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Here is the Folder and thread to tell us what your monthly reads for February 2024 were. How did you start the year ?

Please provide:
~ A GoodReads link
~ A few sentences telling us how you felt about the book.
~ How would you rate the book

Here are my February reads.


Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present by Ruth Ben-Ghiat
Non Fiction
Rate: 3/5
Format: eBook
This book is a warning about the tactics and the playbook that dictators use. Ben-Ghiat examines 17 dictators and strongmen from the past to the present. The chapters are set up around the tactics used. Unfortunately, for me, this led to a chaotic presentation as we jumped from paragraph to paragraph discussing different leaders. I would have preferred each leader got his own chapter. Still, the book is good as it contains interesting and relevant info.

Looking for Alaska by John Green
Fiction
Rate: 5/5
Format: eBook and Audio
I read this YA book and listened along with the audio. I'm a big fan of John Green. The book is wonderfully narrated by Wil Wheaton. The plot follows Miles Halter as he begins he stay at Culver Creek Boarding School. The Alaska in the title is a clever but troubled girl he meets at school.

Day by Michael Cunningham
Fiction
Rate: 4/5
Format: eBook
The novel takes place over 3 days, 3 years apart. Pre pandemic, pandemic and after. We discussed this novel in-depth in the Book Buddy ! Folder.

Prequel: An American Fight Against Fascism by Rachel Maddow
Non Fiction
Rate: 4/5
Format: eBook and Audio
I listened along with the audio as I read the book. Maddow narrates the book wonderfully. This book is a companion to Rachel Maddow's excellent podcast series called, Ultra.
The book covers the historical period around WWII when the U.S. saw the rise of right wing fascists groups and people who wanted to take over the U.S. government. Many of these people were not just fringe radicals but prominent people. Shockingly this included two dozen members of Congress who were in cahoots with the Nazi German government. For people who think it can't happen here, listen to the podcast or read the book.

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
Fiction
Rate: 4/5
Format: eBook and Audio
I listened to the audio and I read along with my Kindle. Helen Laser does a wonderful job as the narrator. Her narration really added to my enjoyment of the novel.
This compelling book is about plagiarism, cultural appropriation, and cancel culture. It's also a satire on the publishing industry and psychological suspense fiction. The writing is very good.

Deaf Utopia: A Memoir - And a Love Letter to a Way of Life by Nyle DiMarco
Non Fiction
Rate: 2/5 - Did not meet expectations
Format: eBook
This book is a memoir. Nyle and his twin brother Nico are the fourth generation to be born deaf in their family.
I enjoyed the first half of the book where he discusses the history of deaf culture, ASL, and more. His story of growing up and going to school, the trials and tribulations he and his family encountered was also interesting. However, I was less interested in the second half of the memoir where he talks in detail about being on the TV shows Dancing With The Stars and America's Top Model, his college years and drinking and his sexual fluidity. The writing and timeline is also jumpy. The problem may have been communicating with his cowriter from ASL to written English which he does note in the author's note at the start of the book.

Our Town by Thornton Wilder
Fiction
Play
Rated: 3/5
Format: eBook
This classic play is a bit slow moving. It explores themes of love, life and death. I enjoy reading plays, but I think this one is better seen performed.

Hello everyone! For the month of February, I read five books.

First one was Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto. My full review can be viewed here.

So this is basically a whodunit where all the suspects (including Vera arguably) come together and try to figure out who the real killer is. Now, to be fair, this doesn't seem like a bad idea and to the book's credit, it's very smart in how it crafts its suspects and its ending and even manages to be legitimately funny at times.

However, what really drags it down for me was the fact that it was really confused about what time period it was supposed to be set in, how it had this really confusing clue that's never really addressed, and the fact that it doesn't really know who its main character is supposed to be. Yes, despite Vera being the title character, despite her being the most active participant in the investigation, and despite having the most personality in the entire cast, she's relegated to being little more than a side character. It also makes one of the most rookie mistakes that an author can make with its first chapter, which is weird considering this isn't even the author's first novel.

Upon giving this book some more thought, I vaguely recall reading in the acknowledgements section that the book's development was rushed. I don't remember if this was a publisher decision or an author decision, but either way, it really didn't help the book at all.

