March reading journal
Now if it wasn’t clear from my previous post, I love to read. Besides writing, it is my favourite hobby, and to be honest, they work in tandem with each other. I need to fuel my brain with stories and creativity to feel inspired to write.
I thought it would be boring to write about my monthly reads, but I have subjected my friends to little video round-ups on what I’m reading (thank you Chris, Tash and Ames for indulging the YouTuber in me), so I thought it was time to put some notes onto my Substack. If you couldn’t tell, I find so much joy in reading and getting to write about it is an extra little treat for me.
I also read a lot and I enjoy dipping my toes in different genres, so maybe you’ll see something you might like. Although A Court of Thorn and Roses has been on my to-be-read list since one of my colleagues first told me about it, I can’t bring myself into reading fantasy just yet, although I might get there soon. I also don’t read a lot of romance, although I do enjoy it littered throughout a novel of self-discovery.
Last year I decided I wasn’t cultured enough and wanted to read more classics. I put myself the task of reading a lot of Hemingway, which was an interesting foray into modern classics. I was a little too stringent and wouldn’t let myself touch something that wasn’t by a highly esteemed author because I was becoming “cultured”. I concluded that I was just being snobby and boring by limiting my reading like that and often missed seeing myself reflected in a contemporary coming of age. Because in truth, I love a cosy crime or a thriller to break up the profundity. There’s merit in the classics, don’t get me wrong, but reading has to be enjoyable.
I feel like I’m at a good balance now, and I am aiming to read 80 books this year. Tash sent me the above meme to which I replied ‘[skull emoji] That is me’. Is it weird that adding another book to my Goodreads goal inspires a little flame in me? I can’t help but feel good when I am striding towards an abstract goal I have set myself. Maybe something to discuss in therapy! Anyway moving on.
Books read this month [9]
Star of the show: All the Colours of the Dark (2024) by Chris Whitaker ★★★★★
This follows the lives of two childhood best friends, Patch and Saint. Patch gets kidnapped and is held captive with the beautiful Grace. However, when Patch is finally rescued, there is no proof that Grace ever existed and he spends his days trying to prove that she did exist and was held captive with him.
EN gave me a copy and said this was the best mystery she’d ever read. It sits at a chunky 570 pages and so is rather an investment of time, the longest book I have read as an adult. This is definitely mystery meets dramatic fiction, with some very subtle elements of surrealism. The writing is truly magical and if you don’t enjoy a metaphor, this book is not for you. Although this is so different to what I usually read, this is a master class on character and it made me well up several times.
‘I pray like I did when your grandfather died.’
Saint wanted to ask what it was like, to lose the thing that defined you. But perhaps she knew: it left you someone else. A stranger you had no choice but to tolerate, and see each day and feel and fear.
Honourable mention: The Lost (2013) by Claire McGowan ★★★★
Whilst on holiday, I had finished all the books I brought with me, which is why I never travel without my Kindle. I found the above for free on Prime reading and decided to give it a go. This crime novel from the perspective of forensic psychologist Paula Maguire links modern day disappearances to some from the 80s. This was twisty and I really enjoyed the characters. One to pick up if you enjoy this genre.
The womp womp: Good Material (2023) by Dolly Alderton ★★★
I was so disappointed by this because I loved Ghosts (2020) and I think Dolly is a great writer. However, this story was just a break up from a male perspective, nothing special. If you loved Really Good Actually (2023) by Monica Heisey, then you will love this, (unfortunately I didn’t really like that either). The last 4/5 of the book was slightly redemptive and prompted an extra star from me but it really was a little lacklustre and I expected a lot more from the story.
DNF’d: The Wren, The Wren (2023) by Anne Enright
I loved The Gathering (2007) by AE which I read last year but I couldn’t get into this one. There were some great passages but nothing was calling me to stay in the book.
Other March reads:
Olive (2020) by Emma Gannon - about a woman who thinks she doesn’t want children navigating early 30s when all her friends are settling down, trying for and having children. I want more of this kind of literature please! It was easy to read, Dolly Alderton-esque writing and story but it did make me stop and think several times. Now I’m a London girl, I love to read books about women set in London. ★★★★
The House of my Mother: A Daughter’s Quest for Freedom (2025) by Shari Franke - non-fiction autobiography about the Eight Passengers crimes. I read this in one evening - a really unsettling and horrific story of child abuse with the fascinating twist of the abuser having a big online presence. ★★★★
Invisible Girl (2020) by Lisa Jewell - author of my favourite crime fiction novel, similar to Andrea Mara, I haven’t read anything else that has lived up to None of This is True (2023). This was more of a mystery than a thriller but I read this over an evening of a long train up north. It explores some interesting topics but not particularly a stand out read for me. ★★★
Someone in the Attic (2024) by Andrea Mara - if you’re looking for a brilliant crime thriller, No One Saw a Thing (2023) by Andrea Mara would be one in my top three recommendations. The pacing was incredible, the characters complex and the story windy. When I am reading a thriller, I want to be taken on a journey of dead ends, surprises and twists of fate. That was No One Saw A Thing, a work of thriller-art. So I had big expectations for AM’s 2024 release. This just wasn’t the same. It wasn’t bad per-se, I still enjoyed the story, I still awarded it a respectable three stars, however it just didn’t hit as NOSAT did. ★★★
At the Pond: Swimming at the Hampstead Ladies’ Pond (2019) by multiple authors - short essays organised by season about the ladies pond. I still have not visited the pond but hoped that picking up this book might make me want to and I’m pleased to say that is has, although I am definitely a fair weather swimmer. A really lovely and gentle read if you like cold water swimming or live in North London. ★★★★
Where the Water Lies (2024) by Hilary Tailor - another Kindle find and a nice read after the above, as it is set in Hampstead and there are many scenes at the ladies pond. Eliza is an elusive and introverted character and this novel explores why she is the way she is and what happened to her missing friend all those years ago. I gave this one a 3.5 stars due to the slightly underwhelming ending but the imagery was gorgeous and I enjoyed the story. ★★★.5
March was a good reading month and now we’re starting to enjoy some Spring days, I hope to take my book to the nearest park after work and enjoy the evening sun. On my April to-be-read list includes Orbital (2023) by Samantha Harvey (which won the 2024 Booker Prize) - I have waited for this to become available in the library for ages. I also want to try a few new thriller authors as I have read everything Claire Douglas has written now.