March in General

It feels like quite a bit was going on this March! I started off with a bit of an inpromptu trip to Florida, and the timing was quite nice! Once I returned to New York things started to warm up, so it was a nice preview for what’s to come here.

But on the work front, things were pretty busy! I knew I’d be working quite a bit while I was in Florida, and things ramped up even more when I got home. Thankfully things are cooling down now, but it was definitely a lot at once. And I know some new projects are coming my way soon, so I’m doing my best to finish the projects that I’ve started before moving on to new projects.

So where does that leave me on the reading front?

Well, I read five books this month – which, is still quite a few! However, this is actually the least I’ve read in a few years. It makes sense knowing how off my routine I’ve been lately, but I’ve definitely been missing that! Thankfully the books I did read this month were pretty good.

March In Stats

BOOKS BREAKDOWN

March In Books

Crying in H Mart
Michelle Zauner
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Goodreads | Bookshop

An unflinching, powerful memoir about growing up Korean American, losing her mother, and forging her own identity.

In this exquisite story of family, food, grief, and endurance, Michelle Zauner proves herself far more than a dazzling singer, songwriter, and guitarist. With humor and heart, she tells of growing up one of the few Asian American kids at her school in Eugene, Oregon; of struggling with her mother’s particular, high expectations of her; of a painful adolescence; of treasured months spent in her grandmother’s tiny apartment in Seoul, where she and her mother would bond, late at night, over heaping plates of food.

As she grew up, moving to the East Coast for college, finding work in the restaurant industry, and performing gigs with her fledgling band–and meeting the man who would become her husband–her Koreanness began to feel ever more distant, even as she found the life she wanted to live. It was her mother’s diagnosis of terminal cancer, when Michelle was twenty-five, that forced a reckoning with her identity and brought her to reclaim the gifts of taste, language, and history her mother had given her.

Vivacious and plainspoken, lyrical and honest, Zauner’s voice is as radiantly alive on the page as it is onstage. Rich with intimate anecdotes that will resonate widely, and complete with family photos, Crying in H Mart is a book to cherish, share, and reread.

I always am hesitant about books that are heavily praised, but I absolutely see why now. This book was an incredibly written memoir that described so well the ever-changing relationship between mother and daughter, and in such fine detail captures the pain that comes with loss – in every aspect of life. 

A Far Wilder Magic
Allison Saft
⭐⭐⭐.75

Goodreads | Bookshop

When Margaret Welty spots the legendary hala, the last living mythical creature, she knows the Halfmoon Hunt will soon follow. Whoever is able to kill the hala will earn fame and riches, and unlock an ancient magical secret. If Margaret wins the hunt, it may finally bring her mother home. While Margaret is the best sharpshooter in town, only teams of two can register, and she needs an alchemist.

Weston Winters isn’t an alchemist–yet. Fired from every apprenticeship he’s landed, his last chance hinges on Master Welty taking him in. But when Wes arrives at Welty Manor, he finds only Margaret and her bloodhound Trouble. Margaret begrudgingly allows him to stay, but on one condition: he must join the hunt with her.

Although they make an unlikely team, Wes is in awe of the girl who has endured alone on the outskirts of a town that doesn’t want her, in this creaking house of ghosts and sorrow. And even though Wes disrupts every aspect of her life, Margaret is drawn to him. He, too, knows what it’s like to be an outsider. As the hunt looms closer and tensions rise, Margaret and Wes uncover dark magic that could be the key to winning the hunt – if they survive that long.

In A Far Wilder Magic, Allison Saft has written an achingly tender love story set against a deadly hunt in an atmospheric, rich fantasy world that will sweep you away.

Admittedly this was a cover-read for me, but this book was just as beautiful on the inside. There was such a nice balance of character growth and storytelling, and while the storyline itself was interesting, it was the main characters that I grew to love the most.

Lakelore
Anna-Marie McLemore
⭐⭐⭐.25

Goodreads | Bookshop

In this young adult novel by award-winning author Anna-Marie McLemore, two non-binary teens are pulled into a magical world under a lake – but can they keep their worlds above water intact?

Everyone who lives near the lake knows the stories about the world underneath it, an ethereal landscape rumored to be half-air, half-water. But Bastián Silvano and Lore Garcia are the only ones who’ve been there. Bastián grew up both above the lake and in the otherworldly space beneath it. Lore’s only seen the world under the lake once, but that one encounter changed their life and their fate.

Then the lines between air and water begin to blur. The world under the lake drifts above the surface. If Bastián and Lore don’t want it bringing their secrets to the surface with it, they have to stop it, and to do that, they have to work together. There’s just one problem: Bastián and Lore haven’t spoken in seven years, and working together means trusting each other with the very things they’re trying to hide. 

I really love the way that McLemore weaves magic into their writing – this book being no exception. And while the magic in this book served well as a metaphor to the characters themselves, I wanted just a bit more explanation to that side of the story; I felt that the ending was a bit abrupt. But I loved the characters in this book as well and how real they felt.

The Song of Achilles
Madeline Miller
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Goodreads | Bookshop

Achilles, “the best of all the Greeks,” son of the cruel sea goddess Thetis and the legendary king Peleus, is strong, swift, and beautiful, irresistible to all who meet him. Patroclus is an awkward young prince, exiled from his homeland after an act of shocking violence. Brought together by chance, they forge an inseparable bond, despite risking the gods’ wrath.

They are trained by the centaur Chiron in the arts of war and medicine, but when word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, all the heroes of Greece are called upon to lay siege to Troy in her name. Seduced by the promise of a glorious destiny, Achilles joins their cause, and torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus follows. Little do they know that the cruel Fates will test them both as never before and demand a terrible sacrifice.

This is a book I’ve been wanting to read…basically forever? And I finally have. This is another book where I absolutely loved the way the author wrote the build-up of a character’s relationship. I don’t know a ton about mythology personally, but from what I do know i really liked the direction Miller took with it.

King of Battle & Blood
Arin Murphy-Hiscock
⭐⭐⭐

Goodreads | Bookshop

At her core, the green witch is a naturalist, an herbalist, a wise woman, and a healer. She embraces the power of nature; she draws energy from the Earth and the Universe; she relies on natural objects like stones and gems to commune with the land she lives off of; she uses plants, flowers, oils, and herbs for healing; she calls on nature for guidance; and she respects every living being no matter how small.

In The Green Witch, you will learn the way of the green witch, from how to use herbs, plants, and flowers to make potions and oils for everyday healing as well as how crystals, gems, stones, and even twigs can help you find balance within. You’ll discover how to find harmony in Earth’s great elements and connect your soul to every living creature. This guide also contains directions for herbal blends and potions, ritual suggestions, recipes for sacred foods, and information on how to listen to and commune with nature. Embrace the world of the green witch and discover what the power of nature has in store for you.

This was another impulse read for me. There was a lot of really interesting information (and lots of recipes I’ve saved for later use), but it wasn’t quite what I expected.

April Hopefuls

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