Hi, everyone! February is such a short month and I feel like I got barely any reading done. I was kind, but not really in a slump. It was a weird month. I had strep throat at the beginning, so I was sick and didn't read much at the beginning of the month and then we had an ice storm and my work shut down for a whole week during the Mardi Gras break, so while I did a lot of reading in that week, the other ones felt like I was unproductive reading wise.
THE BOOKS I READ:
An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson- 4.25 stars This book reminded me of why I am obsessed with fae stories. I haven't read a fairy story in a while, but I always fly through them because I get so invested in the worldbuilding and societies that are created. This was sweet and had a romance that I was rooting for, but the story itself wasn't amazing, groundbreaking, or anything that stands out from the other fae stories I've read. I had fun, though! Bought copy
The Route of Ice & Salt by José Luis Zárate- 2 stars The concept is interesting. We follow the cargo ship that Dracula is resting on and eventually leads to all of the crew going missing/dying. This is also a huge staple for LGBTQ fiction in Mexico and I was curious to read more in this niche. I just hated the main character and being in his was horrible. The tension was there and I was interested, but the character was just so grueling to slog through his thoughts and writings. ARC from Netgalley
The Grief We're Given by William Bortz- 4 stars I really liked this poetry collection. I connected with it and resonated with a lot of the poems, so that's a huge plus for me. ARC from Netgalley
American Melancholy by Joyce Carol Oates- 4.5 stars Joyce Carol Oates poetry totally works for me. Her prose is hit or miss, but this collection was incredibly strong and I loved how long the poems were. They were full of depth and reflection on American in terms of science and psychological experiments gone wrong. Those were some of my favorite poems in this collection. ARC from Netgalley
Katie by Michael McDowell- 4 stars This was a fun historical horror about a girl who encounters a psychotic family that basks in killing people after they murder her grandfather and steal her fortune. It's a good time, but it wasn't as good as The Elementals, but I loved the setting. Bought copy
The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware- 4 stars I've heard so many people gush about this one and I finally got around to it. This one was a lot of fun, but I didn't love the ending. I felt like it kind of went by and then there was nothing else in terms of wrapping it up because of the storytelling perspective. I really liked this one and I have been consistently enjoying Ware's current works at about the same level. Audiobook from Library
A Great Cloud of Witnesses: A Study Who Lived By Faith (A Study in Hebrews 11) by Trillia J. Newbell- 4 stars This was a very enjoyable Bible study on Hebrews 11 and I liked how it was set up to look at several characters each week. ARC from Netgalley
The Project by Courtney Summers- 5 stars This book was so good and exactly what I hoped it would be. I love Courtney Summers and have been a fan of her books since middle school. The Project follows Lo and Bea, two sisters who are wrapped up and connected to a cult. I know that this one didn't work for a lot people because it's not really a thriller, but a character story and looking at the relationship after tragedy has torn them apart. I loved it. It was beautiful, harrowing, and it stuck with me. I didn't love it as much Sadie, but I loved it and I'm so happy I pre-ordered a copy because it was amazing. Pre-ordered copy
Samson by Eric Wilson- 1 star (DNF) I made it to page 75 of this and then skimmed the book. I hated the writing style. It was also super inaccurate Scripture wise and I just wasn't a fan of the novelization. Someone had recommended this one to me, but there are better fictionalized accounts Samson and Delilah. Read one of those instead. Bought copy
Horrostor by Grady Hendrix- 4.5 stars Grady Hendrix has quickly become one of my favorite horror authors. He is very satirical and tongue in cheek. He isn't afraid to poke fun at the genre while loving it passionately. This was a fun time where workers in a knock-off Ikea are trapped with something sinister from the past. Bought copy
The Guest List by Lucy Foley- 3 stars I wasn't a fan of this one. I will admit that the ending and the last fifty pages was a lot of fun, but most of it was boring and uneventful. Not as good as everyone is saying it is. Audiobook from Library
Mermaid Saga Collector's Edition Volume 1 by Rumiko Takahashi- 5 stars Yes, I did just read this in January and I totally read it again before reading the sequel. It was amazing and I loved it even more the second time around. A new all-time favorite. Bought copy
