February was a really good reading month for me. I didn’t read as much as I read last February, but I’m still pretty happy with everything that I have read. I also got some pretty good books this month and I’m really excited to add them to my shelves and to get around to reading them. Let’s jump into it!
Books I hauled in February:
- Piranesi by Susanna Clark
- Court by Tracy Wolff
- House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J Maas
- League of Liars by Astrid Scholte
- Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen
Books I read in February:
1. Crank by Ellen Hopkins
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: I really enjoyed revisiting this novel as an adult because I think I read it when I was a teenager last time. You really do feel for Kristina as the story progressed and you want her to just ask her parents for help and to try and take care of herself. But it’s easy to see how she got so swept away by the drugs and the boys in her life. It’s a pretty devastating story though it’s not without its issues. Ellen Hopkins does some pretty skillful things with her words.
2. #murderfunding by Gretchen McNeil
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: This was a really interesting continuation into this world and I found that I really enjoyed the new characters that were introduced. However, the ending was heartbreaking and I was really sad that that was how it wrapped up. The world that Gretchen McNeil has built is unique and compelling and even though the events are not real, you can totally see that she really thought about how people would react if it were real and to be honest it is quite chilling to think about in that context.
3. Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: This was a really interesting thriller. I don’t think it’s my favourite that I’ve read by Lisa Jewell, but I still had a really good time reading it. It had some pretty good twists and turns, but a few parts of it were a little bit illogical and didn’t make a ton of sense. However, she did keep me guessing and I had a ton of fun so I had to give it 4 stars in the end.
4. An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I really enjoyed this one. I loved Sorcery of Thorns, so I wanted to pick up her debut, but I was a bit nervous because I had heard some reviews that made me feel cautious. However, I do disagree with those reviews. I don’t think it was insta-lovey. I could see where the romance built and grew, and I really enjoyed their dynamic. It was an interesting world she built and I wouldn’t mind reading more from that world, though about different characters.
5. Sonnets and Other Poems by William Shakespeare
Rating: 3 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I’m so glad to have finally finished reading this. It took me a long time to work up the motivation to finish this story after I set it down for a really long time. He’s a very skillful writer and I will always appreciate his work, but I think I will probably stick to his plays mostly going forward.
6. Split Tooth by Tanya Tanaq
Rating: 3 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: I loved that this audiobook was read by the author as it really made the story come alive. However, I struggled with the story itself. I felt that it was well written, but I just didn’t personally love the story. I do think it’s a book worth checking out, but I would suggest that you check out the trigger warnings before you read it.
7. Embers by Richard Wagamese
Rating: 3 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: There were some really good lessons and meditations in this book. It’s not my typical type of book to read, but I definitely think that I got some good lessons out of it. I highly recommend that you check this out.
8. Noopiming by Leanne Betasamosake Simpson
Rating: 3 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: This was a pretty quick read when you consider the length of the text, but it is definitely a story that you need to sit with for a while and really think about it. It’s well written, and the author is incredibly skilled with her writing and the way she expressed herself. I just was expecting something different and so I didn’t enjoy it as much as I wanted to.
9. A Touch of Ruin by Scarlett St. Clair
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I had a lot of fun continuing this series. It was a really emotional continuation and I felt for Persephone as she navigated trying to have the best of both of the worlds. I didn’t want her and Hades to have any issues in their relationship, but I can understand why they did, and was glad that they did eventually reconcile. It’s a really dynamic world that Scarlett St. Clair has built and I’m enjoying finding the references to other myths included throughout the story.
10. I Am Alfonso Jones by Tony Medina
Rating: 3 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: The art in this graphic novel was gorgeous, and I enjoyed all the references to Hamlet. It was a really compelling story and definitely one with its basis in reality, but I didn’t find it as interesting as other stories that I have read that address a similar topic. I wanted it to do something more. However, despite that, I still think it’s an important read and that people will be able to get a lot out of it, and recommend that you read it.
11. Escape From Chernobyl by Andy Marino
Rating: 3 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: This was a really interesting story. I’ve been interested in the history of Chernobyl lately and I found that this was a quite accessible way to learn about it, though obviously it is historical fiction. It was interesting to me and I liked the characters that were introduced. They were quite interesting to me. However, I didn’t super love the ending.