Rating: C+

The second book I read was Pretty Dead Queens by Alexa Donne. I go way more in-depth about my thoughts on it in my review, so if you have the time, you can read it here.

Like Vera Wong, this is another whodunit, only this time it's about Cecilia, the main character, trying to figure out who killed the current homecoming queen at her high school, as well as who killed the homecoming queen during the time her grandmother attended the same high school and why Cecelia's mother left her hometown and never returned. Basically, three mysteries for the price of one. Sounds cool right? Well, I'll give it this. It does have moments where it just lets loose and has fun, like with the tour of the town and the ending, it does a wonderful job with the mystery regarding Cecelia's mother, and it does have some subtle bits of characterization.

But my God. There were so many decisions that just didn't work. For one thing, the book tries so hard to appeal to a young adult audience, that it just results in it becoming the embodiment of "How do you do, fellow kids?" Also, thanks to Cecelia replying to Ben in a way that no human being ever would to a person they literally just met, the culprit behind the murder of the current homecoming queen was so painfully obvious. It might seem like a small detail, but in mysteries, small details can break a case wide open or even solve it. On top of that, despite having some bits of subtle characterization, it doesn't make up for the fact that it really doesn't take enough time to develop its characters, leading to things like Cecelia doing weird things with no context as to why she's doing them, an example of which beyond her strange reply is calling a kimono "ill-advised" without explaining why it's "ill-advised".

Rating: D+

Next was The Resident Chameleon by Tessa Charleigh. You can check out my review on it here.

This is the second entry in the In Case We're Made Into Coats series, with the first being The Exotic Shapeshifter (my review of which can be found here) and the plot in this one was a lot easier to follow. Angela and the gang have to track down Chase, who soon gets captured, and it basically evolves into a prison break story.

Not only was this entry just as fantastic as the last, but it also really takes things to the next level. For example, while the idea of non-human shapeshifters was introduced in the last entry, this book cleverly explores the concept much, much further through the way that the non-human shapeshifters interact and work with the main characters and the different ways that can manifest. Speaking of exploration, it also adds a nice little touch to the shapeshifting system and the characters introduced in this book were wonderful in their own little ways. Also, I love how it kind of fixed an issue I had with the first entry and not only was it a nice surprise, but the way that it actually fixed the issue was cool too. But the ending. Oh my God was it awesome! Like, it blew me away and left me way more satisfied than I was expecting.

Sadly, this book isn't without its flaws. For one thing, this book provides quite a bit of insight into Chase's backstory, which was great, but his extinct animal form is also revealed and after about one and a half books of build up, the payoff was just, "Wait. That's it?" I can't believe I forgot to mention this in the review, but if I remember correctly, even Chase has this reaction and in that case, it doesn't really do much to fix the issue for me because pointing out a problem doesn't automatically fix a problem. Also, there were some plot holes and inconsistencies that strangely never got addressed. Still highly recommend the book and series though.

Rating: A

Another book I read was When God Says No by Reina Sasaki. Full review here.

So basically, this is about two girls named Rie and Ryoka who slowly become friends and slowly overcome their problems as the story progresses. Nothing more, nothing less and I'm okay with that.

Now, while it's clear that it needed at least one or two more rounds of editing and needed to place the reveal of the mystery regarding Rie's time in Tokyo closer towards the third act to make it more impactful, this book was still relatively enjoyable. If you love character driven stories like I do, you are in for a treat because from the developing friendship of the two main characters to Ryoka's chapters and so on, this book nails characterization. It has no shame in taking all the time it needs to get the reader invested in the struggles of the characters and their journey to overcome them and man does it pay off.

Rating: B

To finish off February, the last book I read was Raiders of The Lost Heart by Jo Segura. If you want to know my full thoughts on this, go here.

Two rival archeologists named Corrie and Ford embark on a dig to find an ancient Aztec warrior in a Mexican jungle and possibly uncover a romantic connection between them. Archeolojinks ensue.

