Last year I only read five books which was disappointing to me as someone who considers herself an avid reader. This year I really wanted to challenge myself to fall back in love with reading. I set my reading goal to 30 books for the year and I’ve already gotten through 11! In February, I read seven books, and I can’t wait to discuss them!
1. In the dream House by carmen maria machado
rAting: 5/5
This year I want to challenge myself to read outside of my normal genres. In The Dream House has been on my TBR forever and when I saw it at the library I knew it was time to read it. This book is a memoir and it’s unlike anything I have ever read before. The way Machado tells this story is not with chapters but through different stories. Each story is written through different lenses and she often cites fantasy and fairytale motifs. This book tells the story of a queer abusive relationship, which is a topic not often talked about. It’s beautifully written and is a book that will stick with me for a long time.
2. Gentlemen prefer blondes by anita loos
rating: 3/5
This is the first book I read for an English class I’m taking this semester. Although it’s a classic and was turned into a movie starring Marilyn Monroe, I had never heard of it. It follows our main character, Lorelai, through her diary entries. Lorelai is the kind of character who loves money and gets with men for the sole purpose of using them. The writing of the book reminded me a lot of Flowers For Algernon in the misspellings and mistakes because both Lorelai and Charlie aren’t well educated. I have a love-hate relationship with classics, as I tend to not like them and not see the appeal. Maybe it’s because they’re older stories that don’t resonate with me as much. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes wasn’t the worst book I’ve had to read for school (I’m looking at you Pride and Prejudice) but the story just felt boring and unnecessary. I did like the relationship between Lorelai and her friend Dorothy and could be convinced to read Gentlemen Marry Brunettes to read more about Dorothy.
3. BuSIness or pleasure by rachel lynn solomon
rating: 4/5
Romance is my favorite genre and this book was addicting. I had intended to read this when it was released last year but found myself in a reading slump. We follow Chandler, who works as a ghostwriter, and Finn, who is a C-list actor. They meet at a bookstore bar and Finn fakes his identity. After Chandler shows him around Seattle, things get spicy. They end up at Finn’s hotel and Chandler quickly learns that Finn has no idea what he is doing. She expects to never see him again until he ends up being the next celebrity whose book she will be ghostwriting. This book was hot, she gives him lessons on what to do in the bedroom and he’s a pretty good learner. They go to different conventions and Chandler learns more about Finn’s fame and what his show means to him. There’s OCD representation, a caretaking scene, and the only-one-bed trope. What more could you need?
4. NIGHT SHIFT BY ANNIE CROWN
rating: 3.5/5
Let’s cut to the chase: this is traditionally published Wattpad fan fiction. And I read it in one night. This couple loves to do questionable stuff in public places and defiles a bookstore. Enough said, this definitely was a book that I read.
5. butterfield 8 by john o’hara
RATINg: 3/5
This was another book for my class. This one felt like it was trying to be The Great Gatsby but was missing the mark. Our conversation in class also didn’t sell me on the book. The ending was definitely graphic and had me wondering what actually happened on the boat. Also, the mink coat knows all (IYKYK).
6. the fake mate by lana ferguson
rating: 4.5/5
This month I think we all learned about the omegaverse together. With Ali Hazelwood’s newest release, Bride, being a paranormal/omegaverse romance, everyone was looking for more omegaverse content. I had full intentions of reading Bride this month but ended up devouring The Fake Mate. Never did I think I would read a werewolf shifter romance, but here we are — new year, new genres. One of the things I especially loved about this book was the pacing. We immediately got into the story and had our characters interacting. The story is also told through a dual POV, which I love, and it’s a fake dating romance. Having never read anything like this before, it was very easy to follow. I think this a good stepping stone to get into the omegaverse and shifter romances. Mackenzie, our FMC, was amazing. She’s sunshine personified and her interactions with Noah were *chef’s kiss*. Surprisingly, my only complaint about this book was the amount of sex our main characters had. Chapter after chapter it seemed like they were always in the bedroom. I love spice as much as the next person, but at some point, you need to have a conversation. Maybe play a board game. Overall, this is definitely one of my favorite romances I’ve read in a while and I’m very excited to read Bride next month.
7. THE haunting of hill house by shirley jackson
RATING: 4/5
I was so excited to pick this up for my class. I’m not a horror fan at all, and frankly, it flopped in the horror department. I can see where the scary parts were supposed to be, but they didn’t do anything for me. I was fully expecting to be sleeping with my light on. Don’t get me wrong though, I loved this book. Eleanor’s character was fascinating and the relationships that form at Hill House were amazing to read about. Shirley Jackson’s writing was some of the best I’ve read; the imagery throughout the book felt very cinematic. I think the ending of the book was the most shocking because I didn’t see it coming at all. This is a classic I standby and I will be reading the rest of Jackson’s books immediately.
Reading seven books in one month isn’t my record, and the three books for school some wouldn’t even count, but considering the mere five I read in the last year, I’m doing pretty good. It’s tough to read for pleasure in the midst of school, but making time for it definitely helps my mind take a break. Next month will be even better because of spring break so I’ll have a lot of free time to just read. I’ve already got some books planned for my March TBR, but I’m also a mood reader and will read something if I see one thing about it so my reads might continue to be chaotic. Happy reading!