February 2021 Reading Recap

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Hi everybody!

Happy Monday. I just want to say that I LOVE a new month, a new page in the planner, a fresh start. And the fact that March 1 falls on a Monday just makes my heart so happy. Here’s to a beautiful new month!

That said, I had an AMAZING reading month in February. Some that are destined to be all-time faves and absolutely zero duds, which is rare!

As always, you can find my real-time reading thoughts on:

IG

Goodreads

my reading community on FB

Happy reading!

Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano –

What a hot mess! Hahaha! I related to this book more than I care to admit. Such a clever premise and I love how Cosimano takes the thriller/ mystery genre and turns it on its head. It’s like a mommy blog combined with a thriller.  Razor sharp and witty and snarky and laugh out loud funny, I adored this one and I’m so glad to hoping it’s a series…the last line made me believe that it might be! ✭✭✭✭

The Invincible Summer of Juniper Jones by Daven McQueen –

“ Ethan remembered what his mother said, about how black kids were never allowed to be innocent. And yet he had been, for a time. Aunt Cara said she wished her brother had never sent him to Ellison – and he knew that things would’ve been much easier if that had been the case. But now, at least,he could see the world for what it was. He could see himself for who he was. And maybe, in time, he’d learn to look in the mirror and see his blackness as a precious gift.”

This book broke my heart into a million pieces and made me so damn angry. It also made me vow to be a better ally and advocate and to speak up and speak louder. 

This book is technically YA but everyone should read it. It’s a beautiful and deeply sad story and I’m better for having read it. ✭✭✭✭✭

Ever After Always by Chloe Liese –

This book. Oh. This. BOOK. My obsession with the Bergman family continues. Freya is easy to fall in love with and Aiden’s anxious, big heart makes him so damn lovable as well. 

It’s so nice reading a romance between a married couple of 10 years. And rare. As a military wife…the “you value your work over me” struggle is REAL. Man, I winced when I read parts of this book because it just hit me right in the feels.

You can tell Chloe put her heart into this one – her soul just pours out on the pages. ✭✭✭✭✭

Can’t wait to read about Rooney and Axel.

The Light Through the Leaves by Glendy Vanderah-

**ARC- Pub date 4/1/2021**

Don’t mind me, quietly weeping as I finish the last paragraph and read the words aloud…because they are too beautiful to exist only on paper. My heart. Oh, my heart…this novel is so very special. 

Glendy pours her heart out on to the pages of her books and the end result is…magic. Her books have this steady and comforting beauty to them. She marries the magical/supernatural and the everyday so very effortlessly. 

Her words are soaked in magic and purity and a tender respect for nature . And love. Always love. A love story wrapped up in a botany/biology lesson. Trees, plants, flowers, animals, insects, the earth- these things are always well-loved secondary characters in Glendy’s books.

This one was hard to read at times. The cruelty of mental illness cloaked in love — well, it’s complicated. The Light Through the Leaves contains an intricate recipe of healing, grief, guilt, trauma, addiction, despair, love, longing, and redemption. And all of it a little bit weird, in the most delightful way.

This book is a treasure.✭✭✭✭✭

Shipped by Angie Hockman-

I loved this debut novel and I gobbled it right up. 

Great chemistry, a sensitive and kind male lead, a strong woman lead with ambitions and a backbone made of steel, sisterhood, and a supporting cast of lovable characters. The pretty bow on top is the fact that I got to learn all about the ecosystem of the Galapagos. 

Adored it! ✭✭✭✭

The Road Trip by Beth O’Leary-

**ARC- Pub date 4/29/2021**

I really enjoyed the chemistry and connection between Dylan and Addie. This book has some wonderful themes of redemption and forgiveness, with some funny hijinks sprinkled throughout and a lovable cast of characters. I STRONGLY disliked Marcus so much that it made it hard to enjoy the book but the ending redeemed him for me a bit. ✭✭✭1/2

The Push by Ashley Audrain –

TW: abuse, child loss. 

Ummmmm dark and messed up and disturbing and unsettling and bone chilling and gut wrenching… holy sh$&. I read this one in a matter of hours because I literally could not put it DOWN. Reminiscent of Gillian Flynn and Lucinda Berry’s Baby Teeth this one was riveting. And again, disturbing. 

And the ending…WTF and OMG all rolled into one. ✭✭✭✭✭

The Jigsaw Man by Nadine Matheson-

**ARC- Pub date 3/16/2021**

First of all, I’m super pumped to have a new (female!! Black!!!) crime writer to follow. Nadine Matheson is an extremely talented author and I’m excited to see what she comes up with in the future. 

Okay. So this book is twisted and GRITTY. If descriptive, dark, serial killer/police procedural novels aren’t your jam, then this is not for you. It’s pretty…macabre. It also seems like it’s the second novel in the series, which it isn’t. 

That said, there are some serious clarice/hannibal vibes between Olivier and Henley. This book is atmospheric and suspenseful and had me intrigued up until the end, which was rather…sudden. I’m thinking there must be a second book in the works. 

All in all I enjoyed this and I look forward to reading Matheson’s subsequent novels, she’s got a unique and strong voice!! ✭✭✭1/2

The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer –

This book DEVASTATED me. I can tell you right now it will be one of my favorite books of all time. I wept for 30 minutes straight as I brushed snow off my car, folded laundry, and did dishes, all the while with earbuds in….listening to this beautiful and terrible story of loss and love and sacrifice and dedication.

Duel-timeline stories are tricky for me. I usually find one of the stories tedious, but that was NOT the case here. I adored both stories and felt both deeply.

There really aren’t proper words to explain my feelings, but my heart will remember this story forever. ✭✭✭✭✭