home so many new books but with most of them being digital I don’t have to worry about them taking up space so no stress about when I get round to them.

Have you read any of these books? What new books are you excited about?

The Classics Club: The Great Gatsby

I won a beautiful Alma set of F Scott Fitzgerald’s work last year but until now the set has been gathering dust on my bookshelf. With the up-coming release of Baz Luhrmann’s film adaptation of The Great Gatsby I found myself spurred on to read it. As I am looking forward to seeing the film at the cinema. Of course The Great Gatsby is also Fitzgerald’s most famous book so it felt like the right place to start in the set.

The Great Gatsby follows Nick Carraway in the summer of 1922 as he moves from the Midwest to Long Island to start a job as a bonds man in New York. The only people Nick vaguely knows when he arrives is his cousin Daisy and her husband Tom Buchanan but they live in the more affluent area across the bay from Nick. While Nick’s area might be more up and coming it doesn’t take him long to notice his neighbour Gatsby. Every weekend Gatsby throws ever more flamboyant and fabulous parties. One evening Nick finds his neighbour Gatsby has personally invited him. From that evening on Nick finds himself a front row spectator to the tangle of Gatsby’s present, past, and future. I simply adored the setting of this book! I have always had an attraction to the glitz, glamour, and liberated behaviour of the ‘roaring twenties’ which this book played right into. However Fitzgerald has written a balanced novel where by we don’t just see the positive aspects of this time period. I was interested to read more about the social structure, the clique mind-set, and the lack of much responsibility.

The narrator of The Great Gatsby Nick Carraway I found was the only character I really liked or made any true connection with. He is honest, educated, and came across as a pretty decent fellow. I found the protagonist of the story Gatsby to be very interesting but I never felt like I really knew him. While I found myself completely disliking Daisy and her husband Tom. Actually I found myself disliking nearly all the characters but Nick. The problem was I found them all to be shallow, aloof, and secretive. I feel though this might have been intentionally because the characters themselves seemed to realise it but accepted this behaviour as normal. What I really learnt was the glitz, glamour, and flamboyant parties were pretty much all these socialites had, and that there wasn’t really much going on underneath it all.

The Great Gatsby was my first foray into F Scott Fitzgerald’s work which won’t be my last as I look forward to reading this rest of the Alma set. I found Fitzgerald’s writing to be detailed, eloquent, but quite meandering. Fitzgerald is certainly not a direct writer. He instead often starts off on one tangent to only intersect it midway through with something that catches his interest to then move back to his original point. This was quite hard to keep track of at first but once I got used to his style I didn’t find it bothered me too much. In fact it probably added to the precocious, aloof, and flamboyant mood of the setting. Not sure this style would work in any other setting though!

Overall I thought The Great Gatsby was an interesting and glitzy glimpse into the past. I can’t go as far as to say I loved it though because of the general lack of connection to the characters. Recommended to those interested in the 1920′s and American classics. This is now my 12th read off my Classics Club list.

Are you a fan of F Scott Fitzgerald? What Fitzgerald’s novel do you think I should read next?

Monthly Reflection: April

Hello my fellow bookworms, I hope you are happy and well? April saw the start of Spring here in the UK! I signed up for a teaching agency at the beginning of the month and have been getting a lot more work over the last few weeks. With the odd splattering of sunshine and great career prospects all in all April has been a great month for me. To top the month off I have also spent a great deal of time reading in the sun or tucked up inside during the sporadic April showers. Now let’s have a look at what I read under that blanket during the month.

Fiction: 4               Non-Fiction: 3               Poetry: 0

I started April by finishing off the gigantic A Game of Thrones by George R R Martin the first instalment of the epic fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire. Despite the epic length I found A Game of Thrones detailed, thrilling, and utterly un-put-down-able! After that I decided to have a break from fantasy and picked up The Lives She Left Behind by James Long the long-awaited sequel to Ferney which I read in March. Another beautifully written novel from Long highly recommended to those who loved Ferney. My break from fantasy wasn’t long because I couldn’t resist a re-read of the charming The Horse and His Boy by C S Lewis the third instalment of The Chronicles of Narnia. I finished the month off with The Glass Guardian by Linda Gillard. Another wonderful piece of women’s literature with a supernatural twist from Gillard who rapidly becoming one of my favourite modern authors.

