Monthly recap: March 2020

I have been in a really weird place, mentally this past month, as I’m sure many of you have been too. Toronto (and most of Canada) is essentially on lockdown so only the essential services are open and we are encouraged to stay at home as much as possible.

Since I normally work from home (and I don’t have kids), my daily routine hasn’t necessarily been as upturned as most people with all the new social distancing and stay-at-home rules. However, with all the horrifying news surrounding COVID-19 that I see online almost non-stop, I find myself less productive than usual. Normally, I love to bake or read or blog or take photos for my Instagram whenever I’m not working, but now… now I just want to sleep. I haven’t posted to my Instagram in over a week (which is rare for me) and I don’t find joy in being online as much.

I’m trying to stay positive and productive. But I’m also letting myself take naps and just “do nothing” and the most important thing – I’m not letting myself feel guilty about it. I hope you are doing the same. 

In a real surprise to me though, I have had the most productive blogging month EVER. I mean EVER. I’ve read more books than I have in a long time and I posted the most blog posts in a month since I started up at the beginning of 2019! I hope to keep this up from now on, but I’m also launching a big project for my business this month, so we’ll see how things go.

I managed to read six books in March, including a few for my #AToZCozy2020 challenge. I did start the #ReadChristie2020 challenge, but I haven’t read any books for that yet.

Here are the books I read in March:

• 2020 GoodReads Challenge: 14/50
• #AToZCozy2020 Reading Challenge: 8/26

Alongside my usual reviews and 5 for Friday posts, I was very excited to launch a new blog series this past month. I wanted to help promote some of the authors that have had to delay/postpone/cancel their book launches so I’ve been doing Sneak Peeks (book excerpts) of some new releases. If you have a mystery or historical fiction book coming out soon and are able to share an excerpt with me, please get in touch!

• [review] False Value by Ben Aaronovitch
• [review] Songbird by Karen Heenan [blog tour]
• [review] The Case of Miss Elliott: The Teahouse Detective by Baroness Orczy
• Sneak peek: Victorine by Drēma Drudge
• [review] The Body in the Garden by Katharine Schellman
• Introducing Sneak Peeks on book frolic!
• 5 for Friday: My favourite Agatha Christie stories
• Sneak peek: The Memory by Judith Barrow
• Sneak peek: A Daughter’s Price by Emma Hornby

That’s it from me for now! Please remember – we are in uncharted territory these days. Please stay safe and stay kind!