March Reading Wrap Up | 2021

[@BenjaminGreen]

"because I like to suffer...." hilarious. Alex! I feel I always learn so much from you by just simply watching your videos. So much to gain from you! Also, love the hat.

[@whatpageareyouon]

Haha I always like to try slipping in thoughts like that to keep anyone on their toes 😉 thanks Ben! 😊

[@somebenfen]

A True Novel sounds awesome. Was fab reading Piranesi with you! (I need to take a leaf out of your 12 minute wrap ups and not let mine drag on for 3 hours 😄) Great mix of books as always!

[@rainbowskygayandproud5507]

but I like your 3 hours videos because they mean more time with you and that is great

[@beatingaroundthebooks]

"Please don't click away" 😂 It was interesting hearing your thoughts on Milk Fed as I was very torn about it, but loved her writing. Suffocating - what a good descriptor for this book. I'm going to read Piranesi very soon, either this month or next and I'm so intrigued! A True Novel sounds wild - I may need to check it out.

[@whatpageareyouon]

Piranesi is still doing some gymnastics in my head since reading it, while True Novel is something I’m strangely already nostalgic for. Both such rewarding reads!

[@HannahsBooks]

I am really looking forward to reading Ditlevsen! Thanks for this very thoughtful video. I had not even heard of A True Novel and it sounds absolutely fascinating.

[@bookishshenanigans4769]

I don't know how I was unaware of Deborah Levy's upcoming memoir, can't wait for it! I finished the Copenhagen Trilogy last month too and am sad that so many of her books haven't been translated yet. Wonderful wrap-up as always.

[@christinacampbellbooks]

I'm really looking forward to reading Piranesi! I'm on the waiting list at my library for it 🖤

[@ClaireReadsBooks]

Hell yeah A True Novel!! 😭 I'm so glad you loved it - your comments made me want to read it again :)

[@novelidea5912]

this is high up on my TBR after the both of you spoke so highly of it. You guys are my go to for recs.

[@whatpageareyouon]

I’m reading bits of her “An I Novel” now and really enjoying it too, she can’t keep getting away with being so good 😤😄

[@robotnic]

I like how you put that re Piranesi, how much fiction is too much fiction. For me it was just the right amount of sci-fi, [possible spoiler for anyone else reading this!!!] I like when sci-fi elements a backdrop or additional element to the "real world" rather than a whole entire dimension. She kept Piranesi's world just constrained enough to explore it in detail in 200 pages. I think other authors could've come up with a similar concept and plot but she did an amazing job of teasing out the reveals and pacing it carefully. Really well done. The Ditlevsen trilogy is great. She reminded me of Ferrante a bit too, but moreso Jenny Diski. I think you'd like Diski, she's thorny and cuts the bs in a similar way. I loved The Cost of Living too and am so relieved that Real Estate is on its way after she said she would write one for each decade of her life, making it sound like we'd have to wait years for the last one.

[@whatpageareyouon]

Piranesi is really such a well executed story, was very impressed! One thing I didn’t mention is how much I think I appreciated Piranesi not being piloted by fear, which I feel would make most sense in his predicament, but how he had his own willingness to accept consequences that wouldn’t be easy to label him as too oblivious to things going on because of his memory loss. I’ll have to reread it some time now that I know the full picture. I haven’t heard of Diski! But will do some research. And I also didn’t know about Levy saying that lol, I feel very much how I am now starting with Levy as I did when I just so happened to discover Fleabag right before the season 2 premiere lol. I don’t know how people waited so long on that!

[@timetoread1795]

I have the first book in the Copenhagen trilogy and I am very excited!!! Oh! And adding A True Novel to my list!!! That sounds great :)

[@whatpageareyouon]

Childhood is my favorite one! I think you'll like em', and True Novel is a trip!! I'm still having a book hangover from it lol

[@literaryiggy]

loved The Cost of Living! glad you liked it too :')

[@BenjaminGreen]

need to read this!

[@reginalemoine5809]

I read A True Novel over December 2019 and January 2020 and I loved it. I am not a Wuthering Heights fan. I felt connected to Mizamura’s characters on a much deeper level and I think the novel expanded upon Bronte’s work in a wonderful way. It’s so rich in Japanese culture and the ways in which contact with the West changed the fabric of Japan. This was a 5-star read for me, so I got really excited to see someone talking about it. I appreciate your comments on this fantastic novel.

