lately with lila march 2023 | a gentle month full of small joys

Hello again, dear friends, and happy spring/autumn! This past March was a comparatively good month for me, probably owing to the fact that spring finally arrived here in the D.C. area! Sun was shining, temperatures were near perfection, and the cherry blossoms were, well, blossoming! While I wasn’t able to finish any books other than my required reading for my African History course, I was able to indulge a little more in other activities that gave me quite a bit of joy and peace of mind. So let’s take a look at my month!

what i posted

what i read

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe I read this for my African History course, but hey, it is a book I read, so why not count it? I’m not giving it an “official” rating here because I feel like that kind of narrows down my reading experience with this book in a way that I think is far too reductive. That said, I think this book was “meh, alright” in some ways and really brilliant in others, but what it comes down to is that most of my “meh” feelings about Things Fall Apart stem from the fact that it just isn’t my preferred genre to read, and I don’t think that’s a very fair criticism. However, if you’re interested in classic fiction, I definitely think Things Fall Apart is a great example of non-Western storytelling (particularly that which explores the theme of colonization), and for that reason, while it may challenge Westerners’ conventional ideas of how to tell a story, it is worth reading even if for that alone.

what i’m currently reading

🧚🏼 Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett I’m still making my way through this one and adoring every second of it!

🫖 Spice Road by Maiya Ibrahim I started this book late into the month when I borrowed the audio from the library and I love it so much so far! It’s really cool to see elements of my own Lebanese culture reflected in a fantasy book. Plus the story and characters are *chef’s kiss* perfection and the themes about colonization and empire are woven into the story so well! I can’t wait to see where the story goes in this one!!

🥀 The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi I’m also still slowly savoring this story. I recently learned it’s actually more of a magical realism than a straight up fantasy, but, surprisingly I still really love it?

what i plan on reading for orilium: spring equinox 2023

the story so far…

Nawa Al-Leline has been studying at Orilium Academy for one year now. She has found her place in House of the Arcane, has mastered using an orb as her conduit, has even aqcuired the legacy Monocle of Vigilance of House of the Arcane…and now she has found her calling as an archmage! She knows the path ahead will be difficult, but she is determined that nothing will stop her on her quest to discover the secrets of her heritage. First things first, however, she has to pass her classes at Orilium Academy!

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Find out more about The Magical Readathon here!

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orilium academy archmage required reading…

• Alchemy: Principles of Transmutation: Metal in the name ⇒ The River of Silver by S.A. Chakraborty

• Inscription: Flight Glyph: Book from your top shelf ⇒ Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

• Artificery: Conduit Enhancement: Start your read with a snack ⇒ Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

• Spells & Incantation: Magic Missiles Spell: 389-415 pages ⇒ Spice Road by Maiya Ibrahim

• Art of Illusion: Focus: Disguise Self: Match clothing color to cover color ⇒ The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi

• Conjuration: Spirit Binding Spells: Recommended by a friend ⇒ Heartstopper Vol. 2 by Alice Oseman

what i hauled this month

what i watched

🎸 Daisy Jones & The Six, Season 1 (⭐⭐⭐⭐) I’ve been waiting for what feels like ages for this adaptation, so I was so freaking excited when it finally dropped! And while nothing can be a perfect adaptation of the phenomenal book that is Daisy Jones & The Six, this series comes pretty darn close! Funnily enough Riley Keough is who I’ve always fan-casted as Daisy way before she was even actually cast in the show, so it was great to see that idea come to life, especially as I thought she did a great job with the character. I had been more apprehensive about Sam Claflin as Billy, but the way he brought Billy to life onscreen was really brilliant too. All in all, a great show, especially if you loved the book!

