And just like that, we are down one quarter this year. How time flies! I hope that the first three months of the year have been kind to everyone. I hope everyone was able to catch their breath after a traditionally busy first three months, at least for us accountants. Nevertheless, even if you are a non-accountant, I hope that you are recovering from whatever has drained or is draining your manna. I hope that you heal from the wounds that you don’t let the rest of the world see. I hope that the rest of the year will be brimming with good news, blessings, and victories for each and every one of us. I hope 2024 will be a good one. More importantly, it is my fervent wish that everyone will be happy and healthy, in body, mind, and spirit.

Before I can officially pivot toward April, let me reflect on how my March reading journey has shaped up. I originally planned to have a Japanese literature month but, in the end, I resolved to read the works of female writers. This is in commemoration of Women’s History Month. Further, International Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8. This was, I believe, the third time I hosted a female-only reading month. The literary journey has been riveting, to say the least. This journey also took me to different parts of the world. In a way, it also greatly helped me tick off several books from my outstanding reading challenges. I have already completed a third of my 2024 Top 24 Reading List! I usually cram toward the end of the year. Anyway, without more ado, here is a peek into how my March reading journey shaped up. Happy reading!

Inheritance from Mother by Minae Mizumura

Interestingly, and without design, I ended February by reading three consecutive works of female writers; this was a foreshadowing of some sort. I then kept the momentum and read my second novel by Japanese writer Minae Mizumura, Inheritance from Mother. I first encountered Mizumura during the 2018 Big Bad Wolf Sale when I bought a copy of A True Novel, a book I ended up liking, hence, my growing interest in her oeuvre. The opportunity to explore her body of works further came with Inheritance from Mother which was supposed to be the primer for my foray into Japanese literature. Inheritance from Mother opened with two sisters – Natsuki and Mitsuki – discussing the titular inheritance they received from their recently deceased mother, Noriko; they each received roughly 30 million yen. The novel’s focus, however, was on Mitsuki. Already in her fifties, she was their mother’s caretaker. Ironically, Mitsuki resented their mother; she was overbearing but her greatest offense was leaving her husband in a nursing home to run away with a teacher. Mituski, however, was bound by culture and duty. Meanwhile, Mitsuki also had to deal with a failing marriage. Following Noriko’s death, Mitsuki must confront her mother’s legacy. Inheritance from Mother is an evocative tale that tackles the intricacies and complexities of mother and daughter relationships, particularly within the ambit of highly regimented Asian culture. The novel, nevertheless, resonates with warmth and universality that appeals to readers from across the world.

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Land of Milk and Honey by C Pam Zhang

From a Japanese writer to an American Asian writer. C Pam Zhang first broke into the literary scene in 2020 with her debut novel, How Much of These Hills Is Gold, a book that captivated me and made me look forward to her succeeding works. When I learned about Land of Milk and Honey’s release, I was beyond ecstatic; I was really looking forward to the book but I was, unfortunately, unable to read it last year as the delivery of my copy of the book got delayed. In contrast to Zhang’s debut novel, her sophomore novel transports the readers to the not-so-distant future. The story was narrated by a young anonymous Asian American chef. Stuck in England following the closure of America’s borders, she applied for a job at an “elite research community” situated on an Italian mountaintop and presided over by an anonymous mogul whom she referred to as “my employer.” The community was devised to lure top scientists in the hope of cultivating animals and precious seeds in underground farms and orchards. In Zhang’s vision of the future, most plant and animal species have gone or are going extinct after they were smothered by a smog that wrapped itself around the planet. Realizing Zhang’s sophomore novel reverberated with dystopian themes came as a surprise. While the novel tried to cover as much territory as it could, most subjects were explored ephemerally. Overall, it had an interesting premise but their potentials were not fully realized. Nevertheless, the book is a testament to what Zhang can offer to global readers.

