What I Read In February + My March TBR
I read seven books in February.
When I look back to how many books I read in a month two years ago—or even a year ago!—I can’t help but marvel at the amount of reading I can get done when I truly prioritize it and make it a part of my self-care routine. Now, that may seem like I’m bragging, and I am. But I shrug as I write that sentence. Because I’m going to brag about myself and be proud of myself for reading great books.
I don’t like long intros, so let’s get into the books I read this month.
Empire of Storms (ToG, 5) by Sarah J. Maas
I loved the multiple character POVs in this book—a commonality throughout this entire series! Concerning the characters that I always liked, I liked them even more in this one (Manon!!). I continued to love the world-building in this book, and what continued to unravel as we got to the final book in this series (Kingdom of Ash). I did the tandem read (with Tower of Dawn, see below for the review). It wasn’t so bad! In fact, I actually thought it helped me focus on the book even more. I would normally get bored after a few chapters and pick up my phone, but after reading a few chapters of EoS, then I would pick up ToD. Each chapter was like a cliffhanger—it switched POVs and I wanted to keep reading to see what would happen. I would say this is in my top four favorite books of the series.
Rating: 4.5/5
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Tower of Dawn (ToG, 6) by Sarah J. Maas
I loved the new setting that we are introduced to. I am a major fan of Chaol, so an entire book devoted to his POV was just what I needed. And Yrene!! Always good to see a familiar face in this universe. I loved reading about them both. Some parts were a struggle to get through—especially the times when I wanted to read EoS and left on a cliffhanger (in the tandem read). Sometimes, Nesryn’s chapters were tough to get through. I still felt like there was this question mark around her towards the beginning of this book, but I’m glad we got to know more of her and see her be her own person instead of a supporting character. Again, I loved this new setting! Overall, I’d recommend the tandem read for anyone wanting to start this series.
Rating: 4.5/5
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Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
I finished this on audio and it took me a while to get through the first half. I think the book really improved itself by having Meryl Streep narrate the book. I liked the family dynamics and how the characters came together, especially since the book takes place during the first few months of the pandemic. It also takes place a few decades before when Meryl Streep’s character, Lara, tells her daughters the story of when she dated a famous actor. I liked the second half of this book better. The story that Lara was telling her daughters flowed seamlessly into the present day more, and I got to know more about her daughters and how each one of them reminds Lara of herself. Overall, I’d recommend it. It would be a good beach or lake read.
Rating: 4/5
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Kingdom of Ash (ToG, 7) by Sarah J. Maas
A perfect ending to an impeccable series! This almost-1,000 page novel took me a week to finish, but what surprised me is that it only took a week for me to finish it. What I really loved about this book was that it brought everyone together. Everything that each book brought up and introduced, they were addressed in this book. This book gave the vibes of the final battle scene in Avengers: Endgame. That’s all I’ll say about this book because if I say any more, it would be a spoiler. Overall, I’d recommend it and this entire series!
Rating: 5/5
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Out On A Limb by Hannah Bonam-Young
I needed a good, light romance to pick up after KoA and this one delivered flawlessly. If you read and loved Flawless by Elsie Silver, then I think you would love this book. It gives the same vibes of a small town and beautiful, heartfelt moments between the two characters. I loved the disability representation and learning more about that. The accidental pregnancy is a new plot point/trope for me to read, but I think the author did that right! Bo and Win have my heart forever.
Rating: 4.5/5
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That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon (Mead Mishaps, 1) by Kimberly Lemming
I don’t know what I was thinking when I picked up this book, but it was surely an entertaining adventure. This was a shorter one, but it was a fast-paced read. To be honest, it wasn’t for me. The first 50 pages were entertaining and funny, but once the story picked up, I was struggling to get through the plot and figure out what was going on. Maybe I read it too quickly. However, the story kept taking me to different places. All of a sudden, the two characters (the human and the demon that she saved) are in love? And they are fated mates? I was struggling to get through this one. Pick this up if you need a light-hearted, steamy, fast-paced romantasy.
Rating: 2.5/5
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Daisy Haites (Magnolia Parks Universe, 2) by Jessa Hastings
Oh boy. I am not a hater of this book series. I read Magnolia Parks and did not like her at all. But I liked that book (Magnolia Parks) overall and the author’s writing style. However, many people told me that the other books focused on the other side characters of book 1 and so I picked up the next book. The next book is about Daisy Haites (like what the title says) and her love interest, Christian Hemmes, a side character from book 1. This was good—like I said, I definitely like the author’s writing style. I feel like the book is largely conversational and like the narrator is talking to you like they’re telling you a story. (Lol, they are.) Daisy and Christian are intriguing characters that I liked following along with! They didn’t annoy me like Magnolia and BJ. The side plot of them being gang lords and criminals was funny to me. This is sort of like a Gossip Girl plot set in London, but that may be a stretch. Still, I get why this series is so popular. It’s just not for me right now—but I’m curious to try this on audio and see if I like it in that form. Overall, I’d recommend it.
Rating: 4/5
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My March TBR:
Long Shot by Kennedy Ryan (I got this on Spotify Audio and am loving it so far!)