Talking About March Books

I have no idea how I managed to fly through twelve books in a month that was turbulent as heck. Well, not true I can imagine. It’s pure escapism to dive into stories and have my mind occupied. Additionally I am working hard on reading books from the shelf that I can either sell/donate or that I have borrowed and want to return – every book I don’t need to pack is appreciated. March books have been from best book of this year (yes already!) to the worst in a long time. So here it is my book talk.

For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten | ★★★★★

Goodreads says: The first daughter is for the Throne. The second daughter is for the Wolf.
As the only Second Daughter born in centuries, Red has one purpose – to be sacrificed to the Wolf in the Wood in the hope he’ll return the world’s captured gods.
Red is almost relieved to go. Plagued by a dangerous power she can’t control, at least she knows that in the Wilderwood, she can’t hurt those she loves. Again.
But the legends lie. The Wolf is a man, not a monster. Her magic is a calling, not a curse. And if she doesn’t learn how to use it, the monsters the gods have become will swallow the Wilderwood – and her world-whole.
What I thought: I had high hopes for this book and I was not disappointed. It is a really great fantasy read. The world building is different than most fantasy novels. It is dark. It includes a lot of pain, cutting and blood (so be beware if you are traumatized here) but also hope and love. I also liked that there were two sisters in the focus. And of course the Wolf. Another small detail I enjoyed were the names. For me this book will probably be the best one of 2023. I am that confident. It is a duology. I will gift myself the second one “For the Throne” when we moved into our new home.
Medium: paperback, owned
Original Language and Title: English
Publications: German title “Für den Wolf”
Recommend to: Every fantasy lover out there and everyone who loves a creative retelling of fairy tales.

Forget Me Not by Ellie Terry | ★★★★☆

Goodreads says: A girl with Tourette syndrome starts a new school and tries to hide her quirks in this debut middle-grade novel in verse.
Calliope June has Tourette syndrome. Sometimes she can’t control the noises that come out of her mouth, or even her body language. When she and her mother move yet again, she tries to hide her TS. But soon the kids in her class realize she’s different. Only her neighbor, who is also the class president, sees her as she truly is—a quirky kid, and a good friend. But is he brave enough to take their friendship public? 
As Callie navigates school, she must also face her mother’s new relationship and the fact that she might be moving again—just as she’s starting to make friends and finally accept her differences. This story of being true to yourself will speak to a wide audience.
What I thought: I really really enjoyed this story. It is for young teens but it was entertaining and cute. I enjoyed the way the Tourette was included, explained and handled in the entire book. Very relaxed and normal. I think it also paints a good picture on being. singled out, maybe even bullied and it looks at all parties involved. Overall I think this is really good and I would have loved a story like that in my teens.
Medium: library audiobook
Original Language and Title: English
Publications: Doesn’t seem to be translated as of now.
Recommend to: Everyone loving coming of age novels, any teenager and who wants to learn more about Tourette.

Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid | ★★★✶☆

Goodreads says: For a while, Daisy Jones & The Six were everywhere. Their albums were on every turntable, they sold out arenas from coast to coast, their sound defined an era. And then, on 12 July 1979, they split.
Nobody ever knew why. Until now. 
They were lovers and friends and brothers and rivals. They couldn’t believe their luck, until it ran out. This is their story of the early days and the wild nights, but everyone remembers the truth differently.
The only thing they all know for sure is that from the moment Daisy Jones walked barefoot onstage at the Whisky, their lives were irrevocably changed. 
Making music is never just about the music. And sometimes it can be hard to tell where the sound stops and the feelings begin.
What I thought: Another book club pick. I wanted to read any book by TJR this year but this one was the last on my list. I am not a fan of stories that evolve around fame. I don’t find it fascinating. I am also not much into music. Just not my jam. So this book started out tough. However, it was easy to read. I particularly liked the way it was written in the most. Which – in our book club – was a big discussion. I think all characters came through and each one was interesting in its own. I personally liked the way the love stories played out. And I had a feeling about the ending…
Medium: library ebook
Original Language and Title: English
Publications: German title “Daisy Jones & The Six”
Recommend to: Everyone loving to read a fast paced book that takes you behind the music scene and who loves exploring different writing styles.