This one. Oh boy this one. The best way I can describe this book is that based on the strong, well-defined motivations of the main characters, some bits of creativity and cleverness, and the believable way that the "enemies to lovers" trope is done, there is a genuinely good book trying to get out that's just buried under a mountain of bullshit. Like, Corrie is just a straight up Mary Sue with no meaningful flaws unique to her that she has to overcome while Ford has like a billion flaws to overcome. Also, this book has little to nothing to break up its overabundance of sex scenes, making the scenes feel exhausting and repetitive while making the pacing absolutely uneven. The book doesn't even have that much action in it, despite the fact that this is a story centering around archeology, which is just weird as hell to me. Like, for the amount of times jaguars and other wild cats are mentioned, you would think that there would be a scene where Corrie and Ford have to fight or escape a jaguar that they accidentally angered. Nope. Never happens. I obviously wasn't expecting Shakespeare here. But come on!

Rating: D

Overall, February was just kind of a disappointing reading month for me, despite one or two standouts. Hopefully March is better.

Hailey wrote: "Hello everyone! For the month of February, I read five books.

First one was Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto. My full review can be viewed here.

So this is basical..."

Sorry you had a disappointing reading month Feb. Hailey.

Did they mention why the Very Wong book was rushed into publication ? It seems odd to me as this wasn't the author's first book. Was there some type of deadline?

Being an author, I would suspect that even a poorly written book still is beneficial to you as it might help you avoid certain pitfalls. So maybe that is one plus.

I hope your March reading will be better.

Alias Reader wrote: "Hailey wrote: "Hello everyone! For the month of February, I read five books.

First one was Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto. My full review can be viewed here.

So ..."

You're absolutely right, Alias! I believe that reading bad books can be a valuable experience to learn how not to write a story.

To answer your question regarding Vera Wong, I was able to read through the the acknowledgements section again and it's a bit unclear, but from what I could gather, it appears that the author had a packed publishing schedule at the time of Vera Wong's development, but that the author and her team were so excited about the idea of Vera Wong, that every other project of the author's was pushed back and everyone just powered through the development of Vera Wong.

Thanks for the feedback, Hailey.

I hope they will learn from that what not to do in the future.

Below are the books i read in February. All my comments on them, but the first, are available at this link--
/topic/show/...
Messages: 37, 42, 47 and 49.

The first was a Buddy Read, Day--Michael Cunningham. Discussed here, with Joy and Alias Reader--/topic/show/...

It began good but i ended up not feeling there was much there. The discussion, however, was a delight! We picked up on triggers for our own lives and ran with them!

The Motion Picture Teller--Colin Cotterill. Delightful novel. Message 37.

100 Years of Negro Freedom--Arna Bontemps. Very informative, despite being published in 1960. Message 42.

The Alice B. Toklas Cook Book--Alice B. Toklas. One could almost view this as her autobiography, as she shares about her life with Gertrude Stein, particualrly via recipes and meals. Message 47.

Women Talking--Miriam Toews. Novel set in Bolivian Mennonite community. Thoughtful exchange. Message 49.

Alias Reader wrote: "Here are my February reads. ..."

It looks as though you had a good month of reading, Alias. The DiMarco book is the only clog.

Well done! I appreciate your recap.

Hailey wrote: "Hello everyone! For the month of February, I read five books...."

Thank you for sharing your reviews, Hailey. I learn much about writing via your comments. But it's neat to see what you, as a writer, observe about books you read each month.

There are bits i loved but my favorite is about Rie's aunt, in Sasaki's novel, "she's presented as someone whos not the best chef in the world and has questionable home decor choices, but it's clear she's genuinely trying to make an effort to be a good guardian to Rie ever since her parents died."

Sweet. Again, thanks for sharing your thoughts on these books. I hope your March selections are an improvement over Feb's.

madrano wrote: "Below are the books i read in February. All my comments on them, but the first, are available at this link--
/topic/show/...
Messages: 37, 42..."

Overall you had a nice reading month, deb. Eclectic as usual !

madrano wrote: "Below are the books i read in February. All my comments on them, but the first, are available at this link--
/topic/show/...
Messages: 37, 42..."

Thank you for sharing your February books, madrano. I'm glad to hear that you find my reviews educational.

Thank you both very much. Part of my eclectic reading is that i try to used what i already own. Next, from my (really, fairly dated) TBR. Then, of course, the prompts.

madrano wrote: "Thank you both very much. Part of my eclectic reading is that i try to used what i already own. Next, from my (really, fairly dated) TBR. Then, of course, the prompts."

