March Wrap Up
I read 7 books in March, which is fewer than usual because I spent over a week on a lengthy non-fiction book. It was time well spent, but my book of the month is The Bastard of Istanbul by Elif Shafak.
The first book I read in March was Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi, who I wanted to read more from after enjoying You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty.
Freshwater is a surreal book that follows Ada, a young Nigerian girl, as she comes of age while contending with multiple personalities and prolonged trauma. Unfortunately the way this story is told just didn't work for me. I found it a fragmented and frustrating read, which never really held my attention. The way the narrators constantly allude to past and future events, without ever really getting the actual story going, just didn't appeal to this particular reader.
⭐⭐⭐
I continued to slowly make my way through the Bond series in March, with Goldfinger by Ian Fleming.
In the seventh book in the series (which I would definitely recommend reading in order), Bond finds himself wishing for a spot of luxury, after a particularly nasty case, and soon regretting it when he gets his wish in the form of Auric Goldfinger, the richest man in the world. Short enough and certainly page-turning enough to be read in one sitting, these books are the perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon. I particularly love the realism of the books, sometimes missing from the films. But the persistently offensive asides stop them from being five-star reads for me.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
I am always trying to read more classics, so my next pick was A Room with a View, my third E.M. Forster.
A Room with a View opens in Florence, where Lucy finds her middle-class life thrown off balance by her experiences in Italy, and the unconventional people she meets there. This is a book that belongs to the time in which it was written, but that also still speaks to the reader today. The pace is unhurried, but the characters are brilliant, the writing insightful and amusing, and the story compelling.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
In the season of literary prizes, I couldn't resist the premise for Lost for Words by Edward St. Aubyn.
Lost for Words is a satirical novel that follows the judges of the Elysian Prize on their journey to choosing the latest literary winner, as well as some of the authors hoping to be chosen. This was a fun and easy read, peopled with entertaining characters, and packed with witty observations. Short chapters move between the different storylines, several of which include snippets of literary parodies, towards a satisfying conclusion.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
My next pick was The Bastard of Istanbul by Elif Shafak, who I wanted to read more from after enjoying The Island of Missing Trees.
The Bastard of Istanbul is the story of four generations of women living together in Istanbul. When Asya's Armenian-American cousin comes to stay, long hidden family secrets connected with Turkey's turbulent past begin to emerge. Elif Shafak writes so beautifully, but I particularly savoured her descriptions of Istanbul. Shafak's passion for the city's culture shines through her writing, but she doesn't shy away from its complications and contradictions. I loved what this book has to say about family, belonging, and dealing with uncomfortable truths about the past.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
In the mood for a thriller, I turned to The Ashes of London by Andrew Taylor.
The Ashes of London alternates between James Marwood and Cat Lovett (who will become the main characters of this series), as the Great Fire of London rages, and a killer is on the loose. I loved the unique setting of this one, which immerses you in the history and politics of the time, and I loved the variety of characters this setting allows for. I enjoyed following Marwood's investigation (although I didn't care so much for Cat), and I enjoyed seeing the different plots come together.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
The last book I read in March was The Rest Is Noise: Listening to the Twentieth Century by Alex Ross, a subject Thomas Mann left me wanting to know more about.
The Rest is Noise offers a whistle-stop tour of “classical” music through the 20th century, moving mostly in chronological order, and focusing on different composers and sub-genres in each chapter. This is an ambitious topic, but Ross does a remarkable job of balancing breadth with depth, creating an accessible and entertaining book, although it does peter out somewhat towards the end (of the century and the book). For anyone else looking to learn more about the kind of music Mann writes about, this is definitely the book for you.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
What did you read in March?
The first book I read in March was Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi, who I wanted to read more from after enjoying You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty.
Freshwater is a surreal book that follows Ada, a young Nigerian girl, as she comes of age while contending with multiple personalities and prolonged trauma. Unfortunately the way this story is told just didn't work for me. I found it a fragmented and frustrating read, which never really held my attention. The way the narrators constantly allude to past and future events, without ever really getting the actual story going, just didn't appeal to this particular reader.
⭐⭐⭐
I continued to slowly make my way through the Bond series in March, with Goldfinger by Ian Fleming.
In the seventh book in the series (which I would definitely recommend reading in order), Bond finds himself wishing for a spot of luxury, after a particularly nasty case, and soon regretting it when he gets his wish in the form of Auric Goldfinger, the richest man in the world. Short enough and certainly page-turning enough to be read in one sitting, these books are the perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon. I particularly love the realism of the books, sometimes missing from the films. But the persistently offensive asides stop them from being five-star reads for me.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
I am always trying to read more classics, so my next pick was A Room with a View, my third E.M. Forster.
A Room with a View opens in Florence, where Lucy finds her middle-class life thrown off balance by her experiences in Italy, and the unconventional people she meets there. This is a book that belongs to the time in which it was written, but that also still speaks to the reader today. The pace is unhurried, but the characters are brilliant, the writing insightful and amusing, and the story compelling.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
In the season of literary prizes, I couldn't resist the premise for Lost for Words by Edward St. Aubyn.
Lost for Words is a satirical novel that follows the judges of the Elysian Prize on their journey to choosing the latest literary winner, as well as some of the authors hoping to be chosen. This was a fun and easy read, peopled with entertaining characters, and packed with witty observations. Short chapters move between the different storylines, several of which include snippets of literary parodies, towards a satisfying conclusion.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
My next pick was The Bastard of Istanbul by Elif Shafak, who I wanted to read more from after enjoying The Island of Missing Trees.
The Bastard of Istanbul is the story of four generations of women living together in Istanbul. When Asya's Armenian-American cousin comes to stay, long hidden family secrets connected with Turkey's turbulent past begin to emerge. Elif Shafak writes so beautifully, but I particularly savoured her descriptions of Istanbul. Shafak's passion for the city's culture shines through her writing, but she doesn't shy away from its complications and contradictions. I loved what this book has to say about family, belonging, and dealing with uncomfortable truths about the past.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
In the mood for a thriller, I turned to The Ashes of London by Andrew Taylor.
The Ashes of London alternates between James Marwood and Cat Lovett (who will become the main characters of this series), as the Great Fire of London rages, and a killer is on the loose. I loved the unique setting of this one, which immerses you in the history and politics of the time, and I loved the variety of characters this setting allows for. I enjoyed following Marwood's investigation (although I didn't care so much for Cat), and I enjoyed seeing the different plots come together.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
The last book I read in March was The Rest Is Noise: Listening to the Twentieth Century by Alex Ross, a subject Thomas Mann left me wanting to know more about.
The Rest is Noise offers a whistle-stop tour of “classical” music through the 20th century, moving mostly in chronological order, and focusing on different composers and sub-genres in each chapter. This is an ambitious topic, but Ross does a remarkable job of balancing breadth with depth, creating an accessible and entertaining book, although it does peter out somewhat towards the end (of the century and the book). For anyone else looking to learn more about the kind of music Mann writes about, this is definitely the book for you.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
What did you read in March?
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