As we are beginning March, I realized that it is time for an end-of-month book report, with some good reads I’ve come across over the past week and a half or so to share (and one to definitely skip IMHO).

First, I am going to unreservedly recommend Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics – and the audiobook in particular, if you fancy them, as it is read by Dolly herself.

As the title suggests, Dolly is sharing her life’s history through the stories behind her songs – and this book is an absolute joy. I would listen to it again.

Dolly is a national treasure. ❤

My second solid find is one that may seem unexpected – but I thoroughly enjoyed it – Jenna Bush Hager’s Everything Beautiful in Its Time: Seasons of Love and Loss.

This book is not a political story, but rather Jenna sharing beautifully about her family’s life, both as she grew up with her mother’s parents and her Bush grandparents, and then as she lost three of her grandparents within a few years of each other – at the same time she was beginning her own family.

I like Jenna so much and her book touched my heart.

My third suggestion is Shonda Rhimes’ Year of Yes.

Shonda is the creator of Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal, among several other hit shows and is just crazy successful. However, this book is about learning to push outside her comfort zone in her personal life, growing in ways she didn’t think possible. She writes so well and the lessons here are thought provoking and challenging.

Definitely add this one to your TBR.

My last February recommendation is Mary-Louise Parker’s Dear Mr. You.

This is memoir in one of the most unusual formats I’ve seen – it is written as letters to men who have affected her life in different ways. This book is raw and beautiful and refreshingly out of the ordinary.

It is so good. ❤

*An odd duck I read that I couldn’t decide whether or not to include – some books go to the Pile of Misfit Reads each report 😉 – was Karen Karbo’s In Praise of Difficult Women: Life Lessons From 29 Heroines Who Dared to Break the Rules.  On one hand, some of the profiles of the women are really interesting. However, I found her tone at times to be offputting. Hmmm. *

Finally, as promised, my avoid-like-the-plague: Elena Armas’ The Long Game.

I will save my extensive fussing about this tragically terrible book – because it was our book club read and I must complain at length next week. 🙂  Here, suffice it to say, it is my first two star rating in the history of my Goodreads. It is oh-so-very bad.

Still, I cannot wait to see my book club ladies – that will still be oh-so-very good. ❤

Wishing you all the happiest week of reading.

Be well, everybody. Take care of yourselves and each other.

Grace and Blessings.