You're welcome, madrano. When I pick which books I'm gonna read for each month, I usually give the books on my TBR top priority, followed by whatever non-TBR book I come across that captures my interest.

Doing our reading challenge has really opened up my reading choices. The categories are general enough that I don't feel pressure or locked into a commitment I don't want to be in. It's been a real positive for me.

You've both mentioned things which appeal to me about my monthly & prompt reading. I try to whittle down that TBR pile!

Only a couple for me last month ...


My Kitchen Wars by Betty Fussell ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


/review/show...



Mystery in White by J. Jefferson Farjeon ⭐️⭐️⭐️


/review/show...

I enjoyed your reviews, John,

As to Mystery In White, I too find the audio bumps up a book in my rating. Some narrators are so talented.

I'm not familiar with Betty Fussell. It seem like an interesting memoir.

Thanks for sharing your Feb, reads with us !

John wrote: "Only a couple for me last month ...
My Kitchen Wars by Betty Fussell ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
/review/show......"

Thanks, John. The Fussell books appeals to me, so i've added it to Mt. TBR. I've not heard of her previously.

I didn't listen to the audio of Mystery but liked reading it. The cover really sewed it up for me.

My February reads:

Pity Date by Whitney Dineen

4 Stars

Synopsis:

Faith:

I should’ve known it wouldn’t work out.

In all my twenty-nine years, life has never been smooth sailing when a man was involved. Astor Hill was everything I’ve ever wanted in a partner—handsome, successful, and interested in me. Until he started cheating. The cherry on the sundae is finding out the truth less than two weeks before we’re supposed to stand up for our best friends at their wedding.

When a staggeringly good-looking and kind stranger comes to town and offers to take me to the wedding, I jump at his proposal. Who cares if he’s gay? Astor doesn’t need to know that.

Teddy:
She thinks I’m gay?!

I’m taking a vacation from Hollywood and going back to Elk Lake. My grandfather hasn’t been doing well after Gram died and he needs my support. Luckily, I’m between blockbuster movies so I can make the time.

My first stop is Rosemary’s Bakery for one of the gingersnaps I remember so fondly from my childhood. The only problem is that the girl at the counter has eaten them all. After spilling my tea on me, she bursts into tears and tells me her troubles. I should be annoyed but I’m oddly charmed.

I know what it’s like to be dumped by a cheater, so I do the only thing I can think I offer to take her to the wedding to make her ex jealous. Unfortunately, with the help of the tabloids, things quickly spiral out of control��
~~~~~
This was a fairly cute rom-com that I found on Kindle Unlimited. I kept me engaged, but I'm not sure if it was good enough to where I want to read the next book.



How to Kill Men and Get Away With It by Katy Brent

4 Stars

Synopsis:

Meet Kitty Collins.

FRIEND. LOVER. KILLER.

He was following me. That guy from the nightclub who wouldn’t leave me alone.

I hadn’t intended to kill him of course. But I wasn’t displeased when I did and, despite the mess I made, I appeared to get away with it.

That’s where my addiction started��

I’ve got a taste for revenge and quite frankly, I’m killing it.
~~~~~
This was a nice surprise read. It started out slow, but once it picked up, I liked it. It's actually several genres wrapped into one, which is a neat idea. I want to see what else the author has written.



The End of Temperance Dare by Wendy Webb

5 Stars

Synopsis:

When Eleanor Harper becomes the director of a renowned artists�� retreat, she knows nothing of Cliffside Manor’s dark past as a tuberculosis sanatorium, a “waiting room for death.�� After years of covering murder and violence as a crime reporter, Eleanor hopes that being around artists and writers in this new job will be a peaceful retreat for her as much as for them.

