This year, I’m participating in the Unread Shelf Challenge 2020 with a goal to read 75 books that I already own. Each month, I’ll read one fiction, one nonfiction/memoir, one law/business/politics, and one devotional/spiritual book. Quarterly, I’ll be reading one book of classic literature. I’ll be listing where each book came from, whether from my existing collection, I borrowed the book, or purchased the book this year. This is my March 2020 Reading List, which includes my trip to Egypt, which includes the books that I’ve finished, the books in progress and ongoing, and the books that I’ve abandoned.
Books Finished:
Miracles Happen
Already owned physical book. Legal/Business/Politics pick for 2020 Reading Plan (swapped March and August books).
I decided to switch some books around because the one that I’d originally picked for March was quite long and not something that I had time to read this month (since it was a physical book and I was traveling for half the month). I’ve used Mary Kay products since I was old enough to need facial cleansers and moisturizers. The woman who created the brand, Mary Kay Ash, is fascinating, and as a result this has been on my TBR list for such a long time. The book details how she started the company, and her philosophy of business. An interesting and not terribly long book.
I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti: A Memoir of Good Food and Bad Boyfriends
Already owned physical book. March Nonfiction/Memoir pick for 2020 Reading Plan.
This is part memoir on love and loss, and part cookbook. It was a quick and enjoyable read about the author’s experiences, even though I had a hard time relating to or understanding some of them. I didn’t try any of the recipes, although some of them looked quite tasty, and not difficult to make.
The Pandemic Century: One Hundred Years of Panic, Hysteria, and Hubris
Borrowed from library using Libby app.
I’d had this on hold on my Libby app for a while, and my hold came up right as coronavirus was really starting to spread worldwide. The timing was sort of strange. This book goes through several epidemics or pandemics in the last 100 years or so. Learning about how each of these pandemics spread, how they were investigated, and how the cause of the pandemic was discovered was enlightening. I think that when you learn about something, some of the fear of it goes away, so I recommend this book as a primer to understanding some of the basics of pandemics in recent history.
When Women Ruled the World: Six Queens of Egypt
Borrowed from library using Libby app.
I picked this book as a primer to the history of Egypt. It examined the queens (and sometimes female kings) of ancient Egypt, how they rose to power and what happened after their reign. The author tried to draw some parallels to leaders in the modern era, which I didn’t always agree with and didn’t find useful. I picked the book due to the advertised subject matter, and didn’t really want to read the author’s thoughts on the American political system. So I skimmed through those sections to get back to the main topic at hand, which was fascinating.
Orphan 8
Already owned physical book. Fiction pick for 2020 Reading Plan.
This novel tells the story of a Jewish orphan who is experimented on in her orphanage in New York. The story is told from the timeline of her youth, and from her adulthood. It was not entirely what I expected, and not my favorite book. But it was kept me engaged to the end, and the plot did payoff at the end.
The Book of M
Borrowed from library using Libby app.
This novel is dystopian fiction. People lose their shadows, and then slowly lose their memories. The story is told from the perspectives of a few different characters, some of whom have lost their shadows and some who have not. The book is fairly long, but does keep moving along. And after a little while, it becomes clear that the players are marching toward a common goal and it’s just a question of how things will turn out.
Summer of ’69
Borrowed from library using Libby app.
I really liked this book. It follows three sisters, their mother, and their grandmother through the summer of 1969 and the changes in their lives and the broader world during this time. I really loved this story, and found the characters so relatable. I recommend this book.
One of Ours
Already owned Kindle e-book.
Cather regularly referred to this novel as ‘Clyde’ in her letters, and after reading what she said about the novel, I wanted to read it. Willa Cather is a masterful writer, and I really love everything of hers that I’ve read so far. This novel is no exception. It takes place before and during World War I, and follows a young man trying to find his way in the world and to a future.
Next Year in Havana
Borrowed from library using Libby app.
The stories of a grandmother during her youth in Cuba prior to and during the revolution, and her granddaughter returning to the country after her grandmother’s death. This novel includes love, hate, fear, politics, and love of country. I liked this book.
The Toll
Borrowed from library using Libby app.
