{"id":3387,"date":"2024-03-31T05:38:41","date_gmt":"2024-03-31T05:38:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?p=3387"},"modified":"2024-03-31T05:38:45","modified_gmt":"2024-03-31T05:38:45","slug":"march-2024-wrap-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?p=3387","title":{"rendered":"March 2024 Wrap-Up!"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"678\" height=\"901\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/PSX_20240329_105636-01-3-scaled.jpeg?resize=678%2C901&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3395\" style=\"width:308px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/PSX_20240329_105636-01-3-scaled.jpeg?w=1927&amp;ssl=1 1927w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/PSX_20240329_105636-01-3-scaled.jpeg?resize=768%2C1020&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/PSX_20240329_105636-01-3-scaled.jpeg?resize=1156%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1156w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/PSX_20240329_105636-01-3-scaled.jpeg?resize=1542%2C2048&amp;ssl=1 1542w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/PSX_20240329_105636-01-3-scaled.jpeg?w=1356&amp;ssl=1 1356w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 678px) 100vw, 678px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Hi Readers! <mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#c45911\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>I love March and I loved March this year too.<\/strong><\/mark> I read a lot of good books. I spent time with family and friends. I travelled. I planned another trip. I went to the Van Gogh 360\u00b0 immersive experience. I overperformed at work. I watched terrible movies. I rewatched Grey\u2019s Anatomy. I celebrated my 30<sup>th<\/sup> Birthday! Let\u2019s look into it now!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#27c7cd\" class=\"has-inline-color\">~~BOOKS~~<\/mark><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#27c7cd\" class=\"has-inline-color\">~~WHALE by CHEON MYEONG-KWAN, TRANSLATED by JAE WON CHUNG~~<\/mark><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Whale is story telling at its best. Everything in this book is top tier \u2013 whether it is the plot or characters or pace or content. I am yet to write a review on this one. Every excellent read calls for more processing and provocation, after all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#c45911\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>I have rated Whale by Cheon Myeong-Kwan, translated by Jae Won Chung at 5\/5 stars!<\/strong><\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#27c7cd\" class=\"has-inline-color\">~~WELCOME TO THE HYUNAM-DONG BOOKSHOP by HWANG BO-REUM, TRANSLATED by SHANNA TAN~~<\/mark><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop is a super ambitious book. It tried to do a lot of things in 300 pages. And I never say this lightly, but it managed to achieve it.&nbsp;Whether it was this dream that all readers have of quitting their jobs to open a bookshop which is also a caf\u00e9, but also because it was realistic about its feasibility. It also goes to discuss jobs and there\u2019s a healthy debate about the refusal of work vs making a living. It\u2019s so meditative as well while talking of living in the moment. It\u2019s cozy, yes. But it\u2019s also thought provoking in the most comfortably uncomfortable ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#c45911\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>I have rated Welcome to The Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum, translated by Shanna Tan at 4.5\/5 stars!<\/strong><\/mark> You can read the full review below!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-mindscape-in-words wp-block-embed-mindscape-in-words\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"nrnnpnz2Tl\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/2024\/03\/cozy-book-recommendation-welcome-to-the-hyunam-dong-bookshop.html\">Cozy Book Recommendation: Welcome to The Hyunam-Dong Bookshop!<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" title=\"&#8220;Cozy Book Recommendation: Welcome to The Hyunam-Dong Bookshop!&#8221; &#8212; Mindscape in Words\" src=\"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/2024\/03\/cozy-book-recommendation-welcome-to-the-hyunam-dong-bookshop.html\/embed#?secret=yuskJiN03o#?secret=nrnnpnz2Tl\" data-secret=\"nrnnpnz2Tl\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#27c7cd\" class=\"has-inline-color\">~~THE VEGETARIAN by HAN KANG, TRANSLATED by DEBORAH SMITH~~<\/mark><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">The Vegetarian is an audaciously insane book. This book is divided into three parts.&nbsp;The first part is husband and Yeong-hye universe told from husband\u2019s perspective. The second part is brother-in-law and Yeong-hye universe told from the brother-in-law\u2019s perspective. The third part is sister and Yeong-hye universe told from the sister\u2019s perspective. This in itself captures how the perspective of someone who does something out of the ordinary is never taken into account. It\u2019s always how the society views the person and the collective perspective which is considered as the norm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#c45911\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>I have rated The Vegetarian by Han Kang, translated by Deborah Smith at 4\/5 stars!<\/strong><\/mark> You can read the full review below!