March 2023 Wrap-Up & Favorites

Source: personal collection

Hello fellow readers! In March I read three books, two of which are in Bahasa Indonesia. It makes my reading life easier since I can finish those faster. In fact, one of them, Akiyoshi Rikako's book, kind of get me out of my reading slump. So that's a win. Anyway, here's the books I read in March.

Books read in March

	The Woman in the Dunes - Kobo Abe (★★★)
	I picked this book randomly because the premise sounds creepy. It is creepy and frustrating. This book also makes me feel claustrophobic. Based on the blurbs on the cover of this book, the Woman in the Dunes is described as a 'Kafkaesque nightmare'. Since I haven't read any of Kafka's books, so I can't add anything to that. However, if perhaps you enjoy the works of Kafka, you might want to try reading this book.
	Cinderella Addiction - Akiyoshi Rikako (★★★)
	If you've been following my blog for a while, you'd know that Akiyoshi Rikako is one of my favorite writers. Her books have always been helpful in getting me out of reading slump. It's the same with this one, considering the last two books I read were kind of difficult to finish. Anyway, though like Akiyoshi's other books this one is pretty twisted, I think it's dominated by drama. I wouldn't recommend this book for a first-timer. If you've read her other books and like them, then you might want to pick this one up too.
	Blue, Painful, and Brittle - Yoru Sumino (★★)
	Blue, Painful, and Brittle is the second book by Sumino Yoru which I read. Though the premise doesn't really interest me, I picked this up merely because of the film adaptation. I want to watch the film and since the book itself has been translated into Indonesian, I thought why not read the book first. I'm sorry to say but this book is boring. Partly because of the translation, I think. Somehow, the sentence structure and the diction seems off. It feels like it's trying hard to convey the message. But then I remember I read somewhere that Japanese can be difficult to translate into another language. After I finish reading the book, I still don't get the urgency of what the main character does or even why he does it. Anyway, I hope the film would do better.

Review Posts in March
The Shape of Things to Come - H.G. Wells
Every Breath - Nicholas Sparks
To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before - Jenny Han

March Favorites

Series

Supernatural

I first started watching the show back in high school. The show is already finished airing now, with total of fifteen seasons. However, I stopped watching it back in college and I only got to season twelve ( I think). I must say, I miss the Winchesters. I miss their antics and their outrageous supernatural cases. I don't like watching horrors because I get scared easily, but for a horror show, Supernatural is hella fun. I finally finished watching the show until the final season. Although it seems like the show loses its footing after season 5, the Winchesters is what makes me come back to the show. I'm too attached to them. The ending is sad because it's conclusive so that is it for them. Still, I'm glad they got the ending that they deserved. This show is definitely my comfort show. I might come back to it again whenever I miss Sam and Dean.

Miscellaneous

Fragments Basque Cheesecake

I stumbled upon a post in Instagram which review a cute Korean-styled café named Fragments in a mall. It is said that their specialty is Basque cheesecake and scones. To be honest, I don't particularly like cheesecake, especially those rare cheesecake. I think the cheese can be too much. When I saw the Basque cheesecake, it's simply tempting. I never had one before so I thought why not. It didn't disappoint. It's not too sweet, the cheese is not that overpowering. I mean, it obviously still has the taste of cheese but not the kind that makes you feel sick of it. The burnt side is not bitter and has such a lovely texture. The inside is all melty. I love it. I might need to try Basque cheesecake from another shop too and see if Fragments's is really that good.

That was it! In March, I tried to make a TBR list. I read three out of four books on my list. That's a good progress. I think I'm going to make a list every month and try my best to stick with it. What about you? Did you have a good reading month?