March is a great month for reading challenges! I’ll be participating in both Middle Grade March and March Mystery Madness. These are both Booktube events.
Word of the Month
Dedication
Bible Verses of the Month
And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.” – (Colossians 3:17 NLT)
This month’s reading diary is at the bottom of this page, after the book list.
My Goodreads page: https://www.goodreads.com/lindajm
★ – I’m reading it.
✓ – I finished reading it. Yay!
⇗ – Still reading at the end of the month.
⇓ – I did not like it or finish it.
∅ – Stalled – I started but didn’t finish.
Challenges
1. Middle Grade March – a Booktube event.
2. March Mystery Madness – another Booktube event.
3. The 2025 Biblical Studies Challenge – this challenge asks us to read one book monthly on a topic one would study if lucky enough to attend a Bible college. The March topic is missions. A link to the book I’ve chosen is posted below: Ann Judson.
4. The Virtual Theology Christian Reading Challenge – 13/73 so far
5. The David McCullough Readalong continues throughout 2025. This month I’m reading Mornings on Horseback which is about Theodore Roosevelt.
6. Reading Books I Already Own – During 2025 I commit to reading books I’ve already bought, and not buying more… hopefully, for the most part. I’ve made a commitment to read 100 books I already own because there’s no sense in buying more when I’m not taking time to read the books I’ve already got. I made an exception for audiobooks. Also library or Libby books don’t count because I’m not buying them.
7. Becoming vegan – I’m still transitioning to a vegan diet – with books!
Finished Reading This Month
✓ Biography: Mornings on Horseback: The Story of an Extraordinary Family, a Vanished Way of Life and the Unique Child Who Became Theodore Roosevelt, by David McCullough
This is a biography about the life of Theodore Roosevelt.
Update: I finished reading this on March 29. Loved it. Review
✓ Historical True Crime: Trespassers at the Golden Gate, by Gary Krist
I saw it at Audible… and because it happened in San Francisco, I wanted to read it. Interesting story; I was not disappointed. Finished 3/29 … Review
✓ Christian Nonfiction: Your Story Has a Villain: Identify Spiritual Warfare and Learn How to Defeat the Enemy, by Jonathan Pokluda
Came across this at Audible, just browsing, as I recall. I’m listening to it now.
Update: I finished listening to this on March 29. Every chapter was interesting and kept my attention. It is a great book on spiritual warfare covering the topic from many angles. Review
✓ Christian Nonfiction: The Overcomer: God’s Answers To Overcoming Life’s Greatest Challenges, by James Collins
This is an inspirational book by a Baptist pastor who knows how to make people laugh. That’s a great talent, and so needed when our thoughts are on things which we’d like to overcome.
Update: I finished reading this book on March 29. It is a Christian nonfiction I had no trouble reading because the author combines humor with wisdom in a way that keeps the book interesting throughout. I appreciate that. Review
✓ Romantic Suspense: My Cousin Rachel, by Daphne du Maurier
I loved this strange and atmospheric audiobook. Rachel is a distant relative to both her husband Ambrose and his younger cousin, Philip. RIP Ambrose. Watch out, Philip! Review
✓ Historical Mystery: The Daughter of Time, by Josephine Tey
This novel focused on English history during the era of King Richard III. For me, there was too much history and not enough plot. Review
✓ Psychological Thriller: The Talented Mr. Ripley, by Patricia Highsmith
I’m not a fan. This has a very deranged main character and the narrative follows almost every deranged thought that flows through his head. Review – that said, it was and is a popular novel published in 1955. It just wasn’t for me. I read it for March Mystery Madness, a Booktube reading challenge I’m taking part in. I finished reading it on March 15.
✓ Fiction: The Berry Pickers, by Amanda Peters
This is a page-turning tear jerking story about a Native American family whose youngest child is kidnapped. Finished March 14. Review
★ History: Mutiny on the Bounty, by Peter Fitzsimons
Another fascinating book of maritime history. I finished audio-reading this on March 12. Review
What I’m Reading Now
⇗; Christian Biography: Ann Judson: A Missionary Life for Burma, by Sharon James
I love Christian missionary biographies. This one I’m reading for the Biblical Studies Challenge.
⇗; Christian Nonfiction: The Story of Christianity, by Justo L. Gonzalez
My sister bought this for me on my birthday, along with another book on Christian history. The month for history during my Biblical Studies Challenge will be November, but this is a big thick book and I have no hope for finishing it in November unless I start early.
This video is about the Biblical Studies Challenge I’ve embarked on during 2025.
My March 2025 Reading Diary
March 1 – Here we go again!
March 4 – I had the strange predicament today of choosing to audio-read either a book about a sociopath cleaning up after a murder in Italy, or a book about Fletcher Christian committing mutiny against Captain Bligh! Wow, lowlife people abound in literature! I chose the mutiny. I figured it was time to get it done and over with. It wasn’t unexpected.
March 7 – I’m reading some long books right now and am not getting anything finished quickly! Such is life.
March 12 – Today I finished and reviewed Mutiny on the Bounty by Peter Fitzsimons. It was a LONG audiobook – 22 hours! The book was over 600 pages. No wonder it took so long to get through. It was an amazing and comprehensive account of sailing behavior in the late 1700’s and focused a lot of attention on Tahiti, a place I never gave much thought to until now. I love how books can introduce us to locations we’ve never been able to visit.
March 17 – Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Erin go bragh! I’m happy I just started the last novel I had planned for the March Mystery Madness event. I’ve already read three of them. Also, I think I saved the best for last.
March 24 – Can’t believe it – I actually got sick and have been sick for the last 4 days. I rarely get sick since I stay home a lot, but on the 18th I drove to Yreka for shopping. I probably caught it then. Here’s a video I made to document that trip.
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