Share Your Shelf March 2026

Now that I'm back to reading, this link-up is just what I need. Look at the bottom of the post for the hosts, see what others are reading, and for inspiration for new books to read. Here are my books this month:

Set in England, this book centers around Will, a quadriplegic, and Louisa, a young lady who isn't very ambitious. After losing her job at a bakery/deli due to its closing, she's tried various jobs (such as working at a chicken factory at night) but can't find the right fit. And then she is presented with being a companion to Will, who comes from a well-to-do family. Louisa's family is just scraping by, so they are glad when Louisa is offered the job. It's a good job with excellent pay, but it's only for 6 months. Louisa, who overhears a conversation, learns why it is only for 6 months. She feels betrayed, but then determined. 

I really liked this book; it met my criteria for a good book: it made me cry. If you haven't read it, it's a good one!

Lulu is a housewife in 1950's suburbia. She plays the part of the perfect wife, although she's struggling. She has a son, and at the beginning of the book, finds out she's pregnant. She's going through the motions, trying to be the wife she thinks she's supposed to be. Then Bitsy & Gary move in across the street, but something isn't right with them. While Gary manipulates himself into Lulu's husband's life, Lulu finds out their secret. 

This book had a twist I didn't see coming. It was a very quick read for me; it only took me 2 days to read it. Once I started it, I couldn't put it down. I'm just glad it had a happy ending!

This is the fourth book in a series of seven. I thought it was the second one (I read the first one last month), so I'm not sure where I messed up. But I didn't need to read 2 & 3 to know what was happening. Melanie is a realtor who specializes in selling older homes in Charleston, and she sees dead people. When I read the first book, I didn't think too much about the whole "seeing dead people" thing, because I know of people who actually can. While that creeps me out a little, this book seemed to get more into the "spirit world" thing: furniture moving, people being hurt. For that reason, I won't be reading any more of this series. Even though the book itself was good (I read almost all of it in 1 day), some parts made me very uneasy. I was definitely disappointed that the author felt the need to go that route.

This is the 2nd installment of the "Me before You" trilogy. I had to read it after reading Me Before You to see what was going to happen next. Is Lily really Will's 16-year-old daughter? What's really going on with her? Will Will's parents accept her, or will they send her away? And what about Lou??? How does she get her life together after what she's been through? Will she honor her promise and do what he asked her to do, or will she stay in the rut of a life that she's been in? So many questions! While I didn't enjoy this book as much as the first one, I did like it. I immediately borrowed the next book from Libby.

I had to read the last book in the Me Before You trilogy. This book was much better than the 2nd one. Lou finally finds herself after some missteps, and there are a couple of teary moments toward the end. If you've read Me Before You, I'd recommend taking it a bit further and reading the series.

This book came up during last month's linky. Well, it was another one by the same authors, but this one was on Libby without waiting, so I snagged it. I used to read a LOT of James Patterson; it's been a long while since I've read anything of his. I think the last ones I read were when Alex Cross came out. Anyway...I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Cyberterrorism...it's a scary thing. And then you have a traitor on top of that (of course!) and a professional assassin; all of the elements needed for a page turner. If it wasn't for the President's Political Speech at the end (which, in all honesty, I glossed over), I would have given it 5 stars. You won't be wasting your time with this one!

This was the Abiding Together Podcast's Lenten Book. Fr. Jacques is just incredible. All of his books are short and very easy to read...and they have a ton of good advice. This book is based on a retreat he gave. In January's Share Your Shelf post, I shared St. Therese's "The Story of a Soul". These are both wonderful books, no matter what your religion is. 

Hop Shelf Book Reads

This is the book I read for the brewery book club this month:

We decided to do something different: we brought the title of a book that had been made into a movie. The titles were placed on a spinning wheel app, then the wheel was spun. Luck of the draw (since it's March)! There were a lot of good suggestions, but when the wheel stopped, Little Women it was. We had 3 weeks to read it, and then we had a movie night out on the patio. 

I think I read Little Women when I was young, but I really don't remember. I had a hard time getting through it. At one point, I stopped reading, and I cheated: I listened to some of it. Then I alternated reading and listening, and I read the ending. All the "goodie 2-shoes" really got to me. And I kept getting distracted by Jo...she was a tomboy, but I kept thinking about how the book would have been different if it had been written in the present. Yep, girls can't be a tomboy anymore. That's all I'm going to say. Honestly, I found Mrs. Dalloway easier to read than Little Women. Let me just say that I'm not a big fan. Funny enough, only 2 of us read the book: me and the lady who suggested it! The 2019 version of the movie was horrid. It kept jumping time periods, so those who hadn't read the book had no idea what was going on. The girls looked the same in the different periods, which led to more confusion, even for the 2 of us who read it. The costumes were amazing, but Timothee Chalamet was not manly enough to play Laurie...and not Italian-looking enough. My advice: watch an earlier movie and skip the book!

If you need ideas for what to read next, check out the hosts' blogs:

Slices of Life

Not in Jersey