Happy Spring! I'm so glad to see everything blooming and feel the warmer temperatures when I walk outside!
I don't feel like I read that much in March, but I actually read nine books–and less than half of them were fantasy! (Just barely, but I'm still giving myself a round of applause 👏)
All covers are linked to Goodreads.
Women's History Month
It's Not Hysteria: Everything You Need to Know About Your Reproductive Health (But Were Never Told), by Karen Tang
★★★
Genre: Nonfiction
"An inclusive and essential guide to reproductive health—including period problems, pelvic pain, menopause, fertility, sexual health, vaginal and urinary conditions, and overall wellbeing―from leading expert Dr. Karen Tang." (From Goodreads)
Fittingly, not only is March Women's History Month, it's also Endometriosis Awareness Month!
CW: This who's who of gynecological diseases and disorders is not for the faint of heart. In almost every chapter, some surgery or procedure is described. Some chapters had me squirming, I must admit.
This wasn't what I was expecting. And while my husband assures me that I can't just rate a book low because it wasn't what I expected, I maintain that reading this book was not a pleasant experience. I loved the introduction and first chapter, where Dr. Tang gave a brief historical overview of women's gynecological health. After that, it was just descriptions of everything that can go wrong with one's gynecological health and what drugs or surgeries are used to fix them. There was usually a brief section at the very end of each chapter on holistic options, but Dr. Tang seemed very skeptical of them and didn't spend a lot of time on them. While I appreciate the spirit behind the book (the acknowledgments bumped this up to a 3 from a 2.5 for me), the execution was simply Not My Thing, and that's okay.
Also, not sure why YouTube decided to give me this video, but it coincided perfectly with my reading of this book! (The truth is a little more nuanced than this song, but it's kind of funny if you need a smile today.)
Nonfiction
How to Grow Your Own Herbal Medicine, by Heather Dale
★★.5 stars
Genre: Nonfiction
"This essential guide to growing medicinal herbs will help you improve your quality of life by providing you with the knowledge you need to reap the health, nutritional, and energy benefits of these plants! After finding out that certain plants can reduce inflammation and pain, are you curious about their medicinal properties? Do you wish you could grow your own herbs but worry you'll be unable to because you're not a gardener? You’re not alone. Herbal gardening is becoming increasingly popular among millions of women around the world. The thought of failing, however, may plague your mind, making you reluctant to take action. But now that you've found this guide, you can put your doubts to rest and start cultivating your own herbs like a pro. Like all forms of life in the universe, herbs contain energy that can be channeled into benevolent or defensive spells and each has its own magical uses. This guide will teach you all about herbs and why women have such a long and storied history of cultivating them, because the history dates millennia back!" (from Goodreads)
I have no doubt that Heather Dale is a wonderful gardener, but a writer she is not. This book was riddled with typos (e.g. "nettle toot") and punctuation errors. I also felt like the first half of the book was trying to do too much–chapters one through four could each have been a book in and of themselves, and just felt very incomplete. The Goodreads description is also very misleading, because this book may have mentioned "spells" once, and there was maybe one paragraph about the history of women cultivating herbs.
I did find the actual herbal profiles helpful, though, and I'm sure they will be a valuable resource once I start my own garden!
Paper TBR
Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad
★★
Genre: Classic
"Apparently a sailor’s yarn, it is in fact a grim parody of the adventure story, in which the narrator, Marlow, travels deep into the heart of the Congo where he encounters the crazed idealist Kurtz and discovers that the relative values of the civilized and the primitive are not what they seem. Heart of Darkness is a model of economic storytelling, an indictment of the inner and outer turmoil caused by the European imperial misadventure, and a piercing account of the fragility of the human soul." (From Goodreads)
I chose this book for its length–or rather, lack thereof. It's 110 pages and boasts three chapters. The first chapter started off slow. The second chapter was probably the most interesting. The third chapter was just strange and I was left feeling unsure what I just read and why I had read it. The whole message of the book seemed to be inherently racist. I mean, at one point Conrad spent a couple pages talking about how it was weird to think that Black people might not be so different from white people. I believe he used the word "creepy". The n-word was also used a lot. He did seem to have some pity for the horrible mistreatment Blacks suffered under slavery (see chapter 1), but his whole attitude was so paternalistic that it spoiled whatever progress he had made.
Book Club
Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America, by Barbara Ehrenreich
★★★★
Genre: Nonfiction/Social Justice
"In this now classic work, Barbara Ehrenreich, our sharpest and most original social critic, goes 'undercover' as an unskilled worker to reveal the dark side of American prosperity. Nickel and Dimed reveals low-rent America in all its tenacity, anxiety, and surprising generosity—a land of Big Boxes, fast food, and a thousand desperate stratagems for survival." (From Goodreads)
My book club did not enjoy this, but I found it very thought-provoking, and I enjoyed Ehrenreich's writing style.