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The House on Calle Sombra by Marga Ortigas

My literary journey next took me to my backyard, Philippine literature, a part of the literary world that, ironically, I had not extensively explored. To my credit, I have been putting in the work in the past few years. 2023 was a prolific one as I finished four works by Filipino writers. This year, I am already building momentum by reading my second this year, Marga Ortigas’ The House on Calle Sombra which is a part of my 2024 Top 24 Reading List. Ortigas debut novel, The House on Calle Sombra is set in Manila and charts the fortunes of the Castillo de Montijo family whose story started when the patriarch, Federico Julian, arrived in Manila in 1937. An orphan who fled from the Spanish Civil War, he arrived in Manila penniless. The Second World War prompted him to flee to the mountains. Federico Julian became a prisoner of war but ironically, it was during his incarceration that he met Fatimah, a Muslim woman, who helped nurse him back to health. The two fell in love and when the war ended, they married even if it cost Fatimah her faith. With the story constantly shifting across three different periods in contemporary Philippine history without preambles, the story does get confusing. Clarity is achieved as the story moves forward; the novel covers three important phases of Philippine history: pre and post-war, the Martial Law period, and the recent War against Drugs. Its diverse cast of characters propels the story although most of the characters are dislikable. Nevertheless, The House on Calle Sombra is a vivid commentary on the maladies that continue to plague the Philippines.

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Dance on the Volcano by Marie Vieux Chauvet

From Asia, my foray into the works of women writers took me to the Caribbean. Before 2023, I had never heard of the Haitian writer Marie Vieux Chauvet nor had I encountered any of her works. It was through an online bookseller that I came across Dance on the Volcano. Curious about what the book has in store and looking forward to a new voice, I did not hesitate to buy the book. The prospect of exploring a new oeuvre made me include the book on my 2024 Top 24 Reading List. At the heart of Dance on the Volcano is Minette, a mulatto girl with an extraordinary singing talent. Under the tutelage of the same white music teacher who discovered her, she trained under a veil of secrecy. After years of clandestine training, Minette and her teacher finally took the risk and tricked the director of Port-au-Prince’s Comedie Theater into starring her in a production; laws prevented people of color from performing on stage. Minette’s talent transcended race and skin color, captivating even the governor who took on the duty of protecting her. The novel, however, was no simple rags-to-riches story. As Minette navigates the streets of Haiti, she sees the hardships of the slaves and for years, she performed with very meager pay. Tensions were also running high between the whites, the mulattos (freedmen), and the black slaves although it was not always visible; this is the allegorical volcano of the title. The novel is a primer to Haiti’s history. making Dance on the Volcano a riveting read although I feel like I was shortchanged by the ending.

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The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton

It has been a while since I last traveled to Oceania/Australasia. This was the reason why I included Eleanor Catton’s The Luminaries in my 2024 Top 24 Reading List. At 832 pages, Eleanor Catton’s The Luminaries is my second longest read this year, eclipsed only by Stephen Markley’s The Deluge. The Luminaries is also the second Booker Prize-winning book I read this year after Paul Lynch’s Prophet Song, the 2023 winner;. The Luminaries is a work of historical fiction that is set in 19th-century New Zealand. It commenced with the arrival of Walter Moody in Hokitika on the Southern Island where, at the smoking room of the Crown Hotel, he stumbled upon a clandestine meeting between twelve local men discussing a series of mysterious events that swept the town. This was set into motion by the mysterious death of Crosbie Wells on January 14, 13 days before Moody’s arrival. Initial reports showed that Wells died peacefully but pieces of evidence uncovered at Wells’ home pointed otherwise. This was exacerbated by the disappearance of Emery Staines, a likable young man, and the discovery of an unconscious Anna Wetherell, a prostitute, on the road on the same day the Wells was discovered by Alistair Lauderback. Catton enthralls the readers with a rollercoaster ride that pulls the readers in all directions. With the characters having contradicting accounts of what happened the night that Wells died, will the mystery ever be solved? Overall, The Luminaries is a multifaceted novel that reeled me in from the onset.

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them by Joyce Carol Oates

My first foray into North American literature in March was Carol Oates’ them. them is my first novel by the prolific American writer whose oeuvre I have been looking forward to; she is a recurring presence in discourses for possible Nobel Laureate in Literature. It was during the 2018 Big Bad Wolf sale that I obtained a copy of them, hence, its inclusion in my 2024 Beat the Backlist Challenge. It is also part of my 2024 Top 24 Reading List. This makes it the first and seventh book, respectively, from the said reading challenges. Winner of the National Book Award, them is the third of thematically interconnected novels collectively referred to as the Wonderland Quartet. It is set in Detroit and chronicles the struggles of contemporary American life through the fortunes of Loretta and her children Jules and Maureen. Jules, whose father was fatally shot by Loretta’s brother Brock, was Loretta’s only son and the eldest of the siblings. He skirted danger as he got involved with petty theft. Meanwhile, Maureen and her sister Betty were Loretta’s children with Howard Wendall, a cop. Following Howard’s death, Loretta remarried and to run the household, Loretta relied on Maureen who also yearned for an escape. To build an escape fund, Maureen turned to prostitution. But while the family is shadowed by darkness, they strive hard to break away from their destructive background. There are several layers to the story but what makes the novel a compelling read is its incisive and cynical view of American society.

