February is the shortest month of the year, but it always feels so dang long, especially with snow storms in my part of the country! I am so glad that we have moved on to more spring-like times, leaving what felt like a very lengthy month behind.
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Books I Read
I’m a children’s librarian, so I read books for kids and for grown-ups. This month, I read 11 picture/early reader books and 9 “big” books, including audiobooks, adult novels, and chapter books for children. My average rating this month was 4.6 stars.
Before we get into the full list, in December, I started keeping track of ten books on my TBR list for each month that I planned to read. Let’s see how I did last month with my February 2021 TBR list.
- The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix *finish reading* *must read* ✅ Read my full review here.
- Swing Time by Zadie Smith *must read* 🟡 Started in February, still reading.
- Becoming Lady Washington by Betty Bolte *finish* 🟡 Started in December, still reading.
- Real by Carol Cujec and Peyton Goddard ✅ Read my full review here.
- Then Came You by Lisa Kleypas ➡ Postponed.
- Hallucinatory Tribulation, Vol. 1 by Sahreth Baphy Bolton ➡ Postponed.
- The Midnight Bargain by C.L. Polk ➡ Postponed.
- Ten Rules for Faking It by Sophie Sullivan ➡ Postponed.
- A Wing and a Prayer by M W Arnold ➡ Postponed.
- The Heiress Gets a Duke by Harper St. George ➡ Postponed.
Now, onto the full list!
The Vanishing at Loxby Manor by Abigail Wilson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A strong, brave, and gentle heroine. A couple with excellent chemistry. And all the twists and turns I’ve come to expect from Abigail Wilson’s expert craftsmanship. Look out for my full review at https://bitchbookshelf.com on February 4. My thanks to the author, publisher, and HFVBT for giving me a copy in exchange for my honest review.
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The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I really liked this one – simultaneously funny and disturbing (both when it came to the horror and the comparison to real life). I’ll have to think on this one for a bit before writing a full review.
Bear by Ben Queen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Emotional and visually humorous, this is a children’s book adults will love too. I read it in about half an hour. An informative story about a guide dog and his adult owner. When Bear becomes visually impaired, he is frightened and worried he won’t be able to do his job any longer. When he leaves home looking for a way to solve his problem, he meets some unlikely friends who help him find his way back.
Go with the Flow by Lily Williams
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
What a great book! Go With the Flow is about a group of friends who want there to be free menstrual products in the high school bathroom. The friendship story is great, and there’s a lot of information on periods and period activism. Huge fan of this book, and as someone who had an experience similar to Brit’s, I could’ve used this book in middle school.
Runaway: The Daring Escape of Ona Judge by Ray Anthony Shepard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I did not know anything about Ona Judge and her story. With realistic illustrations and informative backmatter, this is a great book for kids. Some kids might not know the Washingtons had slaves, let alone the stories of enslaved people such as Ona Judge. I loved that the author reclaimed the questions people then (and now) asked enslaved folks when they ran away from “fine homes”.
Mary Wears What She Wants by Keith Negley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I knew nothing about Mary Walker! What a fun, empowering book. The back matter taught me so much.
Real by Carol Cujec
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Real is an OwnVoices book, which I absolutely love. While I don’t think it’s completely realistic, I did enjoy this heartwarming and empowering read. I do know there is a stigma surrounding disabled folks, that they are only smart or worthy if they are able to learn certain things, and I worry a little that this book perpetuates that stigma. My thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for giving me a copy in exchange for my honest review.
Dinosnores by Sandra Boynton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A cute going to bed book (hehe, Boynton pun) focusing on dinosaurs with a snoring problem.
Dinosaurs Roar (shaped board book with lift-the-flaps): Lift-the-Flap and Discover by Steve Jenkins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a good transitional book. Babies can enjoy the basic part of the story and moving the flaps to see the bigger picture, and as they age up they will enjoy the dinosaur facts beneath the flaps. Because what kid doesn’t have a dinosaur phase?
She Persisted: Harriet Tubman by Andrea Davis Pinkney
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a solid young reader biography about Harriet Tubman. I learned many things I did not know about her. For instance, her childhood nickname was Minty and she did not start using the name Harriet until her first marriage. There’s plenty of good information in this book, and the images are cute.
