March Recap
Work, couch, books, repeat
March kind of just...happened. I was heads-down in work and writing for most of it, occasionally surfacing to eat something and stare at my phone. Not a bad month. Just not a particularly remarkable one either.
1. Shellshocked turns one
I blinked and March was basically over. It’s been a busy month, but when I look back on the past few weeks I’m not entirely sure what I’ve been doing. I started a new project at work right as my transition to full time kicked in, so I was launching a big initiative while simultaneously completing approximately 400 onboarding tasks. Very chill, very normal.
I’ve also been putting more into my online presence. Shellshocked turned one this month, and it felt like the right time to buckle down and sharpen my intent. I’m posting more and trying to be less random about it—building something resembling a community rather than just yelling into the void. I also spent an embarrassing amount of time trying to get my act together on Instagram, which I recognize is a deeply obnoxious thing to admit, but I’m nothing if not transparent. But I did recently hit 500 followers, which is a great first milestone. Are you following me over there? You should!
I’m still not looking for a side hustle, or even extra cash from this whole endeavor—I just want to keep connecting with cool people to yap about books and culture and create a little space for us this wonderful and painful world we’re all stuck in.
2. How’d I do on my March goals?
Hooboy. I am a failure.
Get in bed by 9pm: I think I did this maybe twice. I blame starting a new project at work while trying to watch all the Best Picture nominees before the Oscars. Have I mentioned how astoundingly long all those movies are? Oh, I have? Well, I'm going to say it again: those movies are too long.
Spend more time with friends: I tried, but none of us could find a time that worked. I’m still putting this in the win column, though. Worth noting that my best friend doesn't count here—we see each other every week, by contract of deep emotional attachment.
Better work/life balance: I'm getting there! It's rough when you're starting a new project and a new role at the same time, but I made a solid effort to quit in the evenings for "me time." Still a work in progress.
Increase strength training: Ha.
Learn to love hockey again: Last month I wrote about how disappointed I was in the US men’s hockey team and how it left a sour taste in my mouth about a sport I genuinely love. I am slowly getting over it—it’s funny how easily rage fades when there are so many new things to be angry about. The problem is that my team is currently in the gutter. Ten Florida Panthers are out with injuries at the time of writing this, plus one is suspended. We’re playing guys I’ve never even heard of. We’re ranked at the bottom of our division. The back-to-back Stanley Cup champs are not going to make the playoffs. I think I need to let this season go, enjoy the playoffs without any vested interest, and look to next season for something resembling redemption.
3. Couch Hours
In an effort to at least moderate my work/life balance, I made a good effort this month to quit working at a normal time, eat dinner before 8pm, and spend some quality time on the couch. I did successfully watch all the Best Picture nominees in time for the Oscars, which I’ve already spoken about at length, and I am still religiously watching The Pitt. I cannot believe this season is almost over.
Other things I watched and enjoyed:
Pluribus: I binged the entire season in a couple of days and was riveted the whole time. In my mind, Vince Gilligan can do no wrong—and this show was very reminiscent of his X-Files days. (Fun fact: before Breaking Bad, Gilligan wrote some of the best X-Files episodes ever made, including “Pusher,” “Paper Hearts,” and one of my all-time favorites, “Bad Blood.”) Rhea Seehorn, as always, manages to be simultaneously irreverent and heartbreaking, and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. My only complaint is that I was under the impression this was a one-season show, and now I’m learning I have to wait until possibly 2027 for more. Rude.
DTF St. Louis: This is such a weird show. David Harbour seems to be a first-class piece of garbage in real life, but god is he good in this. He plays Floyd, who joins a hookup app and turns up dead. Jason Bateman and Linda Cardellini play his best friend and wife, respectively, and obviously they’re both great—each playing strange, quirky, enigmatic characters with real restraint. It’s engrossing. Definitely a slow burn, but I’m into it.
Imperfect Women: My best friend and I are lovingly calling this “Grown Up Lady Pretty Little Liars,” and so far, it’s pretty good. The plot is fairly basic: the pretty blonde member of a trio of friends is mysteriously murdered. Everyone is sketchy! They all have secrets! Etc. It’s silly and wholly unoriginal, but with a cast this stacked—Elisabeth Moss, Kate Mara, and Kerry Washington—it can't be all bad. Three episodes in, it’s too soon to tell if this will fill the Tell Me Lies void in my life.
