March in Books
March felt like a bit of a disappointing month, reading-wise. As my TBR grew with all the various literary prize nominees I wanted to read, I kept finding myself disappointed by books I had been really looking forward to. But I managed to read 10 books, crossing off plenty of titles which had been on my to-read list for too long, and I discovered 3 new favourites, which are sure to be contenders for my book of the year.
The first book I read in March was Empireland: How Imperialism Has Shaped Modern Britain by Sathnam Sanghera, which had been on my to-read list for too long.
I don't know whether it's because I'm used to academic non-fiction, but I often find popular non-fiction disappointing. Unfortunately this was the case with Empireland, which I struggled a little with, but ultimately found a rewarding read. I love the way Sathnam Sanghera doesn't shy away from some really tough questions.
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Up next was Rainbow Milk by Paul Mendez, which is a book I was really excited about.
I found the phonetic writing difficult to read, but otherwise Rainbow Milk was a compulsive read. There were so many interesting asides in this book that make me excited for what Paul Mendez might write next. But I wasn’t convinced by the way the book’s structure, which felt a little fragmented and incomplete.
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My next read was the last of my latest library haul, Double Blind by Edward St. Aubyn, whose Patrick Melrose novels I absolutely loved.
Double Blind is a book that will feel familiar to a lot of readers, and while I wasn't convinced by its interest in futuristic science and technology, and would have liked some stronger female characters, it's the kind of book that I usually enjoy. I liked the playful cleverness of Double Blind, and I liked that it was surprisingly concise for such a dense story.
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Assembly by Natasha Brown was one of the 2021 books still on my to-read list, about which I'd only heard good things.
The themes that Assembly explores might sound familiar, but its protagonist has a story worth telling, and it feels like her own. I loved the multi-layered character Natasha Brown has crafted, and the way she tells her story. The writing feels almost poetic. A remarkable debut.
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Up next was Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors, one of this month's "buzzy" books.
This story of a tumultuous relationship was really engaging, and the second half, in particular, I didn't want to put down. But Cleopatra and Frankenstein felt like quite a superficial read to me, one that I enjoyed but can't see staying with me.
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Sundial by Catriona Ward was another new release, which came highly recommended.
Sundial is a compulsively readable story that uses the horror genre to push the domestic thriller to extremes. This is a book jam-packed with secrets, and I never knew who to trust. The setting, an abandoned ranch in the Mojave Desert, is brilliantly imagined, and Catriona Ward plays on everyday fears to considerable effect, creating a story that will stay with me for some time.
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In the mood for some non-fiction next, I turned to Things I Have Withheld by Kei Miller, which was longlisted for this year's Jhalak Prize.
Things I Have Withheld is a brilliant, insightful, and moving collection of disarmingly personal essays, which I can see myself returning to. Kei Miller's talent for writing, and storytelling, is evident, and I have obviously been missing out by not reading his words until now.
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Next up was A Narrow Door by Joanne Harris, the latest in her series set at St Oswald's school.
A Narrow Door feels like the perfect combination of new and old; all the things I loved about the first two St. Oswald's books are present and correct, but this story also works perfectly well as a standalone. It was a little long for it to be a five-star read for me, but I loved the story, and it felt good to be back.
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The Magician by Colm Tóibín immediately got bumped up my to-read list when it won the Rathbones Folio prize.
I found The Magician a disappointing read from quite early on, and a slog to get through. I think the span of the book is too wide, not giving Colm Tóibín the space to go much beyond the surface of Mann's life. I think I would have preferred a book with a narrower focus, which really zoomed in on a particular period of Mann's life. I still intend to read more of the Rathbones Folio nominees, but The Magician just wasn't for me.
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I finished writing this post on the last day in March, then picked up China Room by Sunjeev Sahota and couldn't put it down.
