And what happened this month? But first, the stats:
- Books read: 4
- Total pages: 4742
- Most pages read in one day : February 3rd (The Punkhawala and The Prostitute, 189 pages)
- Day less read: February 12th (The Last Lesson of Mrs. de Souza, 5 pages)
And the favorites of this month in no particular order
- The Last Lesson of Mrs de Souza
- The Lights That Find Us
Read the January 2025 Recap here.
So, what happened this month with these meager results? I knew I was going to hit a rut at some point, I just didn’t expect it to happen so early. It’s only month two! I remember this from last year (and led to this project!), but then it was because I kept reading the same types of stories. This time, that wasn’t the issue. Quite the opposite!
Some books did feel unappealing at first. The Lights That Find Us is a perfect example. I’ve read so many A Christmas Carol retellings that I prepared myself mentally for the worst. But what a literary gem to discover! Joyful, hopeful! A welcome change from the often dark Singaporean literature as I mentiong in my January overview of the month.
I’m also starting to enjoy the patterns that emerge across different books. Dementia, for example, comes back quite often. When A Flower Dies by Josephine Chia and If It Were Up to Mrs. Dada by Carissa Foo explore it beautifully. I might need to write the Singaporean version of Bibliotherapy: The Healing Power of Reading after this year. Haha!
Another standout theme is mental health. I’ve heard conflicting views about how Singaporean society approaches the topic. Some told me it’s rare and extreme here (“Not like you guys in the West!”). Other says it is simply not discussed. But Singaporean authors tackle it head-on. Which I think is a good thing as I don’t think we can ever talk too much about these topics.
What is also enjoyable is the simplicity of many of these stories. I feel a lot of Western literature now follows the same guidelines. Put in a big twist! And some gory scenes! Or random explicit content that doesn’t add anything to the story! There are some of the books I read by Singaporean authors who follow these guidelines as it is clear the author writes for a Western audience. The ones that write for a Singaporean/Asian audience have the luxury of not being stuck in that box yet. So, they focus more on the narrative and the deeper emotional layers. The Last Lesson of Mrs de Souza by Cyril Wong is an excellent example of this and makes the story so powerful.
Overall, I am very happy with my reading journey so far. I feel so rewarded to have that growing cultural familiarity. Now, when people mention tigers in Bukit Timah or the spirits associated with Deepavali, I actually understand the references. It feels liberating to finally connect the dots, especially since I moved here with a very (very…) limited knowledge of that cultural background.
But writing these reviews remains a challenge. I have hope that by December, after 100 reviews, I’ll have found my way. Up to a new month of reading and discoveries!
If you have book suggestions, especially joyful reads or hidden literary gems, send them my way at [email protected]