Reading Wrap-Up - Five Books I read in February

Reading Wrap-Up for February

If you read my post, TBR Mix & Mingle for February, where I planned out what I was going to read in this short month then you know I was being a tad bit idealistic!  Not only did I have high hopes to read books that I owned, but I checked out a few from the library, AND I got some more from my book swap.  Needless to say, I didn’t get to everything!  Here is what I read, and decided to skip, this month.  Look out for my TBR Mix & Mingle for March for what I’m reading next.

 

Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld

Get in on Amazon

An easily readable rewrite of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice set in present-day Cincinnati.  While the characters and basic plot are exactly the same as the original, it does not disappoint.  The ST (As Charlotte and Liz would say) between Liz and Darcy was palpable.  The ending felt like it arrived a little too abruptly, but the tension in the middle was pulling and compelling. 

Going deeper than simply rewriting a magnificent classic, Sittenfeld presented an exploration of modern prejudices.  Not only is it a modern setting, with modern occupations, but the pride and prejudices the characters hold are timely and relevant.  

Read if….you love Jane Austen

 

Kitchen Yarns by Ann Hood

Get in on Amazon

Food has something to say about tragedy and loss, about the wonderful, happy moments, and even about the mundane, everyday cooking.  Like when you come home after a long day and realize nothing is in your pantry except rice. Ann Hood takes us through her life as she remembers the food that surrounded it.  From her Italian grandma who cooked massive amounts of gravy and meatballs, to her dad who loved cooking for his loved ones, but was terrible at it, to her days as a young mom figuring life out, to her present marriage to a cook and a writer, savoring both.

The chapters were short and the recipes detailed.  Something about hearing the personal backstory of each dish has made me want to try them out, so I’ve been trying my hand at several of her recipes.  They have been delicious, if I say so myself!

Read if…you love (or aspire) to be great in the kitchen

Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker

Get in on Amazon

In the most glorified war of all time, The Trojan War, the men are worshiped and lifted high, even still today…while the story of the women is shrouded in silence.  Pat Barker brought a voice and a narrative to the women of the Iliad and to the horrors of war and gruesome realities of a slave’s life in a war camp.  Reading Briseis’ story, the women’s story, was enlightening and emotional, yet not too graphic to make it all unbearable.  Pat Barker expertly weaves together the narrative, incorporating Greek myth and reliance on the gods, as she makes a commentary on how we only remember what history tells us.

Read if…you believe in the women’s side of history

 

The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

Get in on Amazon

A physiological thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end.  An ex-wife is jealous of her replacement.  The narrative switches back and forth,  building up a situation, until you discover…that is not what is going on at all.  While I did end up figuring out the first twist, there were so many more that it was worth it. 

Read if…you like to be kept guessing.

Read NEXT…An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen (find it on Amazon here)

 

Educated by Tara Westover

Get in on Amazon

This memoir has been celebrated since its release last year, and it is readily apparent why as you read it.  Educated is expertly written, telling the story of her childhood, using small anecdotes as an allegory for what was happening to her, and sifting through all the memories, to build an understanding of her life.

This was much more than a story about a girl beating the odds to go to college.  It was an emotional, spiritual, mental upheaval to right herself in a world where she didn’t belong.  But she would be safe.  It was incredibly moving.

Read if…you ever question your surroundings.

Read if…you value education and thinking for yourself.

Read if…you enjoy hearing how someone overcame a difficult childhood.

DNF (did not finish)

The Dust that Falls From Dreams by Louis de Bernières

I had one DNF this month.  The plot sounds interesting, and I want to learn more about the first World War… but I couldn’t get lost in this one.  Perhaps I could if I wasn’t surrounded by a myriad of other appealing novels and memoirs.  My excitement for this one each time I picked it up was just a little bit less than Educated or Kitchen Yarns or The Wife Between Us.  I’ll keep it on the back burner of my TBR, maybe for a rainy day. 

What did you read in February?  Let me know in the comments!