Alongside those works of fiction in April I also made excellent progress towards my goal of reading more historical non-fiction. I finished off the memoir Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl Written by Herself a moving and fascinating look through the eyes of a young orphaned slave in America. I also managed to polish off two more editions from the A Very Brief History series by Mark Black, one on Thomas Cromwell and the other one Queen Elizabeth I. Two more short and interesting reads.

Pick of the Month: A Game of Thrones by George R R Martin

And those are just the books I finished. During April I have continued to dip in and out of The Complete Brothers Grimm’s Fairytales which I started in January. Made decent progress but still a lot of stories to go! At the end of the month I also started reading The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald and The Lion’s World by Rowan Williams.

How was your April? What did you read?

New Read: The Glass Guardian

I don’t generally read a great deal of chick lit or women’s literature but I make an exception for Linda Gillard who is rapidly becoming one of my favourite authors. I had read three of Gillard novels but I haven’t read one since last year so I thought it was high time I read another. The Glass Guardian Gillard’s most recent novel was handily waiting for me on my kindle.

The Glass Guardian follows Ruth Travers a successful TV gardener who finds her world falling apart after the loss of both her parents, her lover, and finally her job. Looking for healing Ruth returns to her Aunt Janet’s old family home, Tigh na Linne, on the Isle of Skye where Ruth remembers spending many pleasant summer holidays in her childhood. Sadly Aunt Janet also passes away. Living alone in Tigh na Linne Janet starts to believe that she might not just have lost her job and loved ones but perhaps her mind too. As Ruth discovers that her childhood imaginary friend, Heckie, has returned to comfort her. Heckie is in fact a ghost, and together they are to discover their past and look toward to their future. I thought The Glass Guardian was a beautiful tale that follows a mature woman through love, loss, family, friendships, loneliness, self-worth, desire, and history with a wonderful supernatural twist. Unlike a lot of chick lit/women’s literature I’ve tried to read before I think Gillard’s work has some real substance coupled with interesting and believable characters.

The protagonist of The Glass Guardian Ruth is an attractive, intelligent, and interesting woman. As a middle-aged woman Ruth has lived long enough to know who she truly is but like a lot of people she is still searching for the right place and person to share her life with. Heckie or in fact James Hector Munroe is a ghost who has lived and helped his family in Tigh na Linne since he was killed in France during World War I. Hector has stayed because he feels he has unfinished business which he feels Ruth is the one to help him complete. Plus you can add into the mix Ruth’s childhood playmate Tom and an eccentric music professor Athelstan from Canada. All in all I thought these were a great blend of characters.

I am no stranger to Gillard’s work. Each new read I am not disappointed either. I think Gillard’s writing is beautiful, detailed, but also comfortable and down to earth which is why I enjoy reading her work so much. I always feel her characters and story are realistic and interesting. I especially love all the history she puts into her stories and The Glass Guardian was no exception. Gillard added details about World War I and of music and poetry from the past. I think this historical detail always adds a wonderful depth to her tales. The difference with The Glass Guardian is the supernatural element which I haven’t read in her works before but I thought Gillard handled it well. Some elements were a little far-fetched and perhaps a little obvious however Gillard’s natural style made up for any small faults in that department.

The Glass Guardian is another beautiful tale of the love, life, and history of a strong woman from Linda Gillard. I highly recommend to those interested in women’s literature and British history. I can’t wait to read more of Gillard’s work.

I received a free copy of The Glass Guardian from the author in return for my honest opinion.

Are you a fan of Linda Gillard? Any recommendations what I should read next?

Re-Read: The Horse and His Boy

One of my goals for 2013 is to make more time for re-reads of my beloved favourites, in which case I thought this year would be the perfect opportunity to rediscover the wonderful ‘Land of Narnia’. Recently I have been reading long and pretty intense novels so over last weekend to lighten up my reading again I reached for The Horse and His Boy by C S Lewis the third instalment of The Chronicles of Narnia series.

