February was a good reading month for me, with eight books total! I read 667 pages and listened to 55.8 hours. 88% of my reading was fiction, with 12% non-fiction, 63% audio and 38% print – no Kindle reading this month! (As a side note, I get these stats from an app called Storygraph, which will be featured in a future blog post.)

I recently discovered a new star rating system – CAWPILE – that I’ve found helpful. I’ve always struggled to rate books, making it much easier. It’s been interesting to see how they differ from what I would have given them before this, too! Three of my February books are rated five stars, so let’s see which books I read.

The Witches of Vardo by Author 4*

This is a book I’ve heard positive things about, and I’ve been into witchy books over the last year or so, so I was eager to read this one based on the witch trials in Norway in the 1600s. I’m glad I went for the audio version, as it felt so long in places where it seemed like nothing was happening.

I didn’t enjoy it as much as I hoped to, however it was a good book. The interwoven stories of the main characters worked well, although I felt like I knew the motives of each almost as soon as they were introduced. The narrator was brilliant and brought the book to life.

The final chapter, “On Fact and Fiction” held some really interesting, new to me information around the Norway witch trials too.

The Bad Beginning: A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket 3.5*

I have a confession to make – although I know about the Lemony Snicket adaptations, I’ve never watched them, so I’m glad I read this first with J!  We both enjoyed it overall, although I often shouted at some of the main characters as they didn’t listen to the kids! The scene setting was great, though.

There was a bit of dark humour throughout, but it went over J’s head. The storyline toward the end had me cringing a bit, and I’m not sure it was appropriate for a kids’ book. I’ll probably read the next in the series at some point, as I’d like to see where their journey takes them!

The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea by Axie Oh 5*

This book was chosen as the February discussion book for one of my online book club groups. It’s not a book I would have gone for myself as I don’t usually read fantasy unless recommended. However, I would probably have picked it up in a shop because of the gorgeous cover!

I usually struggle with world-building in fantasy, as it can seem a bit too much, but this one was perfect. I could imagine myself jumping in even though I couldn’t swim! The mix of characters was balanced, and the development was great – I liked some I didn’t to begin with.

I especially loved the Korean folk tales woven throughout the book; they made perfect sense to the book’s plot. I’d recommend this one even if you’re not usually a fantasy reader!

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman 4.5*

This is another book that was chosen as a discussion for my second online book club (I really can’t join anymore as I can only just keep up!). I’ve meant to read it for a while, so it bumped up my TBR. I love a cosy mystery, so I had high hopes for it, and it didn’t disappoint.

The characters are easy to like, and I enjoyed the first-person POV of one of the main characters, Joyce. I started to find it a little confusing in the book’s final third with the secondary characters, but it made it easier with the down-to-earth writing style and the narration by an older narrator. The second instalment is now on my ever-expanding TBR!

Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent 5*

This book is one of my 12 recommended by 12 friends. It was already on my TBR after seeing it on Sara Cox’s “Between The Covers”, so this bumped it up a little. It was the first book in a long time where I’ve shared a status update to Goodreads while trying to deal with the rollercoaster of emotions it brought. The whole thing was harrowing yet captivating – I couldn’t stop listening.

The writing was some of the best I’ve read in a long time. It’s written from a dual point of view between Sally in the present and Peter in the past. The dual narration was excellent, too, and brought the characters to life. I haven’t stopped thinking about this and greatly recommend it.

If you can handle triggers such as Room and Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, then you should read it.

The Sealwoman’s Gift by Sally Magnusson 3.5*

This was the February discussion book for my “real life” book club. We were all a bit dubious about it from the synopsis, but our opinions changed after reading it. I read some historical books but didn’t even know that this event (the Barbary pirate invasion) had taken place, so it was interesting to read in that respect.

The beginning and end of the book are the parts I enjoyed the most. I struggled with the middle as it spanned many years, but it felt rushed. There were also a lot of religious references, which is a subject I don’t tend to go for. There were a lot of characters to keep up with; however, the author wrote a handy list in the back! I wanted to keep reading purely to see what became of the hostages.

First and foremost, it came across as a story of love, resilience, and hope. It’s still not a book I would choose, but I recommend it if it’s a period of history that interests you.

Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross 4*

I’ll make an admission here that the primary reason I chose to read this (or listen to it in this case) was the cover, which is stunning. As I mentioned earlier, I’m not a big reader of fantasy. However, again, the world-building in this story was right not to overwhelm me too much.

The World in this was akin to WW1 Britain – set during a war but with magical creatures, gods, and humans. The characters were easy to follow and (mostly) easy to care about, and I found myself rooting for them. The plot moved quickly at points, but it was easy to keep up.

Some parts of the book pulled at my heartstrings, and I need to bump the second one up my TBR a bit more!

Fix The System, Not The Women by Laura Bates 5*

I’ve already read Everyday Sexism, which astounded me, so I was eager to read this too. It’s another book that Laura shouldn’t have had to write, but I’m glad she did. It’s a brilliant book on a very important topic. After reading it, you can see we still have much more work.

I didn’t think I could be any more astonished after reading ES, but this proved me wrong. Everybody needs to read this – especially if they’re a male. Your partner, your father, your brother, your uncle. If you’re a woman who has suffered at the hands of the system – even if you’re not – read it.

My favourite book

It’s hard to decide between my favourites this month. It’s either The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea or Strange Sally Diamond, both brilliant in their unique way.

Have you read any of these? What was your favourite book of February?