Look out for my full review on March 13.
You Love Me by Caroline Kepnes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
While the ending was meh, I had just as much fun rooting for the asshole that is Joe Goldberg as usual. I feel like there was one big plot hole but idk, if a little more detail had been given it could have been explained away. While this was not a four star read for me and I may have rated the others higher (I don’t remember lol) this may have been my favorite in the series so far. I’m curious what they’ll keep from this boom on Season 3 of the show. My thanks to NetGalley for sending me a copy in exchange for my review.
Ghost Girl by Ally Malinenko
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Ghost Girl is a charming read that I greatly enjoyed, though it did leave me with some unanswered questions. This was the perfect length novel for middle grade, but I wished there were more details in some parts. I did love the representation in this novel, with a boy dealing with body-shaming from his father and his mother having bipolar disorder, and the main character questioning her sexuality. I also enjoyed how this book addressed the double standards about boys/men and girls/women. My thanks to NetGalley for sending me a copy in exchange for my honest review.
Look out for my full review on April 18.
Butterflies Are Pretty … Gross! by Rosemary Mosco
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book is going to make an excellent nonfiction read-aloud! With whimsical illustrations, this butterfly fact book is funny and interesting. I appreciated the “About the Butterflies in This Book” backmatter.
The Highest Tribute: Thurgood Marshall’s Life, Leadership, and Legacy by Kekla Magoon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a comprehensive picture book biography of Thurgood Marshall, and I appreciated the backmatter sharing the timeline of his life and the major court cases he was involved in as an attorney, judge, solicitor general, or Supreme Court justice.
Hear My Voice/Escucha mi voz: The Testimonies of Children Detained at the Southern Border of the United States by Warren Binford
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Hear My Voice/Escucha mi voz is a powerful book sharing the voices of 61 children, ages 5 to 17, detained at the border and featuring the works of 17 Mexican and Mexican American artists. It is compiled by a children’s rights scholar and activist. This is a tough read, and as stated in the foreword, “But it’s not only a story of adults’ cruelty and neglect; at the end of the day, it’s also a story of children’s strength, courage, and hope.” This was an extremely moving and important read. It is definitely a picture book for older kids to read with “thoughtful adults” as the backmatter suggests. I liked that the backmatter empowered children to use their voices to ensure children’s rights are observed.
Worst-Case Collin by Rebecca Caprara
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This story is told through poetry which I really enjoyed. Worst-Case Collin is about Collin, a boy with anxiety after his mother’s death, dealing with his father’s compulsive hoarding disorder. I really enjoyed this one and some of the poems were super emotional, while others just felt like they were only in verse form because there weren’t enough words to make this a traditional chapter book. I loved Collin’s friends, Liam and Georgia, and that Liam’s mother was an example of an adult you can turn to for help.
Look out for my full review on January 3, 2021.
Black Is a Rainbow Color by Angela Joy
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book is joyous with gorgeous illustrations, and awesome backmatter including a playlist that is repeat-worthy.
Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book took me months to listen to, but every time I started playing the audiobook, I was immediately engaged. This book shows how NOT united the founding fathers were and gives plenty of insight not only into the life of Alexander Hamilton, but the lives of his friends, family, and political rivals. Fans of the musical will love hearing lyrics they are familiar with in letters and quotations from historical figures. This is a very lengthy read or listen, but so worth it, and the narration in the audiobook is very well done. I listened to it at 1x – the speed and rhythm was perfect.
Look out for my full review on March 10.
The Happy Day by Ruth Krauss
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a classic for a reason. This works as an early reader or a picture book to share with a young child. I love the pencil illustrations and the colorful flower at the end.
A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
In ACOMAF, Mor says, “There are good days and bad days for me – even now. Don’t let the hard days win.”
In ACOSF, Nesta, after months of getting a handle on her mental health (and physical health) (and also screwing Cassian senseless 🥵) thinks to herself a quote that struck me even more: “Some days might be more difficult than others, but… I want to experience all of it, live through all of it.”