The Horse and His Boy follows Shasta a young boy who has grown up in a small fishing village in Calormen. Arsheesh the man who Shasta calls father is a fisherman who works the poor boy very hard. One night Shasta meets a talking horse named Bree who convinces the boy to run away with him. And so begins their adventure through the mighty city of Tashbaan, over the vast desert, through the mountains of Archenland, and finally to the magical land of Narnia. Where Bree and Shasta hope they will find freedom from slavery and servitude that they were subjected to in Calormen. I haven’t read The Horse and His Boy since I was a child and I found I’d forgotten much of what happens. This re-read felt almost more like a new read! What I loved the most about this instalment is how it gives us a glimpse into the lives of people living in the lands around Narnia. Calormen is an exotic country with little to no magic, it reminded me of Middle-Eastern countries here in our own world. This instalment also stands out because it doesn’t involve anyone travelling from our world into Narnia instead it involves characters that already live there.

The Horse and His Boy has an interesting collection of characters. The protagonist Shasta is young, naïve, kind, and he finds out along the way he is also pretty brave. With his blonde hair and fair skin he has always felt an outcast in Calormen. Bree the talking horse was captured when young and brought to Calormen so knows where he truly belongs, and convinces Shasta that he too must come from the north. Along the way they also meet Aravis a Calormene princess and her own talking horse Hwin who are both seeking freedom too. What I enjoyed the most was to meet the Pevensie siblings when they are all grown up and are in the middle of their golden reign of Narnia. I particularly loved seeing Mr Tumnus again!

I am no stranger to Lewis’s work. I think his writing style in The Chronicles of Narnia is simple and fun which works well for adults and children alike. Lewis has been criticised for his use of archaic language especially when it is used by his young characters, however I find the language rather charming and feel it adds to the magically atmosphere of the books. When I first read The Chronicles of Narnia I read the books in publication order because I think for your first time nothing beats encountering ‘Narnia’ through the most famous book The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. For my re-read I purposefully decided to read the series in chronological order so I could get a full idea of the detail and history Lewis put into ‘Narnia’ and the characters that inhabit it. Reading The Horse and His Boy as the third instalment really helped me to understand better Narnia and its relationship with the lands around it. Plus it also gave me more detail about Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy’s reign over Narnia.

The Horse and His Boy is an utterly charming children’s tale of magic, friendship and adventure. A wonderfully comforting read for a cold Saturday evening. I am keen to move on to Prince Caspian next, the fourth instalment of The Chronicles of Narnia.

Have you read The Horse and His Boy? Have you read The Chronicles of Narnia?

I’m counting The Horse and His Boy as Fantasy for Once Upon a Time VII hosted by Carl V @ Stainless Steal Droppings.

New Read: The Lives She Left Behind

During the cold and snowy weather of March I happily let myself get lost in the world of Ferney by James Long. A beautiful a novel that left me wanting more. Luckily for me I already had a copy of the long-awaited sequel The Lives She Left Behind sitting on my shelf. The weather has slightly improved in April and I found I couldn’t wait any longer to find out what happens to Ferney and Gally next!

Jo is keen to escape her distant mother and the mind dulling drugs she makes her take to blot out the voice of her friend Gally. Jo finally gets her chance when she joins her friends on an archaeological dig. Luke is keen to escape too he is not close to his mother or stepfather and has no friends due to the odd things he says. After a chance meeting on the archaeological dig Jo and Luke make an instant connection, and find themselves inexplicably drawn to the small Somerset village of Pen Selwood. There they are to find their story is tangled up with school teacher Mike Martin a man living in the shadow of a dark tragedy.  Going into reading Ferney I really had little idea what I was getting myself into with The Lives She Left Behind there were elements I was looking forward to seeing. There is the never-ending romance, history, life-stories, and ’time-slippage’. The Lives She Left Behind certainly didn’t disappoint me.

Within The Lives She Left Behind there is a host of characters more than were included in Ferney. These include Jo’s faithful friends Ali and Lucy, the fun-loving archaeological team, independent woman Fleur (Jo’s mother), Luke’s trouble making parents, the dogged Detective Meehan, and the kind-hearted Rachel. But once again the real focus is on Ferney and Gally (Luke and Jo). Ferney and Gally are such bright and timeless individuals that normal folk are only left walking in their shadows. Then of course there is also poor old Mike. I really felt for him the first time round however the second time round it is seems even worse. My heart went out to him completely. While I sympathised with Ferney and Gally’s situation too it is again so unusual that I don’t think I totally accepted or understood it, I do think I understood better after this book though.

