March Mentions

Books I Read

The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris - This book was a recommendation from a friend and it provides a quick but fascinating and informative read. The book tells the story of Lale Sokolov, the tattooist of Auschwitz-Birkenau, a Jewish man who was conscripted into tattooing the infamous numbers on the prisoners as they arrived at the concentration camp. Lale befriends workers from the nearby village, falls in love with a fellow prisoner and uses his position to steal, scheme and survive the horrors of the concentration camp. The most interesting part of this book is that it's all true - the book is survivor Lale Sokolov's story, shared with his son and now published as an excellent book.

Circe by Madeline Miller - This book follows the story of Circe, the daughter of Helios (god of the Sun) and a goddess in her own right. After being banished from her father's halls, her story intertwines with notable characters throughout Greek mythology: Prometheus, the Minotaur, Jason, Odysseus and many more. The book took a little longer to get into than usual but it eventually hooked me and I really enjoyed it! I think it helps that I'm a fan of Greek/Roman mythology - so that helped!

Books on the Shelf

I've still got plenty to read - I just started The Ship of Brides by JoJo Moyes (it hasn't hooked me yet) and I also have The Girl You Left Behind by JoJo Moyes as well as The Storyteller's Secret by Sejal Bedani. That's all I've got for now, so those should easily take up April...ha-ha!

Must See TV

Let me be real - I would never pretend that I wasn't watching TV because y'all know I love a good TV show - I just have been doing a lot of my watching this month via streaming & I've outlined those below. I am still watching This Is Us (which wraps up it's third season on Tuesday the 2nd) and Home Town each week, but beyond that - everything I've been watching can be found on streaming services as opposed to actual TV networks!

Movies of the Month

Captain Marvel - The 21st movie in the MCU (how are there already 21?!?) is also the first movie in the MCU to feature a female lead and if the post credit scene is any indication, she's also key to defeating Thanos in Avengers: Endgame - so way to go for the first female superhero for Marvel! The movie is set in 1995 and features so many nods to the 90's, from a playlist that is on fire, a grunge look that screams "90's" and hello...she literally falls through the roof of a Blockbuster! This movie was touching, fun, filled with action and heroics, heart and honestly - every scene that Goose the "cat" was in, he completely stole. Go check this one out - you will NOT be disappointed!

Dumbo - I will preface this with the fact that I never liked the original movie as a child...it just made me feel too sad. I did really enjoy the live action version although it also made me feel like I might cry a couple times too! The classic touchstone moments from the original movie are there - a stork drops off the baby elephant, the song Baby Mine is there and Dumbo uses feathers to fly. It was a wonderful little update to a classic and I enjoyed it so much more than the original animated version! Also - Colin Farrell is aging like a fine wine. 

Streaming Selections

Schitt's Creek - I cannot over emphasize what a gem this show is! It was a recommendation from a fellow blogger (and podcaster) and once I started it, I was hooked! The show is hilarious but also has a ton of heart and I just cannot say enough about it. The first four seasons are on Netflix (but apparently season 4 expires like... in two days *sigh*) but if you have Pop Network with your cable provider you can watch through the current episode - the 11th episode of the 5th season. You can also download the Pop Now app to your phone and watch all five seasons. 

Catastrophe - This show was a recommendation from my younger sister a few years back and it is absolutely hilarious! The fourth and final season premiered on Amazon Prime on March 15th and I binge watched all 6 episodes in about three hours - they're only about 25-30 minutes each - and hilarious. I will say, it's rated MA for a reason - so definitely an adult show. If you've got Amazon Prime, check this one out!

Shrill - Another short comedy show; each of these episodes are 25-30 minutes each and the show is on Hulu... and I honestly don't know what to think about this one. I wanted to like it and aspects of it really spoke to me, but abortion is used as a tool for empowerment on the first episode and then subsequently used as a source for jokes throughout the six episode first season and that...along with other aspects left a sour taste for me. So I'd have to say while some parts were good, for the most part this one was a bust. 

Tunes & Talks

I have been loving listening to 80's and 90's throwbacks (especially after seeing Captain Marvel), especially I Wanna Dance with Somebody by Whitney Houston and The Best by Tina Turner. Also loving Noah Reid's acoustic version of The Best from a season four episode of Schitt's Creek - it's fabulous - and because of that, I also stumbled on Noah Reid's album called Songs from A Broken Chair. I've also been listening to the soundtracks from all seven seasons of Game of Thrones too, because the excitement for the final season is getting real!

I stumbled on the podcast Invisibilia by NPR and it's really fascinating. I'm still listening to The Popcast with Knox & Jamie, Lore and The History Chicks. Another new find is Blackout, a podcast narrated by Rami Malek - the first three episodes are available now with a new episode each week. 

Tasty Treats

Who knew there were so many delicious treats in the month of March? When I was poking around on my phone to see what I could find, I was blown away by how many things I'd snapped pictures of this month that were yummy!

Some definite favorites that stand out this month: everything I ate at Paula Deen's Kitchen at the start of the month, the delicious truffles from Culpeper and of course - both times I got the chance to eat cookie dough just like ice cream! 

Anticipations 

Baseball Game(s) - Baseball season is officially here and I've got ticket to at least one game in April! Perhaps there will be another one but for now, the 12th is the next game on my calendar and I can't wait. Experiencing Opening Day will probably be one of the highlights of the 2019 season, but I can't wait to keep watching my Nationals play throughout the Spring, Summer and hopefully well into the Fall!

Game of Thrones Season Eight - Ooh, I'm pretty sure I will do a blog post all about Game of Thrones on it's own...but the eighth and final season of Game of Thrones premieres on Sunday, April 14th and I am so looking forward to it. I think. Ha-ha! I am anxious to know the conclusion but I'm also anxious about who we'll lose along the way to the conclusion - eek! It's bittersweet to see the show coming to an end for sure - but mostly I cannot wait!

Avengers: Endgame - The end of April is when what happened after that fateful *snap* will finally be revealed! I'll be heading to see this new Marvel Cinematic Universe installment with the same awesome group of friends that I've seen almost every MCU movie with, but I've actually roped my Mom into the movies too and so she'll be joining us as well! At just over three hours, this movie will be the longest in the MCU thus far - I can't wait!

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That's a wrap on the month of March - and on the first quarter of 2019! Time just keeps on flying y'all!