🦌 Shadow and Bone, Season 2 (⭐⭐⭐.75) I also started watching the latest season of Shadow and Bone quite literally the minute it dropped in my time zone. I have yet to finish the season, but so far? It’s good, but I also feel like it’s missing a bit of the heart of the first season? I can’t exactly put my finger on why, but I think it might be that so far this season feels oddly staged and less natural and flowing. That being said, I’m only a few episodes in, so there’s still time for the show to blossom into something I really love again!

what i listened to

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what i bookmarked

Zalia explained why more people should read middle grade

Malka expressed why she dislikes so many “sad” books

Marie invited us on a blind date with an underrated YA book recommendation

Zainab gave us book recommendations based on BTS songs

24hryabookblog gabbed about YA books they’d curate for their #booktok table

Cam created a guide for how to start blogging

Nicole shared nine must-have plugins for self hosted blogs

Sofia read some of the 2022 Goodreads Choice Award winners

The Booked Shelf interviewed Gabe Cole Novoa, author of the 2023 YA fantasy debut, The Wicked Bargain

Inah highlighted ten lesbian romance books to read in 2023

Jenn made the case for why rereading books is worthwhile

Catherine explained that reading is a radical act

Malka contemplated whether or not she qualifies as a “romance expert”

Jessica told us why she loves historical fiction

Naemi paired weird Duolingo sentences and fantasy books

Ashley explored bookish travel attractions she’d like to visit

Sara investigated how much her library card is worth

T.K. talked about why they love book blogs

Amanda talked to author Federico Erebia about colorism in literature

May recommended books to read when in a reading slump

The Orangutan Librarian made the case that reading goals can be fun

Sophie “wailed” about the chaos of crafting characters

Julie cheekily reviewed Nicholas Sparks’ books and their adaptations (Video)

Control Your Shelf and Cari (of cari can read) gave their hilarious thoughts on the Zodiac Academy series (Video)

Jesse mulled over why the bookish community loves “mean girls” in fiction (Video)

Catherine looked into negative reviews and readers’ reponsibilities

Berkeley Fiction Review discussed what differentiates Joe Abercrombie’s First Law from Lord of the Rings

Aquavenatus defended Brandon Sanderson and the fantasy literary genre

Rainbow Reads shined a light on epic fantasy book recommendations

Delaney gave us niche sapphic historical fiction recommendations

Amanda talked fantasy worlduilding with author Mia Tsai

miscellaineous things i’m enjoying

I purchased a top and two summery dresses from American Eagle in March and aaaah I love them so much!!! (I know, I know “fast fashion,” but unfortunately American Eagle is one of the only stores where I can find clothes that fit me well at a price I can afford, as I have an “unusual” hourglass body type) The blue, floral, tie-front, bell sleeved top goes so perfectly with the strappy, blue mini dress and when i pair it with my white tennis shoes it’s so incredibly cute! I also love pairing my white tennis shoes and simple jewelry with the green, floral, cinch-front dress that I got, which makes for a really elegant, spring-y look!

Another fashion item I purchased was the above puff heart, paperclip chain necklace from Ana Luisa, an item which I simply adore! I’ve found Ana Luisa’s jewelry to be not only really beautiful, but also long-lasting, with no tarnishing and scratching even with minimal care, so I’ve started to really like their pieces. This particular necklace is so simple yet lovely and pairs well with everything from jeans and a tank top to feminine dresses!

I finally caved and got a Notebook Therapy journal to start journaling in, along with some really cute forest-themed stickers and washi tapes to pair with some of the Primrosia brush pens I have and boy was that a good decision!! I’ve been having so much fun creating spreads in my journal! I’ve always found “traditional” journaling and diary-writing to be very difficult for me, but I have been enjoying looser-form, prompted collage journaling where it’s not just like, “let me just spill all my deepest, darkest secrets onto this page and then stare at them,” lol! It’s been a really nice creative outlet!

what life’s like

March was a surprisingly decent month! I made it through my classes to spring break with my sanity intact, so that’s at least something, hahaha! I spent the month regathering myself and trying to indulge in the things I love. I spent time with friends, went on a bookstore date, enjoyed the nice weather late in the month, and dove into my hobbies in general. School was decent too. I had my second physics exam, which was mildly less anxiety-inducing than the first. My choir also rehearsed one of our songs with the song’s composer, and that was a really interesting experience.

April is looking like it’ll be a decent month as well. I already know I have a choir concert, a physics exam, and the final draft of my final essay for African History all on the docket for the month! But aside from that, it’s really up in the air as to what’ll happen. I’m hoping I’ll have time to see some friends and to get outside in the increasingly nice weather, but we shall see.

spill the beans, friends!

• How was your March?
• Did you read anything ineresting or memorable?
• Is there anything you’re looking forward to this coming April?