James Long was a new author to me but I am very glad I have been introduced to him as I thought Ferney and The Lives She Left Behind were both beautifully written. Long’s style is steady and has quite a lilting quality to it, once I’d started reading I found myself completely swept off into the emotionally charged tales of Ferney and Gally. Long also managed the present time period and the several historical periods effectively all times seemed to have been well researched even though some time periods were only briefly glimpsed.

The Lives She Left Behind was another enchanting journey through the unusual love, lives and history of Ferney and Gally. I highly recommend to those readers who loved Ferney. I also recommend Ferney and The Lives She Left Behind to those interested in romance, history, and ‘time-slippage’. After enjoying these novels so much I am interested in reading more of Long’s work now.

I received a free copy of The Lives She Left Behind from the publisher in return for my honest opinion.

Have you read James Long? Any recommendations for similar work?

New Books: March and April

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

The Doll (Short Stories) by Daphne du Maurier

I picked these books up on one of my regular mooches in the local charity shops. I am keen to read more by Daphne du Maurier so while I’ve never heard of The Doll I was excited to get it. On the other hand I have been purposely on the look out for A Discovery of Witches because last year I won a beautiful copy of the sequel Shadow of Night. I can’t wait to try Harkness’ work.

Call for the Dead by John Le Carré

Progressive Dinner Deadly by Elizabeth Spann Craig

Sealed with a Kiss by Rachael Lucas

I spotted this interesting mixture of fiction offered for free on Amazon. I am particularly looking forward to trying the modern classic work of John Le Carré.

The Anne of Green Gables Collection by Lucy Maud Montgomery

The E M Forster Collection

The Tarzan Series: Volumes 1-8 by Edgar Rice Burroughs

I also spotted these nice collections of these classics with full working table of contents offered for free on Amazon. These are not on my Classics Club list but I thought they were too good to be turned down.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll 

The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

The Time Machine & War of the Worlds by H G Wells

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L Frank Baum

I spotted these nice editions of these classics with working table of contents offered for free on Amazon and as they are all on my Classics Club list I didn’t hesitate in downloading them.

A Very Brief History series by Mark Black

Alcatraz
George Washington
John F Kennedy
Richard Nixon
Titanic

Behind Jane Austen’s Door by Jennifer Forest

Dancing in the Arms of God by Connie Neal

The Impossible Mentor by Ray Hollenbach

The Truth of the Cross by R C Sproul

I spotted these interesting non-fictions offered for free on Amazon. One of my continuing aims in 2013 is to read more non-fiction especially on history and faith so these looked like they could be great reads for me.

This is another large haul for my kindle with a few for my bookshelf too. I would normally have felt unnerved about bringing home so many new books but with most of them being digital I don’t have to worry about them taking up space so no stress about when I get round to them.

Have you read any of these books? What new books are you excited about?

New Read: A Game of Thrones

I was gifted with a full set (to-date) of the epic fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire by George R R Martin for Christmas. I picked up the first instalment A Game of Thrones in March thinking it would be a great read leading up to the release of season 3 of the TV adaptation Game of Thrones on the 1st April. I finished the book just after this date!

A Game of Thrones starts the action in the Seven Kingdoms with the death of Lord Jon Arryn the Hand of the King. King Robert turns to his childhood friend Lord Eddard Stark to become his new Hand. Reluctantly Ned (Eddard) agrees and moves south to the capital King’s Landing to start a new life of political schemes, intrigue, and flattery that the royal court is rife with. It is not long before Ned discovers a secret that threatens The Iron Thrown and the lives of those he loves. Meanwhile in the North beyond The Wall winter is returning and with it an ancient evil. While across the sea in the East the last descendants of the Targaryen Dragon Lords are making plans to retake The Iron Throne. As you can see there is a lot going on in A Game of Thrones I needed my wits about me to keep up with it all. On the other hand though I can’t say this was a dull read. There was always something going on and I was eager to read on to find out more!