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-mindscape-in-words wp-block-embed-mindscape-in-words\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"jXenrZaYgJ\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/2024\/03\/korean-book-recommendation-the-vegetarian-by-han-kang.html\">Korean Book Recommendation: The Vegetarian by Han Kang<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" title=\"&#8220;Korean Book Recommendation: The Vegetarian by Han Kang&#8221; &#8212; Mindscape in Words\" src=\"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/2024\/03\/korean-book-recommendation-the-vegetarian-by-han-kang.html\/embed#?secret=1R540npLkC#?secret=jXenrZaYgJ\" data-secret=\"jXenrZaYgJ\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#27c7cd\" class=\"has-inline-color\">~~INSTRUMENTS OF TORTURE by APARNA SANYAL~~<\/mark><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Instruments of Torture is a compilation of&nbsp;eight short stories, each talking about a medieval torture device and brilliantly connecting it to modern-day torture. Each story starts with an explanation of that torture instrument.&nbsp;Then, story after story we see how forced physical torture of the past has become self-imbibed mental torture of the now, some times with exact correlation and some times with a subtle parallelism.&nbsp;I thought this dark, twisted &amp; torturous correspondence of a singular concept with stories was ingenious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#c45911\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>I have rated Instruments of Torture by Aparna Sanyal at 4.5\/5 stars! <\/strong><\/mark>You can read the full review below!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-mindscape-in-words wp-block-embed-mindscape-in-words\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"zc6ADIfNS9\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/2024\/03\/dark-short-stories-recommendation-instruments-of-torture.html\">Dark Short Stories Recommendation: Instruments of Torture<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" title=\"&#8220;Dark Short Stories Recommendation: Instruments of Torture&#8221; &#8212; Mindscape in Words\" src=\"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/2024\/03\/dark-short-stories-recommendation-instruments-of-torture.html\/embed#?secret=dPK19sD0ZX#?secret=zc6ADIfNS9\" data-secret=\"zc6ADIfNS9\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#27c7cd\" class=\"has-inline-color\">~~CRYING IN H MART by MICHELLE ZAUNER~~<\/mark><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">I read the audiobook of Crying in H Mart. It was a grief memoir written by the author after her mother\u2019s death due to cancer. It shifts between the past and present while talking about Asian culture and bi-racial identity. It talks about the complicated relationship that the author had with her mother. While I understand that this is a person\u2019s life written in the form of a memoir, I feel that the attention it received was overhyped. Yes, there are moments where the content will make you teary eyed. But, also, this memoir wouldn\u2019t have been as popular if it was written by someone who is not as famous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#c45911\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>I have rated Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner at 4\/5 stars!<\/strong><\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#27c7cd\" class=\"has-inline-color\">~~THE DANGERS OF SMOKING IN BED by MARIANA ENR\u00cdQUEZ, TRANSLATED by MEGAN MCDOWELL~~<\/mark><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">It was a grave mistake reading this book in two days. It\u2019s a horror book of short stories, only the horror is not in ghosts or supernatural or robots or pandemics. It\u2019s about the 0.009% of the cases that we may come across in the news, exaggerated by 99%! Most of the stories are based in Argentina with some supernatural or magical realism to them. It\u2019s definitely one of the most absurd and weird books I have ever read, and I am not sure if I am talking in a good or a bad way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#c45911\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>I have rated The Dangers of Smoking in Bed by Mariana Enr\u00edquez, translated by Megan Mcdowell at 3\/5 stars!<\/strong><\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#27c7cd\" class=\"has-inline-color\">~~BABEL by R.F. KUANG~~<\/mark><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Reading Babel was a challenging experience for me. I was hoping for a 5 star read, and instead I cam close to DNFing it. I did not like fantasy fiction was implemented, or how the academia aspectswere written, or how it was basically a Robin Hood story. I didn\u2019t like how the characters were uni-dimensional and I also hated the ending. The few things I liked was the concept and how white privilege was written.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#c45911\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>I have rated Babel by R.F. Kuang at 1.5\/5 stars.<\/strong><\/mark> You can read the full review below!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-mindscape-in-words wp-block-embed-mindscape-in-words\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"2GMVIrnRaQ\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/2024\/03\/babel-the-unnecessity-of-a-book.html\">Babel: The Unnecessity of a Book<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" title=\"&#8220;Babel: The Unnecessity of a Book&#8221; &#8212; Mindscape in Words\" src=\"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/2024\/03\/babel-the-unnecessity-of-a-book.html\/embed#?secret=7CSRPDsVbk#?secret=2GMVIrnRaQ\" data-secret=\"2GMVIrnRaQ\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#27c7cd\" class=\"has-inline-color\">~~MARCH READING STATS~~<\/mark><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">March was long and I, for one, was glad for it. Aside from the one audiobook, I read the other six books from my physical TBR. As March is <mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#c45911\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>Women\u2019s History Month<\/strong><\/mark>, all the books I read were written and translated by women. March is also the month