WHAT I READ IN MARCH 2025

So many books to review for the month!

GOOD DIRT by Charmaine Wilkerson

3.75/5 Stars

Good Dirt follows a woman named Ebby Freeman, who’s still haunted by the unsolved death of her brother when they were children. Years later, after a high-profile breakup, she escapes to France… only to find that her past is still with her. As she reflects on a lost family heirloom passed down from an enslaved ancestor, she begins to uncover secrets that could change everything. It unfolds through multiple storylines, capturing the intricate and nonlinear nature of grief and how it affects our relationships. Some parts of the book were more compelling than others to me, but overall I liked it.

HOW TO SLEEP AT NIGHT by Elizabeth Harris

4.5/5 Stars

This book is about marriage, identity, and the chaos that ensues when politics hit too close to home. How To Sleep At Night is a super relevant book. I feel like all of us can relate to relationships being tested due to differing politics. I was immediately engrossed in the story and couldn’t put it down. I also feel like it’s not getting as much hype as it should– it’s a great, timely read. (And would be a perfect choice for a book club read.)

ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE by Elizabeth Strout

5/5 Stars

I’ve been loving Elizabeth Strout’s Amgash series. (Anything Is Possible is #2.) I don’t think you have to read the books in order, but after reading some threads on Reddit, I knew I would appreciate the stories more if I did. I’ve slowly been working my way through the series and I’m really loving it. (Also nice that the older books are always available through my library!) Anything Is Possible was so good. This is a series of short stories exploring different characters from the same small town– I love how the stories are intertwined and layered.

THE BRIGHT YEARS by Sarah Damoff

3/5 Stars

I didn’t love The Bright Years, but if you’re looking for an easy to digest book that isn’t just fluff, you might enjoy it! It’s about a young woman who falls in love with a man who is the son of an alcoholic. (You can probably guess where this is already going…) Major trigger warnings I would say. You get her perspective, her husband’s perspective, as well as her daughter’s and as the book unfolds you get a little deeper into their psyche.

WILD DARK SHORES by Charlotte McConaghy

5/5 Stars

WOW! A powerful, relevant book. Would be a GREAT choice for a book club. I wanted to sit down and talk to everyone about this. If you’re worried about where the world is heading with climate change, you should absolutely pick this up. It’s one of the best books I’ve ever read. Family, motherhood, survival. I have never read a book that covers so many complex topics in such a meaningful way. Charlotte McConaghy expertly and beautifully weaves the narratives of all the characters into a perfect, masterful novel.

THERE’S ALWAYS THIS YEAR by Hanif Abdurraqib

5/5 Stars

I don’t know how There’s Always This Year escaped my radar last year when it was published. There’s Always This Year is a poetic memoir about growing up in Ohio during the 1990s. The book is about his life and basketball. I know next to nothing about basketball and I was still absolutely enthralled by Hanif Abdurraqib’s storytelling. Highly recommend listening to it as an audiobook as he narrates it himself and it reads like a beautiful poem.

BROKEN COUNTRY by Clare Leslie Hall

4.5/5 Stars

I had the chance to hear Clare Leslie Hall and Reese Witherspoon in conversation. Clare Leslie Hall described that the idea of the book came to her while walking her dog in the English countryside. It’s all about that special “first love.” Set in the 1950s, it was also a unique period of time for women. Told through different time periods, I couldn’t put it down. I did find it a little predictable, but it was very well-written and captured my attention from start to finish.