March reads

I worked my way through a stack of fiction books this month, mostly from the Choice Reads wall at my local library. What a great way to explore books and authors, and maybe find a brand new favorite.

Here's what caught my interest in March.

Jack Nisbet | The Collector.  I spotted this book on a fellow blogger's post one day, and it looked interesting. It's actually pretty amazing. It's about David Douglas, a 19th century Scotsman and naturalist who explored the Northwest. Our iconic Douglas fir is named for him. It's a great read.

Chris Pavone | The Expats. I couldn't put this one down, which for me is unusual for a first book by a new author. The jacket calls this book "fiercely intelligent," and I completely agree. Smart, tightly plotted, suspenseful. A wonderful read.

Tess Gerritson | Ice Cold. She's long been a favorite author of mine, and I'm catching up with her latest books.

Archie Satterfield | Country Roads of Washington. After I brought it home I realized that the author changed the title when he updated the book, and since I'd read the original, this one went right back. You'll also find this book titled, "Backroads of Washington." If you'd like to explore the back roads of our beautiful state, you might enjoy this book.

John Shewey | On the Fly Guide to the Northwest. We're getting ready for fly fishing classes this spring! A very cool book on the best fly fishing waters in Washington and Oregon, and includes maps and lodging, as well as where to find the best fishing spots along the listed rivers and lakes.

Craig Romano | Day Hiking Olympic Peninsula. I may have to buy this little guide; great info on trails in an area that we love to explore. All of Dave's sibs like to fly fish, and brother Tom is plotting for a group fishing weekend sometime this summer.

Sadie Jones | The Uninvited Guests. A clever and fun novel set in 1912 England. A lot of my novels this month have been British period pieces... maybe because I'm watching Season 2 of Downton Abbey?

The Heddon Catalog. A collection of all the Heddon fishing equipment catalogs published since the company began in the early 1900s. I've been searching for an antique bamboo fly rod, and this has been a good resource for identifying the best rods to search for.

Tara Frey | Blogging for Bliss. An interesting book with some good tips for people who are just getting started designing a blog, with ideas about layout and fonts and handling photographs. It also includes about 50 blog sites by women who blog as a way to support their art & craft businesses. So it has a bit of a commercial slant, but interesting. When I finished the book, I went looking for the author's blog, and it's nowhere to be found. So sad that the woman who wrote a book about blogging, no longer writes a blog.