Mermaid Saga Collectors Edition Volume 2 by Rumiko Takahashi- 4.5 stars Beautiful and lovely. I will admit that the ending was way too open and it seems like Takahashi was planning to keep going in this world. I wish she would return to it because there are still so many things left unexplored and open-ended that was introduced in this volume. Pre-ordered copy
The Initial Insult by Mindy McGinnis- 4.5 stars Can you believe that this is my first time reading Mindy McGinnis? I have all of her books on my TBR and even own a few, but when I saw the audiobook of this on Netgalley it sounded way too good to pass up. This follows two girls, Tress Montro and Felicity Turnado, Tess has plan to find out what happened to her parents who are missing and what Felicity had to do with it. Her way of getting her talking: to pry the truth out brick by brick while a Halloween party rages upstairs. With a panther on the prowl and a deadly disease ravaging the town, will any of them make it out alive? SO MUCH FUN. It's also a great way to get teens interested in Poe. The Cask of Amontillado is my favorite short story by Poe and has been since I was in high school, so this was a lot of fun for me and I am already eagerly waiting for the sequel. Audiobook ARC from Netgalley
What Big Teeth by Rose Szabo- 5 stars I love this book. It's the perfect blend of horror and fairy tale. I loved the characters, the secrets, the family dynamic, and everything about this book. I started reading an eARC on my phone, but I quickly went out and bought a physical copy because I loved it so much and because the cover is my favorite one I've seen for 2021 releases. I'm obsessed. This author is not one to miss! ARC from Netalley and bought copy
Overall Thoughts: I only read 15 books in February, so boo. That's the least I've read in a month in a long time. I was kind of feeling slumpy and I didn't read as much as I normally do. I read some awesome stuff this month, but when I was reading the stuff I didn't love, I definitely felt it.
STATS:
Netgalley ARCs: 6
Books I Own: 8
Library: 2
Genres:
Fantasy: 1
Horror: 6
Mystery: 3
Poetry: 2
Thriller: 1
4 YA Books
Diverse Authors by Race:
Asian- 2
Black- 1
Mexican- 1
Mixed- 1 (Joyce Carol Oates is half-Jewish)
LGBTQIA+ Authors: José Luis Zárate, Michael McDowell, Courtney Summers, Rose Szabo (if any of the authors I read are identify as part of this community and aren't listed, please let me know!)
My 5-star reads:
3. What Big Teeth
2. Mermaid's Saga Collector's Edition Volume 1
1. The Project
Challenge Tracker for 2021
52 Books I Want to Read in 2021:
*Black Sun
*Delilah: Treacherous Beauty
*The Elementals
*Survive the Night
*What Lies Between Us
*Leave the World Behind
*An Enchantment of Ravens
*Samson
*Horrorstor
9/52
Read 20 Books That I Buy in 2021:
*Hope, Grace, & Faith
*Mermaid Saga Collection Volume 1
*Creepshow
*Katie
*The Project
*Mermaid Saga Volume 1
*Mermgaid Saga Volume 2
*What Big Teeth
8/20
Read 10 Old ARCs:
*The Paper Boat
*Black Sun
*The Last Halloween
*Moriarty the Patriot Volume 1
*The Haunting of Beatrix Greene
none this month
5/10
Read 5 Physical ARCs or Books Sent to Me for Review:
None
Read 15 sequels:
*shine your icy crown
*Mermaid Saga Volume 2
2/15
*Read 5 Stephen King books:
*Creepshow
Currently/Hoping to Finish in March:
Finished Already: Dawn, She Ain't Pretty, Grown, The Graveyard Apartment, Over the Woodward Wall, Feelings, The Night is Deep and Wide,
Netgalley eARC: She Ain't Pretty, Over the Woodward Wall, Feelings, The Night is Deep and Wide, Home is Not a Country, What They Meant for Evil, Why She Wrote, In the Darkness, Shadows Breathe, The Borden Murders, Jesus of the East, Women in a Patriarchal World, Until the Mountains Fall, 7 Feasts, The Hidden Girl and Other Stories, Love to Eat, Hate to Eat
Publisher: Prevail, For All Who Wander
Netgalley Audiobook: 25 Lies That Twentysomethings Need to Stop Believing
Library Audiobooks: Grown, Over the Woodward Wall, Vampire Kisses, Always and Forever, Lara Jean, Know My Name,
Books I Own: Dawn, Grown, The Graveyard Apartment, Lilith's Brood, Cold Moon Over Babylon, Less Than Perfect, His Hideous Heart, The Essential Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe, The Space Between Worlds, Highway of Tears, The Stranger Beside Me, Simply Spirit-Filled, No Other Gods, The Elijah Task, Raising the Rigor
Ebook: Bind, Torture, Kill
ARCs Top Priority for March:
Audiobooks:
Ebook:
Books I Own:
There is a long list of books I want to read that I own haha.
Have you read any of these books? Are there any that you are excited about? Let me know down below in the comments!
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