The Monthly Line: March 2025
Knights and saints
Hello dear readers,
I hope you're having a lovely Easter weekend - happy Easter to all who celebrate. I'm away (kid-free!) for the weekend which might mean April's reading list is a bit longer than March!
But before I get too ahead of myself, here's the lowdown on March, including romance, Arthurian knights, and resisting tyranny.
One. Happy Place by Emily Henry
I found this romance novel much more emotional than Emily Henry's previous books (which I also enjoyed). Don't get me wrong, it still has plenty of wish fulfilment - gorgeous house you can stay in for free thanks to rich friends, heroine is a brain surgeon etc. But the overall tone was much more mature and wistful, with the characters grappling with how you build a life and maintain old relationships when you're out of that early adulthood bubble of no strings, no dependents, free-wheeling existence. I found it took a little too long to get to the point, there was a lot of repetition of allusions to 'something bad' that the main character had done before the actual circumstances were revealed. But overall I really enjoyed it.
How I read it: at home, chilling one evening
Two. Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors
We're in New York in the noughties, meeting Frank - a 40ish owner of an advertising company - and Cleo, a very young woman trying to make it as an artist. They meet leaving a party and very quickly get married. I'm afraid this buzzy novel really hit a few of my negative association buttons: characters who can't care for themselves or others, being rich as a personality, and lots and lots of bad decisions. The most interesting characters for me were either very peripheral or introduced quite near the end. Overall it was pacy, and the plot was propulsive, but it just didn't work for me.
How I read it: during a long wait for a gestational diabetes test (I got the all clear)
Three. On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder
This short non-fiction book of essays takes on a different aspect of tyrannical government for each essay, exploring how they can be fought against by everyday people. It was written as a response to the election of Donald Trump first time round, so in that sense it hasn't lost any of its relevance. It was very clear, and made me think about democracy and tyranny, and the tricks used by leaders to bring people along with them, even against their self-interest. Obviously given its origin story, it is quite American in focus, but I think that can be forgiven as it's so short and streamlined.
How I read it: on the tube in chunks
Four. Perilous Times by Thomas D Lee
I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I picked up this fantasy novel that imagines that the Knights of the Roundtable can be resurrected, whenever the nation needs it. But Mr Caroline had read and enjoyed it so I decided to give it a go! And I was pleasantly surprised. It imagines a United Kingdom that is experiencing extreme climate breakdown, with major cities flooded, refugee camps full of simmering tensions, and the magic of the land simmering underneath but much depleted. It explores deep themes like leadership, the power of community, identity, over a backdrop of dragons and knights and epic myths. Definitely one to pick up if you're a fan of fantasy with a sense of humour and heart.
How I read it: my bedtime book for a while as it's quite a beast
Five. Saints by Amy Jeffs
Jeffs has a few books now along the theme of the forgotten stories and myths of Great Britain. I really enjoyed Storyland, her first book, which recounted some of those myths alongside her gorgeous woodcut illustrations. This book repeats the idea, but with the stories of saints, many British but not all. It's split into the months of the year, with each saint appearing at the appropriate month for their saints day, or because it relates to their story. The stories themselves are fascinating, though she doesn't tell them straight, instead often looking at them from another angle, or re-imagining them slightly. I didn't mind this, but I did find it made the editorial voice a bit loud, I felt like I learned more about her feelings on the saints than on how they contributed to the rich tapestry of British religious culture.
How I read it: a few saints every evening
Book of the month: I think it's going to be Perilous Times for how much I enjoyed the twists and turns of the plot.
That's it for March, I hope you enjoyed reading about last month's reads. See you next month for April's round up!