March was off to a great start, our visa was renewed for three years, which means we then had to go to Portland (I'm never mad about it)! Then it was Octave's birthday and I ended the month being busy with a big project. But I had the time to squeeze a little reading in between.
So here's what I borrowed from the library during the month of March.
If you're interested to see what else is on my waiting list, check out my 2023 reading list.
And please share your recommendations in the comments (women, queer, POC authors are more or less all I've been reading since 2017 and I'd like to keep this trend going!)
1. I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai
I wish I had made a note of how I first heard about this book (I started doing this in Google Maps when adding spots to check out, to remember who recommended them to me).
Anyhow, I can’t believe how fast I read its 448 pages, even though I didn’t even open it when we were in Portland (I would just crash in bed at night).
I did spend a great part of last Sunday cuddled on the couch though.
The story was riveting, propelled me back to my own college experience through the # metoo lens.
It had been a while since I last read this kind of murder mystery novel. It was an interesting break from my usually serious feminist reading.
I might do it more often...
2. Kurashi at Home: How to Organize Your Space and Achieve Your Ideal Life by Marie Kondo
Toward the end of her book, Marie Kondo mentions that a few of her clients, now that they have more free time after having decluttered their home/life, sometimes decide to make their life “more inconvenient”.
They start making their own clothes or fermenting their own food.
This really resonated with me.
When I hosted tours of my “Zero Waste Home” I would joke that I didn’t have kids but had baby plants and a kombucha mother to take care of.
At that time, I was also making most of my cleaning products and had started experimenting with more DIYs (reusable food wrap, body butter).
I was reclaiming my life, I wanted to break up with consumerism, chemicals, plastic, fast fashion, you name it!
It consumed a lot of my free time, but I had so much fun learning!
Now, I feel like I have reached a healthier and less consuming balance.
Knowing how things are made, who makes them, and how much work and time it takes to make them, I have chosen to buy some ready-made and keep making others.
I have found brands and makers that help me simplify my life and I follow trusted recipes to prepare certain essentials.
This frees up time so I can do activities that truly bring me joy.
Some would think that mending or altering a pair of pants that don’t fit right is an inconvenience, I find the challenge rather fun!
Some love baking sourdough, and I, for the life of me, cannot get into it! And that’s OK. The bakery next door makes a perfect loaf.
Mari Kondo helped me realize that I have the privilege to decide to make my life more or less “inconvenient”.
How lucky am I?
3. Little Weirds by Jenny Slate
I'm a total fan of Jenny Slate's! Marcel the Shell is my favorite character and I've always wondered what was inside the head of its creator. Now I know, and it's a little weird, but also moving, poetic, and hilarious!
4. Regretting Motherhood: A Study by Orna Donath
By now I suppose you know how I feel about having kids. I've read about people's decisions not to have kids, but now reading about mothers who regretted having kids was a vastly different experience. The stigma, the shame, the reasons why they had kids and the reasons why they regretted it, whether having them was their decision or the result of social pressure was absolutely fascinating.
What are you currently reading? I'd love to know, please share your recommendations in the comments below!