[@whatpageareyouon]

I’m glad you enjoyed it too! I just started reading Mizumura’s latest “An I Novel” and am really enjoying it!

[@ChaoticBibliophile]

The Copenhagen Trilogy sounds AMAZING! I really need to get to The Cost of Living, I’ve owned it for years 😅

[@whatpageareyouon]

it's a ride haha, but also very easy to get lost into Ditlevsen's life, I would love if there was somehow a fictionalized adaptation of her life or something as a series in Copenhagen, her descriptions are so vivid!

[@annier5914]

love your videos!!

[@BookishTexan]

_True Novel_ sounds fascinating.

[@booksandpizza]

I own Childhood by Ditlevsen but I haven’t read it yet, I can’t find the othet two in the same edition 💔 I think I might get the version with the three books together, to me the premise sounded very similar to the Neapolitan novels, I’m pleased to hear you confirm that!

[@whatpageareyouon]

I didn’t say here but childhood was still my favorite do the three! I first read childhood a couple years ago, so rereading it alongside the other two memoirs so consecutively really gave me those Ferrante vibes akin to Naples as what Copenhagen is to Ditlevsen. I hope you like the books! 🙂

[@AJ_Dunn]

Interesting reading month! I'd never heard of Minae Mizumura before you talked about her. It sounds really great. I want to do a buddy read with Katrina Reads. Can you enlighten me on a good approach to doing one?

[@whatpageareyouon]

I’ll say I’m the WORST at buddy reading haha. I know Ben and I made it clear from the start that we’d identified format first, being how we’d communicate and how frequently, so I think that’s a good start. Then determining how you’d maybe talk about what was read, either prioritizing theme, character, etc, or a hodgepodge of stuff! 🙂📚

[@JasmineReads]

Piranesi doesn't strike me as my kind of book, but I recently bought it for Cam's birthday. Now I'm hearing so much good stuff about it (and it's on the Women's Prize!) so I'm intrigued 👀

[@whatpageareyouon]

I noticed it on your shelves in your video! It's a fun breezy book, I hope you and Cam both like it! : )

[@clarissas5651]

Loved hearing your thoughts on these! I think you’d love The Man Who Saw Everything by Levy (not sure if you’ve read that one yet)

[@whatpageareyouon]

I haven’t! I’ve only read Hot Milk, but was wondering to either start with Man Who Saw or Swimming Lessons, so I’m glad to hear this rec!

[@SpringboardThought]

I picked up A True Novel so I’m very excited. Do you think you’d get as much out of it if you haven’t read Wuthering Heights?

[@whatpageareyouon]

I think any chunkster lover of books will love it! It's quite sweeping and harrowing on its own but I would say that having read Wuthering Heights beforehand will make it x10 more enjoyable! Either way hope you like it! : )

[@rebeccaeatsbooks]

Oooooh. This idea of an I novel 🤯

[@CJReads]

Okkkiiiie hot ppl in hats filming wrap ups day!!!!!!

[@CJReads]

ok sorry here back after watching vid hehe. BIG agree cost of living was better then its predecessor. I cant freaking wait for Real Estate!!!!!!!! a true novel sounds way too big brained for me tbh hahah

[@whatpageareyouon]

LOL these are straight up facts!! And consider me def to be on the Levy train 🚂 🚂 🚂

[@rainbowskygayandproud5507]

I don’t think that I said this before so I’ll say it now and it is that you have a beautiful gorgeous handsome huggable face Alex and every time I see your beautiful face I wish that I could hug it and tell you how beautiful you are because you are beautiful Alex and that is a fact and that is all

[@perksofstef]

i felt the same about milk fed.... so much sex, so repetitive. it's understandable because it adds to what we know about the character, but still overkill

[@perksofstef]

also, i was going to say 800 page is so daunting until i realized i read ducks, newburyport lol

[@whatpageareyouon]

HAHA Ducks is a monster for sure, I’m glad I ended up enjoying it, pies making and all 🥧 🦆 but yes, I’m banking on Broder eventually doing some sort of short story collection, I think she’d do so well!