Dshamilja by Chingiz Aitmatov | ★★★☆☆

Goodreads says: The Second World War is raging, and Jamilia’s husband is off fighting at the front. Accompanied by Daniyar, a sullen newcomer who was wounded on the battlefield, Jamilia spends her days hauling sacks of grain from the threshing floor to the train station in their village in the Caucasus. Spurning men’s advances and wincing at the dispassionate letters she receives from her husband, Jamilia falls helplessly in love with the mysterious Daniyar in this heartbreakingly beautiful tale. A classic from the award-winning Kyrgyz novelist Chingiz Aitmatov.
What I thought: This was an interesting read. My mother named this one as one of the most influential books in her life. It is considered a love story. It is but today we have other means to define a love story. But if you consider the time it was written… I appreciated the epilogue that explained why this book was so important at its time. That is broke with conventions, celebrated the independence of women. When I read it I had a different feeling but it is coming from my point of view. So interesting to challenge myself here. I also liked the POV the book was written from. Overall I recommend.
Medium: paperback from my parents book shelf
Original Language and Title: Russian
Publications: German title “Djamila”, be aware that the title and author name are differently written throughout translations
Recommend to: Anyone wanting to learn more about rural life in Kyrgyzstan, and witness the breaking with traditional roles and morals.
Read Around the World: logged for Kyrgyzstan in my Read Around the World Challenge

The Comfort Book by Matt Haig | ★★★☆☆

Goodreads says: A manual of reflections for an increasingly stressful world. Nothing is stronger than a small hope that doesn’t give up. The Comfort Book is a collection of little islands of hope, a gathering of consolations and stories that give us new ways of seeing ourselves and the world. 
Matt Haig’s mix of philosophy, memoir and self-reflection builds on the wisdom of philosophers and survivors through the ages, from Marcus Aurelius to Nellie Bly, from Emily Dickinson to James Baldwin. This is the book to pick up when you need the wisdom of a friend or the comfort of a hug, or just want to celebrate the messy miracle of being alive.
What I thought: This was a comfortable few hours listening. There weren’t any big revelations in this book but it did show a lot of smaller ideas of hope, finding happiness, allowing to feel sad at times. and encouraging that all will be well. Matt Haig suffers severe depression and. knows what he. is talking about. While other books always seem a bit snobbish when it comes to including traumas and struggles of the author because they have overcome and know now how to battled sad issue. Matt on the other hand acknowledges that he is still in the trenches and shares his coping mechanism. I enjoyed that. Unfortunately it was a abridged version so not sure what was missing.
Medium: library audiobook
Original Language and Title: English
Publications: German title “The Comfort Book – Gedanken die mir Hoffnung machen”, many more translations
Recommend to: Everyone needing a book hug, some inspiration for positive thinking and just enjoys Matt Haig.

Die Träume anderer Leute by Judith Holofernes | ★★★☆☆

Goodreads says: For almost twenty years, the dynamics of the music business determined Judith Holofernes’ life. During this time, with “Wir sind Helden” and her solo project, she became one of the best-known and most influential singers of her generation in Germany. In her autobiographical book, she now looks back on the time after Die Helden, on crises, dreams and a groundbreaking decision – and shows herself to be a subtle narrator.
With great clarity and tenderness and her characteristic wit, Holofernes writes about the curse and blessing of the early success of Die Helden; about the compatibility of family and being a front woman; about the public perception of her own body, growing up with her lesbian mother in Freiburg; about the deep cuts in her life, the doubts, the pain. Again and again, it is also about the music industry, about the relationship to her fans, strange concerts in the light, but also about the rigid mechanisms of the business and sexism.
What I thought: Why read another book centered on the music industry you wonder. It was recommended to me various times. It was interesting enough not only because it was read by German author Nora Tschirner that made it engaging. It was interesting to learn about being a parent in show biz and touring with babies and toddlers. But right there is what fell flat for me. I am no parent, it is not my world. I can read it, I find it interesting, it opens up perspectives but it just doesn’t hit home. So I guess all my friends recommending it to me felt seen as mothers, the struggles and the constant decision making and putting oneself last. It probably helps if you are a fan of the band – which I am not. Nevertheless, it is not a waste to read.
Medium: library audiobook
Original Language and Title: German
Publications: No translation as of now.
Recommend to: Anyone wanting needing a role model in an demanding industry and how to shed those chains of being slave to promotion and publications while raising a family.

