April has arrived, and just in time! Well, not in time for anything in particular, but I feel like March was a long and hard month. Not all bad, but just.. a lot. Hope you're all hanging in there with me!
In personal news... I'm still hunting on the job front, which is honestly always the most disheartening and demoralizing experience for me. I've also had some unexpected expenses come up which has been super fun and not stressful at all. It's also annoying when your hobbies (like aerial) cost money and you really just want to go to class, haha. I've also been dealing with some health stuff--nothing serious--that's been rather annoying, and trying to get anything done in our healthcare system is just a pain. One highlight was finally getting to make it to another metal show, though, and I got to see some bands I really love, so that actually brought me a lot of joy and peace and I'm extremely grateful I got to go.
In reading news, I had a surprisingly strong reading month! March was a month where I really leaned into mood reading, and honestly it was really nice and made me miss when I predominantly mood read. Because of my mood reading, I also hopped around my reading, so there are a few books I started in March that I haven't quite finished, but I plan to do so in April so I've listed those below as well. I don't think I read any new favorites, but I still had a great time with my March reads. Some highlights include Joe Abercrombie's The Devils and Johanna van Veen's Blood on Her Tongue. I also finally got around to reading Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung and now I'm kicking myself for not reading it sooner because it was so intriguing.
# books read: 13
Thoughts: I had so much fun with this, and I really loved what Abercrombie did with this story. I don't think I loved it as much as I thought, but it was still a fantastic book and I'm eager for a sequel.
Thoughts: Johanna van Veen has come out of nowhere and blown me away with how truly eerie and unexpectedly gruesome this was, and I had a blast. Can't wait to read more from her! My review for this one is linked below.
Thoughts: I've read a lot of books about the Amazon rainforest and its inhabitants and I'm also eager to learn more, so I was really excited this new memoir from a member of the Waorani tribe in Ecuador in the Amazon rainforest. This dives into traditional ways of life for Nemonte Nenquimo, the fight to save the rainforest, and so much more. A really worthwhile and informative read!
Thoughts: I think I would've liked this is there weren't fifteen perspectives. Fifteen. I just got tired. The writing was great, though. Maybe I'll try The Sound and the Fury because I don't think I've read that one?
Thoughts: I've been meaning to read this one for years, so I'm glad I finally was able to since I hear people raving about it all the time. I think it was exactly what I expected based on what I've heard, and what a story! I don't think it's for everyone, but it really shows how strong Buehlman's range is.
Thoughts: I've enjoyed other work from Anton Treuer, so I thought I'd pick this one up because I think there's always more to learn, and that was correct! I managed to learn so much more from this book and think it's a book I'd highly recommend to anyone!
Thoughts: This wasn't my favorite of T. Kingfisher's work, but her trademark humor and wit was out in full force and made this a joy to read.
Thoughts: I've follow C.G. Drews (aka PaperFury) for soo many years and this was the release from CG that I'd been waiting for!
Thoughts: I somewhat picked this up on a whim and ended up really liking it! I had never heard of it and had no idea what to expect going in, but it ended up touching on some really important topics and had a great story.
Thoughts: This was a review request and it was a Pied Piper retelling, which was really entertaining! I'm seeing a few more Pied Piper retellings these days, which I think is awesome.
Thoughts: This was another review collection and was a collection of short horror stories that was also pretty batshit at times. I had a great time!
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriela Garcia Marquez - This is both not at all what I expected and also exactly what I expected? I think I'm liking it, though!
The Great When by Alan Moore - Very classic Alan Moore style at times, but also feels like one of his most accessible prose novels so far. Really enjoying it!
Harmattan Season by Tochi Onyebuchi - This is such an interesting concept. Definitely has some noir vibes to it which is how it was described, and that's honestly not always my vibe, but I'm super intrigued by this one and the world Onyebuchi has created.
3/5: Vanishing World by Sayaka Murata, The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig, & Medicine River by Mary Annette Pember
3/12: Eat the Ones You Love by Sarah Maria Griffin, The Pretender by Jo Harkin, and The Golden Road by William Dalrymple
3/19: The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson, The Hollow Half by Sarah Aziza, & Big Chief by Jon Hickey
3/26: A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett, A Billion Butterflies by Jagadish Shukla, & Strangers in the Land by Michael Luo
