February Reading Wrapped

I was a prolific reader this month, and not only that but my average rating was the highest it has been in the last six months! I have (mostly) stuck to my goal of reading outside familiar territory, and it has unsurprisingly been paying off.

Books Read: 5
Total Pages: 1,750
Genres: Fiction
My Average Rating: 4.05

1. Onyx Storm (The Empyrean #3) by Rebecca Yarros

My Rating: 3
Goodreads Rating: 4.25

I couldn’t quit Romantasy cold turkey unfortunately. After reading over 1,100 pages of this series (and enjoying less than half of that), I felt I was too deep in to not read the third installment of Yarros’ The Empyrean. And overall I am a glad I did. Is the writing good? Meh. Are the characters and plot well developed? Not really. But there was a clear shift and improvement from it’s predecessor, Iron Flame, which made for a much better reading experience. Yarros blew up on Booktok when she released Fourth Wing, then was torn apart after Iron Flame. It seems she took the criticism in stride and made some major changes before putting out this most recent addition. I’m curious to see where the series goes from here.

2. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

My Rating: 5
Goodreads Rating: 4.64

This is for boomer women what A Little Life is for queer Gen-Zers. Unrelenting trauma and wartime hardship over almost 500 pages, making you desperate for some respite for the main characters, only to find none. I had yet to truly cry from reading a book in my adult life, until finishing this one. Hannah is a phenomenal writer and I felt entirely engrossed in the story and its setting. I would probably never have picked this one up were it not for my book club, and though it was a depressing read, I would like to eventually explore Hannah’s other works.

3. Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

My Rating: 4.5
Goodreads Rating: 4.21

I read this simultaneously with The Nightingale and all I can say was it was a BLEAK week for me. I was curious as to why this 1993 novel was in such high demand now, until I realized it explores a semi-dystopian, climate disaster ridden world not too dissimilar from ours today. Oh and it takes place in 2024. The parallels at times were eerily similar. Is Butler a seer? I really enjoyed Butler’s writing style, though the imagery was often disturbing. I needed to take a break from her pessimistic outlook on humanity, but I think I will be picking up the sequel for this one eventually.

4. Comfort Me with Apples by Catherynne M. Valente

My Rating: 4.25
Goodreads Rating: 3.57

An inventive and twisted retelling of a classic story. Can’t say more or I’ll spoil it!

5. The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society by C.M. Waggoner

My Rating: 3.5
Goodreads Rating: 3.43

A classic whodunnit set up with a supernatural twist. This is a light, easy read that was entertaining enough. Mostly it served as a much needed and refreshing palette cleanser after a few intense and grim reads. This is a safe choice for pretty much any book club as it is appropriate, funny at times, and generally intriguing, which is exactly why I picked it for mine!