Today, I’m sharing with you my reading journey for the month of February. I have been having difficulty actually reading books vs listening. I tend to listen most when I drive because I drive so much for work and it’s a built in time to listen. However, I like to have 2 books going at one time so I read one while I listen to another. Having two books going at one time not only helps me get closer to my goal but I also get to experience more books!
Late last year, I had a hard time focusing long enough to read for any decent length of time. The new year started out better but then one of the apps I use to read (Boundless) caused me so much trouble. I was in the middle of reading a book and then it crashed. The site would open but I could not get back to my book. I even returned the book and tried to check it out again but then it said I had to place a hold. I gave up on using this app for about 2 weeks and then was able to check the book out again and re-download it! This app used to be Axis 360 and I have had nothing but trouble with it since it changed hands. I will have books checked out and then I open the app and it says I don’t have anything checked out. I don’t want to give up on this app because it often has books available long before Libby and it has a huge selection of even newer books.
The upshot of all these issues is that I didn’t get to go through as many books as I had hoped but I still managed to get some reading done.
Remarkably Bright Creatures
I read this book a few years ago and re-read it this time for another book club. This is a remarkably sweet book and I enjoyed it even more the 2nd time around. It’s a very popular book with good reason. It’s very easy to get into the characters and feel for them. I enjoyed following along learning about the characters and how they all connected.
I highly recommend this title.
Daisy Darker
This is a psychological thriller which is one of my favorite genres. I hadn’t read one in a while and I was ready. This is a very good book with lots of twists and turns. I tend to be pretty good at figuring out some of the twists but I did not in this one. I also read Rock, Paper, Scissors by this author last year and enjoyed it as well.
The Rachel Incident
I chose this book because it was on a list of best books for 2023. I never know how I will feel about books on “best” lists because you never know what they criteria is. Having said that, I really did enjoy this book. I tend to like books about relationships even though the characters can sometimes annoy me with their self sabotage and not being open or truthful about their feelings. But I guess that’s what keeps the story interesting! There is a lot going on in this book with all types of relationships and friendships just like real life.
Black Cake
This is another re-read for me. I read it about 2 years ago and this time I listened to it. Again, experiencing this book for a 2nd time was even better than the first time. I got more into the details because I knew the basics of the story but I found myself liking a couple of the characters less than I did the first time. This book is now a limited series on Hulu which I’ve heard is pretty good.
Yellow Face
This book was on lots of “bests” lists few years ago. It was a really interesting read and quite thought provoking. No spoilers here but the premise of the book is that a white writer steals a manuscript from her Asian friend who dies in front of her. The book goes into gear when an accusation is made about the story being stolen. It doesn’t just deal with the thieving writer but also with how social media deals with this type of issue, good and bad, how publishing works or doesn’t, and how living a morally ambiguous life can impact a person. I highly recommend this book though it will make you mad at some points.
My February list is a little light but I’m hoping to pick it up in the next couple of months. I really want to meet my goal of reading 65 books this year.
Reading Journey
Jan: 4 (61 remaining) Feb: 5 (56 remaining)