Fantasy/Sci-Fi Challenge
The Storm Keepers' Battle, by Catherine Doyle
★★★★
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
"In the thrilling conclusion to the acclaimed Storm Keeper's Island series, evil sorceress Morrigan rises, and Fionn and his friends must use their wits to save Arranmore Island's future." (From Goodreads)
Okay WOW, this was the perfect ending to a unique Middle Grade fantasy series! I had forgotten about this series until I was looking for a book to read for the March Fantasy & Sci-Fi Reading Challenge prompt ("An Irish-based Fantasy Book"), so there was quite a gap between my reading of the second and third books; I didn't remember who all the characters were right off the bat, but I was pretty much able to jump right into the story and get immersed in it! I love the main characters (I have a soft spot for Sam), and I especially loved how Fionn's character grew in this book. This is such a powerful Middle Grade series with themes of family, loyalty, and home. I definitely recommend it, and I'm going to have to check out Catherine Doyle's other books!
Mood Reads
Princess of Glass, by Jessica Day George
★★★★
Genre: YA Fantasy
"Hoping to escape the troubles in her kingdom, Princess Poppy reluctantly agrees to take part in a royal exchange program, whereby young princes and princesses travel to each other's countries in the name of better political alliances–and potential marriages. It's got the makings of a fairy tale–until a hapless servant named Eleanor is tricked by a vengeful fairy godmother into competing with Poppy for the eligible prince. Ballgowns, cinders, and enchanted glass slippers fly in this romantic and action-packed happily-ever-after quest from an author with a flair for embroidering tales in her own delightful way." (From Goodreads)
I wasn't sure about this Cinderella retelling at first, especially when I realized that "Cinderella" isn't even the main character! However, as the book when on I got more and more invested in the story and the characters. By the end, this had risen to the place of my second favorite Cinderella retelling (my first favorite still being Ella Enchanted). I loved that the villain was actually the "fairy godmother", and the ending felt like something Diana Wynne Jones would have come up with (in the best possible way). While this is ostensibly YA fiction (the main character is 16), it reads more like Middle Grade.
The Republic of Salt, by Ariel Kaplan
★★★★
Genre: Fantasy
"In this riveting sequel to The Pomegranate Gate, Toba, Naftaly, and their allies must defend a city under siege—while the desperate deals they’ve made begin to unravel around them." (From Goodreads)
I don't know why it took me so long to get through this (over a month)! I loved the first book, and I really enjoyed this one too; the characters continued to be amazing, the writing was fabulous, and there were some delightful quotes ("And who among us has not opportunistically eaten a squirrel?"). I just kept getting bogged down in all the place names and character names and complicated motivations, I suppose.
Dracula, by Bram Stoker
★★★.5 stars
Genre: Classic
"When Jonathan Harker visits Transylvania to help Count Dracula purchase a London house, he makes horrifying discoveries in his client's castle. Soon afterwards, disturbing incidents unfold in England: an unmanned ship is wrecked; strange puncture marks appear on a young woman's neck; and a lunatic asylum inmate raves about the imminent arrival of his 'Master'. In the ensuing battle of wits between the sinister Count and a determined group of adversaries, Bram Stoker created a masterpiece of the horror genre, probing into questions of identity, sanity and the dark corners of Victorian sexuality and desire." (From Goodreads)
I'm happy I read this, but I don't think I would read it again. Did you know Bram is short for Abraham?! I did not!
A Dream So Dark, by L.L. McKinney
★★★.5 stars
Genre: YA Fantasy
"Still reeling from her recent battle (and grounded until she graduates), Alice must abandon her friends to complete her mission: find The Heart and prevent the Red Lady's rise. But the deeper she ventures into Wonderland, the more topsy-turvy everything becomes. It’s not until she’s at her wits end that she realizes—Wonderland is trying to save her." (From Goodreads)
A great sequel to A Blade So Black! I really enjoyed how the characters–and Wonderland itself!–developed, although my concerns from the last book carried over: I still feel slightly uncomfy with Alice and Hatta's relationship (especially since Alice continues to get crushes on new people), and Alice doesn't seem as respectful of her mom as she could be (although it's hard to write adults finding out about their children's supernatural/otherworldly activities, I get it).
Reading Challenge Updates
Organized challenges I'm participating in:
2025 Cover Lovers Reading Challenge - 3 books
Fantasy/Sci-Fi Reading Challenge - 1 book
2025 New Release Challenge - 0 books
Personal challenges:
Books I Didn't Get to Last Year - 3 books
National Month - 1 book
Middle Grade - 1 book
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