This is the third and final book in the Scythe series,a book about a future where death has been conquered and a nearly omniscient computer system runs the world. Scythes are tasked with ending lives. This series is fantastic, and I found this final book to be a solid ending. I was engaged in the story and couldn’t wait to find out what would happen next.
Another Love
Already owned Kindle e-book.
This novel was really good, but also really hard to read. It is about a woman with a family and a wonderful career, who loses everything because of her addiction to alcohol. It is beautiful and emotional and heart-wrenching. I’m so thankful that my sister-in-law turned me on to Amanda Prowse.
Spy
Borrowed from library using Libby app.
Danielle Steel writes some good books, even though she doesn’t get the credit that she probably deserves. This novel is historical fiction set during World War II. The main character comes from a British aristocratic family, and volunteers to serve. Because of her language skills, she is recruited as a spy and operative and serves throughout the war. Then after the war, she continues serving as a spy while her husband works as a diplomat. I would have liked to have had a little more action in the story, but it was still a very enjoyable book.
I Survived!: 5 Bible Characters Who Survived Disasters
Already owned Kindle e-book. March Devotional/Spiritual pick for 2020 Reading Plan.
This book was okay. It had a few bible stories, and talked about how they can help us to deal with disasters in our own lives. The book repeatedly referenced another book that I hadn’t read previously, and didn’t realize that I should read before this one, so that was kind of frustrating. But the subject matter is overall good, and can be helpful to people going through hard things.
John
Already owned Kindle e-book. February Devotional/Spiritual pick for 2020 Reading Challenge.
I’ve been working my way through this book for two weeks. It was fantastic, but I didn’t want to rush through it. The book is a commentary that goes through every story and line in the book of John. It was so illuminating, and I just savored it.
Books Ongoing through 2020:
Unshakeable: 365 Devotions for Finding Unwavering Strength in God’s Word
Year of Wonder: Classical Music to Enjoy Day by Day
Books In Progress:
Courageously Uncomfortable
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
The St. Nicholas Anthology
The Psychopath Test
Books Abandoned:
None.
by William Ury
and 
by William Ury, and picked this one up at a book sale when I saw it. I found this one to be really beneficial, and a very easy read. The author recommended having a scenario in mind that you want to say no to as you read the book. I think this is a good idea, as it makes the strategies seem very practicable as you read through the book. I recommend this book.
by Jeffrey Zaslow
by Michael Pollan
by Ludmilla Petrushevskaya
by Amor Towles. Based on that comparison, it wasn’t what I was expecting or hoping for. Although it mentioned in passing that the author had initially lived in the Metropol hotel, there was absolutely nothing about that experience. The bulk of the book was about the author’s time living essentially unsupervised in Communist Russia.
by Maureen Callahan
by Willa Cather, Andrew Jewell, and Janis Stout
by William Finnegan
by Vanessa McGrady
by David Browne
, about the Grateful Dead. I really had no idea of the strife between these four men throughout their career, or the various iterations of the group over that time. This book was fascinating.
by Tiffany Jenkins
by Julie Holland
by Grant Peterson
by Greg Donahue
by John Scalzi
by Barbara Kingsolver) for 2020 Reading Plan.
by Neil Gaiman
by J.M. Barrie
. It follows the character Evelyn Ross after she leaves New York. Each of the six stories are told from a different perspective. If you loved 
by Amor Towles
by Jane Johnson
by J.R.R. Tolkien
. I have the second and third books also downloaded in Audible, but may take a little break before starting them.
by Elly Griffiths
by Elly Griffiths
by Neil Gaiman and Colleen Doran
by St. Therese of Lisieux
by Ishmael Reed (Audible Original book, so new but free.)
by Laurie J. Cameron (Audible Original book, so new but free.)
by Gerry Spence
by Barbara Kingsolver
by David Bach
by Tanya Marquardt
by M.T. Anderson
by Kaitlin Ugolik Phillips
by Amaryllis Fox
by Paulo Coelho
by Lara Prescott
by Amanda Prowse
by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb
by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins
by Lysa TerKeurst
by Barb Raveling
by J.M. Barrie (Audible Original book, so new but free.)
by Maryanne Wolf (Borrowed from library.)
by Patsy Clairmont (Already owned physical book.)
by Frank Delaney (