12. Mary: The Adventures of Mary Shelley’s Great-Great-Great-Great-Great Granddaughter by Brea Grant
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I loved the art in this graphic novel. It was really well done. I also really enjoyed the story that was told and how they were descendents of Mary Shelley and the legacy that that left them. It was well written and well done. The story was really compelling and I loved the characters. I want a ton of more books in this world.
13. Trees, Volume 3 by Warren Ellis
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: This story was much more interesting to me than the second volume of Trees. I liked the isolated setting and small town feel. I also enjoyed the mystery aspect of. it. I found it really compelling. The art continued to be fantastic and the story was really well developed. The trees continued to be weird and mysterious.
14. Heartstopper, Volume 4 by Alice Oseman
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: This was a fantastic continuation of the series. I love Charlie and Nick so much, and it was great to see how Charlie attempted to deal with his eating disorder. I felt that the characters that surrounded them were also well devloped and it was really interesting to me to see how their story continued. I’m excited to read more about them.
15. The Backups by Alex De Campi
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: This graphic novel was super cute. I felt that the characters were given a really good opportunity to develop who all of the characters were. There were some cute plots developing, and I had so much fun visiting this world and seeing just what was going on with the story. The art was also really well done. I highly recommend this graphic novel.
16. Orphans, Volume 3 by Roberto Recchioni
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: The tension in this volume was intense and I was on the edge of my seat. I loved how fast paced it was, and how you get to see flashbacks into the orphans’ lives. There were some great twists and turns. The art continued to be fantastic. I couldn’t wait to read the next one.
17. Primer by Jennifer Muro
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: Primer was a totally cute story. I liked the idea of a teenaged girl accidentally stumbling into becoming a superhero. I felt she was a really interesting character and I liked her dynamic with her foster parents. The story was fast paced and action packed, and I had so much fun with this. The ending definitely made me want more.
18. The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I’m super interested in the multiple books I have seen lately about the concept of final girls, so I was really intrigued to check this one out. I got this one for Christmas, and I was very excited to read it. It was a really interesting story and I found it quite tense. I liked how it kept me guessing and interested in what was going on. It wasn’t the best horror/thriller I’ve ever read, but I had a lot of fun reading it. It’s definitely worth checking out.
19. Snapdragon by Kat Leyh
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: This graphic novel was one of the best things I’ve read this year. It was so cute, and I loved the art style. It was really easy to get attached to the characters in it. The dynamic between the main character and the other characters were really, really sweet. I highly recommend this.
20. Orphans, Volume 4 by Roberto Recchioni
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: Volume 4 was an excellent conclusion to the series. I felt pleased with how things resolved, as it was a quite logical ending. The story was well-developed and well-paced. It was really interesting, and I highly recommend checking out this graphic novel series.
21. Hearts Unbroken by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: This was a lovely and complicated story and I found it really interesting. Lou was a well developed character and I was really interested in the story she was traversing. I empathised with her and the conflict that came her way. I felt that the romance that developed was really sweet and had very realistic issues. The story was well paced as well. I highly recommend this.
22. The Secret History by Donna Hartt
Rating: 3 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: I had heard a lot about this book and I was really excited to check it out. However, I found myself a little bit disappointed by the storyline. It was interesting, but it just wasn’t quite what I wanted from the story. However, it was fairly well written and I can understand why so many people will love it.
23. Hamlet by Saddleback Education
Rating: 3 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: This is a good simplified version of the story of Hamlet. It makes it easily accessible.
24. His Captive Bride by Shelly Thacker
Rating: 3 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: I wanted a fun little romance story, and this really hit the spot. It was sort of a fantastical premise, but I still had a lot of fun reading it, and definitely got swept away by the story. It even made me cry a little bit.
25. Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: This story is well worth the hype. It’s got a really intriguing premise and I had a lot of fun reading it. You empathise with the characters and the horrific situation they were put in, and you really do root for them to succeed. It’s messy and twisted, but it’s impeccably written and very interesting. I highly recommend it.
That’s everything I hauled and read in February. What did you read?
Leave a Reply