What I Read This Month - March 2024

The Strength In Our Scars - Bianca Sparacino

The words of Bianca Sparacino are full of enough light and beauty to motivate possibly the darkest of souls. It has been a while since I have found poetry that connects with me - that is why I am evermore grateful to have found Sparacino. As well as graceful poetry, The Strength In Our Scars consists of essayed thoughts about maintaining resilience and spirit. I did not want it to end.

My Year of Rest and Relaxation - Ottessa Moshfegh

The concept of Ottessa Moshfegh’s My Year of Rest and Relaxation was one that I believed to be fascinating - and, promising. A narrative of a woman who consumes medication in the aspiration to spend an entire year unconscious - thus, awaking reborn. Though I enjoyed the obscure anecdotes present throughout the retelling, with each page turn, I searched for something more. A reason to the words. A purpose. I did not dislike the book. However, I hoped to have enjoyed it more.

Playing Games - Huma Qureshi

I just adore Huma’s writing. Each word, delicate, yet full of intention. In her first novel, Playing Games, she explores the story of two sisters - contrasting in lifestyles and personalities. The essence of family, eternal goals and purpose are poignant in its presence. No book is capable of warming my soul the way that Huma’s can. It was perfect.

Bittersweet - Susan Cain

In a guide to transitioning sorrow into beauty and beauty, Bittersweet exhibits an illustration of hope. Exploring conversations of grief and loss and how to view the darkest of emotions as a process of growth, I revelled in the diverse perspectives of this theory. Especially, I found the discussion of longing fascinating due to its relevance to my own concerns and queries. An explanation of homesickness that we experience even when we are home. For we constantly are searching for something too far out of reach.

Tales from the Cafe - Toshikazu Kawaguchi

Though I finished this novel in one sitting, it was not an easy read. For anybody who has experienced, or is experiencing, grief, I suggest you approach Kawaguchi’s work with caution. Tales from the Cafe is set inside of a Japanese cafe where the possibility of time travel is a reality. Despite the heart-tugging narrative that flows within the pages, there is enough beauty to ease the pull that little bit. I adore the use of sense description. Sounds and sights. Each part collating a concentrated and imperative atmosphere.

Magnolia Parks - Jessa Hastings

My feelings towards Jessa Hasting’s Magnolia Parks are mixed. The story revolves around the conflicting emotions of a female protagonist, Magnolia herself, towards one man in particular. The vivid representation of a toxic relationship was what I enjoyed most about this novel. Possessing an obsessive attraction to somebody who hurts you is something I believe many readers can relate to. Therefore, though this perception should not be glorified, putting it into words can allow others to feel heard and understood. 

Now, for the things I did not enjoy. Excuse my brutality, the ending was perhaps the worst ending I have ever read in a book. It fuelled disappointment and an unfinished plot. Personally, I believe that the upper-class environment of a high-profile persona could have been discarded. Should the celebrity mentions and (at times, difficult to read) privileged context not exist, the book may have owned a more intimate and relatable aura.

What Happened To You? - Bruce D. Perry, M.D., Ph.D and Oprah Winfrey

Using scientific theories and human metaphors, What Happened To You? expands upon the discussions we have on trauma - additionally, those we do not have. Certain concepts in this book are ones that I will cherish as wisdom through my healing. If you are somebody who has experienced abuse, emotional or physical, through your childhood, I highly recommend that you read this book. While I found these chapters educational and fascinating, you may find it integral to sustaining the light in your future.

Life Honestly - The Pool

Listening to women speak honestly of things that so many of us experience on a daily basis, graced with facts and emotion, is my form of regulation. The balance of logical and illogical theories presented in Life Honestly is what makes each essay educational, yet relatable.

deluded - Isabella Dorta

When I read Isabella’s poetry, I swoon. Her work is a masterful representation of talent combined with a pure heart. deluded is, by far, my favourite of hers - so far. The imagery conveyed within these pages frames an intimate atmosphere that I just adored. Speaking of love with passion, completely and wholly unapologetically. Truly, Isabella is an inspiration to my own work and is a powerful voice in this generation.

This Girl - Colleen Hoover

Concluding a series of Colleen Hoover books, including Slammed and Point of Retreat, This Girl softly follows a newly married couple that reminisces on how they came to be. Although the book was mildly enjoyable, I only revelled in the parts that I had not yet known - those which took place on their holiday. The novel felt like watching an episode of a television show that consists primarily of flashback scenes using video clips of previous episodes. To culminate the series was pleasant, though, not a hugely necessary read.