The shortest month of the year was cold and I was able to read 10 books. Some were quick reads that I almost skimmed through but other were important non-fiction and captivating fiction. Here’s what I read in February:
5 stars
In 1700s France, Addie LaRue finds herself in a desperate situation. She longs for freedom, but is condemned to a life of marriage and family. On her wedding day, she runs away and hides, praying to anyone who could hear her. After dusk, there is a response and she makes a deal with a dark power. She is free, but no one will remember her and she will live until she is ready to give the spirit her soul. A centuries-long battle between her and the darkness begins … I really enjoyed the plot of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. It had a lot of twists and turns and has the overall lesson to avoid evil spirits.
I was excited to read American Muckraker by James O’Keefe, but ended up being disappointed by the book. The book is written more on an academic level than on a journalistic level. He covers his philosophy on several topics, but the book seemed disjointed to me. (There’s also spacing issues throughout the book, which drove me crazy.) There are a few interesting parts, but overall, I would recommend passing by this book.
5 Stars
Before women had the right to vote and were recognized as having their own personhood after being married, they were subject to the whims of their husbands. The Woman They Could Not Silence covers the atrocity of husbands and fathers committing their wives and daughters to insane asylums without any proof of insanity – just because they didn’t want them at home. Elizabeth Packard was sent to one for three years because she disagreed with her husband on several religious points and he was a pastor. Her six children were suddenly motherless and Elizabeth had almost no power about her situation. But, with what little power she did have, she fought every step of the way. This is a powerful book and I highly recommend it to learn about this aspect of American history. Kate Moore has uncovered another key part of women’s history as she did in The Radium Girls, which I also highly recommend!
Jillian and Lesley become friends during elementary school in the 1960s. Jillian is from a well-off family and Lesley’s mother struggles to keep their family afloat while her dad works on and off at the mill. Despite all the changes that happen in their lives over they decades, they stay in touch and their friendship only gets stronger and stronger. The book is a compilation of letters written mostly between the girls, but with a few to or from other people thrown in. I felt like I was growing up with them as I read the book and it made me think of a friendship I truly hold dear. Between Friends is now one of my favorite Macomber books.
I saw the 5 Types of People Who Can Ruin Your Life in a few Instagram posts and checked it out from my library. It’s a decent resource on some very toxic personalities, but the advice it gives in dealing with those personalities is very shallow. It’s geared toward meeting these types of people at work or school, but not in up-close personal and family relationships. It would be good to skim through to become aware of the types of personalities to avoid. The general rule is if someone is acting differently than 90 percent of people would act, that’s a big warning sign.
In the kingdom of Cornucopia, the people believe a monster lives in the northern marsh area. When a shepherd comes to tell the king his dog has been lost to the monster, the king decides to got hunt the monster himself. However, his two most trusted friends and advisors seize the opportunity to complete their hold over the king. They start to spin a tale to cover up their tracks of killing a man and it changes the entire country. The book is a lesson on love, loyalty, truth and the dangers of an authoritarian government. I really enjoyed reading The Ickabog.
A painting, originally created by a husband of and for his wife, now hangs in Liv’s house. The painting is called The Girl You Left Behind. Her husband bought it for her on their honeymoon and after his death, the girl in the painting speaks to her and means more to her than she can explain. The paintings origins come into question when the original artist’s descendants claim it was stolen during WWI and should rightfully be returned to their family. In her fight for her painting, Liv discovers the truth about the girl in the painting – Sophie – and finds she still has lessons to learn about life.
What makes a person a genius? Are they born that way or is it something that can be developed? The Hidden Habits of Genius explores many aspects of how geniuses live and what makes a person a genius. A composer of music is on a different level than a person that can play music well. Creation of new ideas trumps making already created things better. Wright explores gender, practice, age and other areas all while encouraging “normal” people to be more creative in how they live and explore this world.
After surviving cancer that should have been a death sentence, how does one begin to live again? Bowler explores her own story of finding how to live day to day when her life was not ending anymore in No Cure for Being Human. She write with raw emotion and voice and helps her readers get a glimpse into what it feels like to face death and then live again. I’ve enjoyed reading Bowler’s books and am glad she is sharing her journey with the world. It reminds me to treasure each day.
I don’t remember ever reading A Tale of Two Cities for school, so when my oldest needed to read it for English, I decided to read it, too. The storyline isn’t the easiest to follow as there are several time gaps in the story, but it is set around the French Revolution. The end finally let me know that it’s a love story and how the ultimate sacrifice can be the best way to love. It also show how vengeance doesn’t always win.
What books did you read in February? Share in the comments!
