WRAP-UP | February 2018

Well book lovers, February is over, and you know what that means! It’s time for a wrap-up! I didn’t end up diving into as many love stories as I’d thought I might, but overall my reading month was wonderful!

 

 

“I stand for a moment, staring at it, remembering.

The faint squeal of the baby swing, the biting chill of the early-morning air, the crispness of white chalk on black tarmac. Another message. But this one was different. Not a chalk man . . . something else. 

I turn abruptly. Not now. Not again. I won’t be drawn back in.”

 

 

The first book I finished this month was The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor! This had me drawn in from the first line, and it succeeded in keeping me there throughout. I have trouble with these types of books sometimes, because if I’m able to guess what’s coming, it ruins it for me. I enjoy the atmosphere, but not so much that I can love a predictable thriller. But this one intrigued me because I’d heard people say it was perfect for Stranger Things fans, and it did sound fascinating. Well, it was a total success! I was in suspense until the very end, and I thought Tudor did a wonderful job of rounding everything out.

 

 

“Tom and Jessica are English

They met in a French class.

It was love at first sight.

They moved together to Paris

to fulfill their dreams and to eat baguettes.

They found Paris as lovely as they expected.

They are thinking of getting married.”

 

Oh what a delightful read for Valentine’s Day! I actually won this in a giveaway from Penguin, which was fantastically exciting, because I don’t have a tendency to win such things, and I very much wanted this! I read it from cover to cover on Cupid’s day, and it was the perfect way to enjoy the holiday.

 

 

“How to Procrastinate

Step 1: Ignore your work

Step 2: Have a snack

Step 3: Take a nap

Step 4: Forget what you were doing”

 

PUSHEEN!! Sorry. I just had to get that all-caps celebration of this furry friend out of my system. The beauty of this book is really the art, but I’ve included a quote anyway. It’s not as funny without the visual though. I bought this for my sister’s birthday, which is February 17th. She and I both adore Pusheen, and Pusheen’s birthday is the 18th, so they practically share it! It was too perfect.

 

“The ground was strewn with dense patches of flowers. From pink roses to bluebells to lilies, spring’s fleeting treasure was heaped about like piles of rubies, sapphires, and opals. Their intoxicating aromas attracted hordes of bumblebees. To the right, a stream chuckled behind a row of bushes, while a pair of squirrels chased each other around a rock.”

 

 

Yay for the continuation of #EragonBookstagramTakeover!! Hosted by @bookishwinterwitch and @abookishdragon, this readalong has been giving me life! First of all, I’m loving this series so much, and I’m thrilled to be finally reading it after it has been sitting on my shelves for years. Second, discussing the book with Bookstagram friends every Saturday has been an absolute blast! I loved watching Eragon and Roran grow in this second installment. We, the readers, start to understand more about the world as Eragon does, which was really exciting. And that ending! OH MY GOSH. I’ll say no more. But what. WHAT.

 

 

“You gave me a ribbon once, Peony. Do you remember?

I know it was nothing special. Just a scrap, probably.

All this time I thought I was special. That I’m closer to being human than my peers. But now I know your father designed me to be this way. He was trying to make a friend for you, and I was the result.

But even if my love for you is nothing more than a result of Garan’s experimentation, I believe that the love you gave me in return was real.

Your friendship meant more to me than you will ever know.”

 

Okay so this totally broke my book-buying ban for the month. I’m kind of mad at myself, because I’ve been doing SO well! But, oh well! I hadn’t realized this was released, and I’m obsessed with this series, so when it surprised me in the wild I just had to grab it. I did read it right away, so it isn’t too much of a fail I guess? This is another one that is hard to quote! It’s a graphic novel, so very visual, but I’ve included a little (tear-inducing) portion anyway.

 

“75

Be wary of Reality Checkers.

Reality Checkers are everywhere and they love dishing out doses of reality like they’re a doctor and this is the prescription you need. You know the kind. Where you share with them your Everest-Sized Dream and before you can even finish they rattle off the seven reasons your dream won’t work. They lather you in their own fear and insecurities, and call it sound advice.”

 

My aunt and uncle gifted this to me when I graduated college, and I’ve just now got around to it! It was FANTASTIC. Books like this can sometimes feel contrived, but this one was really insightful. I got a lot out of it, and I’ve even reread a few parts already. I highly recommend this, whether you’re in your 20s or not! Although, you will definitely get the most out of it if you are.

 

“And later,

I remember my mouth not able to scrape

up enough energy to chew a few bites

of sautéed noodles as I was still loving

you for everything you were

and every letter in your DNA.”

 

The quote above is from a poem by Amber Braden. She is one of the writers featured in this second volume produced by Twelve Point Collective, which was this cool new literary journal. Unfortunately, it closed last year after just two issues. I so wish it hadn’t, because I loved it! I suppose they must not have been able to garner enough support early on. At any rate, I really enjoyed reading this second issue during the month of love, as its theme is Modern Relationships.

 

“Her voice was sweet and thin as drifting campfire smoke; she always pictured its spiraling sparkle wending its way toward the god like a trial of vapor.”

 

 

 

Lastly, I finished up Jovah’s Angel! This is the third book of Shinn’s that I’ve read, and I loved it! Although, if I had to put them in order, I think I would still give Archangel first. Through most of Jovah’s Angel I would have deemed it last of the three, but now that I’ve finished, I think it is tied with Angelica for me. There was a part of this one that I found difficult to get through, and it made me sit the book down for a week or so. However, once I did pick it back up and push through that part, I was totally engaged through to the end! Shinn’s ability to create something so unique continues to amaze me!

 

 

 

If you’d be interested in reading a full review on any of my February reads, be sure to let me know in the comments!