Another month, another good reading streak. I could probably have read more in the end of March, as we had the long Easter weekend, but made a conscious decision to do other things as well – cook, spring clean, watch movies, talk to people. All-in-all, a month well balanced.

1. Political Tribes by Amy Chua. An accessible and easy-to-read overview of the dangers of tribalism in politics, something Chua has written about long before it became fashionable. I think she’s more convincing when talking about US foreign policy rather than domestic troubles. In any case, she makes some good points and the chapters on Vietnam and Venezuela were enlightening for me – Afghanistan and Iraq are more familiar territory.

2. Civilisations: How Do We Look. The Eye of Faith by Mary Beard. This is Beard’s companion to her BBC series of the same name. A very easy read (it is also long on pictures), it tackles issues like the role of the viewer in art and the representation of the divine. It takes a special talent and lots of knowledge to write this simply while still making some excellent points.

3. The State of Affairs by Esther Perel. The controversial American couple’s therapist writes about infidelity and when I say ‘controversial’, I mean ‘sane’. She pairs theory and personal insight with stories and observations from her practice and I find her very rational and helpful. Bottom line: infidelity is not the worst thing in the world.

4. Armastus vene kirjanduses (Love in Russian Literature) by Jelena Skulskaja. My Estonian book of the month looks at the depiction of love by more than 20 Russian authors from Pushkin to Dovlatov. I wasn’t initially too sure about this, as the style can be a bit difficult to follow and I have not read most of the texts Skulskaja analyses. It grew on me, however, and I think it’s more enjoyable if you don’t split the reading too much – the themes will emerge more clearly.

5. Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney. This modern examination of relationships works well when read alongside Perel. Rooney is very young and that shows in the book, but she has also an extraordinary eye for dialogue and a maturity beyond her years. Well worth reading if you enjoy incisive looks at relationships. I’m really curious where she goes next.

6. Fire Sermon by Jamie Quatro. Another book about relationships that goes even better with Perel, as it focuses almost exclusively on infidelity. Like Rooney’s book, this is a debut novel and it’s also very well written, although Quatro’s main strength is conveying mood and atmosphere in small fragments while important moments are revealed almost in passing. Rather unusually for modern novels, it combines the theme of infidelity with religion, something I found fascinating.

7. The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin. The first installment (The Fifth Season) in Jemisin’s Broken Earth saga was mindblowing and the second somehow manages to maintain that insanely high standard. This is some of the best and most epic fantasy I’ve ever read and I highly recommend it to everyone who reads SFF. Probably not best for newbies, though, as Jemisin makes you work throughout the book and it’s easier when you have at least some idea how the genre works. Then again, what a way to start one’s fantasy reading career this would be…

8. Mother of all questions by Grace Chia. A poetry book that I bought in Singapore in the lovely Books Actually bookshop (it’s published by them as well). Not quite my kind of poetry, but I find poetry can be read like meditation and enjoyed even if it doesn’t rock your world. It’s such a personal thing anyway, difficult to judge.

9. Notes on Nationalism by George Orwell. This little Penguin modern includes three essays by Orwell – not necessarily his strongest ones, but average Orwell is still much better than most writers at their peak. The title one is the most substantial and while it has dated a bit, it’s still insightful and often eerily relevant. There is also a nice short essay about a friendly football match between Dynamo and Arsenal.

10. The Duke in His Castle by Truman Capote. This profile on Marlon Brando is a fantastic piece of journalism. Brando is at the height of his fame and Capote travels to Japan to interview him at his hotel during the filming of Sayonara. Brando is deeply intelligent and such a fascinating person and Capote really gets to him and presents it so skilfully. Very much recommended, especially as it’s such a quick read (another Penguin modern).

Did you have any wonderful reading experiences or crushing disappointments in March?