March felt like the absolute perfect time to center my reading around women. Women telling their stories and claiming space in every way possible.
I truly didn’t go into the month with a solid plan, aside from knowing all books must center around women. And somehow, each book found its way to me at just the right moment.
Some reads broke my heart. Some lit a fire under me. Some were soft, some were strange, but all sat with me loooong after I turned the last page. Together, the books painted this beautifully layered picture of what it means to move through the world as a woman.
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Every book I picked up truly held a different facet of the female experience. Each one pulled me into a new life that I could never put down until I flipped that last page. They stirred something different in me every time: a spark, a sadness, a sense of recognition.
And even though I turned the last page, the women didn’t leave. No, not at all. I find myself thinking about these stories every day. They still linger on and on in me.
Here’s what I read in March:
The Women
by Kristin Hannah
Why I Picked It:
My best friend lent this one to me, and the title alone made me want to read it this month. A book focused on the women who were nurses in the Vietnam War—yeah, I knew I absolutely had to read it for Women’s History Month.
My Thoughts:
This book was an absolute rollercoaster. It destroyed me. Frankie’s journey broke my heart in so many ways over and over. The way Kristin Hannah sheds light on a part of history we don’t often hear about (women on the frontlines) was so powerful. I ached for Frankie’s losses and for all those real-life women ignored. It was brutal, beautiful, and left an everlasting mark.
Little Women
by Louisa May Alcott
Why I Picked It:
This was a reread, but I couldn’t resist. March Sisters for my March Reads of Women? So cliche and so totally necessary.
My Thoughts:
This book feels so cozy and comforting, but also deeply emotional. It’s such a foundational story about girlhood, sisterhood, and growing up. It truly hits differently reading it as an adult rather than a teenager.
I Who Have Never Known Men
by Jacqueline Harpman
Why I Picked It:
The title alone pulled me in to read it this month, but it was on my TBR thanks to BookTok. I’d seen it described as dystopian–not my typical go-to read, so why not give it a try! It’s a short read.
My Thoughts:
This book was unsettling, absorbing, and kept me guessing nonstop. And yet, by the end, there were literally no answers. NONE. Why were they there, what happened to the world? It’s a nonstop search for meaning in a world (who knows what world it is) that refuses to provide ANY answers.
The Woman In Me
by Britney Spears
Why I Picked It:
Like so many people, I grew up with Britney. From her poster on my wall to her voice coming out of my little boombox speakers. So, when her memoir came out, I knew I had to read it.
My Thoughts:
This book annoyed me from every single page. Not because of Britney or her writing, but everything that happened to her. All the people surrounding her and controlling her who ultimately failed her ALL HER LIFE.
Goodbye Earl
by Leesa Cross-Smith
Why I Picked It:
This was my most random pick of the month. I’ve never read this author, I knew NOTHING about this story. I used to listen to The Chicks when I was really young, so because of the title, I gave it a try.
My Thoughts:
I devoured this. I loved the back-and-forth timelines and the friendships felt so real and warm (even with some seriously heavy topics). This was such a beautifully layered story about friendship, resilience, and reclaiming power.
Our Wives Under the Sea
by Julia Armfield
Why I Picked It:
Booktok strikes again. I’d heard this described as haunting and poetic—two things I tend to love in a story. Other than that, I knew NOTHING about this book.
My Thoughts:
I found this story really moving. It’s less about plot and more about atmosphere and feeling. And the metaphors? They got me. I began reading this, wondering if it was going to turn into a weird sci-fi story, but then I understood… and the book hit me so hard in the heart.
The Awakening
by Kate Chopin
Why I Picked It:
I’ve been meaning to reread this for literal YEARS. Previously, it had been assigned in school and then glossed over, so I wanted to give it the time and attention it deserves.
My Thoughts:
I had notes on top of notes when I finished this. It made me think about identity and motherhood in ways no other story has made me do before. Edna’s inner world and her longing for freedom was wayyy ahead of it’s time, to say the least. The ocean metaphors are both haunting and beautiful.
My March reads were seriously so beautiful. Each book I read I just KNOW I will think about for always.
What books did you read this month?
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