Intermittent Fasting Transformation by Cynthia Thurlow | ★★★☆☆

Goodreads says: Discover the customized nutrition plan that will help you be lean, fit, more youthful, sexier, and full of energy – at every stage of life. Designed specifically for women, this individualized six-week intermittent fasting program is the sustainable solution to help you feel and look your absolute best. Based on the scientifically proven 16:8 fasting model, what makes this program unique is that it is geared toward your hormonal needs at every stage in life-whether you are cycling or in perimenopause, menopause, or beyond.
What I thought: This book starts out with explains all the female hormones and how they change over the period of life, during the monthly cycle and how to balance them out. I appreciated that she linked all those to intermittent fasting and differentiated between the phases of life (menstruating, perimenopause, menopause,). My main issue with this book is that the whole purpose of developing the book seems to battle weight gain and loosing weight. Thurlow frames it as intermittent fasting but I don’t buy it. While fasting can reduce weight isn’t intermittent fasting lifestyle choice to battle the abundance we are facing today and get back to a more originally intended eating pattern? I also disliked that she is constantly telling that intermittent fasting is the key to everything. I already have the book, stop trying to sell it to me. Very annoying. I also take a critical view to taking a gazillion supplements. If your diet requires that it may not be the best diet, maybe? The book ends with a plan on what to eat for 45 days and the corresponding recipes. This could have been good, unfortunately many of the recipes call for ingredients I have never heard off let alone know where to find – specially here in Germany like bison meat… Overall a bit underwhelming.
Medium: paperback, provided by publisher for honest review
Original Language and Title: English hardcover, paperback, ebook
Publications: German title “Die Vorhersage” hardcover, ebook
Recommend to: Everyone wanting to learn more about how hormones influence the female body and who wants to go over and beyond in making a diet change.
Copy of the book was provided by the publisher. My review was not influenced.

30 Second Great Art by Lee Beard | ★★✶☆☆

Goodreads says: The great painting and sculpture of the past is the indispensable backbone of most people’s visual library, but wrangling centuries of wonderful works by thousands of artists into a digestible form that allows you to focus on their detail and direction can be tough. Enter 30-Second Great Art. It takes readers on an engrossing tour of 50 top-flight works by artists from Giotto to Marlene Dumas, including a full-page reproduction of each one, accompanied by text that puts it in the context of the world in which it was created, and adds another piece to the jigsaw puzzle of the history of art. Along the way, special spreads will offer insights into the collectors and critics of the past, as well as its creators, and a glossary for each chapter will explain specialist terms. Succinct, lively descriptions make for speedy and enjoyable reading; it’s like taking a trip round the world’s greatest art gallery.
What I thought: I love art books. This book made me angry though. While the picked art works are all well know and have a place in history the entire book fell flat for me. It is centered so much on Western and European Art that it is very one dimensional. Granted Frida Kahlo is one. And with her one of the three other woman. Other than that all male artists. But the things that bothered me the most is the spelling errors. I am rather sure it was translated by an AI. At least have the curtesy to have active read the text. And how in the world is it possible to spell an artist name 5 different ways one page. It is beyond me. The verdict, I could have spent my money better.
Medium: hardcover, self bought
Original Language and Title: English
Publications: German title “Kunst in 30 Sekunden”
Recommend to: Everyone who wants to superficially brag about know about art.

Ikigai by Hector Garcia Puigcerver | ★★✶☆☆

Goodreads says: Bring meaning and joy to all your days with the internationally bestselling guide to ikigai.
According to the Japanese, everyone has an ikigai–a reason for living. And according to the residents of the Japanese island of Okinawa–home to the world’s longest-living people–finding it is the key to a happier and longer life.
Inspiring and soothing, this book will bring you closer to these centenarians’ secrets: how they leave urgency behind; keep doing what they love for as long as possible; nurture friendships; live in the moment; participate in their communities; and throw themselves into their passions. And it provides practical tools to help you discover your own personal ikigai. Because who doesn’t want to find the joy in every day?
What I thought: I did learn a bit about what Ikigai means however I would have hoped for a bit more depth. This books seems like a list of all the studies done on the topic and therefore just retelling of things. There was no novelty to it.Even though living in Japan over a decade the author seems to bring no experience into the book besides one week of going to a village in Japan. I guess it would have made more sense hearing about it from a Japanese and not someone not native to this concept. I am sure there are better books out there about the topic. Since it was my first attempt to learn more about ikigai it was ok.
Medium: library audiobook
Original Language and Title: not sure
Publications: German title “Ikigai Gerund und glücklich hundert werden”
Recommend to: Everyone never having been in touch with this concept and needing an introduction. But you won’t miss anything if you skip this one.

