February 2024 Reading Wrap Up
After a January that seemed to go on forever, Feb flew by extra quickly for me, even with the bonus leap day on the end. Even with fewer days, I still managed to read the same number of books in Feb as I did in Jan, let’s see if March continues the trend.
February Stats:
Total Books Finished: 10
Total Pages Read: 2,116
Total Minutes of Audiobooks Listened To: 594 (9hr 54m)
Formats:
E-Books: 6
Paperbacks: 1
Hardbacks: 1
Audiobooks: 2
Ratings:
5 Star: 0
4 Star: 3
3 Star: 4
2 Star: 1
1 Star: 0
DNF: 1
And now onto the reviews. If you’re interested in buying any of these, please consider doing so using my affiliate links below, every purchase helps to support me.
First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston
Adult Thriller / 4 Stars / 2024 Kindle Purchase for Book Club
My local book club finally reformed in January after collapsing during Covid and while I couldn’t attend the first meeting due to an awful cold, I did pick up the chosen book. I hadn’t heard of First Lie Wins until it was selected by my club, but ever since it seems to be everywhere. This was a great book I devoured in just a few sittings, I’d highly recommend going into it blind and not even reading the blurb to get the most out of the experience but without spoilers, I can say this is a twisty book filled with surprises that will keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end.
Buy (Affiliate Links): Amazon / Bookshop / Libro.fm
Reading Challenges: 52 Book Club (A Revenge Story), X-Files S4 (Cover Up/Framed)
Permission to Rest by Ashley Neese
Adult Self-Help / 2 Stars / Pre-2024 Libro.fm ARC
This self-help book purports to help us transform our lives through the power of permitting ourselves to rest, however, I didn’t find it especially inspiring. The book spent a lot of time telling me what rest isn’t, and even more repeating the same sound bites about the nervous system (if I heard the phrase “ventral vagal system“ one more time I was going to throw my headphones across the room) but less time explaining what it thinks rest really is. It also hinted at some rather ableist thinking patterns: watching Netflix on your couch isn’t restful, but walking barefoot in a forest is. While I appreciated the core message, I found myself wanting to get to the end of this one as fast as possible, which isn’t very restful at all. Thanks to HarperCollins and Libro.fm for the ARC.
Buy (Affiliate Links): Amazon / Bookshop / Libro.fm
Reading Challenges:
Bride by Ali Hazelwood
Adult Paranormal Romance / DNF’d at 107 Pages / Pre-2024 Review Copy
I think it’s time I accepted that Ali Hazelwood is not for me. I DNF’d The Love Hypothesis a few years ago, found Stuck With You mediocre and only pushed through to the end because it was so short, and have now DNF’d Bride. There was nothing wrong with it per se, I was just bored and didn’t care about either the characters or the plot enough to read another 300+ pages. Thanks to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC.
Buy (Affiliate Links): Amazon / Bookshop / Libro.fm
Reading Challenges: N/A
The King is Dead by Benjamin Dean
YA Contemporary LGBTQ / 3 Stars / Bought in 2023
I’ve absolutely loved the two middle-grade Benjamin Dean books I’ve previously read and was excited to read his first foray into YA. The King is Dead follows 17-year-old James, who following his father’s death, has just become the first Black king of the United Kingdom and who is also hiding his sexuality from everyone. The racist reaction from elements of the public and the tabloid press to his ascension has been horrific and all-too-believable, and while James is at his lowest, threatening notes start appearing around the palace and family skeletons believed to be locked firmly in closets start appearing on the front pages, seemingly leaked by one of the few people he thought he could trust. This was a great book right up until the final few chapters when an unnecessary twist completely undid the primary message of the book and plunged my rating from verging on a five to a very low three. So frustrating.
Buy (Affiliate Links): Amazon / Bookshop / Libro.fm
Reading Challenges: Beat the Backlist (Sibling Showdown), 52 Book Club (A Grieving Character)
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Adult Historical Fiction / 4 Stars / Borrowed From My Library
A few years ago I visited Hampton Court Palace, one of the palaces most favoured by Henry VIII. That visit sparked a long-dormant interest in the Tudors, and I’ve been reading historical fiction set in that era ever since. Wolf Hall is one of those books I’d kept hearing about but putting off because it intimidated me so much, so I’m pleased to finally add it to my “read” pile. The book follows Thomas Cromwell’s rise to power in the Tudor Court. It’s written in a unique style that I honestly never quite gelled with and found confusing right until the end, but I did enjoy it nonetheless. Right now, I can’t see myself picking up the other two books in the trilogy, but I’m also never going to say never.
