This past week was spring break, which meant lots of reading. In fact, I spent Tuesday curled up in my chair in my library and read an entire book. It was glorious. My husband and I also took a weekend trip to Chicago (I'll post some of our pictures on Saturday). All in all, I couldn't have asked for a much more relaxing spring break!

Arcadia by Lauren Groff (Haven't read many books about hippies. This was interesting, while not entirely what I was expecting.)
The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton (Amazing! This was my first book by Kate Morton, and I will definitely be tracking down the other books she's written.)
Symphony by Jude Morgan (Among my many areas of geekness, music history is high on the list. So a novel about Hector Berlioz was a really interesting read!)

Autobiography of Anthony Trollope by Anthony Trollope (I have really enjoyed the few Trollope novels I've read, so I'm looking forward to getting to know the man behind the books.)

The Guardians by Ana Castillo (I'm slowly chipping away at the Pick-a-Shelf challenge I set for myself back in January. Just three books to go, and I'll have the whole shelf read!)

What is there not to love about The Wednesday Sisters?  Five friends, there for each other no matter what, who start a writing group on Wednesday mornings. The friendship is the center of this book. Frankie, Ally, Brett, Linda, and Kath come to know each other at the neighborhood park while their children play. It’s the late 1960s, and life for a woman at that time doesn’t hold nearly as many opportunities as it should. So they decide to make their own opportunities. They provide a support group for each other that everyone wishes they had – there through thick and thin, doing whatever needs to be done. This is a friendship that you only come across a few times in a lifetime. And reading this book made it feel like you were one of them.

I loved the historical setting of this book – the late 1960s and early 1970s. Not so long ago, but it is a time I never lived through, and one that historical fiction doesn’t often cover. I learned a lot about the events of the time through the eyes of these women. There were the obvious events, such as Robert Kennedy being shot and man’s first walk on the moon. Then there were other events I had never heard of, like rioting outside the Miss America pageant and the Black Power salute at the 1968 Olympics. Learning about them in The Wednesday Sisters was less like a history lesson and more like living them.

And I loved how these five women formed a writing society, critiquing and encouraging each other. Spurring each other onto success. Writing as catharsis and healing and discovery. It made me want to get my old notebooks out and start writing again.

The only complaint that I have about this book was that it was over too soon. Frankie, Ally, Linda, Kath, and Brett have an enduring friendship and more life to live. I want to continue looking through my window into their lives for a very long time.

Find it on: Goodreads  |  Amazon  |  Better World Books

I discovered this tag through Lois from You, Me, and a Cup of Tea. It was originally created by Raindrops on Roses. And since I love bookshelves (who doesn't?), I thought I'd answer the questions too!

I actually have nine bookshelves, so I thought I would narrow down the focus a bit to my bookshelf full of my favorites!

What a fun topic this week! Some characters seem so alive that it feels like their lives continue once the book is over. Wouldn't it be amazing if their lives really did continue, and we could check in with them later to see what they're doing?? Here's my list of characters I'd like to catch up with someday.

Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy from The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis (How would your adult life be different if you were once a king or queen of Narnia?)
Thursday Next from the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde (I could check in with her if Fforde would ever publish the last book in the series!)
Eleanor and Park from Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell (I so want to see how their lives and relationship turned out!)
Jonathan Strange from Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke (But only if I get to go to this magical England that he lives in, because that's really what I want to experience again!)
Mackenzie and Delancey from Pretense by Lori Wick (I have read this book probably ten times since I first discovered it in high school. And it always ends right at the good part!)

Pretty much every character ever written by Jane Austen, but especially Elizabeth and Darcy from Pride & Prejudice and Catherine and Tilney from Northanger Abbey
Harry, Ron, and Hermione from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling (I know Rowling has published other short stories about them, and I honestly haven't been that interested in reading those. I'd rather check in on Harry, Ron, and Hermione in person. ;)
Auggie from Wonder by R.J. Palacio (I'd love to know how sixth grade went for him - or high school or college, for that matter.)
Scout and Atticus from To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (Oh, wait - I get to do that in July!!)

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter, celebrating Christ's triumph over sin, death, and the devil! It was a full day for me, with three church services and time spent with my husband's family and my own. It was a great way to spend my favorite day of the year. And now this week is spring break! Time to sleep in and read. Definitely read. Lots of reading. :)

The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett (A fun, satirical read for anyone who loves books.)
Never A City So Real: A Walk in Chicago by Alex Kotlowitz (Not at all about the touristy, sightseeing part of Chicago, but an interesting book nonetheless.)
The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis (Always wonderful!)
Keys to the Castle by Donna Ball (A book about a castle in France is the perfect spring break read!)

Arcadia by Lauren Groff

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton (This will be my first book by Kate Morton. I've heard such good things about her. I'm excited to finally read one of her books!)

Happy Easter to you and your families! I hope you are able to take time this weekend to celebrate Christ's sacrifice and His miraculous resurrection. Remember that His death on the cross took away your sins, and that He went through all of that because He loves you. Have a blessed and joyous Easter!

Here we are, three months through the year already! Time to see how the reading is going with a delightful array of stats! :)

Books read: 27
Pages read: 8,307
Fiction: 81%
Nonfiction: 19%
Male authors: 48%
Female authors: 52%

Favorite book(s) this quarter: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, combined with I Kill the Mockingbird by Paul Acampora (A fun revisit and a new take on one of my favorite books.)

Reading Challenge Progress
Mount TBR: 13/36       36%
I Love Library Books: 5/36       14%
Birthday Month: 3/12       25%
Hard Core Re-Reading: 6/10       60%
What's In a Name?: 3/6       50%
Color Coded: 2/9       22%
Victorian Bingo: 1/5       20%
Reading England: 3/6       50%
Around the World in 12 Books: 3/12       25%
European: 3/5       60%
Chunkster: 2/5       40%
Alphabet Soup: 12/26       46%
Authors A to Z: 10/26       38%
Nonfiction: 4/16       25%
Newbery: 0/30 points       0%

Well, I'm doing better on some of those challenges than others. . . I haven't even read anything for my own Newbery challenge yet! Good thing spring break is coming up next week!