March 2021 Wrap Up

March was a hodgepodge of things – I had a lot of time at the beginning of the year, and then March hit with a very busy period, so I had to scramble to get back into actually working. Other than that, there’s still a global pandemic and not a lot of things going on. Let’s talk about the books I read in March!

How Beautiful We Were by Imbolo Mbue

Rating: 3.5 stars
Summary: A powerful story about colonization and capitalism

I’ve spoken about this one in my last wrap-up a bit, but I really enjoyed this story. While I do think that it suffers from some issues with pacing, and I found myself preferring some perspectives a lot more than others, I still think this is a very important novel, that explores in essence the perseverance of a small community in face of powerful forces trying to destroy it for their own benefit. Definitely recommend it, and you can read more of my thoughts HERE.

Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Beautiful story about love and being a Black person today

This was really stunning, and Caleb Azumah Nelson is the author to watch! The writing is incredible, and the way the author explores a relationship between two young Black people just mesmerizing. This also handles trauma and themes of masculinity, mental health, and race in such an intelligent and perceptive way, weaving a gorgeous narrative that will completely consume your attention. Could not recommend it more.  More of my thoughts in the REVIEW.

 

A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: B O R I N G

This was such a huge disappointment. I was really excited to read this, but I found the characters really one-dimensional and the world-building incredibly underwhelming. Most notably, this story had no driving force to it, and was just plain boring. We do love Holland, but not enough to care about this book at all. Sorry for the saltiness, but here’s a very bitchy review for it, if you want to hear more. 

Luster by Raven Leilani

Rating: 4.5 stars
Summary: Peak Disaster Woman Book

This is probably my favorite book of the year so far! It’s incredibly suited to my personal tastes – the main character is frustrating, but incredibly relatable, and the book is hyperfocused on Edie. She is also a really intelligent narrator and one who is self-aware and enviably perceptive. This book is full of sharp commentary on race and class (and explores class in a satisfying way!). It’s also about being lonely and needing to surpass that, even if it means making stupid choices. It’s also a really great disaster woman book that just hits all the points on the checklist really well. More of my thoughts can be found HERE, but it was SO good.  

Ongoing

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

This is so far so incredibly comforting and I am loving it, but I recognize that it’s super self-indulgent and could have benefited from more editing. But I do not care because it’s SO cozy.

The Helm of Midnight by Marina Lostetter

Not gonna lie, having the HARDEST time trying to get into this one. Not sure if I will stick to it, but we’ll see.

I would love to hear from you! Tell me your favorite read of March, I would LOVE to know.

In the meantime, happy reading

 

 

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