I love March, and I always have fun looking for books for Women’s History Month. Books about women and for women, and I’m particularly impressed by the diversity in genre and literary-ness (is that a word?) of the books I read this month. Disappearing Earth and The Memory Police have both won some awards, while The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany and The Bookish Life of Nina Hill are both light, fluffy reads that fit perfectly in between the heavier books.
This month I continued (unintentionally) on my streak of double digits every month in 2021. It’s gotten to the point where now I feel like I have to keep up the trend? IDK it seems like a lot of pressure, but I did read some really good books this month! I also ruthlessly quit two books that I really wasn’t feeling, so I consider these wins all the way around.
Overall, it was a great month, and I’m looking forward to April and a whole week of Spring Break reading.
Books are listed in the order they were read. For more mini-reviews, check out my What I Read tag.
Monthly Stats
- Total Books Read in March: 10 Books
- Total Authors Read in March: 10 Authors
- Total Pages Read: 2,726 Pages
- Total Hours Listened: 34 Hours
- Total Books Quit: 2 Books
- Average Days Per Book: 3.1 Days per Book
- Average Pages Per Day: 87.9 Pages per Day
Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips
Premise: When two sisters go missing on a peninsula in Russia, the whole town is turned upside down. With each chapter told from a different perspective, the reader gets a look at how deeply affected everyone is.
Rating: 5 Stars
Thoughts: Wow this book. I seem to be drawn to beautifully written books that take me much longer than they should to finish. 250 pages? Sure I can knock that out in a couple days. Nope, try a week. But what a week! This book was a laundry list of things that I wouldn’t normally gravitate to, but as soon as I finished, I wanted to pick it back up again. It’s rare that a book makes me feel both seen and not alone, and this book did that.
Sure, there’s a kidnapping, and it’s awful. But for most of the book, the kidnapping storyline is a side story to all of the characters’ lives. We see divorce and cheating, cancer and friendships dissolving, finding a love of dance and losing a loved one. The fact that all of these stories felt both so trivial and so important touched my soul. Each of these characters are going through *things*, things that feel monumental and impressive in their lives, but also things that didn’t impact the larger mystery at hand. These private problems felt so real when looking in through a window, and it was a good reminder that everyone is dealing with their own pain. I can’t explain it, other than to say that this book made me feel less alone in the world, and also like my problems matter.
(But on the kidnapping side of things, omg yes. If you’re not feeling all the character-driven stories, hang on to your seatbelt for the final two chapters, which just blew me away.)
Who Should Read It: Anyone looking for a book that will touch their soul. Anyone who enjoys a slow read. Anyone wanting to dive deeply into a well-written novel.
Radium Girls by Kate Moore
Premise: In the 1920s, just after the Curies discovered radium, it was all the rage: in health drinks, for curing cancer, and for lighting up dials on watches and military equipment. The ladies who painted these dials suffered horribly years after they worked, and through their suffering, the true nature of radium was discovered.
Rating: 2.5 Stars
Thoughts: I recognize that this is a true story, and an awful one at that. But dear lord, this is NOT an uplifting book. Spoiler alert: there is no silver lining in this book. Girls died literally every chapter. Their teeth fell out, their jaws decayed, they developed horrible disfigurements. Every. single. chapter. And there were over 50 of them. It was an informative book, and it definitely affected me, but I would avoid if you are looking to be in a good mood anytime soon.
Who Should Read It: Anyone looking to learn more about unknown areas of history. Anyone who enjoys science history.
The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner
Premise: When Caroline learns of her husband’s infidelity, she decides to take herself on their 10 year anniversary trip to London. When she discovers a vial in the banks of the Thames, however, she falls into a past history that reveals a lot about her future.
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Thoughts: I can’t lie… I needed a book like this right now. Like, my soul was craving this exact book. It’s been a while since I read a light-hearted historical fiction/mystery/romance book with multiple timelines and interesting characters, so this one hit at just the right spot. I was wary from all the hype, but it absolutely lived up to it and more. Plus, dear lord, that cover is gorgeous.