4. What I read in March
Anatomy of an Alibi by Ashley Elston: My thoughts on Elston's debut adult novel First Lie Wins were, "that was fine." Good writing, not great. Interesting plot, not perfectly executed. Anatomy of an Alibi was a pretty similar experience—entertaining enough, passed the time, but the sheer number of characters and an overly complicated plot weren't helped by writing that was just serviceable. This one was popular, so maybe Elston just isn't for me.
The Vegetarian by Han Kang, Restoration by Ave Barrera, and The Looking-Glass Sisters by Gøhril Gabrielsen: All three were featured in my roundup of translated works by women for International Women's Day, and all three were excellent. The Vegetarian is one of my top reads of the year so far; Restoration will probably be haunting me for the rest of my life. Full thoughts on all three here.
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson: I’m a huge Shirley Jackson fan, but somehow I’d never read this one. It wasn’t my favorite—that will always be We Have Always Lived in the Castle—but even a lesser-enjoyed Shirley Jackson novel is still a Shirley Jackson novel. Despite its short length, I found it a little redundant, though the back third mostly made up for it. Anyway, Merricat Blackwood forever.
Bunny by Mona Awad (reread): I love this book. I read it when it first came out and gave it a solid 4 stars—it's clever and funny and weird in the way that makes me kick my feet and giggle. I decided to reread it before picking up the prequel, We Love You, Bunny, but now I have a dilemma: the prequel, which is about 500 pages long, does not have good reviews. I have literally been told to skip it and seen the words "cash grab" more than once. Has anyone read We Love You, Bunny? Do I read it or keep Bunny as a sacred standalone?
Vladimir by Julia May Jonas: I’ve already given my extensive thoughts on this (and the Netflix adaptation) here, but to reiterate: I loved this book. It’s much more interior than the plot summary leads you to believe. It's focused on female desire and what it feels like to still want things—attention, relevance, connection—when you sense the world moving on without you. The voice is sharp and specific, and its meditations on art, morality, and female autonomy are genuinely thought-provoking.
Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash: Strange, sharp, engaging, and often laugh-out-loud funny. It has a very provocative My Year of Rest and Relaxation vibe, which won’t be for everyone, but coming from me, that’s not an insult. The plot veers into the ridiculous and the characters range from wacky to completely unhinged, but the chaotic energy mostly works. There are a lot of themes that are meant to make the reader uncomfortable, but that tension is what made it interesting for me. I had a lot of fun with this one.
This Story Might Save Your Life by Tiffany Crum: Potentially unpopular opinion alert, but this was not it for me. TL;DR is that I found the characters grating and the writing lazy. Full review coming soon!
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir: I've been meaning to read this book for ages—my best friend has been absolutely feral about it, so consider this her victory lap. I’m so glad I finally did, because I could not put it down. Even the science stuff, which I understood maybe 40% of at best (I spent most of high school physics skipping class), had me completely engaged. If you haven't read it yet, do yourself a favor and get the audiobook. I can't imagine experiencing this story any other way. It adds so many layers to an already compelling book. Pumped for the movie.
The Mad Wife by Meagan Church: This starts out as a fairly standard exploration of the 1950s housewife. Lulu suffers the usual symptoms—the malaise, the societal pressure, the demands of motherhood, the unhelpful husband who doesn’t know how to listen. But it turns into a much richer story, vividly portraying the everywoman who quietly suffocated in midcentury suburbia. It’s a love letter to The Bell Jar, which means I obviously loved it.
And now it’s April, somehow. Someone please tell me what to do about the Bunny prequel—I cannot be left alone with this decision. And while you’re at it, tell me something you loved in March.
I'm so happy to hear you liked Lost Lambs, even though I did not. I can't weigh in on the Bunny sequel discourse, unfortunately, but look forward to hearing your thoughts if you do decide to dive in.
I need to get Apple TV just so I can watch Pluribus! I love Rhea Seehorn. Also same dilemma with Bunny… been staring at the sequel and just can’t bring myself to pick it up out of fear of disappointment