FEBRUARY READS
Before we jump into my February reads, I’d like to preface this by saying that you might scroll down and think to yourself: “This girl reads a lot of f***ing books.” In case you are one of these people and seeing how many books I read makes you feel guilty/bad/inferior, I want to affirm that you are WONDERFUL and SMART and CAPABLE, no matter how many books you read in a month or a year or five years. Lately, I have a lot of reading time on my hands, and I’m excited about books. But this hasn’t always been true — I read very little for pleasure during undergrad, and some months my responsibilities pile up and reading is impossible. Books weren’t fun or engaging for me during certain points of my life, and that’s okay! If that is where you are at lately, that is also okay.
I hope that sharing what I am reading month-to-month will introduce you to some new reads, make you smile when you see familiar friends, and hopefully make your TBR list even longer. For ease, if you click on the book cover, it should link you to find it on Bookshop. We love indies and libraries here!
DEAL WITH THE DEVIL: A MERCENARY LIBRARIANS NOVEL
by Kit Rocha
This was the February read for Word Bookstore’s Romance Book Club. I love any post-apocalyptic universe run by evil corporations, and this scratched that itch. If you like supersoldiers, clones, and technologically-enhanced people fighting to idealistically save the world while falling in love, you’ll be into this.
INDIAN-ISH
by Priya Krishna
Including a cookbook here may seem strange, but lately I’ve been reading cookbooks cover to cover. Cookbook writers are great writers, in addition to being excellent recipe developers & chefs! Reading this felt like sitting at Priya’s family dinner table in Dallas, listening to funny stories while eating lovingly prepared food. Such a beautiful way for Priya to honor her mom, Ritu.
THE EX TALK
by Rachel Lynn Solomon
My brother signed me up for The Ripped Bodice’s Read, Romance, Repeat subscription box and this was part of January’s box! I’m really glad I’ve been introduced to Rachel Lynn Solomon. This book is so funny and the public radio premise is fantastic. The best parts of this are the scenes with Shay and Dominic bantering.
ON EARTH WE’RE BRIEFLY GORGEOUS
by Ocean Vuong
This was a re-read for me, because this was Proud Asian Women Book Club’s February pick. I loved it again — the first time I read this, I started it in the bathtub and finished it submerged in ice cold bath water with tears streaming down my face. I feel more objective about it this time, but this is truly beautiful work that stands up to re-read after re-read.
FIRST COMES LIKE
by Alisha Rai
I love the universe Alisha Rai has created and I’ve been following this community since Livvy and Nicholas made their debut in Hate to Want You. This book with Jia and Dev is great! Dev is such a wonderful male hero — he is tender, family-oriented, and famous without being an asshole. Reading Jia find self-assurance and acceptance was affirming. My favorite moment was Dev buying all of the skincare products Jia recommended in her beauty videos — dreamy!!
99 PERCENT MINE
by Sally Thorne
Another re-read! I’ve been re-reading for comfort and for craft — the first time through, I swoon over the story, and the second time I try to see how it works. I was more enchanted by this on the second read because I understood Darcy better. This book shows that happily ever after isn’t guaranteed — you have to put in the work for it. This made me want to sleep in a tent on a construction site — totally worth it if there’s a Valeska beside you.
DESTINY’S EMBRACE
by Beverly Jenkins
This feels so nostalgic for me, despite being published only eight years ago. The first Beverly Jenkins novels I read were part of Avon True Romance: For Teens, Belle and the Beau and Josephine and the Soldier. Every subsequent book by Ms. Bev I read just takes me back to those stories and spinning the bookshelves at the public library, hoping there would be a new book. Maybe I need to read my way through her entire catalog…
CONCRETE ROSE
by Angie Thomas
Angie Thomas’ lyric is unparalleled and I was rooting for Maverick the whole way. This is such a tender meditation on fatherhood and growing into yourself. The scenes with Mav and Seven made me tear up because of how loving and true they felt. Absolutely so brilliant and beautiful.
If you know me, you know I’m secretly a Christmas elf. This book didn’t arrive for me until the holiday season was over, and then I was too full of the post-Christmas blues to start it. Once February hit though, I was ready for another dose of holiday spirit. This is a fun time hop romance à la Andy Samberg’s Palm Springs — sometimes, Christmas magic means you get a do-over and finally, you can kiss the right brother.
HOME IS NOT A COUNTRY
by Safia Elhillo
This book changed how I saw the world for a few days, and that is my highest book compliment. When I closed my eyes in the shower, I felt Yasmeen staring at me, and I felt more and more compelled to live into my name like Nima. Safia Elhillo is a gorgeous, lush writer and this book collapses and remakes home/homeland in a such a vibrant way. I felt this book in my teeth.
Was that enough book talk for y’all?
If you want to continue the conversation, I love to talk about books, so hop over to the CONTACT tab if you’d like to discuss or recommend something!
