March Reading Wrap-Up

I had a very successful and productive month of reading. I managed to read one non-fiction book, while the rest were fiction. I finished Project Hail Mary at the beginning of the month, and I also watched the movie adaptation. But I digress. Here is the list of books I've read for March.

Project Hail Mary focuses on Dr. Ryland Grace, who wakes up aboard a spaceship with no memory of how he got there. Gradually, he regains his memory, and we learn that an alien substance is causing the sun to dim slowly. The novel follows a non-linear structure, in which we observe Grace trying to save the world in space, and details of the mission come into light. The book started a little slow, but then it picks up when a certain character is introduced. Once that character entered the plot, I could not put the book down. As for the movie, it exceeded my expectations and remained true to the book.

Next, I read Everyone in this Room Will Be Dead by Emily Austin. The story opens with a car accident. Our protagonist, Gilda, is rear-ended, and we quickly learn that she's not only anxious but also obsessed with death. She sees an advertisement for free therapy at a Catholic church, but after some miscommunication, she's hired as their receptionist. At her new job, Gilda becomes obsessed with solving the cause of death of her predecessor. The novel is filled with humorous moments, especially since Gilda is an atheist. We also get an insight into Gilda's personal background, which explains her anxious behavior. I've read lots of good reviews about Austin, so I look forward to reading more of her work.

My goal of reading one non-fiction book a month is going smoothly, especially after reading Eleanor Johnson's Scream with Me: Horror Films and the Rise of American Feminism (1968-1980). In her book, Johnson focuses on six films from 1968 to 1980 that reflect the issues of that era. I'm a huge fan of horror movies, and I've always felt that they reflect issues in our society. Therefore, reading Johnson's book was exhilarating. I enjoyed reading her analysis of The Omen because she explored the idea of the "benign patriarchalism." She compares the character of Robert Thorn (Gregory Peck) in The Omen with Guy Woodhouse (John Cassavetes) in Rosemary's Baby. Though Guy is clearly putting his needs above his wife's, Johnson argues that Robert reflects a more insidious approach. In other words, Guy Woodhouse reflects toxic masculinity, yet Robert Thorn's character is a critique of "the well-meaning husband." Though Robert Thorn appears very loving and gentle towards his wife, Cathy, his decision to adopt Damien without her knowledge creates a cataclysmic chain of events.

The next book, A Psalm for the Wild-Built, is another read from the science fiction genre. This novella, by Becky Chambers, centers on Dex, a tea monk, who encounters and befriends a robot named Speckled Splendid Mosscap, long after the robots gained sentience and fled humanity. Together, the two converse about purpose and what it means to be human. It was an interesting read, yet I did not feel too strongly towards the book. I read a lot of strong reviews, so when I read the book, it didn't meet those expectations.

Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé is a book I started last year, but I did not finish. I decided to give the book another shot. Devon Richards and Chiamaka Adebayo are the only black students who attend the elite private school Niveus Private Academy. They are selected as the senior prefects, but they begin receiving anonymous texts from the mysterious Aces. These texts not only reveal their secrets but also jeopardize their future. Overall, the story was compelling, but it took a while to get into it. Once the conspiracy is revealed, I was hoping to learn more about it. Instead, we get an epilogue describing how Devon and Chiamaka are working on reform. It was an interesting book, but not one of my favorites.

The next book I want to discuss is Every Step She Takes by Alison Cochrun. Sadie Wells works at an antique shop that she inherited from her grandmother. Her sister's injury leads Sadie to take her place on a tour in Portugal, where she will walk the Camino de Santiago. On her way to Portugal, the plane encounters turbulence, and Sadie experiences a gay panic, revealing her secrets to her seatmate, Mal. Once the turbulence subsides, Sadie learns that Mal is not only on the same Camino tour but also that the tour is specifically for queer women. Though Sadie tries to avoid Mal after her humiliating experience on the plane, Mal is quickly drawn to her. She offers to help Sadie relive a queer adolescence. The more time Mal and Sadie spend together, the deeper the connection. Overall, I really enjoyed the book. I liked reading about Sadie reliving moments she was denied during adolescence. The ending felt a bit rushed, but I enjoyed the novel's message that you do not have to have everything figured out; rather, it's never too late to start again.

I was hoping to finish Angeline Boulley's Sisters in the Wind, but I was unable to finish the book ahead of this post's publication. My goal for April is to finish Sisters in the Wind, and I want to continue my goal of reading one nonfiction book and one queer book a month.

Happy Reading!