where a lot of readers read Korean books, so for <mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#c45911\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>Korean March<\/strong><\/mark>, I read 4 books translated from Korean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow aligncenter\" data-effect=\"slide\"><div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_container swiper-container\"><ul class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_swiper-wrapper swiper-wrapper\"><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"678\" height=\"1205\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-3398\" data-id=\"3398\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/IMG_20240331_005057_259.webp?resize=678%2C1205&#038;ssl=1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/IMG_20240331_005057_259.webp?w=1080&amp;ssl=1 1080w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/IMG_20240331_005057_259.webp?resize=768%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/IMG_20240331_005057_259.webp?resize=864%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 864w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 678px) 100vw, 678px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"678\" height=\"848\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-3401\" data-id=\"3401\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Picsart_24-03-31_00-38-00-122.jpg?resize=678%2C848&#038;ssl=1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Picsart_24-03-31_00-38-00-122.jpg?w=1080&amp;ssl=1 1080w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Picsart_24-03-31_00-38-00-122.jpg?resize=768%2C960&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 678px) 100vw, 678px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"678\" height=\"848\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-3397\" data-id=\"3397\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Picsart_24-03-31_00-40-53-456.jpg?resize=678%2C848&#038;ssl=1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Picsart_24-03-31_00-40-53-456.jpg?w=1080&amp;ssl=1 1080w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Picsart_24-03-31_00-40-53-456.jpg?resize=768%2C960&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 678px) 100vw, 678px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"678\" height=\"1205\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-3396\" data-id=\"3396\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Edited_-2024-Monthly-Quotes_20240329_112408_0000.png?resize=678%2C1205&#038;ssl=1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Edited_-2024-Monthly-Quotes_20240329_112408_0000.png?w=1080&amp;ssl=1 1080w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Edited_-2024-Monthly-Quotes_20240329_112408_0000.png?resize=768%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Edited_-2024-Monthly-Quotes_20240329_112408_0000.png?resize=864%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 864w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 678px) 100vw, 678px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"678\" height=\"1205\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-3399\" data-id=\"3399\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/IMG_20240329_111653_363.webp?resize=678%2C1205&#038;ssl=1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/IMG_20240329_111653_363.webp?w=1080&amp;ssl=1 1080w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/IMG_20240329_111653_363.webp?resize=768%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/IMG_20240329_111653_363.webp?resize=864%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 864w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 678px) 100vw, 678px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"678\" height=\"1205\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-3400\" data-id=\"3400\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/IMG_20240329_111452_195.webp?resize=678%2C1205&#038;ssl=1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/IMG_20240329_111452_195.webp?w=1080&amp;ssl=1 1080w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/IMG_20240329_111452_195.webp?resize=768%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/IMG_20240329_111452_195.webp?resize=864%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 864w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 678px) 100vw, 678px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><a class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-prev swiper-button-prev swiper-button-white\" role=\"button\"><\/a><a class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-next swiper-button-next swiper-button-white\" role=\"button\"><\/a><a aria-label=\"Pause Slideshow\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-pause\" role=\"button\"><\/a><div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_pagination swiper-pagination swiper-pagination-white\"><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#27c7cd\" class=\"has-inline-color\">~~LIFE LATELY~~<\/mark><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#c45911\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>I celebrated my 30<sup>th<\/sup> birthday on 19<sup>th<\/sup> March!<\/strong><\/mark> It was quite low-key with lunch with parents and a day at home reading, just how I wanted it to be. On my birthday weekend, we did go to Pune to see the Van Gogh 360\u00b0 Immersive Experience. It did not live up to my expectations, but it was pretty amazing.  I met Suruchi earlier in the month and we splurged so we are taking it slow now, hah! I also met my dearest colleagues-turned-besties Mrinalini and Poonam after 6 months! Here\u2019s to more months like this!