Let me start this right off by saying it’s not actually ten books from February but actually 8. However, I didn’t include two of them in my last round-up as I didn’t think I’d get these two books finished in the month so did all the posting about the other eight and then did actually finish them.
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Anyway, putting the fact I’m a big liar aside, I’ve got ten books below that I’ve read over the previous month.
This article is a bit late this month too as it’s taken me a hot minute to get my reviews of these books up, but I’m finally there with my full written reviews.
So as always, below are the ten books I’ve read this month along with the summaries from the reviews, links to my full reviews of them and a link to buy the book online if you wish.
When Your Family Says No by Laya Martinez
“When Your Family Says No is a fascinating look into the orthodox Jewish community and how it affected one woman’s life and how when she grew older and had to leave her family, it really shone a spotlight on the religion and its limitations. Laya is an incredibly brave person for what she did and reading about her strict upbringing, her limitations as a woman in the religion and then the reaction from her family and friends of the religion when she chose to leave is a real eye opener and a genuinely insightful look into a world completely different from so many of those of us reading it.”
Read my full review | Buy a copy of the book
Of Darkness and Light by Ryan Cahill
“Of Darkness and Light is a success of a sequel in every sense of the word: bigger story, bigger plot, bigger consequences, more characters, wider world and ultimately a grander book. I really enjoyed Of Blood and Fire and Of Darkness and Light is the perfect sequel. It’s kept me interested in the world, I’m still enjoying the characters and am looking forward to wherever Cahill takes us next. If you’re a fantasy fan and were apprehensive about starting Cahill’s The Bound and the Broken series, you can rest assured his first book wasn’t a fluke, this is a genuinely exciting fantasy author we should all be paying attention to.”
Read my full review | Buy a copy of the book
White Nights by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
“White Nights isn’t the most romantic novel I’ve ever read but it does do an extremely impressive job of expressing all of the moments you experience during love in such a short number of pages! Its ability to make you feel the joys, the turbulence and the heartbreak of love all in around 90 pages is very impressive. The writing is top-tier and at times can require quite a high level of concentration to stay immersed but it all equates to a book that manages to depict emotions you wouldn’t necessarily know how else to articulate in so few words. White Nights is short and sweet but it’s special.”
Read my full review | Buy a copy of the book
Golden Son by Pierce Brown
“Golden Son didn’t blow my mind or build on the series quite like I hoped, however, it was great fun and just as good as the first one, giving a final third that really picked up the action, the emotions and my general enjoyment of the book too. The dialogue is once again, superb and makes for characters that you build real opinions of. If you enjoyed Red Rising, you’ll almost definitely enjoy Golden Son but I just honestly didn’t find it as exponentially better as the rest of the internet seemed to think it was.”
Read my full review | Buy a copy of the book
The Housemaid’s Secret by Freida McFadden
“I always doubt if a sequel is going to match the first book, especially in the thriller genre. However, McFadden has accomplished a rare task in completely matching how impressed I was with the first book The Housemaid. The Housemaid’s Secret is a fantastic thriller with a fast pace, genuinely engaging plot and once again another moment that will have you shocked. McFadden is quickly becoming a name I may have to focus on more. I’ll definitely have to read some more of her books!
Read my full review | Buy a copy of the book
The List of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey
“I’m always nervous about a book being overhyped when it’s recommended as much as The List of Suspicious Things was, but this book deserves the hype. If you’re looking at a tick list of what makes great a great novel, this book would tick them all. You’ve got loveable characters, hateable characters; you’ve got shocking moments, you’ve got a wholesome story that also covers some serious mature topics and you’ve got an ending that so quickly breaks and mends your heart, you come out traumatised. I already know The List of Suspicious Things will feature on my “Top Books of the Year list” already and it’s only February and you should consider it a must-read for 2024!”
Read my full review | Buy a copy of the book
Slow Horses by Mick Herron
“Slow Horses is a big name in the crime genre at the moment and so I felt I had to read it. It started off a little slow but once I realised there was a comedic element and gre accustomed to Mick Herron’s writing style, I started to really enjoy it. The story wasn’t too deep and therefore easy to follow but there were some interesting twists and some questions left unanswered that the next book will hopefully answer. I’ve not read a vast amount of crime books but I think I’ll definitely be picking up the sequel to Slow Horses.“
Read my full review | Buy a copy of the book
One Day by David Nichols
“I’ve not given a book five stars since I started my new .25 rating system and I’m not going to start now. But if I did, One Day would be the first to get it. A true love story filled with heartbreak and genuine emotion, One Day‘s Emma and Dexter “Em and Dex. Dex and Em” are two characters who will live in my head for the rest of my reading life. The on/off relationship, the actually believable conversations and interactions, the gripping plotline and the one moment that will leave all readers regretting they’d ever picked up this book make for not just one of the greatest love stories I’ve ever read but one of the greatest novels I’ve ever read full stop. Put down what you’re reading and read One Day now.”
Read my full review | Buy a copy of the book
The Girls Who Disappeared by Claire Douglas
“The Girls Who Disappeared really impressed me. An interesting setting, some likeable characters and a plot that kept me deeply interested resulted in a thriller I’ll definitely go around recommending to people. I usually start my thriller reviews by stating that I’m not the biggest thriller fan but I’ve read a great selection recently and The Girls Who Disappeared is another in the genre that’s genuinely impressed me. I’m always looking for new authors who are “must buys” and after I enjoyed The Couple at No. 9 by her too, I feel Claire Douglas may be added to this list.”
Read my full review | Buy a copy of the book
The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin
“The City We Became was a massive let down for me. What started off as a book with a really interesting premise ad a lot of potential just ended up getting completely lost for me. A convoluted plot with no real direction was slightly redeemed by some strong characters with big personalities. It’s a book that I feel I was never really sucked into by any of the grander story moments and so when it finished with a bit of a whimper I felt very “meh” about the book as a whole. If you’ve hard great things and still want to give it a go, Jemisin’s writing is brilliant and her characters are bright but really concentrate when trying to follow the plot or you may find yourself in the same position I did of losing interest.”
Read my full review | Buy a copy of the book
So in summary…
This has been a huge reading month. I read some absolutely fantastic books with two books (One Day and The List of Suspicious Things) that I imagine will feature in my top ten books of the year list at the end of the year.
It was also good fun to read a memoir and one that featured a topic that I don’t really know a lot about in When Your Family Says No. Reading memoirs really opens up your eyes to how different lives can be lived around you and how lucky you are to be living your own life.
What books have you been reading this month? What was your favourite book? Which of the books I’ve listed above have you read this month. Let me know below!
This is an amazing amount to read in a month! My February reading was abysmal as I caught flu and was too ill to do anything for over two weeks. I like quite a few of these titles and will be adding some of them to my ever-growing TBR list!
Thanks Molly! I accredit any speed to audiobooks and being able to listen to them whilst I cook/clean/drive/walk/gym etc. Let me know how you get on with them!