Books I Read In March

Thirteen books read in March! Mainly because I've got a couple new authors whose writing is so good I can't put their books down.

 

1921 by Morgan Llywelyn is a book I've owned for years. It has been my nightly, 'fall to sleep' read for several weeks. Llywelyn helped me learn more about Irish Myths and Legends and Irish History than any other author. 1921 is about the Irish Civil War.

Paper Money was Ken Follett's first book, originally published under a pen name and then revised after he became a well-known author. 

the Poet by Michael Connelly is the first book in his Jack McEvoy series. It is also the first book I've read by this author. He is a most convincing writer. If you like 'can't put the book down' crime drama, you will like this author.

The Lincoln Lawyer is Michael Connelly's first novel of his Mickey Haller series. Haller is a defense attorney whose office is the back seat of his Lincoln Town Car. After reading this book, we watched the movie of the same name starring Matthew McConaughey. The book was much better.

Night Over Water is one of Ken Follett's WWII era books. This thriller features one of the last flights of a Pan Am Clipper.

A Column of Fire is the third book in Ken Follett's Kingsbridge series and covers the years 1558 - 1605. 

A Fatal Lie is the 23rd book of Charles Todd's Inspector Ian Rutledge series. As I've said before, I will read any and all books by this mother/son writing team. 

The Girl From Widow Hills by Megan Miranda is the first book I've read by this author. The library does have two more of her books, one of which was a Reese Witherspoon Book Club selection. I will probably read those two, also.

The Last Mrs. Summers is Rhys Bowen's latest book in her Royal Spyness series. I've been a fan of this author for some time. Her mysteries are what I classify as light reading - quick little whodunits. A previous reader of this book apparently does not understand Bowen's tongue-in-cheek approach. She (I'm pretty sure the reader was a she) had underlined many passages and written snarky remarks. If there is one thing I can't stand, it is the defacing of books. Especially new library books! Fortunately, the critic used a pencil. I erased all of the underlines and remarks as I read along, which detracted from my enjoyment of the story.

The Brass Verdict is the second book in Michael Connelly's Micky Haller series. As you can tell, once I find a new author I really like, I read my way through all that are available. I'm trying to read them in order of publication, though each story can stand alone.

The Scarecrow and Fair Warning are books two and three of Michael Connelly's series featuring journalist Jack McEvoy. I really enjoyed this character and hope there might be more featuring him.

Hornet Flight by Ken Follett is another of his set during WWII. I can't imagine why I never read this author before now, but I'm so glad I finally tried him. His writing is superb and I love the historical settings. One good thing about not reading him before is that I don't have to wait for new books to come out.

March was a good month for reading.

Of Wrens and Their Houses

 

Last year, around the 10th of March, I began hearing a bird I didn't remember ever hearing before. I tried to identify it by its song. But no matter how I described it, I had no luck. 

And it was so elusive it was weeks before I was able to get a very poor photo of it. But that was enough for me to finally identify it as a Carolina Wren. I've been obsessed by them ever since.

So this year when I heard this little one singing, I knew what it was.

I've been hearing it for a week and a half, but again, couldn't get a photo until this morning. It was singing from the top of the neighbor's tree. I had to point and shoot sideways through the window and these are the best pictures I got.

If I try going outside to shoot it, it's gone before I get the door completely open. 

Call them elusive, evasive, slippery, shifty, cagey or just plain shy, but I'll keep trying for a really good picture. It gives me something to do. 😉

I've often thought about putting up a wren house. Even before I discovered the Carolina Wrens I was aware of all the house wrens around. But I became serious about putting up a wren house to try and attract a Carolina Wren to it. 

I was going to buy one and then I remembered the wren house my mother-in-law gave me years ago that I had never used. It was a craft item she purchased from a local man. The nest part of the house is an O'Doul's beer can. It looks and sounds Irish, so it seems appropriate for me. 

I would be over the moon if a Carolina Wren called it home, but I would be happy with a Jenny Wren, too. 

Just as I was unaware we had Carolina Wrens in our area, I was also unaware until now that a favorite poet had written about them. The poem is from Mary Oliver's book Why I Wake Early.

   the wren from Carolina

     

Just now the wren from Carolina buzzed

        through the neighbor's hedge

a line of grace notes I couldn't even write down

                 much less sing.

     Now he lifts his chestnut colored throat

       and delivers such a cantering praise -

                           for what?

For the early morning, the taste of the spider,

                for his small cup of life

that he drinks from every day, knowing it will refill.

     All things are inventions of  holiness.

           Some more rascally than others.

                       I'm on that list too.

      Though I don't know exactly where.

  But every morning there's my own cup of gladness,

and there's that wren in the hedge, above me, with his

                 

                          blazing song.