Hello, hello! March has made way for April and I’m sooo excited it’s finally Spring! Yes, yes, YES to basking in sunshine while reading in my favorite Adirondack chair! But first: a recap of my March antics:

I Read…

BLOOD & HONEY by Shelby Mahurin! This is the sequel to the super popular SERPENT & DOVE novel, and picks up a short time after Lou, Reid, Coco, and Ansel narrowly escape death at the hands of the Dames Blanches. They are on the run from coven, kingdom, and church—fugitives with nowhere to hide…

So, I loved SERPENT & DOVE and I was dying to read this second book. It was an entertaining read, but I must admit that it wasn’t the best book I’ve read this year. I know second book syndrome can be a b*tch and after SERPENT & DOVE’s massive success, the pressure was on…

Still, the cliffhanger ending left me stunned, a little confused, and with so many questions that I can’t WAIT to read the final book in this trilogy!

I Watched…

The second season of SHADOW & BONE on Netflix! 

Alina is on the run with her best friend Mal, looking for “amplifiers” to boost Alina’s sun-summoning powers. Meanwhile, the Darkling is suffering from his hubris and the Crows are out-and-about doing Crow-things. Personally, I would have LOVED to see more of the Crows’ antics this season! On the other hand, I’ve read the books and am sooo excited for all the Crow-badassery still to come! Also: Wylan is a total cinnamon roll and so very well-cast! 

All in all, the stakes are higher than they were in season 1, the magic is more powerful, the action more thrilling, and the losses more heart wrenching—with the series finale ending in a terrifying cliffhanger that changes everything (Red Wedding, anyone?)

I Listened to…

I went to a cute theater performance, this month: RASHID AND HIS BASKETBALL—which was performed by a small (but ridiculously good) chamber orchestra. 

Inspired by the classic fairy tale PETER AND THE WOLF, playwright Jibbe Willems wrote a story about Rashid (or: Raas). Raas is confined to a wheelchair and a great basketball player. He loves dribbling and bouncing his ball—it’s his passion and his life. One day, Raas loses his basketball: it bounces into a moving tram and the tram’s doors close before Raas can get on. Raas then races around town to catch the tram. He receives help from a slew of animals: Rat, Heron, Swan, and Fish.

Raas’ adventures are conveyed by a storyteller, while the orchestra plays the musical themes that go with the characters and the events happening in the story. Though originally intended for young children, the performance was a wonderful example of great (short) storytelling!