Briefe aus dem Mermaid Cove by Pia Kovarik | ★★☆☆☆

Goodreads says: Lola Brighton, the young dressmaker from London, sells her share of the fashion store “The Covent Garden Sisters” after some personal dramas and starts a new life in Mermaid Cove on the west coast of Cornwall with her dog, the beagle Lord Byron.
From the start, she fell in love with the Mermaid Inn cottage with its thatched roof, smoking chimney and double-hung box windows. But the truly magical thing about this little house had always been the captivating view of the vast, seemingly endless Atlantic Ocean.
What I thought: I needed a low key easy to read book when I lay awake at night. This one came in handy. It doesn’t matter if you can’t remember half the plot. I even realized half way through that I had already read another one in the series. At times it was a bit boring, the plot is rather predictable, the drama isn’t really a drama… But what do you expect from these kind of books.
Medium: ebook from my kindle TBR
Original Language and Title: German
Publications: no translations as of now
Recommend to: Anyone needing some easy entertainment at the time being but doesn’t except an earth shattering story.

Minimalism by Gwyneth Snow | ★★☆☆☆

Goodreads says: Minimalism: The Path to an Organized, Stress-free and Decluttered Life is my humble attempt to provide an overview of what minimalism is, what it can offer, and some insights into how this lifestyle can be implemented.The first section of this book highlights a brief history of minimalism and its origins. It also covers how the minimalist movement has evolved over time, what modern day minimalism looks like, and its benefits. The second section covers a wide range of strategies and techniques that you could use to declutter, get organized, and live in a stress-free and minimalist home. The last section highlights what a minimalist lifestyle could look like; it covers a wide range of topics including minimalism in money, health, relationships, and much more. My hope is that this book will enable you to find joy in simplifying and to find happiness in fewer things that truly matter.
What I thought: This one was rather uninspiring. It had nothing to do with minimalism. It was more a sort of organizational advice book. And at that not too helpful. It was a lot of talk about own experience but those are not extraordinary. Another person who decided to write a book. Someone said it felt like a rushed college essay. Agree. Feel free to skip.
Medium: ebook from my kindle TBR
Original Language and Title: English
Publications: no translations
Recommend to: Not sure I would. So many more books out there for this topic that are better. Like Goodbye Things.

Tram 83 by Fiston Mwanza Mujila | ★☆☆☆☆

Goodreads says: In an African city in secession, which could be Kinshasa or Lubumbashi, land tourists of all languages and nationalities. They have only one desire: to make a fortune by exploiting the mineral wealths of the country. They work during the day in mining concession and, as soon as night falls, they go out to get drunk, dance, eat and abandon themselves in Tram 83, the only night-club of the city, the den of all the outlaws: ex children-soldiers, prostitutes, blank students, unmarried mothers, sorcerers’ apprentices …
Lucien, a professional writer, fleeing the exactions and the censorship, finds refuge in the city thanks to Requiem, a youth friend. Requiem lives mainly on theft and on swindle while Lucien only thinks of writing and living honestly. Around them gravitate gangsters and young girls, retired or runaway men, profit-seeking tourists and federal agents of a non-existent State.
Tram 83 plunges the reader into the atmosphere of a gold rush as cynical as, sometimes, comic and colorfully exotic. It’s an observation of human relationships in a world that has become a global village. It could be described as an African-rap or rhapsody novel or puzzle-novel hammered by rhythms of jazz.
What I thought: This book…. A total disaster.. Absolutely horrible. If it wasn’t for my challenge I would have abandoned after the first few pages.. Just drugs, alcohol, prostitution and corruption. I do not understand why you would like to paint your country in this picture and add to all the prejudices already circulating. I really don’t get it. Maybe it was all sarcastic and a satire. Well, then I am not intelligent enough to get it.
Medium: hardcover from my parents book shelf
Original Language and Title: French “Tram 83”
Publications: multiple translations
Recommend to: Everyone enjoying critically acclaimed artsy books that make no sense.
Read Around the World: logged for Democratic Republic of Congo in my Read Around the World Challenge

Books I couldn’t finish

This year I will also list the books or audiobooks I started but that for some reason will not be finished. I want to keep a bit of track how many pages those books end up being.

• Snow Queen by Michal Crichton – no time for boring wonky written books, pages read 25
• The Lost Galumpus by Joseph Helgesson – a children book that unfortunately dragged on and had too much bickering, pages read 131
• The Many Fortunes of Maya by Nicole D. Collier – another children’s books that was cute but couldn’t hold my attention as an adult, pages read 30

New books on the shelves

I decided in 2023 I will also share how many books make it to my TBR list (only books I own otherwise we would sit here in years) and occupy my shelves right above the reading chair and also on my digital home on the kindle. Feel free to ask me in a few weeks if I have read it yet. HA

• Anatomy by Dana Schwarz – a 0,99€ kindle deal

If we are not yet friends on Goodreads please add me.

Which book will now be on your TBR? What book did you enjoy in March past month? What book was a total fail? Do you rate books by a 3*, 5* or even 10* rating system?