February Reading Re-Cap

This month went by so quickly that I kind of forgot to re-cap it! Overall, I stayed pretty consistent with my reading for February and am slowly working my way through different challenge books. I’m a little behind on all of my different reading challenges, but that is okay with me. I’m trying not to stress about them and just complete them for fun. Looking back at what I read throughout the month, I think it’s probably the most romance I’ve read in one month ever! Maybe Valentine’s Day got me in the romance reading mood, or maybe it’s because I’ve been super stressed out at work and romance is the ultimate escape, either way, I feel good about it.


 

Middle Grade

Baby-sitters Club: Stacey and the Mystery of Stoneybrook by Ann M. Martin

It Ain’t So Awful, Falafel by Firoozeh Dumas

I had to read at least one Baby-sitters Club book this month, I couldn’t help myself. I still have a bunch more to re-read to get caught up with the Baby-sitters Club Club podcast. Also, The Firoozeh Dumas book was one of my only five-star reads of the month. It was everything magical about middle grade: humor, emotion, drama, learning from mistakes, and personal growth. It was so good, you guys. If you love a good coming-of-age story that’s appropriate for kids and still appealing to adults, check this one out. Also, we can never have too many immigrant stories/own voices stories in middle grade fiction.

Young Adult/New Adult

Slammed by Colleen Hoover

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han (re-read)

I haven’t been reading as much YA lately after reading a few clunkers the past few months. I re-read the Jenny Han book as I’m re-reading the series to get ready for the new book, Always and Forever Lara Jean. I know that it’s not for everyone, but I adore that series and love Jenny Han’s writing style. I can’t wait for the third book; it’s pre-ordered and everything. I’ll probably do a trilogy review once it is released. As far as the Hoover book, check out my review. It was not a stand out read for me, but at least it was a really fast read.

Romance

A Bollywood Affair by Sonali Dev

Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie

Forbidden by Beverly Jenkins

The Duchess War by Courtney Milan

I read a pretty broad range of romances in February. I read contemporary, and two historicals: a Victorian romance (The Duchess War) and a Western romance (Forbidden). This Milan book is the first in the Brothers Sinister series which I have read completely out of order. I’ve read the prequel novella, then I read Book 3, then Book 2, and now finally Book 1. Sadly, the couple in Book 1 was my least favorite so it was a little hard for me to get through! These books are very short and well-written so they usually read like a breeze, but I just could not get into the hero and heroine’s story. I think maybe I don’t know enough about handbills to understand why there was so much scandal.

Mystery/Thriller

A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn

The Grownup by Gillian Flynn

The Darkness Knows by Cheryl Honigford

I’m just getting into mysteries, and so far have really been enjoying them! A Curious Beginning ticked all my boxes as it was set in Victorian England, featured an adventurous, intelligent, and unabashedly sexual leading lady, a broody male assistant, and featured a travelling circus. Since I don’t read a lot of mysteries, I’m not sure how strong the actual mystery angle was, but all the parts together added up to a good read. The Grownup is a very short novella that I received as a bonus book from Book of the Month Club, and I read it pretty quickly. The thought it was well-written and the mystery aspect was pretty cool. The Darkness Knows, meanwhile, was a bit more of a traditional mystery (maybe veering on cozy mystery), and centers around a 1930’s radio star in Chicago who finds herself involved in a murder investigation. It was another feel-good read, which I think was the theme of the month.

Moving On to March...

Now, onward to March! I’m currently reading Sorcerer to the Crown by Zen Cho and Between Two Fires by Mark Noce. One is a magical fantasy set in England that confronts racism and gender discrimination with a healthy dose of faery magic, and the other is a historical fiction set in late 6th century Wales and follows a teenage queen trying to make her way in a world of men. I’m having a hard time getting into either of them; the writing of Sorcerer to the Crown is really good and in theory this book is perfect for me, but I’m just not in the mood for the formal tone of this type of book right now (it has a Jonathan Strange and Mister Norrell-vibe), and Between Two Fires has a unique setting but I keep wondering how ‘historical’ it actually is. I also think it might be a Christian book, not like there’s anything wrong with Christian books, they’re just not really the kinds of books that I like to read.

A few books on my TBR for March:

The Alchemists of Loom by Elise Kova

An Untamed State by Roxane Gay

The Queen of the Night by Alexander Chee

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle (re-read)

That's all for now! Happy reading!