The timelines in this book work so well. I loved Eliza and Nella’s points of view, back in the late 1700s, with their poisons and fancy dresses and whatnot. I wanted to hug Eliza fiercely and I wanted to soothe Nella’s pain, so I’m glad that they became friends; their chapters were an unexpected balm, even when they were in the thick of it. And Caroline, poor Caroline. Blindsided by her husband, running to England alone, uncovering secrets and keeping them. The timelines flowed through and around each other, and there were occasionally moments where I gasped with realization at what was coming and surprise at what had happened. This was just a wonderful palate cleanser that had meat and substance.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who enjoys historical fiction. Anyone who has been wronged by a man. Anyone looking for some great characters.
The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany by Lori Nelson Spielman
Premise: The Fontana women are cursed. More specifically — the second daughters of the Fontana women are cursed. They are doomed to never find love, to always be alone, to never have a family. Emilia, Lucy, and their Aunt Poppy are determined to change that curse.
Rating: 4 Stars
Thoughts: This book was a warm hug on a cold and rainy day. I’ve heard people raving about it, so I added it on to my BOTM box a couple months ago. I mean… family and love and history and curses and… what’s not to like? I loved the characters, although Emilia annoyed me in her rigidity a bit, but watching her unwrap herself from her anxieties gave me a lot of satisfaction because of it.
There were some unexpected surprises here as well. I don’t cry often, but the sweetness of the (near) ending made me tear up, the twists in Lucy’s story and Emilia’s love life and family… I didn’t predict most of it. I wasn’t trying to predict it, to be honest… this book was like floating on a lazy river, where the current just took me where it wanted me to go. But I’m glad there were a few surprises among the (somewhat cliched) story. It was just cozy cozy cozy and exactly what I needed right now.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who needs a vacation. Anyone who likes a bit of cheesiness with their love stories.
The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman
Premise: Nina Hill is perfectly content with her life, but when she gets a visit from a lawyer letting her know that the father she never met has passed away, her life gets a bit topsy turvy.
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Thoughts: This book was such a delight. Nina Hill was such a relatable character, in that I would be exactly like her if I were single. The rigidity, the structure and plans, the books, the cat — all very familiar and also just a bit infuriating. I loved watching Nina’s growth, though, and the side characters in this story, Liz and Archie and Lydia and Tom, were all so well placed in Nina’s life and in the story.
This was a simple story, and I wish we would have seen more of Nina’s budding relationship with her family. Or maybe I wanted more about her relationship with Tom? I feel like this book maybe tried to do too many things, and so I didn’t get enough of any of it. But… I guess the fact that I wanted more of everything means that it was all so good that I wanted more.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who loves books about books and bookstores. Anyone looking for a fun love story. Anyone who enjoys found family stories.
Girl A by Abigail Dean
Premise: When Lex Gracie’s mother dies, Lex finds out she is the executor of her estate. But what does that mean for a mother who allowed torture and abuse in her household? Lex must come to terms with the House of Horrors she grew up in, and she must reconcile her past with her present.
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Thoughts: I’ve been on a literary kick, it seems, and although this book is not classified as literary in most places, I feel like it should be. There is such an intense focus on character in this novel, with flashbacks woven seamlessly in and out of the story. To say this is a thriller, or even a mystery, is just wrong, even though the novel was really readable. There are some twists and turns, to be sure, but at the end of the day, this story is much more about character exposition than it is about plot and suspense.
Each chapter was named after a different Gracie sibling, but the story is mostly about Girl A — Lex. Her childhood, teenage years, and adulthood are all woven through this novel, and I say woven because it often felt like we were diving under and surfacing in a new part of her story, often without more warning than a line break. I enjoyed the fluidity of the novel, though, and the way it felt like all of this story, her past and present, was happening in real time, which is true of Lex at this moment in her life. It really was a heartbreaking tale, but it felt so real. I got totally swept away in these stories.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who enjoys character-driven books. Anyone looking for a heartbreaking tale. Anyone who likes true crime.
