What I Read: March 2023
A little bit of everything in this in-between season.
I don’t know what to write about this month, because it feels like March went by in a blur, a blur that much resembled February.
We received 10 inches of snow on the first day of spring break this last Saturday. It’s supposed to be 67 today.
I’ve ordered seeds for the garden, but it’s not quite time to plant.
We are swirling around a dozen decisions in our personal lives, regarding schedules and schooling and what to do more and less of; questions that are both big and small on the surface, but whose answers and effects are each big in their own way.
It is spring-and-not-spring; we are here-and-yet-looking-ahead. It is Lent, and yet we know Easter is coming.
Living in this moment takes effort. Being present and showing up seem small, but they, too, are each big in their own way.
Here’s what I read in March:
Start With Hello
by Shannan Martin
I queued up the audio of this book when I met Ashley Brooks in LaCrosse for a long-overdue reschedule of our attempted meetup in February of 2022(!) where she had to miss because she was sick and I ended up with food poisoning within hours of arriving at our AirBnB. (I am happy to report that our meetup this time was flawless, and we enjoyed a day of each other’s company before each driving back home that evening.)
Anyway… about the book. Start with Hello is about living life right where you are, in your neighborhood, in your community. This is the first I’ve read of Martin’s books, and it feels very much like her Instagram presence: observations and challenges alongside concrete, easy to follow action steps. The book discusses faith, racism, adoption, and learning to get uncomfortable for the sake of being a good neighbor. The book is a great mix of serious and funny, and I think it’s an excellent first book to suggest to someone who resists the idea of racism being alive and well in America. Written by a middle-class White American woman, it’s not hard-hitting journalism or deep theological debate, but it is a welcome invitation to think differently, cultivate relationships you might shy away from initially, and to put down roots regardless of your zip code.
The Vanderbeekers #6: On The Road {audio}
by Karina Yan Glaser / narrated by Robin Miles
Our favorite middle-grade series continues! This book follows the Vanderbeeker family of seven (plus two friends, two guitars, a violin, three cats, a dog, and a chicken) from NYC on an impromptu cross-country road trip to California and back in an old VW van. Their trip is full of hijinks, lessons, detours, and just enough car trouble to make it relatable to the adults listening along. Arthur and I enjoyed this one, for sure, and I am certain I will cry when we finally get to the listen to the 7th (and what I believe will be the final) story when it releases in fall of this year.
Goodreads | Bookshop | Libro.FM
The Winners: A Novel
By Fredrik Backman
The final installment of the Beartown trilogy is exactly what I expected: gripping, moving, devastating, and triumphant. A lot of content warnings: sexual assault, rape, gun violence, abuse. None of it is gratuitous — but Backman is writing about hurt people in a set of struggling towns, and that hurt shows through. Lest you think this is a sports book, think again: it’s about a hockey town, not really about the hockey. Definitely read these in order, and avoid spoilers if you can.
Leonard & Hungry and Paul: A Novel {e-book}
by Ronan Hession
This was my local book club’s pick for March and it was a delightful, quiet story about two men in their 20s/30s in a small, unnamed town in Ireland. Leonard has just lost his mother, whom he lived with until her death. Hungry Paul has lost no one, but does seem to be missing the usual ambition present in a man of his age bracket. The story follows their two lives during a season, tracing their growth and setbacks in the most kind and honest way. There’s not much plot, but the writing was keenly observant, witty, and sweet — a joy to read.
A Psalm for the Wild-Built {Monk & Robot #1}
by Becky Chambers
I snagged this at Pearl Street books in LaCrosse, knowing absolutely nothing but being drawn in by the title, endorsements, and first lines of the book. It’s a terribly short book, only 147 pages, and I swear I would read 500 pages of this storyline. On a distant planet, industrialization grinds to a halt as the robots who power the world walk off the job and into the woods, never to be heard from again. Generations later, a tea monk named Dex (they/them) discovers that life is missing its purpose, and off they go in search of it. An unexpected meeting with a robot ensues, the first contact between human and robot since the Transition. To say more would be to detract from the story, so I will leave it there, but know that in it’s brief pages the book packs a discussion of faith, purpose, enough-ness, and more. Cannot wait to read the sequel.
If this sort of novel appeals to you, I recommend The Sparrow, Matrix, and The Dearly Beloved. Madeline L’Engle’s stuff is a good companion, too.
Up next:
A copy of Stolen by Ann-Helén Laestadius came in at the library and I am excited to dive in!
I just received my friends Kim & Erin’s devotionals for motherhood, The Beauty of Motherhood, and am looking forward to making my way through the collection of their sweet words.
What I’m reading with the kids:
We recently finished the BFG by Roald Dahl, which I think I must have missed in childhood somehow, because I do not remember it. I think it might be a better read for a slightly older kid — maybe 7/8? — than Arthur at not-quite-six.
We currently reading all sorts of books about the water cycle for our science unit; I’ll pull together a list at some point and share it. In the meantime, here are our favorite picture books for spring.
Arthur has picked out a couple of The Critter Club series as read-alouds and they are decent early chapter books with simple mysteries and lots of pets.
Tennyson is obsessed with the book My Tree by Hope Lim — and I don’t blame her. It’s a sweet story of a boy and his favorite tree, one that makes him feel at home when he has moved to a new country. The illustrations are beautiful, and I don’t mind reading it over and over again — the telltale sign of a good picture book.
Looking Ahead
My friend Andrea Debbink has her first picture book releasing in May: Sylvie and the Wolf. According to the description, it’s a “beautifully told story that helps children learn how to emotionally care for themselves, show love and empathy to others, and understand the negative nature of secrets.” Can’t wait to get our preorder in hand!
I’m over-the-moon that Kate DiCamillo has a seventh Tales from Deckawoo Drive book releasing this December: Mercy Watson is Missing! Look for our review at the end of the year.
That’s all for March! What are you reading? Hit “reply” and tell me!
Shannan Martin's book has been on my list! I am so eager to read it!
I'm so glad your Pearl Street Books purchase was a good pick! The serendipity of pulling a great book off the shelf feels so much more magical than having an algorithm tell you what to read next.