February Wrap Up

February!

In February I read 11 books for a total of 2,554 pages and an average of 91 pages per day. That’s some pretty good reading for a short month!

I definitely consider this a successful Austen Month. I read almost everything on my Austen-TBR (I started Pride and Prejudice on the evening of the 28th), watched a few things and even got to both of my Tear Down reads. I had another DNF, which is maybe unfortunate, but also means I’m sticking to my guns. I don’t want to keep reading books I’m not enjoying – or I at least want to make that a rare case!

If you missed it, my Austen movie/TV show reviews are here – I didn’t end up sitting down to watch anything else from my original list, though I do want to watch the newer BBC Sense & Sensibility sooner rather than later.

The Ghost Road
by Charis Cotter
First Sentence: The ship was going down.
Middle-grade, paranormal

Pride, Prejudice and Jasmin Field
by Melissa Nathan
First Sentence: The television was on.
Contemporary romance (Austen retelling)

Heartstone
by Elle Katharine White
First Sentence: I’d never seen an angry hobgoblin before.
Fantasy (Austen retelling)

Smoke & Summons
by Charlie N. Holmberg
First Sentence: Sandis had several reasons for staying.
YA Fantasy

Jane Austen’s Guide to Good Manners
by Josephine Ross
First Sentence: ‘The Secret has spread so far as to be scarcely the shadow of a secret now,’ Jane Austen wrote ruefully in 1813.
Non-fiction, historical manners guide

Mermaids
compiled by Elizabeth Ratisseau
Art/Reference

Miss Mink: Life Lessons for a Cat Countess
by Janet Hill
First Sentence: Miss Marcella Mink is a cat countess.
Children’s

Jane Austen in Boca
by Paula Marantz Cohen
First Sentence: “Mrs. Grafstein is dead!”
Contemporary (Austen retelling)

Red as Blood
by Tanith Lee
Shorts collection, fairy tales

Pride
by Ibi Zoboi
First Sentence: It’s a truth universally acknowledged that when rich people move into the hood, where it’s a little bit broken and a little bit forgotten, the first thing they want to do is clean it up.
YA Contemporary (Austen retelling)

Mathilda Savitch
by Victor Lodato
First Sentence: I want to be awful.
Contemporary…literary fiction…???

DNF:

Dragonshadow
By Elle Katharine White
First Sentence: I woke to an animal growl in the predawn dark.
Fantasy (Semi-Austen retelling)

Better Reads Challenge:

It was definitely satisfying to know I made time every day this month to read!

February: 28/28 days
Year-long: 57/365 days

TBR Tear Down:

I’m happy I tackled both my reads for the month. I think only choosing two was a smart move, given that I’d already made a TBR I planned to stick to. As a reminder, the purple means it is part of a collection (in this case, Tanith!) and I’m not going to unhaul it if I dislike it or don’t read it.

Non-Review Highlights:

Classics for Kids and Teens

Sailor Moon Book Tag

*cover images from Goodreads