Well this is going to be a shorter wrap-up than usual because February was ROUGH. I completely burnt myself out this month, trying to do far too much. And on top of that, I had my birthday to celebrate and I’ve been fighting off a yucky cold for most of the month. But let’s see what I managed to read in spite of everything!
Review Books
The Last by Hanna Jameson
My first read of the month was this dystopian murder-mystery, which I found highly original and compelling. It was quite ambiguous at times and very open-ended but I was gripped for the entirety and I would definitely recommend this one!
A Version of the Truth by B. P. Walter
I really struggled with this one. I was intrigued to start with but then the subject matter became more and more unpalatable as the book went on and I just felt disgusted. The characters were unlikeable and the ending was one of the most dissatisfying I’ve ever read.
The Sewing Machine by Natalie Fergie
An enjoyable historical fiction based on the 1911 strike at the Singer sewing machine factory. Fergie has a nice writing style and I felt invested in the many characters’ lives. A well-researched novel that I would recommend to fans of family sagas!
The City in the Middle of the Night by Charlie Jane Anders
My final read of the month and the one that has caused me the most difficulty! I liked the sound of this sci-fi novel, even though the genre intimidates me at times. Unfortunately, my horrendous reading slump started not long after I’d begun reading this so I feel like that might have affected my opinion of it. I enjoyed it but probably not as much as I could have. Full review coming soon!
Books from my TBR
Alice by Christina Henry
I only read one book from my TBR shelf all month?! Poor effort, Alex. I did enjoy this one though I think I prefer Henry’s more recent books; I can clearly see an improvement in her writing. Although I found this one a little meandering and anticlimactic, I’m still glad to have read it.
Rereads
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling
I continued my reread of the Harry Potter series 10 years on by picking up the third book in the series – which also happens to be my favourite. I adored revisiting this one and remembering what I love so much about it.
Stats
Total pages: 2229
Average pages per day: 79.6
Longest book: The City in the Middle of the Night (482 pages)
Shortest book: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (320 pages)
Favourite read of the month: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Biggest disappointment of the month: A Version of the Truth
Male authors: 1
Female authors: 5
I feel like I should also point out that I listened to 100 pages of the Vanity Fair audiobook – but considering that’s not even a quarter of the book, can it really count?! Here’s hoping March is a better reading month! x
Great post!
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Thank you so much! ❤
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Nice post. I have not heard of The Sewing Machine, but now I am putting it at the very top of my to-read list. I love the cover of it too, and family sagas are definitely my read, thanks!
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Thank you! That means so much to me, I’m glad you’re interested and I hope you love it when you get to it! ❤
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Happy belated birthday! I have heard nothing but fabulous things about The Sewing Machine! I plan on reading it with my mom soon 🙂
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Thank you Tina! I hope you both love it 🙂
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Sorry to hear that February wasn’t the best month for you 😦 Hopefully March will be much better!
Hmm, I’ve been wanting to read a Charlie Jane Anders book, but maybe I shouldn’t start with The City in the Middle of the Night. Rereading Prisoner of Azkaban is ALWAYS a good choice, though 😀
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Thanks lovely! Honestly, I don’t feel like I can give an opinion on that book because my slump ruined it for me – it could actually be an amazing book that I just couldn’t enjoy due to circumstances! I hope you enjoy whichever one you pick up 🙂 And yes, Prisoner of Azkaban is the BEST! ❤
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Even for a “bad” reading month you got a lot accomplished! I hope you’re more pleased with how March goes for you, though. And happy belated birthday!
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Thank you! I’m constantly in competition with myself so I wasn’t satisfied with my February reading hehe. But I’m determined to do better in March 😀
And thank you so much! ❤
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I’m so sorry to hear February wasn’t the best month for you, Alex! I hope that March will be way better, sending you tons of love and positive vibes ❤ And happy belated birthday!! ❤ ❤
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Thank you, Marie! I’m setting positive intentions so let’s hope that helps a bit! I hope you have a wonderful March too 🙂 And thank you so much! ❤
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Vanity Fair is a great book, but I’m struggling to see how it would work as an audio book because there are so many characters. Is there just one voice actor? Does he/she do voices for the different characters or no?
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Yes, it’s just read by one lady, with slight differences in her voice for the characters. Nothing worse than I’ve had before with audiobooks! 🙂
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I’m sorry to hear that February burnt you out! I hope your March will be more relaxing and stress free! ❤️ And happy belated birthday, love! 😉
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Thanks lovely, I hope so too! And thank you so much! ❤
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