March 2023

March was a moment! I work a corporate job in inclusion and diversity, so the first half of the month was taken up by our big International Women’s Day event. It was a resounding success, and as it took place in Dublin, I extended my trip and managed to spend some time with loved ones around St Patrick’s Day. I love living in the UK, especially now that I’m in the north west, but it’s always so calming to be able to go home and see everyone I love, and to stock up on Irish snacks.

The first half of the month was slow, reading-wise, as I was pretty focused on work, but I managed to pick it up as I got more free time. It was a really good month, with some different things for me. Two books I read because they were book club assigned, and there’s some nostalgia thrown in there too.

Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco MellorsFive stars

This book is one of the best I’ve read so far this year. Exploring the relationship between Cleo, a young artist in her twenties, and Frank, an advertising executive in his forties, this book is incisive, painful and probing on the dynamics of these kinds of relationships, as well as addiction, finding yourself and friendships, as well as romantic relationships. If you’re a survivor of men in their forties who like women in their twenties, I’d highly recommend it, but it’s great for those of you without that experience too.

Open Water by Caleb Azumah NelsonFive stars

I’ve never read anything like this book before. It’s beautiful, painful and dives into the emotional interior of a young Black man in London. I don’t want to say too much on the content but I think it should be required reading for everyone. It moved me to tears with its subject matter as well as its writing. Please buy it now.

Being Her Sister by Claire HennessyTwo and a half stars

I feel bad rating this one so low, because I’m not in any way the target audience. I read it out of a sense of nostalgia, as I’d read it when I was the exact person it was marketed to. I used to love Claire Hennessy’s books. I think we’re a similar age and her USP was that she was a young person writing for young people, which I loved, and some of her other books definitely articulated some of the things I was feeling as a teenager. The story and ending were rubbish, but it definitely scratched the nostalgic itch.

Nobody is Ever Missing by Catherine LaceyFour stars

I read this on the recommendation of Bobby Finger, who co-hosts my favourite podcast Who? Weekly. He had posted a passage that I found incredibly moving. It’s a beautiful meditation on selfishness and wanting to be lost. In a world in which I think so many of us are feeling increasingly lonely and detached, this was a gorgeous and devastating read.

Ghost Lover by Lisa TaddeoFour and a half stars

Lisa Taddeo always gets under my skin. I think she’s quite a polarising writer. I’m on the extreme end of loving her and her collection of short stories feels as vital and prescient as all of her other work. The thing I love most about her is her ability to articulate feelings and experiences that feel so common and yet so unspoken on. These fictional pieces observe how men and women interact with one another in today’s world, and gently probes into how the power dynamics are expressed. I love a short story collection, so would really recommend this if you like her other work.

All My Rage by Sabaa TahirThree and a half stars

I have decided that my friend Sara, who runs our work book club, is an emotional sadist who likes to make us cry, so I’ve challenged her to find a happy book for May. I enjoyed this one overall, but it’s one of those books I’ll never read again, so it now has a new home in the Liverpool Oxfam. Good if you want to learn more about Pakistani immigrant culture in the US or just fancy a Sunday sofa read.

Maame by Jessica GeorgeFour stars

I went to a talk with Jessica George before reading this, and she perfectly teed it up for me. Maame is funny, clever and painfully true to life for anyone who has experience in caring for a parent. It also made me miss London, so thank goodness I’m visiting again in April. This is one for when you want to root for a really interesting main character who you can’t help but be invested in.