Alongside all the action and adventure of A Game of Thrones there is a whole host of interesting characters to get to know too! I couldn’t possibly discuss them all here so instead I will just focus in on my favourites. Lord Eddard Stark better known as Ned is a good, loyal, kind, and honourable man, possibly too honourable. Arya Stark is the youngest daughter of Ned and makes the journey to King’s Landing with him. Arya is spunky and intelligent I loved hearing about all the scrapes she manages to get herself into. Jon Snow is the illegitimate son of Ned who is sent to The Wall to join the Brothers of the Night’s Watch. Jon starts out rather naïve and bitter but I loved watching his progression during his training to become a great warrior but also a loyal friend. Tyrion Lannister is the youngest of King Robert’s brothers-in-law. Tyrion is a dwarf who receives much abuse and prejudice against him for it even from his own family, however Tyrion is very intelligent and witty! Daenarys Targaryen is the sister to Viserys Targaryen the heir to The Iron Throne. While I disliked Viserys I found Daenarys appealing as she is young, beautiful, and poorly used by her brother but through the book she begins to find her own strength.

While I have watched the television series, George R R Martin and the book A Game of Thrones are new to me. I have been contemplating reading this book since the first season of the television show came out but if I’m honest the sheer length of the book put me off. At nearly 800 pages this is a long book! I could have read two possibly three books in the time it took to read this one book. My real fear though was that the story would be slow and would drag which fortunately turned out to be an unfounded fear. A Game of Thrones is long because it needs to be long. It is jam-packed with action, adventure, intrigue, love, war, hardships, lies, secrets, and shocks! Martin’s writing is detailed and compelling, and his choice to break the book up into bite-size chapters which focus on different characters was a great idea. As a reader I found myself completely immersed in the Seven Kingdoms as I got to explore different cities, castles, and lands from the view-point of the different characters.

A Game of Thrones is an excellent example of epic/high fantasy. I highly recommend to those who enjoy fantasy and for some reason haven’t already read this! This book does contain sexual and violent content so recommended for adults only. Now I have season 3 of the Game of Thrones television show to watch I may leave starting the second instalment of this series A Clash of Kings until that has finished.

Have you read A Game of Thrones? Are you watching the television show?

I’m counting A Game of Thrones as Fantasy for Once Upon a Time VII hosted by Carl V @ Stainless Steal Droppings.

Monthly Reflection: March

Hello my fellow bookworms, I hope you are happy and well? March has been an odd old month just as we looked forward to Spring what we in fact got was more snow! I’ve tried to not let this get me down though as there have been the highlights of Easter and my friend’s hen party to brighten the month. Cold weather is also a great excuse to curl up under a blanket with a cup of tea and a good book. Now let’s have a look at what I read under that blanket during the month.

Fiction: 4               Non-Fiction: 2               Poetry: 0

I started March by finishing off the classic Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, my third foray into Dickens’s dark Victorian world which I thoroughly enjoyed. Still being in a historical mood I then moved onto Ferney by James Long. A beautifully written novel with a ‘time-slippage’ twist! I continued my Christian reading with The Gospel in Ten Words by Paul Ellis and my historical reading with A Very Brief History: Anne Boleyn by Mark Black. I thought both were excellent reads. After my historical mood waned little I found myself reaching The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C S Lewis. A wonderful re-read which was just what I needed for the cold and dreary evenings we have been having. Then to finish off the month I managed to join my theatre group for a reading of The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde. I read the part of the young, naïve, and flighty Cecily. I thought it was all very funny!

Pick of the Month: Ferney by James Long

And those are just the books I finished. During March I have continued to dip in and out of The Complete Brothers Grimm’s Fairytales which I started in January. I am making quite slow progress but have enjoyed what I’ve read so far. Similarly I have also been dipping in and out of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl Written by Herself. In mid-March I actually started reading A Game of Thrones by George R. R Martin the first instalment in the cult classic series A Song of Ice and Fire. I am yet to finish it though I’m afraid as it is at least equal in length to two or three books I would usually read! I am really enjoying it though and am very close to the end now.

How was your March? What did you read?