But from her first fog-filled moments on the manor’s grounds, Eleanor is seized by a sense of impending doom and realizes there’s more to the institution than its reputation of being a haven for creativity. After the arrival of the new fellows—including the intriguing, handsome photographer Richard Banks—she begins to suspect that her predecessor chose the group with a dangerous purpose in mind. As the chilling mysteries of Cliffside Manor unravel and the eerie sins of the past are exposed, Eleanor must fight to save the fellows—and herself—from sinister forces.
~~~~~
This one surprised me. It started off a bit slow, but then really pulled me in. It was different than what I thought it was because it turned out to be a Gothic horror/ghost story. But I enjoy the paranormal, so it was a good read.

Four and Five stars ! A very nice reading month, Kim.

Thanks for sharing.

John wrote: "Only a couple for me last month ...


My Kitchen Wars by Betty Fussell ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


/review/show...



Mystery in White..."

Thanks for sharing your February books with us, John.

The Mystery in White kind of reminds me of Murder on The Orient Express in how there's a train stranded in the snow. However, I think you may enjoy the latter much, much more. I know I certainly enjoyed it.

My February reading got off to a disappointing start, but improved to a strong finish by month's end!

Ethan Frome (1 star)
This may be the literary equivalent of the famous optical illusion in which one sees either a young lady (tragic story of forbidden love) or an old woman (tragic story of delusion and abuse of power). I saw the old woman early on and could not unsee her. Admittedly, it's pointless and unfair to judge a book from 1911 by today's sensibilities, but there were just too many red flags in the deeply problematic relationship between the main characters to overlook.

Day (3 stars)
This book is about the interwoven lives of a group of people who are, each in their own way, adrift and lost. The paths they've followed and the decisions they've made have not led them to where (or who) they want to be, and they're pushed toward a reckoning by pandemic-related circumstances. This was discussed as part of a Buddy Read with madrano and Alias Reader and, while the book wasn't bad, I personally got more out of the discussion than the book itself.

The Expatriates (3 stars)
The setting of this book among a group of expats living in Hong Kong is what initially drew my interest, as I'd previously been part of an expat community in that corner of the world. The book is entertaining enough and there are interesting observations sprinkled throughout on expat life in Hong Kong. But take the story out of its unusual setting and I suspect the ordinariness of the plot and the unlikability of a main character would become more prominent.

Old God's Time (4 stars)
I struggled a bit with the writing style and pacing of this book--it was just too slow of a build for me. But when it did finally started to build...wow, what a build it was! I probably would've given the first two-thirds of the book 2.5 stars, but it earned the 4 stars in the end with its devastating climax and one of the most brilliant uses of an unreliable narrator that I can remember.

Yellowface (4 stars)
This is a satirical take on the publishing industry and there's a lot to unpack: who gets credit for multi-contributor work, who should tell BIPOC stories, social media addiction, cyber-bullying. I enjoyed this book but the author missed, or perhaps intentionally sidestepped, an opportunity to have a nuanced discussion by teeing up extreme opposing viewpoints and then not saying anything meaningful about them. So instead of an insightful look at diversity, representation, and cultural appropriation, we instead get "You racist!" and "You reverse-racist!" Still, it was an entertaining read and does give one lots to think about.

~*Kim*~ wrote: "My February reads:

Pity Date by Whitney Dineen

4 Stars..."

You had a great reading month, Kim! I'm grateful you shared thought on them with us.

Hailey wrote: "The Mystery in White kind of reminds me of Murder on The Orient Express in how there's a train stranded in the snow. However, I think you may enjoy the latter much, much more. I know I certainly enjoyed it...."

I thought they would be similar, too, Hailey. As it turns out, most of the "action" takes place off the train, after the cast of characters walk away from the train which is stuck in the snow. It added an element Express didn't but i admit i liked Christie's work better.

Joy wrote: "My February reading got off to a disappointing start, but improved to a strong finish by month's end!..."

Your books really improved after that bummer beginning. I actually liked Frome very much but i can see what you mean about the optical illusion. Nice point.

Thanks for sharing with us here. It's a pleasure to see how the reading month progresses with people in this group.

Joy wrote: "My February reading got off to a disappointing start, but improved to a strong finish by month's end!

Ethan Frome (1 star)
This may be the literary equival..."

Nice reviews, Joy.

Sorry you didn't enjoy Ethan Frome as much as I did.

