March 2012 Reads

March Reads

19 There's a (slight) chance I might be going to hell by Laurie Notaro
20 Half-Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan
21 The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker
22 Heart of the Hunter by Deon Meyer
23 Cell 8 by Roslund & Hellstrom
24 The Paris Directive by Gerald Jay
25 The Widow's Daughter by Nicholas Edlin
26 Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James
27 By the Iowa Sea by Joe Blair

Have you read The Idiot Girls Action and Adventure Club by Laurie Notaro?  You should, I read it years ago, in fact most of the booksellers at my store did.  And we all just about died laughing.  Based on that experience, I bought her novel There's a (slight) chance I might be going to hell,  It did not disappoint.  I love Notaro!

Half-Blood Blues, was well written and very worth reading.  It explores what it meant to be Black during the start of Nazi-ism, in Germany.  Dark subject matter, lightened a bit because it centers around Jazz and musicians.

Heart of the Hunter, was a fun "boy" read, full of action, motorcycles and adventure that takes place in South Africa, and neighboring countries.  The book was hard to put down, I breezed thru 400 pages.

Cell 8 by Roslund & Hellstrom, the cop and criminal writing partners is another can't put down read.  The death penalty  is the topic and the story leaps back and forth between Ohio and Sweden. It is an engaging story and you turn each page waiting to see what comes next.

The Paris Directive, will be published in June.  I think it's a must read.  A ruthless hitman botches a job, for the first time in his career.  A renown Paris detective, currently living in the small town where the murders take place leaps into action.  There's also an American connection.  It's all good, and it's a good read.

By the Iowa Sea, was the only memoir I read this month.  It's the candid story of a man loosing his way in his marriage and life, and finding his way back.  I really loved this book, of course having motorcycles involved didn't hurt, and I had to find out about the Iowa Sea, didn't I?

Fifty Shades of Grey, I bet you haven't missed the hoopla about this book.  It's been billed the Twilight series for grown ups, you know, adult soft-porn.  I decided to read it because I always want to know what's going on in the book world and words are just words.  First the comparison with Twilight, there is no comparison with the writing.  E.L. James can actually write.  I think the editors could have done a better job, but since it was first published in chapter by chapter format, according to my daughter's review, that you can read here.
Carrie says in her review:  "Fair warning, the story is not for the conservative minded, buttoned down, or reserved person.  So, if you are not shy about sex and erotica, I highly recommend these books – go read them!"  And I concur.

I'm not sure who reads my review/recommendations, but I know I have 23 followers on this blog.  Just to see if anyone has read to the end, I'm going to have a give away.

Leave a comment telling me what's on you nightstand to read, and tell me if you read physical books, use an e-reader, and which one, or do you read both books and e-reader?

The give away is for your choice of the books I've read this month, so tell me your choice, too.  I'll pick a winner, via Random Number Generator, on 4/15.

What are you reading?