I'd Say That I Had Spring Fever, But I Know It Isn't Spring

Since I woke up to snow today, (a light dusting, but I'm tired of it and it was only 17 degrees out, so I'm extra whiny) I'm writing my new monthly traveling through reading books post. In March I read nine books. Here's where they took me:

1.) My first book trip in March took me to Sophia, Bulgaria. "What Belongs to You" is by Garth Greenwell. I don't know if I've ever read a novel that took place there. The book itself was pretty lonely and bleak, so it probably wouldn't be my first choice for escapists destinations, but it was interesting to read about its history and architecture through this novel.

2.) Book two was perfect for getting my head out of the frigid Winter known as March in July. "The Star Side of Bird Hill", by Naomi Jackson. It takes place in the 1980's in Barbados. It was a sweet book, and I could stand a few more reads that take place on an island.

3.) "Preparation for the Next Life", by Atticus Lish, took place in New York City. It was very sad, and intense, so it wasn't much of a vacation, but it did make me feel pretty fortunate for my snowy, little, Midwestern, life.

4.) "Speak", by Louisa Hall took me all over the place; the past, the present, the future, and all over the world as well. It was a lot about computers and robots and communication. I like it a lot and it took me far away from my world.

5.) Just by chance, I read "Beatlebone by Kevin Barry right before St Patrick's Day. It took place in Ireland in 1978, with an imagined (see what I did there?) John Lennon. I really do want to go to Ireland one day, I just hope my time there is better than John Lennon's was in this novel.

6.) "The Portable Veblen" by Elizabeth McKenzie was quirky as hell and took place in Palo Alto, California. Since I've lived in that area before, it wasn't new to me, but I would love to be able to visit again. Also, a squirrel was one of the characters and I've never been friends with a squirrel before.

7.) The seventh book I read was "Midnight's Children" by Salman Rushdie. Holy cow! If you want to go to another country, this is the way to travel. I was in India and Pakistan from before the beginning of Indian independence until 1978 (the same year I was in Ireland with John Lennon. Busy literary travel year). I was sometimes overwhelmed with all of the new people I was meeting in this book, but it was so worth the trip.

8.) "Girls on Fire", by Robin Wasserman takes place in the early 1990's in Western Pennsylvania. Reading it made me not want to ever go to Western Pennsylvania in real life and definitely not ever go back to high school. Well, I didn't need a book to tell me that.

9.) The last book I read in March was "Celine" by Peter Heller. It took place in the early 2000's in and around Yellowstone. Celine was from all kinds of money. Man, would I love to visit THAT world.

Here's to hoping that I will write about my literary "travels" next month while hanging out on my back porch. Sigh.