February 2022 Wrap Up

I know that February is the shortest month and all but…. it felt a week short, not just a few days! This also happens to be one of the busiest months of the year for me for work as well so maybe that’s why it went so fast. March is looking even busier…. thank god I have books to keep me sane!

Now, even thought this month was shorter, I still managed to read 6 books for a total of over 3,000 pages. I’m a little impressed with myself to be honest! Having a new Sarah J Maas book to read was a damn good motivator 🙂 Let’s get into it

VOICES FROM CHERNOBYL BY SVETLANA ALEXIEVICH – 4 STARS

I felt a little guilty that I read this and didn’t write a review. Given recent events in Ukraine, I’m a little glad that I didn’t just yet – because my opinions about my reading experience have changed drastically. I went into this expecting it to be all about the events of the nuclear accident. The things that happened that day as well as the days, weeks, and years following. At the time, so much was kept under wraps and the true accounts of what people experienced were never let out. And yes, there were quite a few stories of the disaster BUT I wasn’t expecting how much of this book would talk about the people’s love of the land and the people. It was very much a love letter to the Ukraine. That no matter if they were faced with economical/environmental disaster or war, they would remain steadfast and strong. It was a cumulation of stories of people who persevered and thrived in the face of loss, struggle, and hardship. I enjoyed it yet I was a little let down because I was expecting more about the nuclear disaster and not war. Now that Russia has attacked Ukraine, this book gave me so much more to think about. It makes the heartbreak stronger because I know that these people are being faced with fear and loss once again. At the same time though, through the stories in this book, I have never been more confident in the fact that the people of Ukraine are strong willed, loyal, loving, tough as nails people who will not lay down. I stand with you Ukraine.

BEACH READ BY EMILY HENRY – 4 STARS

After finishing Voices From Chernobyl, I needed something a little lighter, so I went with a safe rom-com…. only to be surprised with it being way deeper than expected… but in the best possible way! I’ve heard so many mixed reviews about this one due to the fact that it’s a little different than your typical rom-com. Sure, there were quite a few classic comedic elements, but it also tackled so many deep and hard hitting topics including loss, divorce, cults, and so much more. Click here for my full spoiler free review

EXTASIA BY CLAIRE LEGRAND – DNF

Annnnnnnd we have the first DNF of 2022…… which still hurts to say. I had high hopes that this was going to be magnificent and right up my alley. It had so many things that screamed my name and I was even honoured enough to get an ARC from the publisher. Sadly, I just couldn’t force myself to finish it. I won’t go into it all here, but if you want to hear all my thoughts, check out my full DNF diary post here

THE EX HEX BY ERIN STERLING – 3 STARS

I have a full review of this one planned later this week, so I won’t say a whole lot here. What I will say though – is this one didn’t quite live up to the hype. A few months ago, this book was EVERYWHERE! And everyone seemed to love it! While there were quite a few outstanding things that I can mention, this one was a little forgettable for me. It was just kind of blah. It started off great and then the pace slowed when the book changed direction from the plot to focus on the romance. Once the love to hate to love came into play, the plot and everything else suffered. It didn’t help that I wasn’t the biggest fan of the main couple either! The magic was never explored, the ending felt rushed, and I was a little underwhelmed. Review to come soon!

HOUSE OF EARTH AND BLOOD BY SARAH J MAAS – 5 STARS

Ohhhhh dear lord, this reread was a whirlwind! When I read it the first time, I wasn’t all that impressed with it and rated it around 3.5-4 stars. I wasn’t the biggest fan of Bryce and Hunt together and I was honestly a little salty that we got THIS book and not Nesta’s. This time around though…. LOVED it! Bryce and Hunt made so much more sense! I didn’t remember just how long these two took before they opened up and let the other in. I also forgot how much I enjoyed Bryce and her growth as a character. So much happened to this poor girl in her 20 something years of life and watching her deal with it all was just painful yet beautiful. And her relationship with Ruhn…. I love Ruhn!!

HOUSE OF SKY AND BREATH BY SARAH J MAAS – 4.5 STARS

Initially I rated this 5 stars but, now that i’ve had some time to think about it, I’m rating it just a bit lower. Even though this book blew my mind, there were a few small things that I didn’t enjoy. I didn’t enjoy Bryce and Hunt’s relationship as much as I did in book one. There was something strained or not explored and I just didn’t connect with them as much as I did in book one. There’s also the fact that there was SO much set up and development for future books. The world (or, worlds… if you know then you know!), the magic, the politics…. it was A LOT to take in. I know that in the end SJM will blow us all away and weave all of these threads together, but for this book I felt a little lost and disconnected. All of the tiny details that she included in this book and how she’s already starting to bring it together was stellar though! That last chapter….. I nearly had a heart attack! And I also might be totally in love with Ruhn now! Book 3 now please?!

Those are all the books I read for the month of February! I don’t have too many reviews attached to this wrap up… I plan to catch up soon… don’t hold me to that though! Like I said, March is looking to be busier than ever and I’ll be lucky if I make it through without having to work 14 hour shifts, 7 days a week. Sleep might have to take priority to writing blog posts but I will try!

Have you read House of Sky and Breath yet? What did you think? I need all the theories in the comments!

Hope you all had an amazing month!

Until next time, happy reading!