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
Premise: Cussy Mary is one of Kentucky’s famed bookwomen — she rides a mule out over treacherous terrain to deliver books to the people who live in the Kentucky hills. Her job isn’t an easy one, and it’s made more difficult by the fact that she is colored… blue, in fact.
Rating: 4 Stars
Thoughts: I will preface this by saying that I listened on audio to this book, and while the narrator was great, I think I lost a bit of the impact of the story because I listened in 15 minute spurts rather than really ingesting the story. This had the ability to be a five star read if I had actually read the book instead of listening to it. But man… what a story. This novel combined two aspects of Kentucky’s history with the packhorse librarian program and the “blue” people of Kentucky. I highly suggest googling pictures of the blue people.. they are literally blue.
Cussy Mary (why that name though?!) was such a great character. She was fierce and strong and vulnerable and focused. I loved her sass, when she let it out, and it was great to see how she cared about each of her patrons. But lorddddd it was hard to read all the injustices done to her. The prejudice and discrimination and sexual assault she faced just because she has a literal blood disorder… it was hard to stomach at times. I wanted to have her optimism, but it was hard to see the good through the plethora of bad. Even right down to the ending… it was a powerful read, for sure.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who enjoys historical fiction about new time periods and people. Anyone looking for an intriguing main character.
The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa
Premise: On the island, things start disappearing. At first, it’s innocuous… birds, roses, boats. Then novels disappear, and the Memory Police starts hunting for people who remember the things they are supposed to forget.
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Thoughts: This book left me with so many questions. I mean… I knew it would be weird. The plot description was enough, and then add in the comparison to Orwell and the words “surreal, provocative fable”, and I knew what I was walking into. But I expected to walk out with a lot more than I did. Spoiler alert: There are no explanations. There’s no rhyme or reason. When I read the last page, I flipped through to make sure I wasn’t missing something.
Now that I think about it, calling it a fable is an accurate description. This definitely had “cautionary tale” written all over it, although I’m not sure what I was being cautioned about. Complacency, maybe? At what point is it too late and you are too far gone? The parallel story-within-a-story was intriguing, and it did give some insight into what the author was going for with this novel. I thought there was a lot of interesting stuff, but I really wish I had a few more chapters of explanation thrown in there.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who likes weird books. Anyone who is okay with an unfinished ending. Anyone who likes speculative books.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
Premise: When faced with an unwanted marriage in 1714 France, Addie has very few options. But she knows she cannot face a life of domesticity married to a man older than she is, so she runs away from her wedding into the forest at sunset, and she makes a deal with a god that will affect her entire (300+ year) life.
Rating: 4.5 Stars (Updated to 4 stars after book club lol)
Premise: I am writing this before our book club meets to discuss it because I want to get down my first impressions before all the smarter girls in book club make me hate the ending of this book. I read this (457 page) book in 48 hours, mostly out of necessity (see: book club procrastination), but also because I was so, so, so sucked into the world that was created in this novel. The concept is so unique — girls makes deal with the devil to live a “free” life, which he then translates into making everyone forget her as soon as she is out of sight. It leads her through time and space and countries and flings, and her journey is a fascinating one that really made me question how I would deal with these situations.
That being said, I was LIVING for the present-day story, the story with Henry and his love for her and his ability to remember her. I mean, the past was great (love some historical fiction), but they were hard chapters at first, with so much suffering and pain. Then they shifted and… I’m not sure if I liked that much better. But the present-day story with Henry touched my heart and kept me guessing as to what his secret was (surely he had a secret). Then I got to the last 100 pages and WHAT A ROLLERCOASTER. Many people (many book club people) hated the ending to this story, and I’m not sure I disagree with them… or if I agree with them. I say if you are one of the seven people left on earth who hasn’t read this book, go in with an open mind all the way through to the end, and give Addie some credit.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who enjoys historical fiction and magical realism. Anyone looking for a strong, sassy character. Anyone who loves stories of lies and deceit.