Joy wrote: "My February reading got off to a disappointing start, but improved to a strong finish by month's end!

Ethan Frome (1 star)
This may be the literary equival..."

We read Ethan Frome in high school - the boys in the class all hated it!

John wrote: "Joy wrote: "My February reading got off to a disappointing start, but improved to a strong finish by month's end!

Ethan Frome (1 star)
This may be the lite..."

John, I do think it's a book that would appeal more to adults than high school kids. It's a quiet read and one I gave 4/5 stars.

John wrote: "We read Ethan Frome in high school - the boys in the class all hated it!.."

LOL, John. You reminded me that when my high school class read it, i joined the boys in disliking this one. B-O-R-I-N-G!

When i read it with a chat group 25 years later, it was closer to home & much better. Clearly Edith Wharton had rewritten it, Right??

!!!SPOILERS for Ethan Frome!!!

This book appears to be quite polarizing! I agree it probably wouldn't appeal to most high schoolers but, ironically, I think I might've liked it better had I read it when I was younger.

It's just very difficult, as an adult woman, to overlook the problematic aspects of Ethan and Mattie's relationship. His attraction to her seems to be based much more on his desire to be admired, to dominate, and to possess, as well as his projection onto her of his idealized vision of domesticity ("supporting evidence" below!), than on genuine love for her as a person. And then there's the huge power imbalance--Mattie is living with them as a servant because she has nowhere else to go. Please tell me this isn't being taught in high schools as what love should look like!

"The fact that admiration for his learning mingled with Mattie's wonder at what he taught was not the least part of his pleasure."

"...his soul swelled with pride as he saw how his tone subdued her. She did not even ask what he had done. Except when he was steering a big log down the mountain to his mill he had never known such a thrilling sense of mastery."

"He luxuriated in the sense of protection and authority which his words conveyed."

"But since he had seen her lips in the lamplight he felt that they were his."

"Mattie had no natural turn for housekeeping.... Ethan had an idea that if she were to marry a man she was fond of the dormant instinct would wake, and her pies and biscuits become the pride of the county...."

It's clear he sees Mattie as his escape from his unhappy marriage. But, as tragic as his relationship is, he got himself into that situation by proposing to Zeena because he saw *her* as an escape from his loneliness. And so, with his lack of self-awareness and insight, and failure to learn from past mistakes, he condemns all three of them to a life of misery....

Joy, I read it back in 2010. I'm sorry I can't recall enough to comment on the plot. I only know I liked it a lot and gave it
4/5 rating. That rating for me is better than expected.

I would note the book was published in 1911. So you have to read it in the context of the times and not 2024.

Maybe I'll re-read it for the prompt --read a book before you were born. I'm not sure if I want to do re-reads for the challenge.

Joy wrote: "!!!SPOILERS for Ethan Frome!!!

This book appears to be quite polarizing! I agree it probably wouldn't appeal to most high schoolers but, ironically, I think I might've liked it better ..."

Thoughtful post, Joy. And one which is well-taken. I do not recall--and what an opportunity!--a classroom discussion about some of the points you made. Instead, our talk was about the rich irony, right? Edith Wharton was observant and, in some ways, ahead of her time in observing how females were treated. If only teachers & classrooms allowed for the time to consider such issues, too.

Actually, i wonder if it's even read as a class any longer. Of the quotes you shared, the one i remember is about his work. I was more interested in that than the "slow" story. lol on me. If we even discussed the "subjugation" topic, i don't remember it.

As an aside, Joy, did you have these in your notes? I appreciated the quotes but am sure i couldn't have located them in any prompt fashion. I'm grateful that you took the time, as it helped me see this in another light, missed in earlier readings.

I'm enjoying reading through everyone's Feb. Reads, thanks all for sharing!

Here's my Feb. list:

1. Tom Lake ⭐️⭐️⭐️ by Ann Patchett

This was ok. Not my typical genre, so I tried not to judge too harshly.
Set during the Pandemic on a farm during cherry-picking season, a mother tells her 4 daughters the story of her young adulthood and her time as an actress.
It's sort of a "soft" romance, but more focused on family and everything that comes with growing up, changing as we mature, relationships, etc.


2. Hidden Potential ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ by Adam M. Grant

I've enjoyed every Adam Grant book I've read so far, and this was no exception. Basically, the science behind hidden potential, full of examples and stories that make it less science-forward and easy to read. A good one for anyone into social science.

3. My Husband ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ by Maud Ventura, translated from French

