March ended with the bittersweet realization that the past is gone, and life goes on. That try as I might, some things cannot be mended. They are like shards of broken glass. Painful to look at, dangerous to pick up and impossible to put back. So, what can I do but accept what has been done.

Opportunities pass. Friendships end. Promising relationships die an instant death. That is life. So, what can I do but recognize the facts and move on.

I’ve heard the saying when one door closes, another one opens, but what about the time in between? That period of uncertainty when the past is still so fresh it stings, the present mundane with routine, and the future out of reach. Some days I feel so hopeful it’s like I can soar and accomplish all my dreams, but other times absolute dread it’ll all amount to nothing. So, what can I do but take the next step.

Again.

And again.

And again.

Getting out of my comfort zone hasn’t been easy. To be blunt, sometimes it’s so hard I want to quit and retreat to the familiar. To go back to the before. But I don’t turn back. No matter how I feel or how the world is, I take that next step forward, hoping it’ll lead to a beautiful life.

Life goes on, and so I must too.

A sentiment perfectly described in what I watched and read this past month. So, here are my March favorites and recommendations.

1. When Life Gives You Tangerines

This Korean drama premiered on Netflix in March and literally brought everyone to tears. And for very good reasons because contrary to most K-dramas, this wasn’t a series where you had the standard handsome CEO or chaebol falling for his employee, or even the famous heiress or actress with a normal bloke, no, this was closer to reality. Set in Jeju Island in the 1950’s to Seoul and spanning generations, it tells the story of a bookish girl named Ae-sun, raised in a humble home by her hardworking haenyeo mother who wants nothing more than to see her daughter live a better life. Ae-sun wants this too, aspiring to be a poet, go to college in the mainland and marry a rich a man from Seoul. Yet she chooses the nice boy from the island, who loves her beyond measure. Together they form a family and Ae-sun realizes, she’s not that different from her mother. It’s what made this show a hit. To see a series depict life as it is, with all its ugly and beautiful moments and highlight the sacrifices parents, who were once also young and with dreams, make for the sake of their children. And to leave you with the understanding that despite all the hardships you’ll face in this world, with love and the right people at your side, it can still be a good existence. A beautiful life.

P.S: You’re going to need a lot of tissues for this show.

2. I’ll Be Right There by Kyung-Sook Shin

This book was a gem. Set in 1980’s Korea amidst student protests and unease, it tells the story of Jung Yoon as she recounts the formative years of her university days after she receives a call from the past. We follow her as she meets a professor, friends and her first love, the very people that will change her life. It’s a story filled with haunting tragedies yet also hope. A lesson within the pages that no matter how bleak the world is, love and friendship will continue to blossom in spite of everything. This book is also a great piece of literature that highlights a significant moment in Korea’s history and fight for democracy. I highly recommend this to anyone who wishes to learn more about this period in time.

3. Rosa By Any Other Name by Hailey Alcaraz

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book from Netgalley, so thank you to the publisher for approving my request. It’s the first book I’ve ever read from author Hailey Alcaraz and it certainly won’t be my last because I absolutely loved this book. I read it in two days. And while the story itself is set in 1950’s Arizona, based on actual historical events, I couldn’t help but feel the similarities to what is happening today. And that’s heartbreaking. This book may be about a Mexican American girl keeping her true identity a secret and passing off as a white girl to make it in a society that doesn’t favor immigrants, and the Romeo and Juliet like tragedy that changes everything, but at the heart of it all, it’s a story about hope. The universal truth that life goes on, people move on, and change may not happen overnight but perhaps someday. And in the meantime? We carry on. It’s the message this book flawlessly delivers. I’d recommend this book to anyone who needs a bit of that. And to all the Mexican American girls like me who love seeing their culture and language represented in YA and guys like Marco as the love interest. Thank you, Hailey Alcaraz, it means the world.

Additional Notes: If you’re like me and vaguely recall learning about the Chicano movement in school or the 1950’s, it might be helpful to read about it just briefly before starting the book to get an idea of the setting but if not it’s okay, the book does an excellent job bringing you into that period of time and by the last page you’ll have learned a lot.

Other Worthy Mentions and all the Books I read in March: