The shortest month of the year is over (I started writing this at the beginning of March) and I have only read two books. In my defence, if the month had been a couple of days longer I hopefully would maybe have read three because I almost got to the end of one. I’m also remembering, at the end of the second month of the year, my goal to read one nonfiction book and one poetry book a month. Not to mention the goal I set myself of reading all of Dickens’ novels and novellas this year. I have read 4 of these, there are 16 left. A lot of them are very long. I should probably kiss that ambition goodbye.

Anyway, here are the 2 books that I read/finished this month.

1. Tom Brown’s Schooldays, Thomas Hughes

This is a semi-autobiographical novel about an adolescent’s time at Rugby public school in the early 1800s. I found it endearing. I read it because it is Freddy Bywaters’ favourite book. Yes really, that’s why I read it. But I’m so glad I did because it was wonderful (in fact, I enjoyed it so much that I’ve got the sequel).

2. The Battle of Life: A Love Story (novella), Charles Dickens

This is typical Dickens: family loyalty, love, assumed doom and a happy ending. Not my favourite of his works but glad to have read it.