February Wrap-Up! (In which Girl Power rules)

February was a slightly slower reading month for me. I started the month with an incredible read but I then had such a hangover from it that I struggled to keep up the pace for the rest of the month. I also worked more shifts in recent weeks which took away from my reading time. However, I’m still thrilled with what I managed to read! (I don’t know why I’m trying to justify ‘only’ reading 10 books – I guess I’m feeling insecure today haha).

This month, I took part in the #readforwomen initiative which is run by Sara’s Reading Diary over on Instagram. The idea is to read only female authors in February and March to celebrate 100 years of some women getting the vote in the UK and International Women’s Day! I don’t know if I’ll participate again in March but I enjoyed getting involved this month and reading some amazing books by female authors.

Classics

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve read this book. It’s incredible. Mary Shelley created a masterpiece of a story that is just as powerful 200 years on. If you haven’t read it yet, please do so.

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

The fourth Austen book I’ve read, I was actually a little disappointed by this one. Don’t get me wrong, it was still good but I found it lacked the humour I’ve come to expect from Austen’s writing. Maybe I just wasn’t in the right headspace for this one? Or maybe I should have read her works in chronological order so that I could see the progression towards the superb quality I’ve come to expect from her.

Selected Poems by Emily Dickinson

I’m glad to have finally read some Emily Dickinson, though I won’t deny that there were some of her poems that went over my head. I wish I had got the opportunity to study her in school because I feel like I would love her work if I only understood it more. I’m pleased to say I tried and will definitely return for another attempt in the future, as I found some real gems in this collection.

 

Review Books

Perfect Remains by Helen Fields

The first in the D.I. Callanach series, I really enjoyed this gritty thriller set in Scotland. The book’s chapters alternate between the viewpoints of the detective and the killer, which I found morbidly fascinating. I’d like to continue the series and see where the author takes the characters. Check out my spoiler-free review here!

The Light Over Broken Tide by Holly Ducarte

I’m proud to say I was a member of Holly’s ARC tribe so I got to read an early copy of her debut novel, publishing soon! I loved the raw beauty of her writing and the small-town Canadian setting. I’ll be reviewing this one soon (I’m so behind, oops). Holly has also been kind enough to agree to an interview so look out for that in the near future too!

 

Books from my TBR

The Seven Sisters by Lucinda Riley

This was my first read of the month and it SLAYED me. I spent 6 days completely immersed in the world of this novel and really struggled to let it go after it ended. I can’t wait to read the second book. My full spoiler-free review of The Seven Sisters is here.

A Shining in the Shadows by Beverly Lee

After reading and loving The Making of Gabriel Davenport, I took far too long to get round to this sequel! However, I’m pleased to say that I really enjoyed it and loved the direction Lee took the story in. You can check out my review here.

Lost Boy by Christina Henry

This reimagining of Peter Pan is the darkest fairytale retelling I’ve ever read and I loved it. Gritty and fast-paced, I definitely recommend this one for fans of the tv show Once Upon a Time and those who like their fairytales a little darker.

Even the Darkest Stars by Heather Fawcett

I picked this up on a whim one night and ended up reading 100 pages in a single sitting! (This rarely happens.) The world building was absolutely incredible, with witches, shamans and a whole mythology inspired by Tibetan culture. While the story itself was slightly predictable, it didn’t diminish my enjoyment of it and I will definitely be picking up the sequel when it comes out!

The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry

My final read of the month was my book club’s pick, this Gothic novel set in the Victorian times which was voted Waterstone’s Book of the Year in 2016. I loved the writing style and, while some readers have complained that it is too slow in pace, I found it enjoyable and immersive with some very interesting points for discussion raised.

 

Monthly Stats

Books read: 10

Total pages: 3836

Average pages per day: 137

Longest book: The Seven Sisters (626 pages)

Shortest book: The Light Over Broken Tide (250 pages)

Favourite read of the month: The Seven Sisters

Biggest disappointment of the month: Tie between Sense and Sensibility and Dickinson poems (though they were by no means bad!)

Male authors: 0

Female authors: 10 – all of them!

Books read towards Pop Sugar Reading Challenge: 6

 

I need to read more review books next month as I focused a bit too heavily on mood reading this month! But I’m pleased with the books I read and already have some great picks lined up for March!

 

How many books did you read in February? What was your favourite read of the month? And did anyone else take part in #readforwomen?