I’m a bit late, but determined to still make my March wrap-up happen! I finished several books that were very high on my TBR stack and I’m happy with how the reading month went.

Stats

Total books read: 6

Nonfiction: 3

#readmyowndamnbooks: 3

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner (4.5 stars) – I found this memoir to be both powerful and beautifully written, as well as skillfully narrated by the author. I suggested it as this month’s pick for my in-person book club, however, and the other members didn’t seem to enjoy it nearly as much as I did.

I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy (4 stars) – I’ve heard so much hype about this book, but due to the subject matter, it took me awhile to actually pick it up. It was a very difficult read emotionally, but very well-written, and I thought the audiobook was narrated very well by the author.

The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi (4 stars) – This fabulist novel about a mysterious language education center that purports to be able to make a person fluent in a new-to-them language after only a week sounded right up my alley. I liked the main character’s inner narration and the slowly-building mystery, and although it did feel in ways like a debut novel, I definitely would recommend it.

The Unbroken by C. L. Clark (4 stars) – There’s always a point in the year where I suddenly get a powerful urge to read epic fantasy, and I kicked off that reading mood in 2024 with The Unbroken. I enjoyed the dual perspective, fast pace, and mixture of action and politics, and look forward to picking up its sequel, The Faithless.

Interesting Facts About Space by Emily R. Austin (4 stars) – I’ve had Austin’s debut novel on my TBR for approximately 5,000 years, but I ended up picking up her sophomore title first since it was a BOTM pick. It definitely moved at a slower pace and was very character-driven, with a solid payoff at the end. I’m looking forward to picking up her debut soon too.

The Climb by Anatoli Boukreev and G. Weston DeWalt (3.5 stars) – My Mount Everest/Jon Krakauer continued with this read, which is somewhat of a refutation to several of Krakauer’s claims. It was an interesting read, but not nearly as well-written as Into Thin Air, and I found Krakauer’s essay in response to the book more credible than this book itself. I don’t regret the read, but I definitely don’t think it’s a necessary book to pick up after Into Thin Air.