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow aligncenter\" data-effect=\"slide\"><div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_container swiper-container\"><ul class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_swiper-wrapper swiper-wrapper\"><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"678\" height=\"848\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-3403\" data-id=\"3403\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Picsart_24-03-29_10-51-03-530.jpg?resize=678%2C848&#038;ssl=1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Picsart_24-03-29_10-51-03-530.jpg?w=1080&amp;ssl=1 1080w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Picsart_24-03-29_10-51-03-530.jpg?resize=768%2C960&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 678px) 100vw, 678px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"678\" height=\"848\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-3404\" data-id=\"3404\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Picsart_24-03-29_10-30-02-150.jpg?resize=678%2C848&#038;ssl=1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Picsart_24-03-29_10-30-02-150.jpg?w=1080&amp;ssl=1 1080w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Picsart_24-03-29_10-30-02-150.jpg?resize=768%2C960&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 678px) 100vw, 678px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"678\" height=\"848\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-3405\" data-id=\"3405\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Picsart_24-03-29_10-55-26-134.jpg?resize=678%2C848&#038;ssl=1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Picsart_24-03-29_10-55-26-134.jpg?w=1080&amp;ssl=1 1080w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Picsart_24-03-29_10-55-26-134.jpg?resize=768%2C960&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 678px) 100vw, 678px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"678\" height=\"901\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-3402\" data-id=\"3402\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Picsart_24-03-16_14-31-30-061-1-scaled.jpg?resize=678%2C901&#038;ssl=1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Picsart_24-03-16_14-31-30-061-1-scaled.jpg?w=1927&amp;ssl=1 1927w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Picsart_24-03-16_14-31-30-061-1-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C1020&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Picsart_24-03-16_14-31-30-061-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1156%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1156w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Picsart_24-03-16_14-31-30-061-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1542%2C2048&amp;ssl=1 1542w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Picsart_24-03-16_14-31-30-061-1-scaled.jpg?w=1356&amp;ssl=1 1356w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 678px) 100vw, 678px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><a class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-prev swiper-button-prev swiper-button-white\" role=\"button\"><\/a><a class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-next swiper-button-next swiper-button-white\" role=\"button\"><\/a><a aria-label=\"Pause Slideshow\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-pause\" role=\"button\"><\/a><div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_pagination swiper-pagination swiper-pagination-white\"><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right\">Until next time,<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"176\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/sign.jpg?resize=200%2C176&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3295\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hi Readers! I love March and I loved March this year too. I read a lot of good books. I spent time with family and friends. I travelled. I planned another trip. I went to the Van Gogh 360\u00b0 immersive experience. I overperformed at work. I watched terrible movies. I rewatched Grey\u2019s Anatomy. I celebrated [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3392,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,4,23,3],"tags":[40],"class_list":["post-3387","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-book-review","category-books","category-book-reviews","category-mindscape-reviews","tag-monthly-wrap-up"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/PSX_20240329_105636-02.jpg?fit=2500%2C2500&ssl=1","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4097,"url":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?p=4097","url_meta":{"origin":3387,"position":0},"title":"March 2025 Recap!","author":"Aishwarya Shenolikar","date":"March 30, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Hi Readers! Birthday month is finally over, but it was fabulous (mostly!) I took a nice short break at the beginning of the month to be with my friends and de-stress. I also got to live alone for about a week, so yay independent woman! I ate delicious food. I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Book review&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Book review","link":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?cat=2"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/PXL_20250329_114144864-2-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/PXL_20250329_114144864-2-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/PXL_20250329_114144864-2-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/PXL_20250329_114144864-2-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/PXL_20250329_114144864-2-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3333,"url":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?p=3333","url_meta":{"origin":3387,"position":1},"title":"February 2024 Wrap-Up!","author":"Aishwarya Shenolikar","date":"February 29, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Hi Readers! How are we already at the end of February? This month went by as quickly as January went by slowly. Despite literally being a shorter month, I got to do a lot of things aside from working like a slog during the week days. I travelled, I visited\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Book review&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Book review","link":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?cat=2"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/PSX_20240225_122043-02.