March Madness

There can only be one word fit enough to describe March- MAD. Mad meaning crazy, nuts, and unhinged. The pandemic has exponentially developed to new heights and toppled everyone's sense of normalcy. To help me momentarily escape these problems, I have turned to the world within novels.

All of the books I read this month were period pieces centered around a strong female lead. It inspired me to follow the heroines along their coming of age stories to see how they managed every obstacle they faced for a happier ending. I often found myself putting down the books to wonder how I would have managed if I were in their shoes. Truly, the best books are the ones that make you pause and reflect.

Cheers,

Danish

P.S. I am going to start adding how I would rate each novel. Only books that I emotionally connected with and lingered in my thoughts (basically my idea of a masterpiece) will be given a 5 out of 5. A book with a rating of 4 out of 5 would have been a 5 out of 5 if it were more "poetic" in its delivery. A 3 out of 5 was interesting enough for me to enjoy but not exactly something I would describe as my style. A 2 out of 5 is full of cliches. Lastly, in order for me to rate a book 1 out of 5 it would have to be God awful, which I have thankfully never come across.

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March

Where the Crawdads Sing

By: Delia Owens

Rating: 5 out of 5

Before explaining my feelings toward Where the Crawdads Sing, it is important to understand who the author is and how only she could have pulled off a book like this. Delia Owens is a wildlife scientist with numerous publications on animal behavior. Her talent as a writer and her expertise as a naturalist play a vital role in bringing to life the novel's setting. The book takes place in North Carolina's marsh which one can argue becomes a central character in itself, kinda like how the house in the movie Parasite was. Where the Crawdads Sing is categorized as a mystery, however I think before anything else it is a coming-of-age story. Kya was ostracized by the residents of a neighboring small town leaving her no other choice but to keep herself isolated until a murder linking her as a suspect pulls her out of the marsh's safety net. Following Kya's growth and relationship with herself completely tugged on my heartstrings. I will definitely read this novel many more times.

Dear Mrs. Bird

By: AJ Pearce

Rating: 3 out of 5

Set in London during WWII, Dear Mrs. Bird is an endearing story of how aspiring journalist Emmy and the other women in her life do their part in the home front while most men their age are off at war. I have read many books on WWII particularly of the Holocaust. However, I seem to have forgotten how the war affected civilians outside the battlefield. Dear Mrs. Bird follows Emmy as she charms everyone around her by bringing hope through dark times.

Memoirs of a Geisha

By: Arthur Golden

Rating: 5 out of 5

You know how there are many words to describe something bad, but when something is perfect you are left speechless? That's the effect that this beautifully written masterpiece left on me. It's one of those stories where the author loved the characters dearly and put so much thought into every single word they wrote. Like Where the Crawdads Sing, Memoirs of a Geisha is a coming-of-age novel. We follow the life of a young girl from a small fishing city as she is sold to become a geisha in one of Japan's most famous geisha districts. I want to say more, but there isn't any way I can fully express how good this book is. It is now in my top 3 favorite novels. For anyone keeping up my top 3 (in no particular order) are now The Help, The Kite Runner, and Memoirs of a Geisha.