This was such a quirky read. Truly odd, to be honest. I'm actually surprised that I liked it - I nearly quit after the first chapter, but something kept me hooked.
Basically, it's the story of a housewife who is utterly obsessed with her husband (at least that's how she describes it). It's full of her daily musings and thoughts, some of which are totally relatable (as a fellow mother and wife).
The ending is somewhat expected, but cute and clever and just... bizarre. In a mostly good way.


4. Our Best Intentions ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ by Vibhuti Jain

This was a wonderful debut novel, and I'd read another by this author.
It follows Angie, a high school student and daughter of an Indian Immigrant, as she navigates a tragic event involving other students.
This novel grapples with issues surrounding wealth and privilege, racism, and the idea of the "model minority" among others.

5. The Forty Rules of Love ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ by Elif Shafak

This was my second book by Elif Shafak, and just as lovely.

Although the writing was similar in a way, it was a completely different novel. There are two story lines. One of Ella, a 40-something housewife in present-day Boston. Another follows the lives of Rumi, a 13th-Century Poet & Sufi, and his dear friend Shams, a traveling dervish.

Prior to reading this book, I had no idea what most of the words in that last sentence even meant. I learned a lot and adored the story, particularly the friendship between Shams and Rumi.

Lindsey wrote:2. Hidden Potential

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ by Adam M. Grant
Hidden Potential The Science of Achieving Greater Things by Adam M. Grant
I've enjoyed every Adam Grant book I've read so far, and this was no exception. Basically, the science behind hidden potential, full of examples and stories that make it less science-forward and easy to read. A good one for anyone into social science."

Congratulations on the wonderful reading month, Lindsey !

I'm a Adam Grant fan too.
My all time favorite of his books that I've read is, Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know
I gave it a 5/5 rating and I don't give out too many 5 stars.

A friend of mine tells me I should read his Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success So I have it on my TBR list.

That one wasn’t on my radar at all, but looks great. Another for the TBR stack :)

Have you read anything by Michael Easter? I’m reading his latest & liking it. Same genre as Adam Grant’s work & similar writing styles (although different topics/focus).

madrano wrote: "Hailey wrote: "The Mystery in White kind of reminds me of Murder on The Orient Express in how there's a train stranded in the snow. However, I think you may enjoy the latter much, much more. I know..."

I think you make a good point, madrano. Speaking on Agatha Christie, I'm hoping to get around to reading either Death on The Nile or The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. It's a bit of a tough choice, as both seem really good.

Lindsey wrote: "That one wasn’t on my radar at all, but looks great. Another for the TBR stack :)

Have you read anything by Michael Easter? I’m reading his latest & liking it. Same genre as Adam Grant’s work & si..."

I read his Scarcity Brain: Fix Your Craving Mindset and Rewire Your Habits to Thrive with Enough-Michael Easter It was good. I gave it 3/5 rating.

Lindsey wrote: "I'm enjoying reading through everyone's Feb. Reads, thanks all for sharing!

Here's my Feb. list:..."

Terrific crop of books, Lindsey. Thanks for sharing about each. I'm most intrigued by the French novel, trying to imagine a wife who keeps such a close eye on her husband's needs. At this stage of my marriage, he'd best know how to fend for himself!

Thanks for sharing the titles & comments.

Hailey wrote: "Speaking on Agatha Christie, I'm hoping to get around to reading either Death on The Nile or The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. It's a bit of a tough choice, as both seem really good..."

It is a tough decision. Nile is one most often referenced, as far as i can tell. But Ackroyd stayed with me longer.

In February I read a handful of books - not a whole lot. :)

Don't Look Back by Ben Cheetham - 4 stars.
My review:
/review/show...

The Everett Exorcism by Lincoln Cole - 5 stars.
My review:
/review/show...

That is a wrap for February. :)

I have kind of backed off with reading a bunch of books at once. Just taking my time with different books I want to read and reading slower to absorb the stories. :)

Marie wrote:
I have kind of backed off with reading a bunch of books at once. Just taking my time with different books I want to read and reading slower to absorb the stories. :)."

That sounds like a very good idea. No need to rush. Just enjoy.

Marie wrote: "I have kind of backed off with reading a bunch of books at once. Just taking my time with different books I want to read and reading slower to absorb the stories..."

It takes me some time to realize what i've read, so i kinda pace myself, too, Marie. I hope these feel as rewarding.

I was intrigued by the second review, as we have family who lived in Everett, Washington. lol. The great news is that you now have two new authors that you like. Cool.