books i read in march

the rosie effect by graeme simsion -

a sequel to the rosie project, this book had me frequently chuckling. don tillman is now married and must adjust his regimented lifestyle to include his wife, rosie. but when rosie reveals she is pregnant poor don tillman's world turns upside down!

a cute, light-hearted book that i think anyone can relate to, especially if you've had one plan in mind and life dealt you a different one. full disclosure: i did find myself skimming quite a bit.

the girl on the train by paula hawkins -

a thriller - but not a scary one - about a woman who takes the train into london each morning and back home each evening. the story unfolds to slowly reveal more about the main character, rachel watson, and why she habitually rides the train.

a good page-turner with a redemptive ending.

all the light we cannot see by anthony doerr -

the story of two teens, a french girl and a german boy, who live through world war two. the girl, who is blind, is forced from her home in paris to take shelter in the seaside town of saint-malo, france. the boy is forced to join hitler's regime, moving up through the ranks because of his intelligence and skill. the two survive the war, meet, and discover a long-held connection between them.

this was a very beautiful, heart-wrenching, heroic, worthwhile read. i found the book interesting from a historical perspective too.

if i built a house by chris van dusen -

one of my favorite children's author/illustrators, chris van dusen had me (and the boys!) captivated once again with his most recent story book. although i believe it was published in 2012, this was the first time i'd found it at the library so promptly checked it out. the boys and i read this every night for two weeks.

the life-changing magic of tidying up by marie condo - 

a book about decluttering and organizing your house and, thus, creating the life you want for yourself, based on japanese principles. i read this yesterday in less than one hour. while i don't agree with everything she suggests (taking the shampoo, conditioner, body wash, etc out of the shower, drying off the bottles, then putting them away in the cupboard EACH time you shower seems ridiculous to me), i did find some nuggets of truth.

a super fast read that does provide inspiration to get your home in order.