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Of Love and Shadows by Isabel Allende

Another book that is part of my 2024 Top 24 Reading List is Isabel Allende’s Of Love and Shadows; I have, without design, been ticking off books from this list as early as now. All the better for me as I won’t be cramming toward the end of the year. Of Love and Shadows is my fifth novel by Allende but just the second from the earlier phase of her career. It was originally published in Spanish in 1984 as De amor y de sombra and was Allende’s sophomore novel. Of Love and Shadows is set in an unnamed country but it does not take rocket science to figure out that the unnamed country was Chile. Two characters loomed above the story: magazine editor Irene Beltrán and photographer Francisco Leal. Irene was born into an affluent family and was engaged to Army Captain Gustavo Morante. Her life, as she knew it, started to unravel with her encounter with photographer Francisco. The crux of the story was when the pair traveled to the countryside village of Los Riscos to cover the supernatural powers of Evangelina Ranquileo. News of her healing powers drew in people from different parts of the region Irene and Francisco’s arrival at the Ranquileo home, coincided with the arrival of the army which tried to strike terror. The novel was based on Allende’s journalistic endeavors and was also based on actual historical events that exposed the atrocities of the Pinochet regime. While Of Love and Shadows was not as engaging as The House of the Spirits, it was still a riveting read about one of the darkest phases of contemporary Chilean history.

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The Great Divide by Cristina Henríquez

For the third consecutive book, I am stuck in the American continent. While them was set in the north and Of Love and Shadows was set in the south, Cristina Henríquez’s latest novel The Great Divide transported me to the Isthmus of Panama in Central America. Before 2024, I have never heard of Henríquez nor have I encountered any of her works. However, her third novel has been listed as one of the books to look forward to in 2024, hence, its inclusion on my 2024 Top 10 Books I Look Forward to List; this is the second book from the list I read. The novel transports the readers to the early 20th century. Following Panama’s independence from Colombia, the United States did not waste time in striking a deal for private rights to the Panama Canal with the newly-born nation. This megaproject ushered in workers from various parts of the West Indies and it is their stories that Henríquez gave voices to. This diverse cast of characters – with emphasis on Ada Bunting and Omar Aquino – converged in Panama, each driven by a dream. However, the environment was hostile. Malaria, yellow fever, pneumonia, and even depression affected the population. The smell of death pervaded the air. They also had to tread various divides – social, economic, political, and even personal. With this in mind, one can glean that the book’s title is also allegorical. Overall, The Great Divide was a compelling story about the men and women whose voices were lost to the tumult of history in light of one of the marvels of modern engineering.

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The Bride Price by Buchi Emecheta

From the Americas, my next book, Buchi Emecheta’s The Bride Price, took me to Africa for the first time this year. It was in 2021 when I first encountered Emecheta through The Joys of Motherhood, a book that was part of my African literature month. I ended up liking the book although it probed into the downsides of tradition and culture, particularly their demands on women, subjects that were again prevalent in my second Emecheta novel. At the heart of the story was Aku-nna who was the only daughter born to Ezekiel and Ma Blackie. She has a brother, Nna-nndo. They were the portrait of a perfect family but unbeknownst to his family, Ezekiel was slowly dying from a wound he obtained while fighting during the Second World War. After his sudden demise, his wife and children moved from Lagos to Ezekiel’s family’s domain in the countryside. Following Ezekiel’s death, Ma Blackie, as per tradition, has become Ezekiel’s brother’s newest wife. Meanwhile, Aku-nna was blossoming in her adolescence and despite her age, she is now ripe for marrying. The man or boy who must marry her, however, has to pay the Bride Price. In The Bride Price, we again about how Nigerian women had very little constitution over their lives and had to always rely on what the patriarchy dictates. Aku-nna, on the other hand, was tenacious about pursuing the same path society has paved for her. This resulted in a compelling story about the follies of culture, Nigerian life, and the power of love.