This may be my favorite SJM book I’ve read yet. With a healthy dose of erotica, this is a sweeping fantasy romance with a focus on mental health and the friendships between women.
Note: This is heavy on the relationships (romantic and platonic) and light on the meat of the plot, which is still pretty detailed and involves a ton of world-building. I think even those who hate Nesta going in can appreciate this one, even if it doesn’t sway them into liking her.
Also note: This one was not perfect. I honestly was very annoyed with a number of characters I usually like and their treatment towards Nesta and lack of apology, but maybe we’ll get that in a later book. This was 5 stars for me because of the main chunk of the story, which was lovely.
Look out for my full review on March 14.
A Peek Into My Planner
I’ve been trying to fill out my planner each day to keep myself organized and to use the plethora of planner supplies and stickers I possess. (I use The Happy Planner.) In July 2020, I started a brand new planner, which I hope to use through 2021. Here are my weekly spreads for February.
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I’ve been keeping track of my moods to keep an eye on my depression and anxiety. In February, I felt:
- Okay – 7 days
- Good – 6 days
- Productive – 6 days
- Bored – 2 days
- Great – 2 days
- Tired – 2 days
- Depressed – 1 day
- Frustrated – 1 day
- Relaxed – 1 day
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More Stuff I Did
While the snowy weather really messed with my original plans for the month, I did start and end February spending some time with my parents.
On TikTok, I’ve been posting myself making every Animal Crossing: New Horizons villager on The Sims 4.
@btchbkshlfToday I made ##Ankha 💙💛 ##greenscreen ##acnh ##animalcrossing ##ts4 ##sims ##sims4 ##thesims4 ##newhorizons♬ Up Beat (Married Life) – Kenyi
In the beginning of February, I was halfway to my intentional weight loss goal. I lost a little more weight this month, and while I have ten more left to reach my goal, I feel confident and happy, and most importantly healthy. Weight loss is not part of everyone’s health journey, but I am making a healthy decision for me and what my body needs at this time.
Finally, I watched some television and movies. I finished Derry Girls Season 2 and am desperate for Season 3. I also watched the limited series Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel which actually put my mind at ease about a case that always creeped me out. I watched Solo: A Star Wars Story for the first time, the new To All The Boys movie (Always + Forever), and rewatched Sabrina.
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Because I’ve been blogging about more than just book reviews, I wanted to share some of our “other” posts from this month:
Other Bookish Posts
- #BookishAstrology – Books We Chose for #Aquarius Season
- Bookish Advice: When to #DNF a Book
- Why I Still Read Children’s and Teen Books (and All Adults Should!)
- 10 Awesome Romance Novels
- Sourpuss by Merricat Mulwray Spotlight and Review
- How to Pair Wine with Books
- If You Liked #Bridgerton, Read These Books
- Book Subscription Boxes for The Entire Family
Blogging
Blog Hops, Memes, and Challenges
Writing
Looking Ahead: March
Here’s my March TBR list, though I plan to read other books too.
- Swing Time by Zadie Smith *must read* *finish*
- The Earl’s Lady Geologist by Alissa Baxter *must read*
- Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams *must read*
- Then Came You by Lisa Kleypas *must read*
- Becoming Lady Washington by Betty Bolte *finish*
- Hollywood Dirt by Alessandra Torre
- You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria
- The Betrothed by Kiera Cass
- The Year I Flew Away by Marie Arnold
- Color Me Red by Beena Khan
- Island Queen by Vanessa Riley *bonus*
My plans for the next few months are reading, reading, reading. In addition to reading for fun and the blog, I have some books to read for work! I’ll be spending a lot of time with my Kindle, reading apps, and library books.
Whispering Stories
You look like you had a fab month, even with the postponed books. Love your planner.
Kate
Thanks so much!
karensiddall
You definitely filled up this little bitty month!
Kate
I tried. 😂
Empress DJ
Looks damn productive to me and a good month with mostly 5-Star reads. Jelly!
Kate
I did have some great reads this month!
Robin Loves Reading
What a great month you had! Love your mood tracking.
Kate
Thanks ❤️