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/PSX_20240225_122043-02.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/PSX_20240225_122043-02.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/PSX_20240225_122043-02.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/PSX_20240225_122043-02.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3462,"url":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?p=3462","url_meta":{"origin":3387,"position":2},"title":"May 2024 Wrap-Up!","author":"Aishwarya Shenolikar","date":"May 31, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Hi Readers! May has been the highlight of 2024! It was the month of my first international trip to the US! I had the time of my life. Never had 20 days felt so ridiculously short! I was in Virginia, Washington DC, Philadelphia & New York City! Of course, I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Book review&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Book review","link":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?cat=2"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Picsart_24-05-31_10-38-48-460-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Picsart_24-05-31_10-38-48-460-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Picsart_24-05-31_10-38-48-460-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Picsart_24-05-31_10-38-48-460-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Picsart_24-05-31_10-38-48-460-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3427,"url":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?p=3427","url_meta":{"origin":3387,"position":3},"title":"April 2024 Wrap-Up!","author":"Aishwarya Shenolikar","date":"April 30, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Hi Readers! The passing of time never ceases to amaze me. I mean, how is April over already? A month that seemed too short but also a month where I did a lot! A lot of reading. A lot of working. A lot of physical fitness and mindfulness. A lot\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Book review&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Book review","link":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?cat=2"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/PSX_20240428_165055-02.jpg?fit=1199%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/PSX_20240428_165055-02.jpg?fit=1199%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/PSX_20240428_165055-02.jpg?fit=1199%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/PSX_20240428_165055-02.jpg?fit=1199%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/PSX_20240428_165055-02.jpg?fit=1199%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3580,"url":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?p=3580","url_meta":{"origin":3387,"position":4},"title":"August 2024 Wrap-Up!","author":"Aishwarya Shenolikar","date":"August 30, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Hi Readers! How do you feel about being in the last four months of 2024? Insane, isn\u2019t it? August, for me, was eventful. A lot of erratic reading, erratic work schedule and erratic living. I read SIX BOOKS across 1461 PAGES in AUGUST! ~~BOOKS READ~~ ~~THE HOUSEMAID SERIES by FRIEDA\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Book review&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Book review","link":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?cat=2"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/PXL_20240827_122712805-1-1-.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/PXL_20240827_122712805-1-1-.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/PXL_20240827_122712805-1-1-.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/PXL_20240827_122712805-1-1-.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/PXL_20240827_122712805-1-1-.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3643,"url":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?p=3643","url_meta":{"origin":3387,"position":5},"title":"September 2024 Wrap-Up!","author":"Aishwarya Shenolikar","date":"September 30, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Hi Readers! You have to give me credit for at least this one thing \u2013 whether I read much or not, you will always see me posting these monthly wrapups! I feel like these help me reflect on the month, not only in terms of reading, but also who I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Book review&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Book review","link":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?cat=2"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/PXL_20240929_160146090-2-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/PXL_20240929_160146090-2-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/PXL_20240929_160146090-2-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/PXL_20240929_160146090-2-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/PXL_20240929_160146090-2-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3387","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3387"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3387\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3407,"href":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3387\/revisions\/3407"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3392"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3387"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3387"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3387"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}