What I Read in March 2022 + Reading Updates

Hi, friends! March was not a prolific reading month but I found meaning in each of the three books I read, which I think is a success! I’m also sharing a few more reading-related updates in this post so I hope you find them fun. 🥰

WHAT I READ IN MARCH

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith – 4.5 stars

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is an older release from 1943 and I won a copy from a Bookstagram giveaway! I carried this one over from February but really enjoyed reading it once I got into it. Plot-wise, it’s almost a typical coming-of-age story. Francie Nolan grows up in Williamsburg with her family. They are poor and her dad is an alcoholic. Life is hard and life isn’t fair. Francie, her brother Neely, and her mom Katie somehow make it though–with family’s help (Francie’s aunts are the coolest) and by relying on each other. It took me some time to get into it (maybe 1/3 or even 1/2) but I enjoyed it; and it warmed my heart.

Just as I Am by Cicely Tyson and Michelle Burford – 4.25 stars

Just as I Am was one of the “Available Now” Audiobooks from my local library so this was an impromptu read! To be honest, I didn’t really know who Cicely Tyson was. In my defense, I know all of five actors by their names so I don’t know most people… Unlike me, you probably know who Cicely Tyson is. If not, Ms. Cicely Tyson was a groundbreaking actress whose career extended across film, television, and theater. She’s known for portraying strong Black women over decades of acting. it was inspirational and fascinating to hear about her life story. I also want to note that the narrator for the audiobook is fantastic! I get easily distracted with audiobooks but the narration was engaging while maintaining character/personality.

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara – 4 stars

If you’re on bookstagram at all, there is a 100% chance that you’ve seen a cover of A Little Life. I went into it without a clue as I do with most books and oh man, this one is heavy. Spanning over a few decades, A Little Life follows four best friends that met as roommates in college and centers particularly around Jude, who has a lot of secrets from early years of his life. As the book progresses and the friends get older together (and drift apart for some years), you learn bits from Jude’s past as some of his friends learn about them. I’m still processing what I read and I am not sure if I want to recommend this book or not..? If you are intrigued though, please look up the trigger warnings because there are a lot in this one.

WHAT I READ IN APRIL SO FAR

I’ll definitely go into more details in next month’s book post but I just finished reading Scattered All Over the Earth by Yoko Tawada (I’ve never read anything quite like this) and listening to Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert (steamy & wholesome at the same time?!).

WHAT I AM READING NEXT

For my next read, I’m picking between A Burning by Megha Majumdar (Alex picked this up for me during one of his recent trips) and Homeland Elegies by Ayad Akhtar (one of the books I got in Sidecar Book Subscription from Letters Bookshop; the other one was Scattered All Over the Earth). I also have library holds on a couple of lighthearted, romance audiobooks!

What did you read last month and what are you reading right now?

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