It’s been a gorgeous sunny month here in Sydney. My parents were here for most of it and we spent a lot of time catching up and exploring the city. It can be so much fun being a tourist in the place where you live and we really made the most of it, visiting the beaches, going to the opera and enjoying delicious streetfood at the Ramadan Night Markets.
It was also a great month for reading! I read eleven books in March and here is what I thought of them.
Tom Lake – Ann Patchett
My first dip into Patchett’s work and I really enjoyed it. I knew almost nothing about Our Town, the play that was the backbone of this book, but Patchett’s rich prose and vivid characterisation swept me away anyway. I know it’s somewhat of a cliché to say that the setting is a character but I really fell for the north Michigan landscape, the cherry trees and clear lakes felt incredibly real and beautiful to me. A lovely book.
The Dreaming – Queenie Chan
Queenie Chan is a friend of mine and probably one of the most interesting and original thinkers I know. I always enjoy her unique perspectives and equally enjoyed this book. It’s a manga set in country NSW (remote, subtropical rainforests) at a girls boarding school. Queenie’s art is so detailed that I would linger over each panel, drinking in the atmospheric backgrounds in every scene. I’m counting the days until part 2 is released!
Slewfoot – Brom
This is a colonial horror-fantasy set in Puritan New England, where a young widow discovers an ancient forest spirit is beginning to stir in the woods around her property. This was an interesting take on the topic and I felt that Brom almost pulled it off. The setting was nicely realised but the characters felt a bit thin, the villains slightly too cartoonishly evil. I also didn’t love that the only native characters were described as disposable sidekicks to the antagonist, there was space for a more nuanced take there.
The Memory Police - Yoko Ogawa
Startling dystopian novel translated from the Japanese about an island community where memories are slowly being taken away from the inhabitants. Having read a few Japanese books I am familiar with the style and I liked this book a lot. The pacing was slow but steady and I enjoyed how the plot didn’t twist or turn, just gently unfolded as I read. I picked this up with “I who have never known men” from last month and I think the two compare very well.
The Last Bloodcarver - Vanessa Le
I think this is the first Vietnamese inspired fantasy I've ever read and I enjoyed it very much. It follows Nhika, the titular bloodcarver, as she tries to teach herself to utilise the ancient but dying art of healing. I really loved how the two healing traditions were displayed as equally helpful paths, and how Nhika articulated her feelings about losing her culture. I did think she was far too nice to the people who literally BOUGHT her, and that they really needed a touch more reality to smack them in the face. I will definitely be picking up Book 2!
The Bandit Queens - Parini Shroff
This was one of my 24 for 2024 reads and I was really pleased to track down a copy - it was well worth the wait. Geeta is an abandoned wife, presumed widow, living in rural India, when the other women of her village begin to come to her to ask for help in widowing them too! I wasn't expecting to laugh so much, nor to absolutely fall in love with Geeta's ex-best friend Saloni! I learnt so much about modern India and I was also very excited to see microloans (a cause dear to my heart) feature in the story. Definitely pick this up, I'd feel confident recommending to anyone.
Yellowface - RF Kuang
THE book of 2023 and I zipped through it in an hour or two. I probably agree with the general view of this book, that it loses pace about half way through and never really regains it. It definitely doesn't measure up to the excellent Babel or The Poppy War but I'd still be keen to pick up Kuang's next book.
Six Wild Crowns - Holly Race
A Wild Book indeed! This intricate gem of a novel reimagines the story of Henry VIII’s six wives as you’ve never seen them. Instead of being mercilessly pitted against each other, Six Wild Crowns reimagines the women as powerful queens in their own right, ruling over an island bursting with ancient magic and new intrigues. I totally fell for Boleyn and Seymour as they navigated the treacherous courts and carved out their own spaces in the world. Already desperate for the second in this exciting new series!
Thank you Orbit for the digital ARC.
Empire of the Damned -Jay Kristoff
This is the second in the Empire of the Vampire series and I liked it much more than the first. It is still essentially The Da Vinci Code with vampires and everyone in it is described as incredibly hot. I was thinking it over after finishing it and decided that I didn't love either the fight scenes or all the yearning, but the book is mostly fight scenes and yearning! However I did stay up til 3am on a work night reading so clearly Kristoff is doing something right. Will this be on my top 10 books of the year? No. Will I continue to buy the next books in the series and recommend it to people? Absolutely. Roll on Empire of the Resurrection or whatever Book 3 is called.
Piranesi - Suzanna Clarke
My first dip into Suzanna Clarkeand i enjoyed it a lot! I was a bit wary as much had been made about how this was a strange book that was difficult to read but I dived straight in and barely surfaced to sleep, reading it in two days. Clarke's prose is smooth and masterful, allowing her to go weird whilst still retaining her reader's attention. I really liked how the reveals unfolded at the perfect pace, never leaving you too long without moving on but also giving the reader space to chew it all over. A delightful book.
Wolf Brother - Michelle Paver
Childhood favourite. Listened to the audiobook as narrated by Ian McKellen. Excellent presentation and enjoyed a lot!
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