I thought this was a really rich story, beautifully written and utterly compelling. I loved the way the two strands of the story were interwoven, one following a young bride in 1929 Punjab, the other, in 1999, a young man in India recovering from drug addiction before starting university back home in England. China Room felt like a real and personal story, and I enjoyed it very much.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The first book I read in March was Empireland: How Imperialism Has Shaped Modern Britain by Sathnam Sanghera, which had been on my to-read list for too long.
I don't know whether it's because I'm used to academic non-fiction, but I often find popular non-fiction disappointing. Unfortunately this was the case with Empireland, which I struggled a little with, but ultimately found a rewarding read. I love the way Sathnam Sanghera doesn't shy away from some really tough questions.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Up next was Rainbow Milk by Paul Mendez, which is a book I was really excited about.
I found the phonetic writing difficult to read, but otherwise Rainbow Milk was a compulsive read. There were so many interesting asides in this book that make me excited for what Paul Mendez might write next. But I wasn’t convinced by the way the book’s structure, which felt a little fragmented and incomplete.
⭐⭐⭐
My next read was the last of my latest library haul, Double Blind by Edward St. Aubyn, whose Patrick Melrose novels I absolutely loved.
Double Blind is a book that will feel familiar to a lot of readers, and while I wasn't convinced by its interest in futuristic science and technology, and would have liked some stronger female characters, it's the kind of book that I usually enjoy. I liked the playful cleverness of Double Blind, and I liked that it was surprisingly concise for such a dense story.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Assembly by Natasha Brown was one of the 2021 books still on my to-read list, about which I'd only heard good things.
The themes that Assembly explores might sound familiar, but its protagonist has a story worth telling, and it feels like her own. I loved the multi-layered character Natasha Brown has crafted, and the way she tells her story. The writing feels almost poetic. A remarkable debut.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Up next was Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors, one of this month's "buzzy" books.
This story of a tumultuous relationship was really engaging, and the second half, in particular, I didn't want to put down. But Cleopatra and Frankenstein felt like quite a superficial read to me, one that I enjoyed but can't see staying with me.
⭐⭐⭐
Sundial by Catriona Ward was another new release, which came highly recommended.
Sundial is a compulsively readable story that uses the horror genre to push the domestic thriller to extremes. This is a book jam-packed with secrets, and I never knew who to trust. The setting, an abandoned ranch in the Mojave Desert, is brilliantly imagined, and Catriona Ward plays on everyday fears to considerable effect, creating a story that will stay with me for some time.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
In the mood for some non-fiction next, I turned to Things I Have Withheld by Kei Miller, which was longlisted for this year's Jhalak Prize.
Things I Have Withheld is a brilliant, insightful, and moving collection of disarmingly personal essays, which I can see myself returning to. Kei Miller's talent for writing, and storytelling, is evident, and I have obviously been missing out by not reading his words until now.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Next up was A Narrow Door by Joanne Harris, the latest in her series set at St Oswald's school.
A Narrow Door feels like the perfect combination of new and old; all the things I loved about the first two St. Oswald's books are present and correct, but this story also works perfectly well as a standalone. It was a little long for it to be a five-star read for me, but I loved the story, and it felt good to be back.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Magician by Colm Tóibín immediately got bumped up my to-read list when it won the Rathbones Folio prize.
I found The Magician a disappointing read from quite early on, and a slog to get through. I think the span of the book is too wide, not giving Colm Tóibín the space to go much beyond the surface of Mann's life. I think I would have preferred a book with a narrower focus, which really zoomed in on a particular period of Mann's life. I still intend to read more of the Rathbones Folio nominees, but The Magician just wasn't for me.
⭐⭐⭐
I finished writing this post on the last day in March, then picked up China Room by Sunjeev Sahota and couldn't put it down.
I thought this was a really rich story, beautifully written and utterly compelling. I loved the way the two strands of the story were interwoven, one following a young bride in 1929 Punjab, the other, in 1999, a young man in India recovering from drug addiction before starting university back home in England. China Room felt like a real and personal story, and I enjoyed it very much.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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