Look out for my TBR Mix & Mingle to see what I’m reading in March!

Happy Reading!

Hannah

Pin to remember these books!

Disclaimer: some of the above links are affiliate links.  This means if you purchase something through my link I may receive a small compensation at no extra cost to you.  Thanks for supporting The Cozy Reading Nook!

You might also be interested in….

Reading Wrap-up January

TBR Mix & Mingle February

Books I Read in 2018

Reading Wrap-Up - Five Books I Read in January

Reading Wrap-UpFive Books I Read in January

As the January chill is still blasting around the country, I am finishing up my fifth book for the month.  At this point last year, I had read ten books, but hey! Every year is different.

I did spend part of my month trudging through a book that I only sorta liked, but I put it down to save for later.  And then bam! It was like I was a speed reader after that.  I blew through The Forgotten Garden and Nine Perfect Strangers, both of which I had been anticipating for a long time. And they were definitely worth it.

Five Books I Read in January 

 

Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis

Find it on Amazon here; review here

The motivational book that is sweeping the nation!  Rachel tells you how to get over lies you’ve been telling yourself, and how to grab life by the horns.  She gives detailed, practical advice alongside the story of her own life. I laughed, I cried, I took a good look at myself and really thought about things.  If you need someone to just look at you and say, “Of course you can do that – go follow your dream!” then you need to read this book!

 

Woman Last Seen in her Thirties by Camille Pagan

Find it on Amazon here

This one was recommended to me by Sarah’s Book Shelves.  As a young mother, I sometimes worry that I will lose myself in my children and their lives, and wake up one day in my 50s and wonder who I am.  This book explores those feelings as Maggie suddenly finds herself an empty-nester, divorced, and not sure what to do with herself.  She goes on a journey to re-discover the person she last saw in her thirties. 

I didn’t find it as deep (or depressing) as I expected.  Camille Pagan did address inner questions, desires and longings, but in an enjoyable way without being too cliché. 

 

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

Find it on Amazon here, review here

Kate Morton takes you back and forth through time spanning from 1900 to 2005 intertwining the details of a family, a house, and a secret.  In 1975 Nell is trying to figure out who she really is after she was left on an Australian dock at the age of four in 1913.  She dies before she can discover the truth, and in 2005 her granddaughter, Cassandra, takes up the task. 

I absolutely fell in love with these characters, their surroundings, and their places in time.  It was one of those books where you obsessively keep reading, but you don’t want to stop because then the story will be over!

 

Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty

Find it on Amazon here, review coming soon

Nine people attend a ten-day retreat at a health resort.  As the days go by, things begin to get more and more strange.  Until there is a breaking point.  How far is the staff willing to go to give their guest the transformations they desire?  How much would you be willing to do to really change your life?

While I was reading Nine Perfect Strangers, I had to hide the book from myself or I wouldn’t have done anything else all day!  (And my family tends to want to eat, so I had to put it down).  Like most of Liane Moriarty’s books you slowly get to know different characters, their lives begin to merge, and then you reach an “un-put-downable” point. 

 

Church of the Small Things by Melanie Shankle

Find it on Amazon here

There are a million tiny details, actions, and words that make up your life.  You show love, you take care of others, you give in small, sometimes insignificant ways.  It’s such a strong reminder that the little things you are doing matter.

This book had me literally crying from laughing so hard. But then – bam! – she’d hit me with some really serious, profound tidbit that would also make me start crying, for a different reason.  It was such a joy to read her funny stories that actually make you take a look at the world and realize, yes, this is a great life.  I will say there were some moments in her book where I was thinking where is she going with this, what exactly is the point? But, I think looking at everything as a whole is her point.  Sometimes these random, tiny, insignificant (and sometimes slightly wandering) stories are what make up a beautiful life worth living.

What did you read this January?  Keep track of it on my free reading goals tracker!

Happy Reading!

Hannah

You might also like:

Books I Read in2018

Finding Time toRead January Edition

Book Review – TheLife-Changing Magic of Tidying Up