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Vagabonds! by Eloghosa Osunde

My next read was again set in the former capital of Nigeria. It was in 2022 when I first encountered Eloghosa Osunde during one of my not-so-random trips to the bookstore. Their – apparently they are non-binary as they used they and their as pronouns in their personal website – debut novel, Vagabonds! immediately piqued my interest. I was reluctant at first but I eventually relented, buying the book because my curiosity was too great to be quelled. The novel which is essentially a collection of short stories thematically connected opens with the various definitions of the word vagabond, from the dictionary definition to how it is defined in the context of Nigerian society. One thing was palpable, vagabonds go against the tide but they are also essentially outsiders. Sure enough, Vagabonds! is a polyphonic novel populated by various characters who were, in their own way, going against social and gender conventions. The titular vagabonds are all queer, pushed into the darkness because of Nigeria’s religious corruption and highly homophobic legislation. Their queerness was forcefully suppressed lest they find themselves the objects of ridicule. Guiding the readers is the mercurial presence of Tatafó, one of the underlings of Èkó, the presiding spirit of Lagos. Apart from its deep probe into the politics of gender, the novel was also an homage to Lagos and the life that thrives underneath the urban bedlam. It did take me some time to immerse myself into the story but once I was able to find my footing, I was riveted.

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I’ll Be Right There by Kyung-Sook Shin

Concluding my March literary journey is Kyung-Sook Shin’s I’ll Be Right There. Following the critical acclaim that her novel Please Look After Mom – the book won the 2011 Man Asian Literary Award and was a commercial success in Shin’s native Korea – Shin’s work has become ubiquitous. Among her other works that have seized the global scene was I’ll Be Right There which is also part of my 2024 Beat the Backlist Challenge. I’ll Be Right There opens in the present with Jung Yoon, the novel’s heroine, receiving a call from Myungsuh, a friend (and former boyfriend) she has not heard from in eight years. Their professor, Yoon was dying. The unexpected call elicited a trip down memory lane, back to when Yoon was still in university. It was the 1980s. South Korea and the streets were overflowing with protesters as the country was unraveling in light of the dictatorship. However, most of this happens in the background although the characters occasionally find themselves in these protests. Shin, it seems, was going after a different route because, despite the uncertain times, life still goes on. For Jung Yoon, her budding friendship with Myungsuh and Miru became the center of her university life, coupled with Professor Yoon and his poetry. In a way, it was Jung Yoon’s coming-of-age story as these experiences shape would shape who she would be. A subdued perhaps somber voice hovers above the narrative. But the voice somehow was familiar, a voice I encountered in Shin’s other novels such as Violets and more recently, I Went to See My Father.

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Reading Challenge Recaps
  1. My 2024 Top 24 Reading List: 8/24
  2. 2023 Beat The Backlist: 3/20; 31/60
  3. 2024 Books I Look Forward To List: 2/10
  4. Goodreads 2024 Reading Challenge: 33/80
  5. 1,001 Books You Must Read Before You Die: 2/20
  6. New Books Challenge: 2/15
  7. Translated Literature: 7/40
Book Reviews Published in March
  1. Book Review # 490: The Magic Mountain
  2. Book Review # 491: Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop
  3. Book Review # 492: Neruda on the Park
  4. Book Review # 493: The Hacienda
  5. Book Review # 494: People Person
  6. Book Review # 495: The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois
  7. Book Review # 496: Room
  8. Book Review # 497: Trainspotting
  9. Book Review # 498: Dubliners
  10. Book Review # 499: Under the Net
  11. Book Review # 500: Ulysses
  12. Book Review # 501: Of Love and Shadows

After a very slow month in January – at least where writing is concerned – I was able to gather steam and create some sort of momentum in February. I was surprisingly able to carry this momentum into March. I published ten book reviews in February, the most I published in a month since April and May 2023. In March, I eclipsed this as I was able to finish twelve book reviews; the last time I published this many book reviews was back in June 2022. More importantly, I was able to complete all my pending book reviews from January 2023. Now, I am focusing on my pending reviews from February and March 2023, of which I have quite a lot. This means I still have a lot of catching up to do. I am crossing my fingers that I get to complete all of them this April although my mantra is still to take it one step at a time.

Vis-à-vis my April reading journey, it will essentially be an extension of my March foray into the work of women writers. I realized that I still have quite a lot of works by women writers I want to and need to read. Some of these books are even from my ongoing reading challenges. Further, I have yet to travel to Europe. I surmise that this is going to be another excitable and memorable literary journey as I am looking forward to reading works by Herta Müller, Agatha Christie, Alice Walker, and perhaps Margaret Atwood, among others.

How about you fellow reader? How is your own reading journey going? I hope you enjoyed the books you have read. For now, have a great day. As always, do keep safe, and happy reading everyone!