Buy (Affiliate Links): Amazon - Free on KU / Bookshop / Libro.fm
Reading Challenges: Beat the Backlist (Live in Infamy), 52 Book Club (Nominated for the Booker Prize)
The Eternal Ones by Namina Forna
YA Fantasy / 3 Stars / 2024 Review Copy
I began reading the Deathless trilogy back in 2021 when the first book - The Gilded Ones - was released, so I was thrilled to finally read this concluding volume and mark the series as complete on my series tracker spreadsheet. I’ve written more about The Eternal Ones in my full review last month but here I’ll repeat that I enjoyed it but found it lacking in comparison with the previous books. Thanks to Penguin Random House for the ARC.
Buy (Affiliate Links): Amazon / Bookshop
Reading Challenges: 52 Book Club (Published in 2024)
Love, Comment, Subscribe by Cathy Yardley
Adult Contemporary Romance / 4 Stars / Amazon First Reads Pre-2024
This cute little romcom was an Amazon First Reads selection way back in September 2021 and has been on my TBR ever since. I’m now kicking myself over that delay because I loved this book a whole lot and have already picked up a new book by the same author! It follows a pair of high school friends who are now both influencers in very different fields but end up working together to broaden their appeal and grow their channels. Full review coming later this month so watch this space!
Buy (Affiliate Links): Amazon - Free on KU / Bookshop / Libro.fm
Reading Challenges: Beat the Backlist (Sweet or Spicy), Buzzword (Positive/Happy Words), 52 Book Club (Title Starting with L)
The Little Book of Exoplanets by Joshua N. Winn
Adult Science Non-Fiction / 4 Stars / Pre-2024 Review Copy
The Little Book of Exoplanets was a Libro.fm influencer pick last summer and an insta-grab for me. Little known fact, I studied astrophysics at university, so I do try to keep up with the latest research and my areas of passion always included the search for exoplanets (I get very excited anytime anyone starts discussing spectroscopy in my earshot). This was a fun read for me that I devoured quickly on my daily walks. Full review coming very soon! Thanks to Princeton University Press and Libro.fm for the ARC.
Buy (Affiliate Links): Amazon / Bookshop / Libro.fm
Reading Challenges: Beat the Backlist (Space - The Final Frontier)
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
Adult Fantasy/Magical Realism / 4 Stars / Pre-2024 Kindle Book
Another book that has been sitting unread in my Kindle library for years, The Ocean at the End of the Lane is my latest Neil Gaiman read as I work my way through his bibliography. I went into this one blind, knowing virtually nothing about the story, and was very glad that I did. Not that I think any blurb could do this fantastical, weird, and often horrifying story justice or even begin to explain what you’re about to encounter within its pages. I will say that for someone with a fear/phobia of worms, it was a deeply unpleasant read at times but it invoked a strange sense of nostalgia in me too, and made me wonder what magic I may have forgotten from my own childhood.
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Reading Challenges: Beat the Backlist (Title Contains a Body of Water)
Rupert Bear Annual 1950 (2000 Reprint) by Alfred Bestall
Children’s Fantasy / 3 Stars / Inherited from Mum Pre-2024
My final book in February was one of my mum’s Rupert Bear annuals. Mum was an avid collector of Rupert annuals since childhood, and her collection numbered well over 70. My sister and I each chose to keep a couple of them and I included this 1950 reproduction as it dated from the year she was born. Reading it today is uncomfortable in places with lots of racist caricatures throughout, plus stereotypes and characters who would never see the light of day in 2024. That being said, when taken as a product of its time it’s a fun read filled with adventures with dragons, imps, sea serpents and mermaids putting in appearances. I can see why my mum adored these books, but I can also say it’s unlikely I’ll be reading any more for personal enjoyment.
Buy (Affiliate Links): Amazon
Reading Challenges: